Government Affairs CE Courses

How to get your state to approve courses for Continuing Education that

grow your Government Affairs program

Why I did this in the first placeWhy I did this in the first place

I realized I had:•Leadership & Supporters •50% Contribution Rates•15 – 20% Response RatesBut…

I wanted to reachTHEM

So I Started to ResearchSo I Started to Research•W

hat could Government Affairs do for them?– Membership Polling (9 associations)– Focus Grouped (4 business segments)– Tested Common GA Efforts– Suggested Different Ideas

• Marketing• Education• Publicity• Access

The Results Were InterestingThe Results Were Interesting•T

hey didn’t understand Government Affairs•T

hey don’t think we should get involved•T

hey were only interested in the next deal

BUT…

They were willing to listen to suggestions

So What DO They Spend On?So What DO They Spend On?

• Promotion of their business

• Enhancements to their business

• Exploring new business opportunities

What Were They Looking For?What Were They Looking For?So I reached out

to –

Brokers…

Instructors…

Affiliates…

Coaches…

What was their value proposition to agents?

The A-Ha! MomentThe A-Ha! MomentIt was

then that I realized…•I

couldn’t give agents what I wanted them to know about Government Affairs

•My thinking needed to change in order to change their thinking…

Then I remembered Robert Kiyosaki’s Maxim –

For every new law that is made, someone is making money, and someone is losing money.

The A-Ha! MomentThe A-Ha! MomentI

looked at our core policies and broke it down to the simple question they wanted asked…

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT MY NEXT COMMISSION?

Make it Look Like They Want It ToMake it Look Like They Want It ToMake sure what you are presenting:• Speaks to REALTOR® Issues• Respects the differences of opinions• Offers solutions to problems• Presents “Consumer Oriented” Information about the policies

Keep in Mind…Keep in Mind…

What is going to be important to your members…May not necessarily be what’s important to the

DRE / REC

And what your members see as valuable…Isn’t the same as what

the DRE / REC sees as valuable!

Messaging it CorrectlyMessaging it CorrectlyFor the REALTORS®

•Helping Clients

•Protecting Investments

•Keeping Your Signs

•Consequence of Taxes

•Lessening Land Regulation

•Stopping “Mob Rule” Land Use Planning

For the DRE / REC•P

rotecting Consumers•E

ducated Advising•S

afety•S

ervicing Consumers•E

nabling Consumer Choice•E

ncouraging Communication

Remember: You aren’t advocating policy, you are presenting policy options

Getting it ApprovedGetting it Approved

Step 1 –

What requirements are there?-For Instructors-For Course Materials-For Application Fees-For Renewal Fees

Getting it ApprovedGetting it ApprovedWhat Forms do the DRE / REC Require?

Getting it ApprovedGetting it ApprovedWhat Materials do you need to send in?

Getting it ApprovedGetting it Approved•W

hat are the costs associated with the course?– Development Time– Application & Renewal Fees– Delivery of materials

• Venue rental, presentation time & methods– Tracking of licensees who take the course– Instructor approval / monitoring– Reporting to the DRE

Getting it ApprovedGetting it Approved•H

ow is the course being delivered?

Live / Classroom or Online / Distance

How does the DRE / REC view these formats?

The Online ChallengeThe Online ChallengeIt

puts your information out there more frequently and conveniently than you could physically teach the course… but…

•Approval Standards

•ARELLO – www.arello.com

•Hosting & Costs

•Monetizing the Course You Build

The Ray of Hope…The Ray of Hope…Your members

pay thousands of dollars for:•W

eekend Seminars on Real Estate Sales•C

oaching on Real Estate Business Growth•B

ooks on Real Estate Investment and Trends•D

esignations for Specialties

Very little of which is DRE / REC Approved…

The Costs Involved w/ LMS’s*The Costs Involved w/ LMS’s*Having Online Classes is

great!... However…

* LMS = Learning Management Systems

Purchase / Set-up costs $3,000 - $10,000

Cost per learner $1-4/ per user, per month

Monthly costs $300 - $1,000

Branded association web page not included

Implementation / training time 3-6 months

Making it Work…Making it Work…Continuing Educationhas become very inexpensive for agents.

They can complete their requirements for about $50 now.

As such, offering online learning courses has become more about benefiting their business than fulfilling a requirement.

Best PracticesBest PracticesS

uccessful Government Affairs Courses…•S

peak to the interests of the practitioners•A

re easily accessible to agents– Both as it concerns when as well as how

•Leverage “like interests” to meet goals, not fulfill requirements

Government Affairs CE Courses

How to get your state to approve courses for Continuing Education that

grow your Government Affairs program