Paying dues to your local board of Realtors can feel painful, especially if you’re not taking full advantage of the all the benefits available. While many agents make use of MLS eligibility, forms and lockbox services, some miss out on the value-added services that can provide a major return on your board dues.

Now, just in time for dues season, here is Real’s list of the top ways you can get even more from your local real estate board in 2020.

1. CE classes. Your local boards offers free or cheap CE credits so you can grow your career and keep your license active without shelling out top dollar. Topics vary from MLS training to reverse mortgages. Log in and signup regularly through the year so you don’t have to cram at deadline.
   
   
2. Meeting space. For agents who work from home, booking a meeting space at your local board office can be a great backup to meeting at the local coffee shop.
   
   
3. Market reports. Keep a pulse on the local real estate market trends by signing up for your board’s market reports.
   
   
4. Tech assistance. The Florida Realtors offers tech support as a benefit at no extra cost as part of membership dues. So if a laptop crashes, members have a place to turn. Unfortunately, great tech support is not universally available to Realtor board members across the country, so check your local board to see what’s available.
   
   
5. Legal hotline. Boards like Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) and Atlanta Realtors offer legal hotlines, where Realtors can talk to full-time staff attorneys about real estate-related questions such as scams, forms, real estate law and such. Check your board to see what legal resources are available.
   
   
6. Networking & charity events. Your local Realtor events are a great place to form business relationships and to find opportunities. You can also give back and show how Realtors are community leaders by volunteering for your board’s charity events.
   
   
7. Apps and subscriptions. No or low-cost access to apps like the Forewarn safety app, industry publications like Inman, and MLS tools such as Remine are just some of the app and subscription offerings available from local boards.
   
   
8. NAR membership. $150 of your local board dues goes toward your National Association of Realtors (NAR) membership, and in 2020, there is an additional $35 assessment for consumer ads. (Of this amount, all but $57 may be tax deductible according to NAR.) As a Realtor, you indirectly benefit from NAR’s campaigns to raise Realtors’ reputation with the public and to lobby for homeowner-friendly government policies, so be sure to use your Realtor designation.
   
   
9. National partner discounts. With your local board membership, can also access discounts from NAR partners in health & dental insurance, auto, marketing services and more.
   
   
10. Advanced designations. Get certified through your local board with advanced designations such as Accredited Buyer’s Representative or Certified Commercial Investment Member. These designations can help you increase skills and convey credibility.

Source: NAR, local Realtor boards