Sallie Arnold is, functionally, the entire education and communications operation for the Grand County Association of REALTORS®, a Realtor trade organization that also operates its own Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
“As the CEO, Education Director, Communication Director, it's kind of all on me to figure out how to translate information into usable things for our members,” she said.
That responsibility extends beyond typical member education. Because the association runs an MLS, Sallie also must train members on MLS rules, violations, terminology, and technical, compliance-driven content that must reach every member clearly.
The Old Way: Videos, Spreadsheets, and Guesswork
Before GZ Learn, new member and MLS orientation ran through two pre-recorded, one-hour videos, followed by a quiz Sallie built using a Google Form. The system worked, but it was entirely disconnected from GrowthZone.
"I don't have it connected to my AMS system to tell me, hey, they finished orientation within 30 days. I have to go searching for that spreadsheet in Google to make sure. "
Sallie could confirm that a member passed the quiz, but she had no reliable way to confirm they'd actually watched the video first. As a one-person shop with only part-time help, tracking that manually was a huge burden.
“I just don't have the ability to really track and trace without a bunch of manual work and a bunch of digging,” she said.
The Catalyst: A Board Directive and a Wells-and-Septic Problem
About two years before adopting GZ Learn, Grand County's board set a strategic vision to build more localized educational content. Grand County, Colorado spans both a mountain resort community and large working cattle and hay ranches, and the board charged Sallie with educating members on issues spanning that mix.
One example became something of a running joke internally: wells and septic systems.
“It's silly, and that doesn't sound like a very appetizing class,” Sallie admits. “However, wells and septic systems in our county are a big deal.”
Getting that information to members meant either finding an outside instructor, who wouldn't be a real estate educator, or building the content herself using her own background in association education.
That need pushed Sallie into researching learning management systems in earnest, including a fundamental question she had to answer first: “How long could I have that course work for us? What happens if an instructor quits?” An LMS solved a durability problem an in-person or Zoom-based model couldn't.
Why GZ Learn, Specifically
Sallie started her search by looking at LMS platforms already integrated with GrowthZone, including Path and another system she recalls as Blue Sky. Both existed as options. Both were too expensive for an association serving fewer than 500 MLS subscribers. She had nearly given up on finding something that fit, until GrowthZone started promoting its own new LMS through email and an info session in December.
"I signed a contract because it was affordable and it was already connected to GrowthZone."
The deciding factor wasn't a feature comparison. It was cost plus native integration, removing an entire technical evaluation Sallie didn't have the bandwidth to run herself.
Getting Started: The Real Work Was the Content, Not the Software
Sallie describes the initial learning curve as substantial, but not because the platform itself was hard to use. The challenge was translating years of scattered knowledge, some of it living only in her head, into structured course modules.
While building out longer, more developed courses, Sallie also started using GZ Learn for lighter, faster content: short tips-and-tricks videos from MLS vendors, paired with a follow-up prompt encouraging members to try the feature and report back. That two-way structure does double duty.
“That interaction with the member solidifies that product or service better in their brain.” She recalls. “And it helps me know where to spend time helping members down the road, too.”
From Manual Tracking to Automatic Enrollment
One of the most concrete operational shifts Sallie experienced: new members are now automatically enrolled in orientation shortly after joining, no staff step required, no member confusion about where to go.
"That's removing that step, that extra step of staff having to register them for something, but also removing that extra step of the member going, 'I'm new, where did she tell me to go?' It'll automatically send a link and say, you've been enrolled in orientation. That's another no-brainer time saver for us."
Freedom From the Calendar
Beyond automation, GZ Learn changed how members experience training itself. Where the association had pushed toward in-person sessions after COVID-era lockdowns eased, member availability and preferences shifted as the market picked back up. On-demand courses fit that shift.
"It's nice for Realtors to not have some dedicated time they have to show up at the board office. They can go start a module, work on it, and come back to it. It's freeing up my worry that they don't have information they need easily accessible when they need it."
Early Adoption: Leadership Leading the Way
Because Sallie only began actively building courses in March, current usage skews toward the association's board and committee leadership, who have early access. Their reaction has been enthusiastic. Several longtime members have told Sallie they're eager for the finalized new-member orientation module specifically so they can retake it.
“They're excited about the opportunity for the information that's in our system now,” Sallie said.
What's Next: Recorded Events and a Future Revenue Stream
Grand County is considering recording live events, like its annual mayors and managers panel, where local officials discuss development, road work, and community planning, for members who can't attend in person. The board is also considering a small fee for recorded local programs to help offset production time while giving members access when they cannot attend live.
"You couldn't come to the free lunch we offered to feed you, but hey, we took the time, the effort, the energy to record and provide this. Now you'll be more motivated to come in person next time or pay a small fee for that recording."
Sallie's Advice to Other Associations
"Especially if you're already a GrowthZone user, get on board. Figure out how to budget it and do it, because I think it's going to be one of those returns on investment that would be unmatched."
On the work of getting started, sSallie’s message is clear: “If there's any hesitancy about signing up for something like GZ Learn, don't be afraid of all that content. Get it out, and it will help strengthen your strategic plan to educate your members and help the everyday member do their job better.”
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