Howdy WVAR Partners,

The noise out there has hit record levels. I got back from HoustonNXT and, honestly, I was disappointed but not shocked to see the headlines spinning fast and loose with the truth.

What’s the truth?  Nothing changed about REALTOR-owned MLSs allowing non-REALTOR principals. That option has been around for more than twenty years. It’s not new. It’s not dramatic. It’s not the end of anything.

NAR simply cleaned up the language. Reduced risk. Modernized the text. Clarified what already existed. That’s it.

Now let’s talk about what this means for West Virginia. If you run the numbers, only a tiny slice of licensees, about 3 percent, aren’t REALTORS, and most of them aren’t listing or selling. They’re in referral companies or holding a license for some other reason. And when non-member principals do join a REALTOR-owned MLS, they often pay more, have to follow the MLS rules, and they must meet the same conduct and ethical standards and buyers agency agreement requirements. They don’t get a shortcut.

That’s one of the reasons our brand in West Virginia is strong. While the noise keeps trying to tell a different story, our membership continues to grow. Shifts in membership follow the market, not the headlines.

Your association is steady, focused, and working for you. Every single day. You get the tools to stay successful, safe, and ethical. Nationally, you have access to RPR, the NAR Market Dashboard, economic and market research, professional advocacy, and policy work that protects your business.

WVAR backs you with Code of Ethics enforcement, arbitration services, a legal hotline, a tech helpline, the TetherRE safety app, weekly industry news emails, legislative and regulatory advocacy, convention and continuing education opportunities that set you apart.

And your local boards bring MLS access, lockbox services, community connections, and a network of professionals who believe in doing this work the right way.

We don’t tear down to lift ourselves up. We don’t dim someone else’s light to make ours shine. We rise above the noise by keeping our focus exactly where it belongs.

On you.

Rise above the noise, my friends.

Chief out.