2,684,009
A simpler term for Thompson Broker is, "MLS Only".
I have done it twice, most recently in 2015. I will probably be a Thompson Broker again in 2019. There is no reason for me to complain about NAR, if I am going to keep funding them with annual dues every January.
Advantages: You are a full member of the MLS. You can input your listings, search the MLS, use MLS advantage, do anything and everything else involving the MLS. You have a Supra eKey and can buy and use the Supra lockboxes.
Disadvantages:
Many Boards will charge Thompson Brokers higher application fees and higher MLS dues. Maybe that's retaliation, or an effort to discourage you from not joining the Board.
Without belonging to NAR, you cannot be a member of your local Board. That means no members-only classes, speakers, seminars. Nor can you belong to the Florida Association of Realtors, so you won't be able to use Form Simplicity, or any of the services that FAR provides.
What about "standard forms", if you cannot get them from Florida Realtors or your local Board? There are legal workarounds. You may find a "back door" in the MLS. Title attorneys and Title insurers will give them to you.
Another slight disadvantage: you may encounter Realtors who say, "I don't see your name on the Board roster, how can you can be in the MLS?" , or, "Oh, Fred, I didn't see your name when I searched Board Membership, I thought maybe you retired." Then you have to explain the whole Thompson Broker thing to them.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Inna Ivchenko
Encino, CA
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Scott Pope
Panama City Beach, FL
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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John Juarez
Fremont, CA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Carol Williams
Wenatchee, WA
2,160,948
The term "Thompson Broker" goes back to a ruling in 1990/1991 "Thompson v. Dekalb County Board of REALTORS®" by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that stated that the exclusive right of members of the Dekalb County Board of REALTORS® to use their Multiple Listing Service is harmful to non-member real estate brokers. Since then nonmembers (licensed agents without affiliation to any real estate association/board) can participate in the multiple listing services that exist within the 11th Circuit including Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Carol Williams
Wenatchee, WA
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
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Candice A. Donofrio
Fort Mohave, AZ
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
3,344,906
We can add California to the list of Thompson brokers. It makes a statement more than anything else. It says I will not prostituted by the system that forces membership in NAR and other associations.
It actually costs more to get access to MLS, Forms, etc. to be a Thompson Broker versus paying the dues.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Valeria Mola
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
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John Juarez
Fremont, CA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
1,844,171
I am going to investigate here in IL.
No forms are available for use but there could be a title company go-around on that.
I'm sure your board has a list of them hidden somewhere out of view.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
427,147
I think Fred Griffin has the answer for you about Thompson Brokerage
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
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Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
5,229,227
Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES & Fred Griffin have you covered!
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Silvia Dukes PA, Broke...
Spring Hill, FL
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
3,416,038
Here in NH any broker can just subscribe to the MSL for a fee that is more than just joining Realtor. It is cheaper to just belong.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
1,310,972
In California, MLS membership and NAR membership are two different memberships. You are not required to be a NAR member to join our MLS.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
1,502,848
We have some online brokerages in Cali that are non-NAR. I'd love to pull mine out of the NAR, but I'm too involved with the local association at the moment.
My local association does not have an "MLS Only" option (although they legally are required to allow it). As it stands, I'd have to go to Orange County for that and count on the data share to put the listing into the local board (which it does).
Sadly, there appears to be no way to be a member of the state association without being part of the national one since it all revolves around the term "realtor". This means I'd lose access to the state's forms and their free legal line and free digital signature program. Although there is no law stating I MUST use the state's forms, I've yet to see an agent not use them and I doubt they would know what to do with a custom form. That might be a barrier to buying homes as agents may refuse to accept non state forms and the battle of educating them that any form can be used is an uphill one that is probably not worth it. Although the state sells blanks, there have been people who have gotten in trouble for using them while not being realtors.
Out here you'd save money on state, national and local association memberships but the form issue would be a drawback and added cost. Continuing education in California is (letter of the law here) to take exams covering 40 hours of material. There is no requirement to sit through classes, so the 40 hours of screen time that CAR gives for free to agents for CE is not a loss if you left the association.
As much as I dislike NAR, the costs aren't THAT high where it is worth going the non-NAR route. Yes, you could escape that "code of ethics" that few pay attention to or bends to their will (I saw someone say on Lab Coat that taking an overpriced listing was a COE violation).
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
6,392,889
Not something I would want to be, there is a reason for NAR's existence, despite the amount of ingrates who berate them on a daily basis.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Bob Crane
Stevens Point, WI
711,752
We have one MLS in the state that does not require NAR membership - rather it is voluntary. I don't know the stats on how many members of the MLS have opted to be members of NAR as well.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
2,781,013
This issue will gain momentum and eventually succeed
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
5,215,388
Not a fan of access without membership. Too many issues here!
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
3,071,489
Fred Griffin nailed this one!
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Fred Griffin Florida R...
Tallahassee, FL
3,986,258
As much as I dislike the NAR I wonder if it still keeps some professionalism in our profession?
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
3,988,007
I am not aware of that happening in Tennessee but will ask about it at our next MLS meeting.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
4,319,419
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041 - advantage to sellers and some brokers who do not care if the home sells or not - my two cents.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
5,772,575
Annette,
I think our California agents answered. A
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
7,834,945
You have some good answers.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
1,466,207
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041 I believe Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES has this one.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
4,434,127
5,104,806
I have no idea how to find a list of non-NAR member brokerages. I've never heard of this company before and find it hard to believe that our association would allow this when 10,000 members are obligated to pay a ton of fees each year as member of NAR, NCAR and our association.
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Annette Lawrence , Pal...
Palm Harbor, FL
813
Looking for a Florida office who is a 'Thompson' broker to hang my FL license with. I am looking to get on Stellar MLS as a 'Thompson' member. Anybody know?
2,390,010
1,598,452
1,239,801
1,045,440
I guess that depends on who you are asking about having or not having advantages...looks like that would be one more thing making a Realtor less meaningful in the business Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041
4,935,551
1,622,432
4,800,082