CEO'S MESSAGE
A New Foundation
For The Future
October 4, 2019 - I am pleased to
report that today, as this issue
of Orlando REALTOR® magazine
goes to the printer, ORRA and
the Greater Tampa REALTORS® are in discussions
to unite into a single association.
Our common goal is to create a member
organization with the combined resources
to provide REALTORS® with additional
products and services, better programs
and benefits, and greater political and
community influence at, whenever possible,
a lower cost.
The negotiations to join our two
like-minded associations have just begun.
Should they proceed successfully, ORRA’s
membership will be asked for a vote of
approval in December. Please watch your
e-mail and the ORRA website for updates
and opportunities to ask questions.
Below is our initial set of FAQs. You can
be assured that as negotiations proceed,
we are doing so with all members’ best interests
in mind, and additional details will
be posted as they become available.
I am excited about the potential of serving
the leadership of ORRA and GTR as they
work to create one of the country’s largest
REALTOR® associations, and I am honored
to be part of the process. If you have any
questions, I invite you to send them to me
via e-mail at cliffl@orlandorealtors.org.
Cliff Long
• What are some of the anticipated benefits if GTR and ORRA
would partner together? Combining efforts would present many
new opportunities to deliver an enhanced member experience
that would better serve all members with more offerings of products
and services. Additional education offerings (including live
video conferencing of classes and events), a more streamlined
professional standards process, more housing market information,
and additional discounts and savings are just some of the
many benefits to come. With greater numbers, additional resources,
and our larger footprint, our advocacy efforts will be amplified,
ensuring the REALTOR® voice is clearly heard at the local, state,
and national levels.
• Why partner and why now? Like so many industries, the real
estate industry is evolving, with increased regionalization and
expanded geographic boundaries. Discussions have led to the
leadership of both major organizations within the Orlando-Tampa
super region to recognize that now is an opportune time for them
to come together to better deliver the array of services needed for
members’ success in the ever-changing market, both today and
in the future. Coming together will not only produce cost savings
and economies of scale, our combined 27,000-member voice will
also provide us with a greater impact within the super region and
the political sphere.
• Why partner with an association that is not a neighboring
association? Bringing together two like-minded, complementary
associations is not about geography. This partnership brings
together two associations along the I-4 corridor that have strong
revenues, reserves, and member counts for the collective benefit
of the membership. Orlando-Tampa is a super region, and these
two groups together would create the third-largest association in
Florida and the fifth largest in the country.
• What would the new name be? According to NAR, the name
of the new corporation must be descriptive of the actual area
served by the association, so the name would be Greater Orlando
Tampa REALTORS®.
• How will the decision to join GTR and ORRA be made?
There will be a membership vote scheduled for each association
in accordance with the current bylaws of each association.
• How will the unification affect my membership dues? Combined
resources will create larger economies of scale and greater
stability, thereby enhancing our ability to prevent dues increases
while potentially enhancing membership offerings.
• Would this affect my MLS service? The services you are
provided from Stellar MLS will not be affected. However, a larger
combined association could positively impact the decision-making
process for future enhancements.
• How will my MLS fees be affected? MLS fees (except for the
local service center fee) are not determined by the association.
• How will this affect my Supra eKEY fees? Supra fees have
been negotiated with each association. As a result of the partnership,
a new combined contract will be negotiated with anticipated
cost savings that can be passed onto our members.
6 Orlando REALTOR® Fall 2019
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