Are your members yawning over the same old educational courses and networking events—and are your numbers showing it? Attendance numbers were down at Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® in Oregon, which is why Bianca McCarthy, PMAR’s events manager, went back to the drawing board. “It didn’t make sense to keep investing in expensive speakers for each event,” she says. “So, I worked with my committee to seek out pertinent topics that also were budget friendly.”

One committee member suggested architectural styles in Portland. Although it was out of the box, the topic fit perfectly under the umbrella of property evaluation/ valuation. “It helps to educate [members] on inherent characteristics of a style so they can work with their clients on listing accurately or finding homes that fit a certain style and knowing what to expect from a home of that style,” McCarthy says.

That first class led to additional classes offering a deeper dive into styles that members, through post-class surveys, said they wanted to learn more about. The speaker, an architect from a local firm, also came at the right price: She asked only for a one-time contact with attendees after the event to provide the slide deck.

The class attracts about 86 members on average. Attendees offer feedback such as: “Very on point, knowledgeable and great sense of humor. It was the best event I have attended this year.”

Thinking outside the box can be challenging. But serving on committees and supporting the NAR Young Professionals Network brings new ideas for potential topics and unique ways to provide educational content, McCarthy says.