Real estate associations need to start thinking of themselves first and foremost as trade organizations.
Our job is not simply to keep members busy, fill a calendar, preserve every committee that has ever existed, or continue programs because a small group of loyal participants enjoys them. Our job is to help real estate professionals create business opportunities, raise their level of professionalism and stay prepared to serve the ever-changing needs of real estate consumers.
That requires a very different way of thinking about strategy.
For decades, associations have been remarkably good at adding things. A new committee. A new event. Another networking opportunity. Another program somebody championed. Another “member benefit.”
What we have not been nearly as good at is stopping things.
And that may now be one of the greatest strategic risks facing real estate associations.
You Cannot Build the Future If You Refuse to Make Room for It
Every association I work with tells me it wants to become more relevant.
They want stronger broker engagement. They want younger practitioners involved. They want top producers to see greater value. They want to help members understand AI, technology, changing consumer expectations, new business models, risk management and the economic realities reshaping residential real estate. Those are all amazing goals, but where exactly are those programs going to fit if we refuse to give anything up?
You cannot keep piling new strategic priorities on top of programs, committees, meetings and events that have existed for years simply because a small amount of people are emotionally attached to them.
Some programs may feel good. Some may have passionate supporters. Some may even have become part of the culture. That does not automatically make them strategically important and something you need to continue to offer moving forward.
The question should be much tougher. To determine which program you want to consider shuttering, here’s a great question to ask:
Does this activity measurably help our members become more successful, more professional, better prepared or more valuable to the consumers they serve?
If the answer is no, we need to have the courage to ask why we are still doing it.
The Chili Cook-Off Is Not a Value Proposition
Gone are the days when the chili cook-off is exciting enough to get top producers, team leaders or even brand-new practitioners to the table. And forget about brokers. They have better things to do.
Broker-owners and managers are dealing with recruiting, profitability, litigation, compliance, technology, AI, lead generation, brokerage consolidation, changing compensation models, new consumer expectations and increasingly complicated business operations. If you want them involved with the association, you have to give them a compelling business reason to show up. The same is true for practitioners.
Networking still matters. Community still matters. Relationships still matter. But there must be some meat in what you’re teaching and supporting. Networking alone is simply not enough anymore.
If you transition your thinking to think about your organization as a TRADE organization then you can start asking:
- How are we helping practitioners generate more business?
- How are we making them better at serving buyers and sellers?
- How are we helping brokerages become stronger, safer and more profitable?
- How are we preparing the industry for what is coming next?
- How are we elevating professionalism in our marketplace?
Those are the programs that create stickiness because they become essential to a member’s business rather than simply another invitation on their calendar.
Strategic Planning Needs a “Stop Doing” List
Most strategic planning sessions are built around one question:
“What should we do next?”
As someone who has facilitated hundreds of Strategic Plans, I believe every real estate association needs to add an equally important exercise:
“What are we going to stop doing?”
Make it deliberate. Make it visible. Put it directly into the strategic planning process. Review every major program, committee, event, product and recurring commitment and ask whether it still advances the future you say you are trying to build. Look at participation. Look at the profile who participates. Look at the cost. Many feel good activities are not profitable and create a drag on the organization that could otherwise be dedicated to enhanced education, advocacy or business-centric events.
Look at staff time. Many charitable events take significant staff time away from member-facing programs, economic development efforts and events with speakers addressing relevant topics and practical business needs.
Do not confuse longevity with importance. Do not confuse a small, but vocal constituency with broad relevance. And do not confuse activity with impact. Associations are under a ton of pressure to prove why the investment in membership creates a return on investment. Every dollar, staff hour and volunteer hour devoted to something that no longer matters is a dollar or hour unavailable for something that could transform the value of the association.
Letting Go Is Risk Management
Associations spend tremendous energy worrying about the risks associated with change. What if members do not like it?What if someone complains? What if we eliminate something people have grown accustomed to? Those are reasonable questions.
But there is another risk that deserves just as much attention:
What happens if we DO NOT change?
What happens if our strongest brokers lose interest or engage even less than they do now. What happens if our highest-producing practitioners stop seeing us as relevant? What happens if newer professionals look everywhere except their association for education, technology, business development and career support?
Holding on to everything just because its comfortable is not stability. Sometimes it is simply organizational drag.The strongest associations of the future will not necessarily be the ones offering the most programs. They will be the ones disciplined enough to concentrate their resources on the programs that matter most.
They will know what they stand for. They will know whom they serve.And they will be willing to stop doing things that no longer contribute to that mission. That is how an association stops behaving like a social club and starts operating like the powerful trade organization the real estate industry needs.
At WAV Group, we believe every member should be able to identify at least one thing their association provides that is truly meaningful to their business.
If you know that you have an ambivalent majority in your membership base, then it’s time to figure out how to segment your audience and learn more about what matters to each of them. If you’re not really how to measure true perceptions and engagement levels, WAV Group help. Our member satisfaction research can identify what your members truly value, where engagement is breaking down and which programs may be consuming resources without delivering meaningful impact.
Relevance is not created by doing more. It is created by doing more of what matters. We can help you get there.
If you are ready to figure out where your association needs to go next with a true strategic plan full of deliverables and key performance indicators and more than just platitudes, call us. We’ll bring our corporate strategic planning skills and guide you to a plan that will ensure your longevity.
