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The strength of 25,000 REALTORS® all
committed to creating a strong and viable real estate marketplace. |
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A 24/7 communications and public
relation campaign that promotes the Value of Using a REALTOR
to millions of consumers each year. |
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Dynamite REALTOR® education
and events programs that never fail to provide you with the training
you need to be more productive and profitable. |
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A specialized REALTOR® store that
delivers the right products at the right price. |
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A powerful government affairs program
that fights additional taxes that hurt you and your business. |
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A free website on our award winning
website, HAR.com and much, much more. |
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| Technology |
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Promote Listings – The HAR web site is drawing an
ever-increasing audience of Houston homebuyers. Consumers are generating an average more than 76 million page-views per month on
the site to find information about you and your listings. Daily visitor sessions average 98,000 with potential homebuyers spending
an average of 18 minutes reviewing your listings and personal REALTOR® Web sites.
To promote our site, we have incorporated billboards, ads in the Houston
Chronicle, regular press releases and guest columns into our marketing plan.
All Realtor listings are also advertised to the public at no cost to members
on a growing number of licensee sites, including:
... HAR.COM
... REALTOR.COM
... HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM
... HOMES.COM
... HOUSTON.ORG
Our efforts to drive consumers to you and your listings translates into increased
sales and more take-home pay for you. |
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TEMPO MLS – This
is HAR’s state-of-the-art, Web-based MLS system created specifically
to meet your needs. This tool enables to access more than 42,000 properties
online, archived information on the thousands of properties sold in the
past six years and the current public records information for Harris and
surrounding counties. For more information on Tempo, logon to www.har.com/newmember. |
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HAR Member Web Sites
As an HAR Member, you can now create your own HAR Member Web Site
FREE of charge! All of your listings, as well as all MLS listings on
HAR.com,
will be
displayed
on your HAR Member Web Site, giving buyers and sellers specific information
about you and your business. To create your FREE HAR Member Web Site, login
to the Members Only Portal today! |
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HAR Appointment Manager
The HAR Appointment
Manager is the newest productivity tool available to Real Estate Professionals.
It incorporates an attractive user interface, centralized data storage
and direct access to MLS Listings and data. The Appointment Manager may
be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. This innovative
tool allows Realtors to effectively manage their appointments right from
their desktop. Click Here for More Information |
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HAR Schedule Showing
Schedule showing allows you to view, manage, and schedule showings
for your listings on HAR.com. |
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HAR Listing Traffic Report
Listing Traffic Report allows you to view the web traffic to your listings
on HAR.COM. The Listing Traffic Report shows the number of times each
of your listings has been viewed on HAR.COM during the term of the listings. |
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HAR Email Leads Report
In excess of 100,000 email leads have been generated and delivered by HAR.com. Check your email leads daily! The Email Leads Report shows the total email leads to you during the term of your listings on HAR.COM.
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HAR Member Account Manager
The HAR Account Manager is the most convenient way to access your membership
account, to update your information, and pay your dues online. Over 10,000
Realtors used the secure online system to pay over $1.3 million in 2004 dues. |
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HAR Form Manager
HAR Form Manager gives you the ability to download HAR, TAR, and TREC forms. |
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STAR Report
Strategic Traffic Activity Report - a basic overview of Email Leads from
HAR.com to you & Internet Traffic to your listings on HAR.com. Listings have been viewed over 69 million
times and email leads from HAR.com to Realtors exceeded 130,000. |
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Featured Listing Manager
Create a Featured Listing Gallery for your Company Web Site instantly on
HAR.COM |
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HAR
Member Finder
Search for all HAR Realtor® and Affiliate Members
Click
Here to Start Your Search |
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Home Finder
Consumers have access to search for over 40,000 properties that are available
for sale and lease in HARMLS. Click Here to Start Your Search |
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Highrise Finder
Allows consumers to search for Houston highrises and to access a comprehensive list of features and amenities for residential highrise buildings within the Houston marketplace.
Click
Here to Access Highrise Finder |
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School Finder
The School Finder allows you to search and compare information on any Texas
school. You can search for schools based on the county, district, campus
and/or zip code.
Click
Here to Access the School Finder |
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Golf Course Finder
Golf Course Finder allows you to search for Houston golf courses and to view properties on or near a golf course. Search from 143 public and private golf courses in the Houston and surrounding areas.
Click
Here to Access Golf Course Finder |
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Home Value Finder
Home Value Finder makes available 139,186 Houston sold homes to search from for Houston sold home prices or Houston real estate values.
Click
Here to Start Your Search |
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Neighborhood Information Finder
View subdivision price trends for the past 8 years, and create comparative subdivision analysis reports online.
Click
Here to Access Neighborhood Information Finder |
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MyHomeFinder
MyHomeFinder allows you to:
Select and save your personal home search criteria
Bookmark your favorite listings for quick viewing
Click Here to Access MyHomeFinder |
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HAR Real Estate Dictionary
HAR Real Estate Dictionary gives users the ability to define common terms used in the real estate industry.
Click Here to Access HAR Real Estate Dictionary |
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Mortgage Dictionary
The Mortgage Dictionary contains a comprehensive list of mortgage terms used in the mortgage industry.
Click Here to Access Mortgage Dictionary |
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HAR Member Surveys
As a member of HAR, your financial success
in real estate is our top priority. From our mission statement helping
members achieve ongoing profitability to the projects we manage every
day, we at HAR seek to help you make more money. And we want to know how
we're doing! Throughout the year we take member surveys to find out your
opinion, and to find out how we can better serve our members. |
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Online Voting
HAR provides its members with an online ballot
for the annual Board of Directors election. |
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| Helpful Telephone Numbers |
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Tempo
Support - (877) 805-7301
HAR Main Branch - (713) 629-1900
HAR Fort Bend Branch - (713) 629-1900 ext. 700
HAR Bay Area Branch - (713) 629-1900 ext. 750
HAR Montgomery County Branch - (713) 629-1900 ext. 760
Computer Help Line - (713) 629-1900 ext. 201
Legal Support Hotline - (800) 873-9155
Supra Tech Support - (877) 699-6787
Supra Payment Center - (800) 545-9601
NAR (800) 874-6500
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| Training & Member
Profitability |
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Member Training
Do you suffer from technophobia? Do the words "bandwidth" and "IP
address" confuse and bewilder you? Never fear. HAR has a vast array
of educational courses designed for everyone from the computer whiz to
the technophobe. Whether enhancing your business potential through technology
training, designation courses for GRI, CRS, CBR, Mandatory Continuing education,
or HARPRO for new agents and unlicensed assistants, HAR is bringing you
excellent professional development opportunities so that you can expand
and grow your business. A complete, current schedule of these opportunities
can be found day or night at http://www.har.com/edu. |
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Free MCE – We
now have available free MCE for our members! Such classes include Tempo
Basic, HAR Appointment Manager, Tempo Advanced and Tempo Add/Edit.
Orientation – Gone are the days of long orientation courses that
remind you of high school. HAR recently streamlined its orientation schedule
to hold two orientations sessions a day, three days per month, to give
you the opportunity to schedule orientation at a time convenient.
Virtual University – You can now sip on your
cocktail, in your bathing suit, by the pool and complete your MCE required
license renewal
courses in the comfort of your own home. Many students prefer this method
of class because of its convenience and it gives you the ability
to stay in the office.
Designation Classes – HAR offers more than six prestigious designations.
Whether enhancing your business potential through certification courses
for GRI, CRS, CBR, Mandatory Continuing education or HARPRO for new agents
and unlicensed assistants, HAR is bringing you excellent professional
development opportunities so that you can expand and grow your business.
Technology Classes – We offer a wide variety of technology courses
from Internet/e-mail to Managing Client Files in Windows. This allows
you to better serve your clients through the use of technology. All technology
courses are approved for MCE credit.
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New Member Web Site
Our New Member Web Site gives our newest members a brief overview of the
multitude of services that HAR has to offer. Click Here for Details |
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Real Estate Course Finder
With more than 16,000 registrations, our Real Estate Course Finder is the most convenient way for you to browse HAR’s wide variety
of courses available and register for the course you wish to attend.
The Real Estate Course Finder is a database available
to HAR members to search and register for more than 1,000 courses online
from seven area schools. The Real Estate Course Finder even allows you to register
online using a credit card. Click Here for Details |
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| Meetings & Special Events |
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Area
Networking Meetings
Networking meetings provide you with the opportunity to network and establish
relationships with Realtors as well as other real estate professionals
in your area. These meetings provide the perfect opportunity for you to
exchange ideas, obtain valuable updates about our ever-changing industry
and learn the latest scoop on who works where. HAR holds networking meetings
in Montgomery County, Great Northwest Area, Deer Park, Bear Creek, Katy,
Westside, Fort Bend, Texas City & Mainland, Waller County, Pearland/Friendswood/Alvin
Area and Near Northwest. Click Here to View This Month's
Schedule |
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Realtor Celebration! – Looking
for an elegant night out? Each January the Houston Association of Realtors® serves
as host to the induction of HAR’s new chairman and its board at Realtor
Celebration!
Homebuyers Seminar – Each year HAR sponsors a homebuyers seminar
designed to teach people how to purchase homes using a Realtor.
Realtor Expo – This is HAR’s annual tradeshow and networking
event, open to all members. The afternoon speaker sessions include information
designed to help the residential agent become more profitable, from how
to use the latest technology to your advantage to up-to-the-minute legal
updates. The exposition contains more than 175 exhibitor booths and a
spacious member-networking lounge complete with light hors d’oeuvres
and musical entertainment.
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Communications |
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Houston Realtor®
Do you prefer to receive the latest real
estate information online? Each month HAR publishes an online version
of the Houston Realtor giving you the ability to search from more than
two years worth of information online.
Click Here to View This Month's Issue
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Houston Realtor® Magazine – Each
month you receive the latest information in real estate law, technology
and the Houston resale market on your doorstep in the Houston Realtor magazine.
Weekly member e-mail – Staying informed and aware is essential
to your business, and the HAR’s weekly e-mail is the fastest, most
thorough way to stay current on everything you need to know about the
real estate market locally and globally.
Realtor advertising – Have you seen one of the six billboards
dedicated to promoting Realtors rotating around the city? You also may
find advertisements created to promote using a Realtor in the Houston
Chronicle, Here’s Houston, Greater Houston Home Buyer’s Guide,
Houston Housing Guide, among many others. This year we crafted a campaign
with the slogan: Right Home. Right Realtor. Right Here. HAR.com. This
was specifically created to promote your business and your listings.
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| Commercial Gateway |
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Commercial Information
Exchange – One of Commercial Gateway’s most prominent features
is the Commercial Information Exchange (CIE) that is available online at
www.commercialgateway.com. This facility makes participating firms more
profitable by providing a shared information infrastructure that eliminates
the wasteful duplication of effort between member firms. The CIE also identifies
and promotes a set of “Best Practices” in the marketing of
properties and has greatly reduced the wasteful and inefficient practice
of broadcast faxes and spam e-mails. The CIE also is an excellent way for
commercial brokers to monitor market conditions. Also, HAR will soon make
a greater investment in research by hiring another research assistant and
plans to include aerial photographic images on CommericalGateway.com soon.
education – HAR designs commercial MCE programs that Commercial
Gateway sponsors and promotes, like the South Texas “Super MCE,” or
the CCIM Forecast Competition specifically for commercial brokers. Commercial
Gateway-sponsored education is an important means of teaching ethics
and best business practices to new brokers. For more information logon
to CommericalGateway.com
Networking opportunities – HAR identifies and promotes networking
opportunities throughout the Houston area and in the surrounding suburban
counties. Just visit the calendar of events maintained on Commercial
Gateway to get details on several different networking groups, including:
The Houston Realty Breakfast club, The Gulf Coast CCIM Chapter, SIOR,
CREW and NAIOP, HOLBA and CREN as well as the commercial networking groups
in Fort Bend County, Montgomery County or in the Bay Area. These groups
do an excellent job of serving the many different constituencies that
function within the greater Houston marketplace. Helping to promote these
groups and their functions is an effective way for HAR to serve its diverse
membership.
Commercial Expo – HAR partners with the Society of Industrial and
Office REALTORS (SIOR) on production of this yearly occurrence to assist
our commercial members in their careers. The event starts with a keynote
speaker on a pertinent real estate centric issue followed by an opportunity
to network and visit more than 80 suppliers to the commercial real estate
industry at the expo show.
Promote the value and professionalism of brokers to customers – The
public relations and promotional resources of HAR are impressive. Several
times each month, HAR publishes articles, press releases and holds photo
opportunities for its volunteer leadership. This PR effort has the sole
focus of making consumers aware of the value that Realtors bring to a
transaction. The association Web sites at HAR.com and Commercialgateway.com
are a principal venue for this promotion. These Web sites afford us a
unique opportunity to showcase commercial brokers in conjunction with
their listings.
The Houston Association of Realtors is working hard for all Realtors,
both residential and commercial. For commercial brokers, the Commercial
Gateway CIE is the primary vehicle for delivering services, and you do
not need to pay the additional CIE fees to derive benefits from the CIE.
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| Member Services &
Support |
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Technical Support
Worried over Word? Failing to Excel? Crashing through Windows?
Before you hire an expensive consultant to solve your computer problems,
try calling HAR's technical support hotline at (713) 629-1900 ext. 201.
This "members only" service will provide instantaneous answers
to your hardware and software headaches. Your calls are answered by fast,
friendly computer whizzes who have experience responding to Realtors®'
specific technical challenges. As always, any questions for TEMPO MLS can
be answered by calling (877) 805-7301.
Dispute Resolution – We live in an increasingly
litigious society and HAR does not just teach Realtor ethics, we help enforce
these rules
and regulations. All Realtors agree to abide by a shared Code of Ethics
and to submit disputes to binding arbitration. HAR cooperates with the
state association in the performance of these duties. This is an excellent
service that creates a non-litigation scenario for resolving many of the
typical disputes that can arise between brokers and their clients. |
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Legal Advice – Good
legal advice does not come cheap unless, of course, you are a member
of HAR. If you find yourself needing the counsel of an excellent attorney
who understands real estate, call the TAR Legal Hotline at (512) 370-2273.
Have your member ID number ready, and leave your request in this hotline
voicemail system. A highly regarded attorney will return your call promptly
and provide free answers to your legal questions.
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HAR Videos – HAR
provides complete coverage of most of the HAR events in digital video format
both in Windows Media and Real Player. You can access these on HAR.com.
Click Here to View Videos |
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Online SuperCenter – The
HAR SuperCenter offers many tools of the trade, and is a one-stop convenient,
cost-effective way to purchase those items you need for your day-to-day
business operations. Some of the more popular items for Realtors® include
contracts and forms, key maps, rider signs, brochure holders and marketing
books. Click Here to Shop Online |
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First Service Credit Union – HAR
members are eligible to join First Service Credit Union's for great banking services.
Call (281) 447-1584 or stop by the lobby conveniently located at HAR main
headquarters. |
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| Governmental Affairs |
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Governmental Affairs
Every single legislative session, lawmakers propose a tax on your hard-earned
commissions. In other states, such policies have been passed, and real
estate professionals forfeit a significant amount of their income to Uncle
Sam. HAR represents you with a strong, powerful political voice at the
local, state and national level and has consistently defeated such onerous
proposals as a tax on commissions. To see HAR's latest governmental affairs
projects, click here
Representation on and Lobbying of Issues – Every single legislative
session, lawmakers propose a tax on your hard-earned commissions. In other
states, such policies have been passed, and real estate professionals forfeit
a significant amount of their income to Uncle Sam. HAR represents you with
a strong, powerful political voice at the local, state and national level
and has consistently defeated such onerous proposals as a tax on commissions.
Candidate recommendations – Don’t know who to vote for in
the upcoming city council race? HAR’s Political Affairs Committee
does the homework for you by interviewing each candidate and approving
only Realtor-friendly candidates
education on issues – The Governmental Affairs Advisory Group researches
and meets on issues with local politicians to educate them on issues impacting
your business.
Legislative updates – HAR’s governmental affairs department
keeps you in the know with its legislative updates designed to educate
you on issues impacting the real estate industry.
Local opportunities – HAR provides its members with opportunities
to serve on area boards, commissions and community advisory groups.
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