The Power of the REALTOR® Brand

What's in a brand? You probably recognize brands from McDonald's to Microsoft without even realizing it. Brands are symbols that make personal connections to consumers by evoking thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Branding helps people understand what a business or service is and what it stands for.

As a member of the New Hampshire Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®, you have the power of the REALTOR® brand working for you and your business.

Research shows that consumers will pay more for a brand if they believe in its quality. NAR commissioned a study with a leading brand valuation firm and discovered that the REALTOR® brand is worth, on average, more than $4,500 annually to each individual member, and that the average lifetime value of the name REALTOR® is $32,000. That means that it would cost the average real estate professional that much money to license a brand worth as much as the REALTOR® name.

The Voice for Real Estate in New Hampshire

NHAR is New Hampshires largest trade association, representing 6,000 members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. NHAR works tirelessly on your behalf to remain the Voice for Real estate in New Hampshire, providing quarterly real estate housing statistics and opinion editorial on housing related issues to local, state and national media outlets communicating to consumers that REALTORS® are the interpreters on current market conditions and private property.

Public Awareness Campaign

The National Association of REALTORS® annually promotes the value of using a REALTOR® through substantial print, radio and television advertising campaigns, additionally providing customizable print advertisements for use by members in local media. NHAR, meanwhile, promotes the power of the brand with a grassroots campaign that will, in 2009, stress outreach among the local boards and our members at large.

Legislative Advocacy

The REALTOR® organization is an influential voice at the State House in Concord, and on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC protecting the business interests of it members. The lobbying efforts by the largest trade organization in the country, the National Association of REALTORS®, have kept federal banks out of real estate and have saved private property owners from transfer taxes and protected their mortgage interest deduction.

Visit the Government Affairs section of this website for information on the current New Hampshire legislation affecting your business and bottom line. Visit the NAR REALTOR® Action Center for national legislative issues.

Education

As a REALTOR® you have the opportunity to receive comprehensive training in specialty areas of practice through a number of professional designation programs conducted throughout the state on a yearly basis. NHAR offers the following courses in Concord:

Graduate REALTOR® Institute The Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional that has made the commitment to provide a high level of professional services by securing a strong educational foundation. REALTORS® with the GRI designation are highly trained in many areas of real estate to better serve and protect their clients.

The Real Estate Professional Series The New Hampshire Association of REALTORS® Real Estate Professional Series (REPS) is acomprehensive base for the new and seasoned agents alike. This dynamic and intense four-day program includes, developing an effective prospecting plan, managing contacts using technology tools, effective presentations to sellers and buyers, and creating a realistic business plan.

Your local REALTOR® board offers a wide array of credit courses, designation courses, and other educational opportunities to keep you current and at the top of your game. Please check the schedule of classes for all local boards by clicking here.

REALTOR® University is the National Association of REALTORS® Internet-based online education system, where real estate professionals can take courses online for professional development and designation certification. You can take the courses offered by REALTOR® University in your home, your office or while traveling 24 hours a day, seven days a week with just a computer and an Internet connection.

Risk Management

TrueForms is the approved electronic version of the NHAR standard forms for listing and selling real property throughout New Hampshire. All forms are updated in compliance with the rules of the New Hampshire Real Estate Commission, and are reviewed annually for changes in law, rules and the business practices affecting New Hampshire.

The NHAR Legal Hotline provides REALTOR® members access to a free service staffed by attorneys that provide guidance and information regarding legal and ethical issues. In addition, REALTOR® members have access to a database of FAQs containing previously asked questions and the answers as provided by legal counsel. Questions are submitted to the NHAR Legal Hotline via the NHAR website, 24 hours per day/7 days per week. Attorneys respond to your questions within two business days of receipt.

The NHAR Professional Standards Workshop allows REALTOR® members to stay abreast of the changes in the NAR Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice and prepares them for important roles in local and state Professional Standards committees. Held in February each year, the workshop is conducted by nationally known experts on the NAR Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.