State Strategy
Once you have your CRS Designation, the doors to the CRS network are wide open. Getting involved locally is the best way to reach out to other members, grow your network, expand your education and reap the full benefits of your CRS membership. Here are three states that are really doing it right.
Virginia
Candice Bower, CRS
The Virginia CRS has a lot of energy and has been pouring it into creating a richer experience for the state’s members.
”I’m a big believer that it takes a village,” says Virginia CRS chair Candice Bower, CRS. ”You have to want to see things improve. I believe in it, and our SLT (state leadership team) and LNGs (local networking groups) are committed to working together to bring more opportunities to our members.”
For Virginia, this year is all about outreach, to get members more involved, and to reach out to seasoned agents and those who have been on the fence about membership. The push has led to 30 new members, Bower says.
The Virginia CRS leadership team also takes advantage of national and statewide events to add extra networking and educational opportunities at a time when members are all assembled in one place. At the state convention, they offered a luxury home tour that doubles as a networking event, as well as a way for agents to see new home trends and talk shop.
“But the No. 1 thing we really concentrated on is making more of an effort to actually go where the members are, at each of our LNG areas,” Bower says. ”This year we will hold seven leadership meetings in each LNG territory, along with a networking event to welcome local members.”
“We’ve always worked to encourage members to take advantage of the benefits of being a CRS. As state leaders, we have the responsibility of providing opportunities for our members to learn, network and develop relationships with fellow CRS members throughout the state,” she says.
Hawaii
Tricia Nekota, CRS
With Hawaii CRS, it’s all about the personal touch, says Tricia Nekota, CRS, Hawaii CRS chair.
“What the committee and I like to do is call,” she says. ”When talking with our members, it allows us to engage with them and invite them to our events. Reaching out to agents on an individual level has a spiderweb effect because they will naturally invite others, too.”
She also relies on emails and the state’s active Facebook page to get in touch with members in a more personalized way. Nekota’s biggest push is for education, which is how she and other active members got hooked on CRS.
“The majority of our members feel that once they took a CRS course, they were hooked on the quality education they received. One course is all it takes,” she says.
The Hawaii CRS has then focused on education by sponsoring additional courses, as well as offering several Lunch and Learns for on-the-go agents.
“When agents attend the classes, they are given tools to use in the industry that allow them to do better in their business and separate themselves from others,” she says.
Hawaii CRS has also found success with their signature networking event, Pau Hana, which is Hawaii’s version of happy hour. It’s a casual get-together that allows members to connect with each other and introduce potential new members to the group.
Nevada
Frederick K. McElroy, CRS
The Nevada CRS Leadership Team has taken a unique approach to drawing in new members and encouraging larger local participation. They are teaming up with other networking groups, particularly the Young Professionals Network (YPN), where the Nevada CRS sponsors or co-hosts events, and the Women’s Council of REALTORS®.
”I’m incorporating a lot of younger people,” says Nevada chair Frederick K. McElroy, CRS. ”They use us as mentors and we listen to their energy.”
The state is also known for several popular fundraisers, including its fashion show fundraiser every year in early December, which draws hundreds of attendees. McElroy says members talk it up all year, making it a can’t-miss event for anyone in the organization.
McElroy, whose wife, Alice Heiman, is a networking guru, says that between the two of them, they try to not only have the networking events in his state, but to actually teach members how to network.
”Everyone thinks they know how to do it, but they don’t,” McElroy says. “You want to go in with a series of questions, knowing who is going to attend that event, and having specific people in mind you want to connect with. And you want to let them talk about themselves.”
It’s this kind of partnership between Nevada CRS, the hotels and casinos where they host events, other networking groups, and the members themselves that make for an active membership that sees big benefits from all that face time.
“We really have the best people,” he says. ”It’s all about real relationships these days in business. You want to refer to someone you know and like and trust.”
