Positive feedback poured in after the National Association of REALTORS® asked a diverse group of members to test drive its new learning platform in September.
"I liked seeing how clear the navigation is compared to the old system," wrote one member tester.
"It was user friendly, clean and concise, modern and flowed well," said another.
That's welcome validation for the association's education department, the Center for REALTOR® Development or CRD, which has worked around the clock for a year and a half to create a better learning experience for members.
“One of the most encouraging outcomes from pilot testing has been hearing members describe the platform as modern, professional and easy to use,” says NAR Education Product Manager Tyler Cross. “We set out to create a learning experience that better serves REALTORS®. It’s exciting to see that vision reflected in the feedback. We’re committed to listening and acting on all of the feedback to deliver the best possible experience when we launch in December."
In sessions that typically lasted under an hour, testers trialed one or two education course modules checking for user experience hurdles or tech hiccups. For example, Could they log in properly? Could they enroll easily? Did the pages load? Was navigating the platform smooth?
Overall, the digital system, Docebo, was rated highly—4.2 or above out of 5 in areas like ease of use, modernity and professionalism. A handful of members who had used NAR’s current learning system said they preferred the new one, rating the new experience 4.65 out of 5 compared with the existing platform.
NAR Director of Member Learning Matt Geisretier has previously called the current experience "inconsistent," and that website crashes, unreliability when saving progress and a dated feel, were among the problems.
The cohort included a mix of engaged members from NAR's professional development committee, Young Professionals Network, current CRD instructors and more.
Beyond simply asking whether members enjoyed the look and feel, the CRD team asked testers to identify pain points throughout the process. That feedback will be crucial in improving the experience ahead of the platform's Dec. 1 launch and beyond.
For instance, several members noted confusion when trying to advance after completing a course and not seeing a "next" or "completed" button. One user didn't enjoy downloading course materials externally rather than opening them within the same environment, and another recommended on-screen confirmation after successfully enrolling in a course.
"We really appreciate the testers for applying such a critical lens and sharing such focused feedback," Cross says. "We are also excited to share that many of these concerns are a product of the testing environment and will not be part of the experience after launch.”
Goal: Navigating Coursework with Ease
Building something that's enjoyable to use on the go is something CRD is very conscious of, Cross says. One evaluator who used their cellphone to try out the platform said that while it was harder to exit the AI chat back to the homepage, it was "overall easy to navigate."
Member feedback is proving to be the focus, if not the mantra, behind CRD's crusade.
“Building a best-in-class learning experience takes all of us,” says Geisreiter. “We’re asking our members to speak up, share what’s working, and tell us where we can do better and we’re committed to listening and acting on that feedback. Thank you to everyone who has generously shared their time and perspective as we work together to create learning that truly serves the needs of REALTORS®.
Last month, the team received feedback from members who piloted its new verified instructor course, a class to enhance CRD educators. Insights from those surveys and interviews are already being incorporated in classes going forward, including the first training happening ahead of NAR's annual conference NXT in November.
