Frequently Asked Questions: REALTOR® Membership Dues
Tacoma Pierce County Association of REALTORS® operates on a calendar year. Membership dues are due annually on the first day of January.
Dues payments must be received no later than January 30th to avoid late fees and be granted full membership status.
On January 31st, a late fee of $75 will be assessed to your dues billing. Unpaid invoices will be assessed as an additional $95 on February 28th.
Membership will be terminated for non-payment of dues on March 31. Reactivating your membership after March 31 will require paying the payment of the full dues,
plus the additional fees added.
I am an assistant and do not actively list or sell, am I required to pay dues?
When your designated broker joins TPCAR he/she agrees that all licensees affiliated with the firm will be invited to join the REALTOR® Association and pay dues.
This is a requirement of the National Association of REALTORS®. There are no exceptions made for licensed assistants.
Non-licensed assistants are not subject to this membership requirement.
I only work part-time and will be out of the area for three months this year. May I pay a pro-rated dues amount?
Membership applies to all real estate licensees who affiliate their license in a REALTOR® office. While you may not be practicing for a certain period,
if your license remains active in a REALTOR® office, the full annual membership dues amount applies.
I plan to retire from real estate sometime this year. Will I receive a partial refund of my annual dues?
Your annual membership dues are assessed on a full calendar year and are non-refundable.
I may be changing offices soon. Will I be required to pay membership dues again?
Your membership dues are transferable and will ensure that you remain a REALTOR®. However, dues can only be transferred to a REALTOR® office.
Therefore, it is important that you determine whether the office you are moving to is a REALTOR® office. This means an office wherein the designated broker holds membership.
Your membership cannot be transferred to a non-REALTOR® office. If you elect to join a non-REALTOR® office your membership will be terminated.
I am not interested in membership. Am I obligated to join TPCAR?
The designated broker in your office determines whether he/she wishes to hold membership in the REALTOR® Association.
When the designated broker elects to hold membership, they agree that all licensees in their office will be invited to join the Association.
Most real estate firms have a provision in the licensee’s independent contractor agreement that stipulates conditions for REALTOR® membership.
The Association does not mandate membership for individual licensees, however, should you elect not to join, your designated broker will be assessed
a fee for having a non-REALTOR® licensee in his/her office. We suggest you speak directly with your designated broker about REALTOR® membership.
I am transferring from another association. Do I need to pay the entire dues amount?
No. When transferring from another association within Washington State and your dues are current, you will only pay the local portion to TPCAR.
Your state and national dues will have already been paid through your former association. When transferring from another association outside of Washington State
and your dues are current, you will pay only the local and state dues. National dues will have been paid through your former association.
Can I pay local and state dues, but not national dues?
No. The REALTOR® Association is a federation of local, state, and national associations. A REALTOR® may not be a member of one level of the organization
without being a member of all three. Although individual licensees hold membership in three distinct organizations: a local board, a state association, and the National Association,
those memberships are tied together as one under what is known as the three-way agreement. That agreement requires licensees to apply for membership through a local board
(e.g. TPCAR). The local board collects the annual dues for all three organizations, all of which agree to provide services to that member.