Our Partner: Maryland
Association of REALTORS®
About MAR: In
principle and in practice, the Maryland
Association of REALTORS® values and seeks diversity and inclusive
participation within the field of real estate and recognizes each member as a unique individual. MAR is the largest trade association in
Maryland and the central information resource for Maryland’s real estate news,
issues and trends.
Mary Antoun, CEO of MAR, took a minute to
talk to REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, A Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union about their experience with the credit
union and their new partnership through the Partner Program.
The Credit Union: How
did you first learn about REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, A Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union?
Antoun: I
am a member of the Board of Directors and was on the original Task Force set up
to study the formation of a credit union for REALTORS®.
The Credit Union: Why
did MAR decide to join REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, A Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union?
Antoun:
Three reasons: The rates on investment
products are highly competitive, we will likely be looking for a business loan
in the future (and expect the CU loan rates to be very competitive) and we want
to support this as a member benefit. Being a member of the credit union is a
win-win for us and our members.
The Credit Union: Why
did your organization decide to become a Partner?
Antoun: We want
to find ways to encourage our members to join REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, A Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union,
and the Partner
Program has good benefits for MAR as well.
The Credit Union: What
products/services do you like best?
Antoun: The
Certificates are an excellent way to maximize returns in a completely safe
investment. As an individual member, I
love the ease of banking completely online, and the rates on the Money Market
accounts as well as the Certificates make it attractive financially.
The Credit Union: What
do you look for in a financial services provider?
Antoun: Safety,
responsiveness to requests, variety of products, competitive rates, flexibility
in meeting needs.
The Credit Union: How
is your relationship with REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, A Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union different from your
relationship with other financial institutions?
Antoun: It’s far
more personal. REALTORS® FCU, A Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union understands
our business as an association, and its particular circumstances, which are
unusual in the business world (for example, the concentration of our dues
income at certain times of the year).
That’s not easy to explain to other financial institutions.
The Credit Union: How
do you think real estate organizations can benefit from REALTORS® Federal
Credit Union membership?
Antoun: They will
find that REALTORS® FCU, A Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union is willing to work with them to adapt to their
specialized needs as businesses. That’s
a rarity in the financial world.
The Credit Union: How
can real estate organizations benefit from Partnership with REALTORS® Federal
Credit Union?
Antoun: We can
encourage members and member businesses to make use of this resource, which
will help them, while earning benefits ourselves.
The Credit Union: What do you hope to get out of your Partnership with REALTORS® Federal Credit
Union?
Antoun: Although
the benefits are attractive, I’m really hoping that even more Maryland
REALTORS® will learn of the extraordinary resource that REALTORS® FCU, A Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union will be
for them.
The Credit Union: What
are the significant accomplishments of your organization this year?
Antoun: We had
the best legislative year in our history—we defeated every bill we opposed and
passed every bill we supported, including some of critical importance to the
recovery of our market.
The Credit Union: As
an organization, what are your current challenges?
Antoun: Finding
more ways to help members in a slowly recovering market, and figuring out more
effective ways to communicate with them.
The Credit Union: What
would you say to someone who is reluctant to use a virtual credit union?
Antoun: Once you
learn how to do things virtually, which is far easier than it sounds, you will
find it so convenient that you may even forget that it’s virtual. If you’ve ever done any banking online, even
just checking your account or paying a bill, you will be comfortable with a
virtual credit union. And a human being
is always just a phone call away.
