Council of Residential Specialists UNIFIED DUES & MEMBER ENGAGEMENT MODEL April 9, 2015 CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Agenda Overview New Member Structure Unified Dues o Defined o Supporting Research o State CRS funding Benefits of New Model For Members, Chapters & The Council Membership Value Questions & Answers Member communications timing Key Contacts CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Overview Review and reorganize current CRS chapter organization to more fully engage members Provide multiple access points for all members and reduce the heavy administrative and financial burden most chapters currently face. Include all members in the new network and introduce unified dues payment CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

New Structure To provide a supportive community for CRS professionals and voice for the designation, each state or region will have a network of members, who with support from the Council, will coordinate local activities such as education, networking, mentoring, public awareness and outreach. All activities will be coordinated through: −State/Multi-State Networks (e.g. Illinois CRS) −Local Networking Groups −Online Community CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Basic State CRS Framework State/Multi-State Network Hub for activity in state or region. Allow for areas in which a multi-state or regional body is more appropriate. Eliminates need for bylaws, state incorporation, full governance structure. Leadership Team Coordinates resources and programs within State. Replaces traditional board Greater flexibility in establishing a leadership model that reflects needs Minimizes administrative burden often associated with formal boards. Local Networking Groups Can form organically based on needs of members in specific geographical areas Simple mission to serve as channels for members to help members. Minimal structure; draw resources, assistance from the regional group. Led by one or more volunteer coordinators. CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Unified Dues The Council recently completed a comprehensive membership research study to better understand our members’ attitudes and interest regarding new payment options. The results confirmed their interest in making one unified dues payment once a year versus other payment options such as monthly or quarterly installments or multi-year dues. Dues Payment Options % One annual dues payment54% Multi-year dues payment10% Monthly/Quarterly installment dues payments9% CRS Member Interest in Payment Options CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

CRS Board of Directors approved new dues amount of $ annually o To begin in 2016 o Set pricing very close to the amount members are currently paying (national + chapter dues) o Allows adequate funding to all the state CRS entities. Unified Dues Research indicated most CRS members valued their membership at current pricing. CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

State CRS Funding After careful analysis to determine the ideal allocation for individual state CRS funding… o Board of Directors approved $30.00/member to each State CRS for every member in their network  Goal was to provide the maximum amount of funds (based on a per member basis) for each state CRS to effectively conduct their educational, event and promotional activities.  The influx of additional members assigned to each state CRS will enable the Council to allocate an annual amount of.  This will allow most State CRS’s to fund their local member activities with financial resources equivalent to or greater than they had in previous years. CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Benefits For Members Expanded referral network Additional access points for members to get involved Additional opportunities to volunteer with CRS Members no longer need to make separate payments for dues and chapter participation CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Benefits for Chapters Less focus on finding revenue, more focus on providing benefits/services Greater opportunity to get more members involved More members willing to volunteer o Less paperwork and requirements o Micro-volunteer opportunities Less recycling of leaders Leaders cycle off to new opportunities avoiding burnout CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Benefits for The Council Opportunity to market a stronger value proposition as more members get involved and engaged with CRS. Higher percentage of engaged members = higher probability of renewing membership. Less confusion when explaining membership. o Only one organization vs 55. CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

CRS Membership Value CRS members gain access to resources and opportunities they can’t get anywhere else. o Benefits that help them adapt to market challenges, increase their income, improve their reputation and broaden their client base CRS membership also opens the door to a world of value (worth over $900.00) o Substantial discounts on best-in-class education o Free webinars o Complimentary subscription to Inman Select ($ value) o Complimentary subscription to award winning The Residential Specialist magazine o Customizable tools and marketing materials o Discounts on events such as the annual Sell-a-bration conference o Members only events such as CRS Week o And, every year, more benefits are being added 13 CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Questions & Answers Q1.What is it going to cost to be a CRS member? a.Unified dues amount has been set at $ annually. Members will be billed this amount for their 2016 annual dues. Renewal reminders will be issued in October of 2015 for 2016 dues. Q2.Will all members pay the same amount? a.Yes. Currently, there are no special rates, discounts or subscription levels. Q3.Are there any separate fees in addition to the new unified dues amount? a.No other fees related to dues are planned at this time. The current elective fees that are separate and apart from the annual dues payment will remain as is. This includes education registration fees, designation fee, registration for the annual Sell-a-bration® event, etc. Q4.Can I be a member of multiple states? a.No, you are only a member of one State. But you have the opportunity to be a member of multiple Local Networking Groups. CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Questions & Answers Q5.Are we planning to offer any payment options such as monthly/quarterly installment plans? a.Not at this time. Based on the results of our member research, most members were not in favor of these options. Of course, if member interest increases, we will look into offering these type of alternative payment methods. Q6.What’s in it for CRS members? a.Simplified payment which includes access to all CRS current and future member benefits such as a free Inman Select subscription (valued at $ annually), the new member platform designed to increase networking and referrals among all CRS members. In addition, the Council is working on several new unique and competitive benefits that will be offered soon. Q7.Will we be offering members any new benefits as part of the transition to unified dues a.Yes, the Council is working on several exciting new initiatives that are designed to increase the value of membership and the designation for CRS members. We will be communicating them as these initiatives become are ready for rollout. CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Questions & Answers Q8.How will this change impact CRS members going forward? a.The change should have nominal impact on members other than simplifying the dues payment process. Q9.Do members need to do anything? a.No. Payment of annual dues will be managed as it has been in the past. Members will now make only one dues payment instead of two if they currently belong to a chapter. For non-chapter members, the dues billing procedure will remain the same. Only the dues amount will change. Q10.Will there be any discounts or promotions to attract new CRS members? a.The Council often tests offering incentives or promotional discounts as a method to attract new CRS members. While we have no plans to discount membership at this time, this type of testing may be used in the future as well. CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Member Communications Timeline MilestoneDate Complete communications strategy for non-chapter members Week of 4/13 Finalize communications plan and prepare materials Weeks of 4/13 – 4/20 Issue first announcement s Late April Rollout remaining communications elements May CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Key Contacts Please direct your questions or feedback to: Colleen McMahon VP of Member & Volunteer Services Phone: Matt Schroeder Volunteer Services Manager Phone: Matt Szuminski Volunteer Services Specialist Phone: CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing

Thank You Questions? CRS Unified Dues & MEM Briefing