NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® DIRECTOR APPLICATION
Please read through all qualifications before accessing the application at the bottom of this page.
Eligibility (as defined in the ABoR Governing Policies)
Eligible to serve as NAR Directors are those persons who have been a primary REALTOR® member of the Austin Board of REALTORS® for at least three consecutive years immediately prior to election and who have certified in writing a desire to serve as Director of NAR.
Candidates for NAR Director must have served as either a Texas REALTORS® Director, Texas REALTORS® Regional Representative, Chair/Vice Chair of a Texas REALTORS® Committee, or have served as President of the local Association.
About Your Responsibilities (as defined by NAR)
The NAR Board of Directors is responsible for governing the Association (see Articles IV and VII of the NAR Constitution). The NAR Board of Directors has the authority to:
- Approve Association expenditures
- Set membership dues
- Set public policy positions as they pertain to the real estate industry
- Establish governing policies of the Association
- Approve member programs, products, and services
- Approve amendments to the NAR Bylaws and recommend amendments to the NAR Constitution and Code of Ethics to the NAR Delegate Body
What are my responsibilities as a director?
- Know the issues of importance to your constituency and bring matters of concern to the attention of the Association.
- Know the issues of importance to the Association and report matters of concern or actions taken by the Association back to your constituency.
- Participate in the NAR meetings! The Association and membership depends on the experience, knowledge, judgment, and spirit you bring to the Board of Directors.
Whom do I represent?
As a member of the Board of Directors, you represent each of NAR’s members (over one million). This may be challenging because there may be a multitude of viewpoints by the membership on various issues but, if you place the welfare of the Association first, the right decision will be made.
As a director, am I automatically a member of the Delegate Body?
No. The Delegate Body consists of all Member Board Presidents or their designees.
Typically, the Delegate Body meets once a year at the REALTORS® Conference & Expo to vote on recommended changes to the NAR Constitution and Code of Ethics. The President or the Board of Directors, upon 30 days notice, may call a special Delegate Body meeting, if necessary.
What is my liability as a director of NAR?
A well-informed Board of Directors seldom makes mistakes. However, in the unlikely event that any litigation should result from actions taken by the Board, the Association provides coverage to directors through its errors and omissions liability insurance.
How will I ever keep up with all the business of the Association?
The answer is a great Association staff and a great website for REALTORS®! You can count on Association staff to keep you informed through the Association's many communication vehicles such as:
- NAR.realtor
- The Hub
- REALTOR® Magazine (available online)
- Subscribe to the NAR e-Newsletter
- NAR Webinars
- Board of Directors Meeting Update(available in the Board of Directors Hub community before each Board meeting)
- Internal News Service Reports(also available in the Board of Directors Hub community, under the Library tab)
- Online access to national meeting agendas and minutes
About the Meetings
How often does the Board of Directors meet?
During your term as a director, you will participate in two national meetings each year:
Special meetings may also be called. Details on special meetings are outlined in Article IV, Section 4, of the NAR Constitution.
When will I receive information regarding travel and hotel arrangements for the NAR Business meetings?
To help you plan your travel and meeting activities, NAR’s Meeting and Events Team will mail you an Advance Program and registration form for the next scheduled business meeting (i.e., REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo will be sent in February; REALTORS® Conference and Expo will be sent in May).
Schedule your arrival and departure dates as follows:
REALTORS® Legislative Meetings - so you may attend:
- NAR 360 on Tuesday afternoon – Kick off the meeting with member and director updates, and highlights of key issues facing the association and the industry at large.
- Board of Directors Meeting on Saturday
REALTORS® Conference - so you may attend:
- NAR 360 on Thursday afternoon
- Board of Directors Meeting on Monday morning
As a director, am I guaranteed a room in the headquarters hotel?
The National Association reserves enough rooms in the headquarters hotel for all national directors up to a designated cut-off date (approximately four weeks prior to the meeting).
Please register before the cut-off date even if you are unsure of your arrival and departure dates. NAR can change your reservations after the cut-off date, but NAR cannot guarantee you a room in the headquarters hotel if you have not reserved one by the cut-off date.
When and where do I pick up my director materials?
You may pick up your meeting credentials at the Board of Directors Pick-up counter in the registration area when you first arrive onsite. Your packet will contain: name badge, blue director ribbon and the final meeting program. Reports of the committees will be provided to you at Board of Directors check-in on the morning of the Board of directors meeting. You may also view the final agenda and committee reports for the Board of Directors meeting after 8:00 p.m. the day prior. (Go to the Board of Directors Hub community.)
How should I prepare for the Board of Directors meeting?
- As a director, you are obligated to understand the business of the National Association of REALTORS®. Directors should read the following materials prior to a Board meeting:
- Board of Directors meeting agenda (to access meeting documents as they become available throughout the week, go to the Board of Directors Hub community)
- Board of Directors Meeting Update (posted on the Board of Directors Hub Community prior to each meeting)
- Minutes from the previous Board of Directors meeting (available at NAR.realtor/Committees; note: NAR.realtor Username and Password are required)
- Reports of the committees (received upon check-in on the morning of the Board of Directors meeting)
- NAR Constitution & Bylaws packet (REALTORS® Conference & Expo only)
- Directors are encouraged to attend the NAR 360 program. This forum officially kicks off the meetings and provides an excellent overview of the issues that may be voted on by the directors.
Where do I check in prior to the start of the Board of Directors meeting?
All national directors need to check in at the directors’ check-in counter before entering the meeting room. Directors who do not check in and who do not request an excused absence before the meeting will be listed in the Board of Directors minutes as having an unexcused absence.
How is seating arranged at the Board of Directors meeting?
Seating for the directors is arranged by NAR Regions. Each NAR Region is designated by a sign. To assure that the necessary quorum is maintained for conducting the Association’s business, directors are required to sit with their Region for the entire meeting.
There is additional seating for non-directors on the side or at the back of the room.
How do I present a resolution that has not gone through the committee process to the Board of Directors?
It is preferred that all recommendations and ideas be submitted through one of the policy-making committees. You may, however, submit a recommendation to the Board of Directors by presenting it in writing to the Vice President of Association Affairs and the Vice President of Advocacy at least three days prior to the Board of Directors meeting. The Vice Presidents will review the recommendation to determine if there is an appropriate committee that should consider the proposal first. If there is no appropriate committee, the Vice Presidents will review the recommendation with the NAR President to determine if it is an item that should be considered by the Board of Directors.
About Parliamentary Procedure
What is the parliamentary procedure of the National Association?
The latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised is the authority governing all National Association meetings. A registered parliamentarian will be on hand at the Board of Directors meeting, but you should be familiar with parliamentary procedure to help expedite the business of the meeting.
How do I receive recognition to address an issue or present a question/motion during the Board of Directors meeting?
If you wish to address an issue or make a motion from the floor, stand behind one of the microphones located in the aisles until the chair calls your microphone number. Before addressing an issue or reading a motion, state your name and home state. (Only directors are permitted to speak.)
A written copy of any motion made from the floor should be presented to the recording secretary seated to the left of the stage so the motion may be incorporated into the Board of Directors minutes. Forms to record a proposed motion may be obtained from your Regional Vice President during the meeting.
Are the Board of Directors meetings easy to follow?
Usually; however, because you have an obligation to understand the business of the Board, please ASK the committee chair to explain anything you do not understand or need clarified. You may also INTERRUPT the proceedings if appropriate. (See “Ask for a Point of Information” or “Raise a Question of Privilege” in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.)
About Committees
Do I have the responsibility to serve on NAR committees?
You are strongly encouraged to serve on an NAR committee.
If I am a director, why is it so important that I serve on an NAR committee?
Through service on an NAR committee you share expertise and gain knowledge, which improves your decision-making capabilities at the Board of Directors meetings. It also provides leadership opportunities, which will help you acquire future roles within the Association.
How do directors receive an appointment to a committee?
Every effort is made to provide upcoming directors with his/her first choice for a committee assignment. If the first choice cannot be accommodated, then the second or third choice is considered. In any case, every effort will be made to offer a director a committee appointment as long as the director has adhered to the committee selection process procedures. In other words, directors need to submit an application before the submission deadline in order to receive an appointment. Information about the NAR committee application and selection process is available at NAR.realtor/Committees (note: NAR.realtor Username and Password are required).
Important Policies & Guidelines
Meeting Policies and Procedures