Auctioneer appointed to NAR board NAA President renews relationship with NAR to spur partnerships

OVERLAND PARK, KS - National Auctioneers Association (NAA) President William Sheridan, CAI, AARE, GPPA has rekindled a relationship with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in order to foster more business partnerships between Realtors and NAA auctioneers.

"There is room in the commission window of a real estate sale for two companies to be compensated for their efforts," Sheridan said.

Sheridan, of Mason, Mich., was recently appointed to NAR's Board of Directors after he contacted NAR President-Elect Pat Vredevoogd Coombs, also a resident of Michigan, to suggest the groups work together. Sheridan will attend his first board meeting Nov. 9-12 in New Orleans during NAR's 2006 convention.

"I am going to tell their board that I want to raise awareness of both associations' members that they should be utilizing each other," he said. The associations communicated during the 1990s about auctions, but drifted apart in the last five years, Sheridan said. Sheridan has already spoken to NAR leaders that there are three ways that auctioneers can work with NAR's 1.2 million members.

"One way is that auctioneers can sell real estate by auction and be very successful. We are experts in the marketing and execution of auction properties. The second way is that we can sell inventory that comes to Realtors, including antiques, shop equipment or farm machinery. The third way is that auctioneers can be the fundraisers for NAR, which does a lot of fundraising, including for the Women's Council of Realtors and other groups."

NAR President elect Vredevoogd Coombs told NAA members during a recent speech at NAA's 2006 International Auctioneers Conference and Show that "This (partnership) has great potential...Much of what we do is entrenched with each other. Our businesses overlap tremendously."

Sheridan said he will emphasize to NAR officials and members the benefits of selling real estate by auction for the Realtor and client.

"I will also mention that, when they are interested in selling real estate by auction, the first things they can do are to look in the NAA membership directory to find an NAA auctioneer near them with the AARE designation," he said, referring to the Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate designation that indicates the auctioneer has completed auction real estate education.

More auctioneers across the country are working more frequently with Realtors and real estate agents. And, residential real estate auctions, the fastest growing sector of the auction industry, grew by 4.4 percent in the first half of 2006, up slightly from the 4.0 percent at the same mid-year point last year. Residential real estate grew at 8.4 percent overall in 2005 and has been the topic of widespread media coverage as a growing business niche.

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With more than 6,000 members from throughout the world, the National Auctioneers Association is the largest organization of its kind dedicated to promoting the auction method of marketing and enhancing the professionalism of its members. The organization was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan. For more information on the NAA and its programs, visit www.auctioneers.org.