We are officially at the midway point for 2023 and there are many changes coming at GMAR, at Michigan REALTORS® and at the National Association of REALTORS®.

I’d like to provide a brief update on some of the information coming out of the REALTORS® Legislative meetings in DC last month and motions that were passed from the NAR Board of Directors, as many of these changes will have an impact on all REALTORS® nationwide.

• Beginning in 2025, in addition to the Code of Ethics that is required to be completed every 3 years, NAR passed a motion to require two (2) hours of Fair Housing training for new and existing REALTOR® members every three (3) years. Courses that will satisfy this requirement include:
• NAR’s Bias Override training;
• NAR’s At Home with Diversity certification; or
• Fair Housing courses approved by state licensing authorities.

GMAR will have more information to share with members as we approach this timeline.

• NAR also passed their 2024 budget, which includes an increase in 2024 NAR membership dues. The increase will be determined annually based on the CPI, not to exceed 4%.  The approved increase for 2024 is $6.00 per member/annually, which will bring the total paid for NAR in 2024 to $156, plus the $45 Consumer Advocacy Awareness Campaign, for a total of $201.00.
• NAR will also be adding a financial wellness competency to the REALTORS® Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) program. This is an excellent addition that should be packed with useful information for members regardless of what stage of their career they are in.
• Michigan REALTORS® recently passed a motion as well to increase their annual dues for 2024 by $36 per member, bringing the total MR dues for 2024 to $186 member/annually, plus the $40 for the Issues Mobilization Fund and an additional $3 for the Legal Action Fund, bringing the total for MR dues in 2024 to $229 per member/annually.

Although GMAR is responsible for collecting local, state, and national for each member, your GMAR Board of Directors will NOT be increasing dues for 2024 and they will remain at $150 member/annually!

Regarding the future of GMAR, our leadership continues to work diligently to ensure that our members receive the high-value membership benefits you should expect, and we look forward to offering an outstanding experience with the state-of-the-art MLS software and platforms that will be available to you as you provide the best service to your clients.  We will be sending out additional updates to all members with specific information and details – so please be sure to watch out for our communications.