By Pete Hall
The Alabama Chapter of the Real Estate Land Institute (RLI) is officially open for business since the initial meeting and a grass roots campaign to recruit members in March of this year. The RLI is a membership organization created for and by land sales experts who are dedicated to building knowledge, building relationships, and building business for its members who broker, lease, sell, develop, and manage our most precious resource: the land.
In November of this year the Alabama Chapter ratified it’s by laws and elected officers after a series of conferences and careful consideration of studying other successful state chapters’ organizational structure. With the explosion of realtors, licensees, and salespersons participating in land transactions it became evident to a core group of land specialist that Alabama needed an organizational structure that would legitimize the brokers who focus on land sales as well as providing information to the investors, purchasers, and land owners that we are setting up safeguards through the education of its members to insure they are being represented by the most ethical and professional means possible, according to Pete Hall, President Elect, term beginning October 2010.
A major component and goal of RLI members is to obtain the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) professional designation. Obtaining the ALC is not easy. It requires a successful completion of a rigorous education program and a proven track record of transaction performance. Real Estate agents with the ALC designation are the most accomplished the most experienced, and the highest performing land sales experts. Requirements include taking six courses that include but are not limited to: Fundamentals of Land Brokerage, Land Investment Analysis, Tax Deferred 1031 Exchanges, Agricultural Land Brokerage and Marketing, Land Development, Tax Implications of Real Estate, Transitional Land, Creative Land Planning, Site Selection, as well as many others. ALC’s must have at least 3 years experience in real estate brokerage or development and a portfolio of transactions totaling at least $10,000,000 in transactions. Candidates have up to 5 years to complete the requirements and must pass a test at the end of each course as well as a comprehensive exam before being awarded the accreditation.
Charlie Israel, of Outdoor Investments located in Birmingham was elected to serve the first term as President and was very instrumental in kick-starting Alabama’s Chapter. Susan Morrison of Prudential Showcase Properties located in Dothan will serve as Secretary and Treasurer
Currently the Alabama Chapter has 44 members focusing on land brokerage and that number is conservatively expected to double in the first year as word continues to spread about the benefits of belonging to this organization. Today there are 13 Realtors in Alabama who have obtained the ALC and 23 Candidates. That number is also expected to rise exponentially.
Because we want to be an inclusive organization who shares information we will also open it up to Associate Members who are essential in closing deals and whom would benefit from the networking the Alabama RLI Chapter provides. Those will include such professionals in the fields of real estate closing attorneys, appraisers, surveyors, loan officers, and more.
According to the Alabama Real Estate Commission there are 23,312 active real estate licensees and 9,882 inactive licensees. Any land salesperson who truly wants to set themselves apart from such a vast number of potential representatives will want to take advantage of this membership and education program. The public needs to feel that they are being represented by the very best and the RLI Alabama Chapter and the Accredited Land Consultant Designation is the means to achieving that goal, notes Charlie Israel.
Pete Hall said, we believe the old axiom that a rising tide raises all boats. Networking through our meetings and education programs will allow members to facilitate more sales while at the same time providing the best service to our clients.
RLI members and Associate members will have the opportunity to meet three times a year at a predetermined location in the Northern, Central, and Southern districts. Real Estate professionals interested in pursuing their ALC designation and joining the Alabama Chapter may contact Susan Morrison, Charlie Israel, Pete Hall, or any other current members. You can find a quick search of Alabama ALC designees, applicants, and their contact information at rliland.com by clicking on FIND A LAND CONSULTANT.
In the next meeting scheduled in the spring the membership will vote on the best use of the money that they receive from dues. Ideas incorporated by other chapters include a web site of listed properties to be viewed by the public, a data base of current comparable sales accessible only to its members, or various forms of marketing tools to inform the public at large of who the RLI is as well as a means of attracting new members.
