How to Get Involved

There are a variety of ways to get involved. You may want to do each of these items - or pick and choose the ones that best fit your goals.

1. ARE YOU IN? Consult with your staff, leadership and members to decide if you would like to participate. You are under no obligation, of course, but we sure think you'll be glad that you did!
   
   
2. BALLOONS. The signature blue balloons will be a common element in marketing materials across the country. AAR will provide each association with a quantity of balloons FREE OF CHARGE and will direct individual agents or brokers to contact their local association for balloons/helium/ribbon. Share them with members who are hosting an open house that weekend so that balloons can be attached to the open house signs, front porches and so forth. (Agents should check with city and neighborhood ordinances before using balloons.)
• Host a Helium Party. Consider opening your office for a few hours each morning the weekend of the open house. Provide helium tanks and ribbon- and perhaps some coffee and donuts? - for members who are hosting open houses.
  
• Balloon Delivery. AAR has emailed you the quantity of balloons your association will receive and when they should arrive at your office.
  
• Extra Balloons. If you decide to order more balloons, you may want to use AAR's vendor, which will already have the art files necessary. Stay tuned for contact information.
  
  
3. SIGN RIDERS. AAR will provide a small number of "seed" sign riders FREE OF COST to your association. They should arrive the week of March 1. The purpose of the sign riders is to begin a conversation with your members about the tax credit and the open house. Consider if you would like to order additional sign riders and sell them to your members.
• Selling the Sign Riders. If you decide to sell the sign riders, you can order them from your current vendor or through AAR's provider:
  MacDaniel Signs
  602-252-4700

 

If you do decide to sell sign riders, please email editor@aaronline.com so that we can include you in a list made available to agents/brokers on our website.



4. BROKERS. Contact your brokers by email or meet with them in person to share information about the nationwide open house. Ask them to help spread the word to their agents. Find out if they would be willing to distribute balloons/helium or sign riders.
• Download sample language (Word document) you can use to notify your members. (courtesy of the national open house work group)
  
  
5. AGENTS. Share the news with agents by email and with flyers you can distribute to agents at your office, at classes or at other association events.
   • AAR will be sending an e-blast to the full membership on or around Monday, March 8.
   • Download a flyer that explains the homebuyer tax credit targeted at agents. Agents may also be interested in NAR's save now with the homebuyers tax credit brochure targeted at consumers.
     
   • Download a customizable flyer (Publisher file). (courtesy of the Tucson Association of REALTORS^®)
   • Encourage your members to visit our agent/broker page, which features resources members can use when discussing the tax credit or open house with consumers.
     
     
6. PRESS. AAR will be reaching out to state and local media, but you may want to work your press contacts as well.
   • Download a customizable media advisory (Word document). (courtesy of the national open house work group)
     
   • Download a customizable press release (Word document). (courtesy of the national open house work group)
     
   • View sample letters to the editor from the 2009 event in the state of Washington (courtesy of the Washington Association of REALTORS^®):
     • Hundreds of Homes Open Their Doors (Word document)
       
     • Value of a REALTOR^® (Word document)
       
     • The Huge Value of Home Ownership (Word document)
       
       
7. WEBSITE GRAPHICS. Get the news out on your website Facebook fan page or email signature.
   
   To embed the ballon graphic on your website, use this code (139X189):
   
   <a href="http://www.aaronline.com/documents/taxcredit.aspx"><img src="http://www.aaronline.com/Openhouse/images/openhouse3.jpg" /></a>

   
   To embed the tax-credit on your website, use this code (300X250):
   
   <a href="http://www.aaronline.com/documents/taxcredit.aspx"><img src="http://www.aaronline.com/Openhouse/images/taxcredit300x250.gif" /></a>

   
   To download these graphics files to your computer, right click on the image and select "Save Picture As" or similar. (Mac users: Press and hold the CTRL+Apple buttons while clicking on the image, then choose "Save As" or similar.) Please be sure to link the graphic to AZHomeTaxCredit.com.
   
   

8. OTHER IDEAS. REALTOR^® associations across the country are brainstorming additional ways to get involved. Here are a few examples:
   

• Direct the public to the MLS to view houses that will be open over the weekend. (Learn more on Tucson Association of REALTORS^® open house page.)
  
• Print an insert in your local paper that lists open houses in your area. (Learn more on the Tucson Association of REALTORS^® open house page.)
• Highlight the weekend in social media efforts (Facebook, Twitter and beyond).
  
• Create a video to post on your website or on YouTube and publicize it via social media. View (and even link to!) the excellent video by the Washington Association of REALTORS^® for inspiration.
  
• Raise public awareness by purchasing radio, outdoor, print or TV advertising to promote the weekend.
  
• Hold a contest among brokerages to see who can get the most REALTORS^® to participate.
  
• Hold a contest for consumers. For example, you could provide cards they would get stamped at each open house they attend. Have a drawing among those who received the most stamps.
  
• Have a great idea yourself? Share it with editor@aaronline.com, and we'll add it here.