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Interesting! Being a part of an MLS in general I would think requires an obligation of cooperating compensation. I know it's a rule my MLS enforces. I remember a few years ago seeing an entry only listing that wasn't offering cooperating compensation and the listing was taken down after a few hours.
Anyway, my point is merely to point out an example where there is an obligation outside of MLS to pay a coop fee.
Actually a listing agent doesn't have to pay a coop fee to an agent that is not a member of the same MLS, I would sue them and their client but that's the association and mls's stance.
The MLS in my area does not require NAR membership, but dues are lower if you are a Realtor. It's not enough to offset the obscene dues I pay the Realtor board, but it's a discount.
In my area Middlesex County NJ, the fee for Middlesex Association, NJAR, NAR is $415 year $420 for new or reinstated members, which the broker and all licensees in the office are required to join or broker must pay $380 for each one of them.
The breakdown of the dues is as follows.
MCAR $125
NJAR $135 or $140 for new or reinstating members $5 to a "legal action fund" whatever that is.
NAR $155 includes $35 consumer advertising campaign assessment, whatever that is.
$15 late fees and they will ensure your MLS account is cut off if you don't pay the association dues. If you are over billed and pay it, instead of getting a refund they will forward it to their RPAC political action committee in the brokers name as a non-tax deductible donation but the more money you donate to the RPAC they give you credits to winning the circle of excellence award of a top producer lol....
They bill you the full amount including a $35+ RPAC donation, if you're not aware because the statement isn't clear you don't know you can deduct and not pay that donation.
Dues less 26% or $35 of the NJAR fee or 42% or $50 of the NAR dues may not be deducted from the agents taxes because the statement says they go to lobbying and political efforts at the state and federal government levels. So $85 of the mandatory dues go to political action and lobbying from every Realtor or Realtor-Associate
This is not exclusive to MCAR now CJAR guess they are trying to expand their reach renaming themselves recently to Central Jersey Association of Realtors, but all NJ MLS are part or wholly owned by an association.
Oh and if the broker owns a referral agency not a member of any mls they try to force him to sign a contract because they are a member with another office like in my case where I have 2 agencies I'm the broker of my main and a referral. To me that seems like an anti-trust violation but they have deeper pockets than me to argue.
I know many licensees who aren't Realtors nor members of the MLS. And my MLS is indeed related to the local AR, and NAR membership is required for MLS membership. But still, licensees aren't required to join.
I'm sorry that the NJ licensing department requires everyone to join NAR, their local AR, and the MLS in order to perform their duties as an agent.
In my area Middlesex County NJ, the fee for Middlesex Association, NJAR, NAR is $415 year $420 for new or reinstated members, which the broker and all licensees in the office are required to join or broker must pay $380 for each one of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoBromhal
I'm sorry that the NJ licensing department requires everyone to join NAR, their local AR, and the MLS in order to perform their duties as an agent.
I can't imagine that Victor is saying the state of NJ requires him to join NAR. Probably their local MLS requires membership. I always thought it was a bit ridiculous that if the Broker is a member of NAR that all agents in the office must also join NAR and I think that's what he's complaining about here. Personally, I think it should be a choice each agent can make but then NAR doesn't get their money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VictorKaminski
The breakdown of the dues is as follows.
MCAR $125
NJAR $135 or $140 for new or reinstating members $5 to a "legal action fund" whatever that is.
NAR $155 includes $35 consumer advertising campaign assessment, whatever that is.
$15 late fees and they will ensure your MLS account is cut off if you don't pay the association dues. If you are over billed and pay it, instead of getting a refund they will forward it to their RPAC political action committee in the brokers name as a non-tax deductible donation but the more money you donate to the RPAC they give you credits to winning the circle of excellence award of a top producer lol....
They bill you the full amount including a $35+ RPAC donation, if you're not aware because the statement isn't clear you don't know you can deduct and not pay that donation.
Does that include MLS access?
My dues are higher and I pay for MLS access on top of that. I think Silverfall has said in the past the dues in Oregan are even higher.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VictorKaminski
Dues less 26% or $35 of the NJAR fee or 42% or $50 of the NAR dues may not be deducted from the agents taxes because the statement says they go to lobbying and political efforts at the state and federal government levels. So $85 of the mandatory dues go to political action and lobbying from every Realtor or Realtor-Associate
Quite annoying that the statement reads that way and you can't deduct 100% of your dues from your taxes. Personally, I always remove the "optional" donations when I pay and honestly if my broker weren't a member of NAR I don't know that I would be either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VictorKaminski
Oh and if the broker owns a referral agency not a member of any mls they try to force him to sign a contract because they are a member with another office like in my case where I have 2 agencies I'm the broker of my main and a referral. To me that seems like an anti-trust violation but they have deeper pockets than me to argue.
I'm going to hold my tongue on this one as best I can. I don't have a high opinion of referral brokerages. They just exist to scrape money off the top of a transaction and provide no useful service to anyone.
I can't imagine that Victor is saying the state of NJ requires him to join NAR. Probably their local MLS requires membership. I always thought it was a bit ridiculous that if the Broker is a member of NAR that all agents in the office must also join NAR and I think that's what he's complaining about here. Personally, I think it should be a choice each agent can make but then NAR doesn't get their money.
...
Ah, but it IS a choice each agent makes at time of signing on.
I mean, what brokerage comes around after the fact, and says, "BTW, you must join NAR now to associate here?" If THAT happens, the new agent has learned a great deal about the brokerage very quickly.
Spoken as an indy with no affiliated agents:
If I was not a NAR. NCAR. RRAR member, I would not mind if an agent affiliated with me without joining, and would not mind if they were a member.
But, as a member, I would require membership and would hold agents responsible for COE and other Realtor deportment requirements. And, membership puts that right on the table.
It is not all about dues and power and monopoly at all, but much more about common language and expectations of deportment.
I can't imagine that Victor is saying the state of NJ requires him to join NAR. Probably their local MLS requires membership. I always thought it was a bit ridiculous that if the Broker is a member of NAR that all agents in the office must also join NAR and I think that's what he's complaining about here. Personally, I think it should be a choice each agent can make but then NAR doesn't get their money.
Does that include MLS access?
My dues are higher and I pay for MLS access on top of that. I think Silverfall has said in the past the dues in Oregan are even higher.
Quite annoying that the statement reads that way and you can't deduct 100% of your dues from your taxes. Personally, I always remove the "optional" donations when I pay and honestly if my broker weren't a member of NAR I don't know that I would be either.
I'm going to hold my tongue on this one as best I can. I don't have a high opinion of referral brokerages. They just exist to scrape money off the top of a transaction and provide no useful service to anyone.
Where did I say the state of NJ requires membership in any realtor association or mls? I said the MLS requires membership in the realtor associations and the state requires when you get a listing that it must be shared with other brokers unless the seller asks it not to be and then you can have them sign a waiver of broker cooperation form so that it doesn't have to be shared with other brokers in the MLS. So I guess the state does require MLS membership but that is a tool needed anyway, the realtor associations while can be useful, usually are just one of those mandatory fees that seem useless.
Where did I say the state of NJ requires membership in any realtor association or mls? I said the MLS requires membership in the realtor associations and the state requires when you get a listing that it must be shared with other brokers unless the seller asks it not to be and then you can have them sign a waiver of broker cooperation form so that it doesn't have to be shared with other brokers in the MLS. So I guess the state does require MLS membership but that is a tool needed anyway, the realtor associations while can be useful, usually are just one of those mandatory fees that seem useless.
Interesting! So it sounds like the state does sort of indirectly require MLS membership and if the MLS is owned by the local board then even more indirectly the state requires agents to be members of the board.
I actually didn't say you stated that NJ requires membership. I said that you weren't saying that. Someone else inferred that from your post.
I was the one that thought he said or implied that to be an agent he had to join NAR and the MLS. I see that he can just be a real estate agent in NJ without any MLS affiliation.
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