The Middle Georgia Association of REALTORS® (MGAR) is a thriving organization that provides education and networking opportunities to its 500-member base of REALTORS and affiliates. As “The Voice of Real Estate” in Middle Georgia, the association is always looking for ways to provide greater value to those who count on it for up-to-date information.
The Challenge
What started as an initiative to create a new website turned into a complete change in software to manage the daily workflow of the association.
“Our previous provider gave us a powerful tool, but it just wasn’t very user friendly,” said Sandy Davis, Association Executive of the Middle Georgia Association of REALTORS®. “With a staff of only two, we realized we needed something more robust and easier to use – not just for building and managing our website, but for everything we do.”
The Solution
Building a website can be a daunting task. It has to be easy and intuitive without knowledge in programming. Not to mention the fact that users need to feel in control 24/7 when it comes to content management. A promise to deliver on those promises is what caught Davis’ eye.
“What GrowthZone offered in terms of web design and content management was just what was need needed to transition to a new site,” said Davis. “Everything is so logical; we really didn’t have to think twice about it.”
The Results
As a small association, MGAR is always keeping a watchful eye on expenses. Through GrowthZone, they’ve been able to save money by eliminating the need for such things as web hosting and an email program, as those functions are all part of the package.
“As a customer, I feel very important,” added Davis. “I’m never afraid to ask questions, and when I do, I get an answer quickly and can move on. For those quick answers, I use the chat feature on their site. Everyone is so helpful and they put up with all my questions. I can’t ask for better service.”
Beyond the integration with NRDS, Davis appreciates the ability to highlight affiliate members to help with their presence in the community. Not to mention how brokers can access information regarding their agents with the software managing the entire process.
TOP 3 BENEFITS
According to Association Executive Sandy Davis, here are the top three benefits of GrowthZone:
- Event Management – “Managing our events is effortless. Our members can log in and take care of everything themselves through the E-Commerce function. And we like that it’s easy to set up multiple registration types.”
- Robust Calendar – “We love the display, and it’s easy for us to get extra revenue by giving sponsoring members the ability to add their logo to the event they’re sponsoring.”
- Member Portal – “Member listings have the ability to be enhanced, which is especially important for our affiliate members to keep their presence strong in front of our broker members.”