Not all commercial real estate practitioners are Realtors. But, I would like to see that change. As members of the Realtor organization, we have the right to use the trademarked term "Realtor", we uphold and abide by a strict Code of Ethics, and pursue advanced professional development. Being a part of the Realtor team also has some distinct advantages. The National Association of Realtors is over 1.2 million members strong and that gives us a powerful edge in legislative matters and collective benefits the Local, State and National Associations provide their members.

The Realtors Commercial Alliance (RCA) was organized by the National Association of Realtors to address the unique and specific needs of commercial brokers. Your three-part membership with a local, state and national association of Realtors gives you benefits such as the RCA Report, a free quarterly newsletter that includes research, public policy updates and articles specifically designed to meet the professional needs of commercial practitioners. Benefits also include reduced rates for on-line learning such as CCIM: Intro Course and IREM 01 Course. RCA also hosts free monthly webinars with featured guests and interactive educational presentations. Research tools are also a valuable membership benefit! NAR Research produces the Commercial Leading Indicator, a national indicator of future commercial real estate development. Commercial Real Estate Outlook, a free quarterly market report is also available through the National Association of Realtors Research Department. The Commercial Issues Tracker provides monitoring and advocacy for major commercial policy issues at RealtorActionCenter.com.

Rhode Island Commercial and Appraisal Board members have access to quality networking, educational opportunities and benefits that our organization provides. On June 26, we will be co-hosting a presentation entitled "The In's and Out's of Independent Contractor Law and Risk Management". The presentation was created by the Herbert H. Landy Insurance Agency and is being brought to our members, free of charge. This interactive workshop will provide important information to assist brokers, sales-people and appraisers in understanding and complying with Rhode Island Independent Contractor regulations, teach them about different ways to set up their business (sole proprietorship, S-Corporation, LLC, etc) and how that can affect tax, employment and other considerations as well as risk management and insurance concerns to keep their business running smoothly. All members are welcome.
The benefits of belonging to the Realtor Association are plentiful and I look forward to bringing you more information, education and event opportunities as the year goes on. For more information regarding the association or to register for the June 26 presentation call (401) 274-8386.
Michael Alves is the president of the RI Commercial and Appraisal Board of Realtors and is with Elite Commercial.