What Do I Get?

Sometimes it's hard to figure it all out.

Last week I met with a Realtor. We decided it was time we got to know one another since we kept running into each other at various events.

I asked her if she was a member of the Women's Council of Realtors and she said no, because she really didn't feel that it delivered what other types of networking do.

I had to agree with her, if she was planning on getting referrals.

But for her, The Women's Council of Realtors is a professional organization. Most of us really don't understand the value these groups bring to the table.

These are knowledge-based organizations. What that means is that when we attend the meetings of our own professional group, we'll gain information and education and rarely referrals.

This group also allows for affiliates (non Realtor members.) She will gain connections with those who can help her clients in the future, whether it is for a mortgage, decorating, an appraisal or landscaping. She had realized that these members were getting to meet her, but had not thought of how these connections could be valuable also to her.

Finally, I asked her how many times she sat at a closing table without another Realtor on the other side. She laughed and agreed that usually there was another Realtor. I asked if closing was easier when she knew the other Realtor. She agreed that was true.

While the jury may still be out on whether she joins The Toledo Chapter of Women Realtors, she now understands the three main values she receives from this type of membership.

What do you get from your professional memberships?