FAQ

Once you have passed your real estate exam and joined a brokerage, you have 15 days to join a local REALTOR® association. Your broker can help point you in the right direction!

The applicable fees that are required for membership include:

• $300 application fee
• Pro-rated Association dues dependent on the month your application is submitted

Once you've completed your application and paid your dues, you have 60 days to complete the following:

• Attend New Member Orientation
• Complete the New Member NAR Code of Ethics Course Online
• Complete the NAR Fair Housing course

*Please note that your broker must be an active member with Pen-Mar before we can offer you membership.*

New Member Orientation classes are typically held once per quarter in-person at the Pen-Mar REALTORS® office. You have 60 days to register for an orientation session within one calendar year. The current orientation schedule can be found on our events calendar, here. If you need help registering for a session, please call our office at 301-797-4480.

If a new applicant fails to complete this requirement within the dates specified in their New Member Letter, suspension and a reinstatement fee of $125 will be assessed for reactivation. 

A National REALTOR® Database System (NRDS) number will be provided in the New Member Letter you will receive after your application has been processed. 

Please note that if you are currently a REALTOR® member with another association, or have previously been a REALTOR® in the United States, that your NRDS number will not change.

Types of affiliate members range from companies such as home inspectors, insurance providers, title companies, and even pest control. If you see a category listed that doesn't fit your company - let us know!

Please complete our Affiliate Application. Questions about affiliate membership or the application should be directed to the Pen-Mar REALTORS® office at (301) 797-4480.

In order for you to become a primary member of Pen-Mar, your Broker or Designated REALTOR® needs to be a primary or secondary member of our association before we can offer you membership.

If you have been a REALTOR® member with a different board in the last year, a letter of good standing is also required from that association or board before your membership application can be processed.

Additionally, you may also choose to become a "secondary" member of Pen-Mar. Secondary members enjoy many of the same benefits provided by Pen-Mar, while also maintaining active memberships with other REALTOR® boards. As such, the cost to join our association is the same.

Please note that secondary members do not have to pay their state and national dues twice. Your primary board will collect those dues when you renew your annual membership.

First, you would need to check with your broker and/or office manager to see if your office/franchise policy requires it. Some offices and franchises require that licensees affiliated with them join as REALTOR® members. If you do not join as a REALTOR® member, you would be considered a non-member salesperson.

As a non-member salesperson, the Designated REALTOR® will be responsible for paying an assessment fee for the real estate licensee in the amount of Pen-Mar local dues, State Dues and NAR Dues (with the exception of the Consumer Advertising Campaign fee.) Non-members would not fill out a membership application nor attend the New Member Orientation course. They would not be allowed to use the term "REALTOR®" or use the "R" logo on any of their correspondence, signs, business cards, etc.

Membership dues are typically emailed to all members in early October and are payable by the last day of December. We are unable to accept cash or paper checks, so please be prepared to pay your dues in full with a credit or debit card.

All dues payments that arrive late, or are otherwise incomplete will result in a $150 late fee. If dues and the late fee are not paid by February 1st, your membership will be terminated. If terminated, the member automatically becomes a non-member salesperson as described in the section above.

Payment by the Designated REALTOR® for associated non-member salesperson is required and unappealable.

Most Pen-Mar REALTORS® members actively use Bright MLS at a discounted rate. You can learn more at brightmls.com/join.

Office Managers and unlicensed assistants may also access Bright MLS. Please contact Bright for additional information at 1-844-552-7444 or support@brightmls.com.

If you are a primary member of Pen-Mar REALTORS® then you automatically have membership with either Maryland REALTORS® (MR) or the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® (PAR) dependent on where your primary standard license is. 

Please note that if you are a Maryland primary member, you DO NOT automatically have access to Pennsylvania state forms just because Pen-Mar covers both states. This also applies for Pennsylvania primary members trying to access Maryland forms. 

In order to gain access to the appropriate state forms, you must join that state's association. 

To join Maryland REALTORS®, contact Victor Pessima at victor.pessima@mdrealtor.org.

To join the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS®, call (800) 555-3390 or fill out the contact form on this webpage. 

OFFICE HOURS AND HOLIDAYS

Pen-Mar REALTORS® is open Monday through Friday from 8:00am - 4:00pm. The Association office is closed on the following holidays, or the date of their observance if they fall on a weekend:

New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day

Weather-related closures typically follow the Washington County School District's position. We strive to post updates on office closures and delays on our Facebook page.