Over the past year, AAR has received numerous requests from members seeking more choice and flexibility in deciding where members spend their hard-earned membership and dues dollars between the local, state, and national levels of the REALTOR® organization.  

We've listened, conducted surveys, and carefully monitored these sentiments throughout the year.

While we are proud to be part of the REALTOR® organization and fully support NAR’s federal advocacy efforts, we remain committed to serving the specific needs of our Alabama members.

To help address these concerns, we have communicated with NAR and requested NAR provide greater flexibility for members in choosing which organizational level they join. 

A copy of our letter is provided below.

Dear Nykia,

On behalf of the Alabama Association of REALTORS® (AAR), we want to express our appreciation for the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and its primary advocacy mission at the federal level. We value being a part of the REALTOR® organization and the shared goals of advocating for private property rights and supporting our members and their businesses.

Over the past year, we have engaged in thoughtful discussions with our members to understand their perspectives and concerns regarding developments at the national level. We further surveyed our entire membership to gain broader feedback. While there is loyalty to the REALTOR® organization (between all three levels- local, state, and national), there is a growing and vocal desire for greater choice and flexibility in deciding where members spend their hard-earned membership and dues dollars. Members have expressed that they feel constrained within the current membership structure that requires them to join the local, state, and national levels. This sentiment is widespread across Alabama, in rural and urban areas, and among both small and large companies.

Ultimately, we work on behalf of our members here in Alabama and must be responsive to their needs. We believe it is time to allow members the ability to choose where they allocate their membership and dues dollars between the local, state, and national levels. While this decision carries risks, we feel it is necessary for the REALTOR® organization to adapt to the rapidly changing real estate landscape. Consumers require and deserve greater choice in making decisions about real estate transactions. Our members have requested the same flexibility in choosing which Association level they join. Greater flexibility will ensure accountability at all levels of the organization leading to a membership that is genuinely invested in where they choose to join. Each level of the organization will have to work harder to ensure our services align with members’ needs and expectations.

We understand that this decision carries significant risk, and we may have some members choose to join different levels of the organization at a greater percentage than others. But there is also risk in doing nothing from a member sentiment and legal standpoint as more lawsuits emerge challenging the current organizational and membership structure.^[1][2] As more members express their frustration with an organizational structure that they believe does not work for them or that they do not want to be a part of, these frustrated members are actively looking for alternatives to REALTOR® membership. If we fail to act, we may lose these members forever. However, by allowing greater flexibility, we may be able to retain them as members at one or more levels of the organization, based on where they see the most value and choose to belong. We believe that empowering our members with this decision-making ability will be in the best interests of the organization in the long term.

We hope you will consider this request as soon as possible; the 2025 dues billing cycle is rapidly approaching. Our goal is to continue our active support of NAR’s federal advocacy mission while also ensuring our members feel heard and valued. This letter has been drafted at the request of our executive committee. We look forward to your response and working together to meet our shared goals.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Warm regards,

Jeremy Walker
Chief Executive Officer
Alabama REALTORS®

Senia Johnson
President
Alabama REALTORS®

 ^[1] See Hardy et al. v. National Association of Realtors, et al., No.2:24-cv-12102 (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, filed Aug. 12, 2024) challenging NAR’s membership structure and access to MLS services.
 ^[2] See Cassina Group, LLC, v. National Association of Realtors, et al., No.1:24-cv-07402 (United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois- Eastern Division, filed August 16, 2024) challenging NAR’s membership structure and access to lockbox services. We understand this case has been voluntarily dismissed and is expected to be refiled with a new Plaintiff.