Being a part of REALTORS® Land Institute comes with a lot of benefits that you probably already use: amazing networking opportunities, deep discounts, and our property marketing tools The Land Connections and e-Properties. But there is one benefit that isn’t as obvious: the power of the RLI or ALC brand. In this article, we’re going to explore how you can put the power of the RLI or ALC brand behind your name.

How can you, the RLI Member or ALC, make the most of our brand power? We asked Terri Jensen, ALC, a land broker with National Land Realty and 2015 Past President of RLI, what the ALC Designation means to her. Of 18,000+ REALTORS® in Minnesota, Terri is one of only 14 to have earned the elite ALC Designation, so we knew she’d be a good person to ask. Here’s what she said having the RLI and ALC brands means to her:

• "Provided the education, experience, and expertise needed to better assist my clients
• Continued education on hot topics to stay current in the marketplace
• Ability to lobby for legislation on behalf of landowners, as well as real estate practitioners
• Always having someone to call on with a question
• The ability to better market my services given the very small number of ALCs in my state vs. the total number of REALTORS®
• Networking and a sense of family with those who know land
• The opportunity to participate in, and be part of an organization that strives to be The Voice of Land and make its members the best in the business!”

So, what can you do to make the most out of your ALC and RLI Membership? Here are five ways:

1. Use The Logo

Use the RLI Member or ALC Logos* on all your property listings, business cards, email footers, and other marketing materials. You can even visit the RLI or ALC Logo Brand Shops (access them from your RLI Member profile page) to order clothes, office supplies and more branded with our logos! Plus, RLI Chapter Members can take advantage of using the new RLI Chapter Member Logo if you’re an active member of an RLI Chapter. The more you promote the ALC logo and RLI Member Logo, the more brand recognition there will be in the industry – which means the more valuable holding the designation or being a member becomes for you!

Need marketing materials? We've got you covered. You can order ALC Brochures online, and we also have press release templates for new ALCs and RLI members in our Member Resources page.

2. Keep Your Find a Land Consultant profile Up To Date

With the boom in use, you’ll want to make sure your most current information is on your FALC profile. This includes your specialties, contact information, where you are licensed, a head shot, and more. Check out our article Top Six Find A Land Consultant Profiles article for tips on how to improve yours.

3. Continuing Education

There’s always something new to learn, and sometimes it costs nothing! ALCs and RLI Members get exclusive discounted member rates on classes and even get a few free webinars each year.

Now is the perfect time to check out our course schedule, since we just finished up an education update to make the courses even better. The content in all of our classes has been updated to provide you with the most relevant industry trends and best practices. The format of the classes has also been updated to enhance engagement with both the content and other students. You can view all of our upcoming classes here.

4. Attend the Annual National Land Conference (NLC)

This is a great event to see and be seen. RLI Members and ALCs get discounted member rate registrations. Plus, you can be sure to get an even deeper discount on the networking event of the year with early bird registration rates by registering before December. And if you are a new member of RLI*, you’ll automatically get an additional 25% off registration. How does attending NLC help your brand?

“Anything you do to develop yourself professionally is an opportunity for you to demonstrate to landowners, lenders, attorneys and others with whom we all share the agribusiness space, that you embrace the notion of lifelong learning within your craft,” says Allison Worrell of Worrell Land Services, LLC.

5. Keep Us In The Loop!

We love promoting members who have won an award or gotten an article published. Contact us at rli@realtors.org so we can extend the reach of your industry success.

Now that you know how to make the most out of your RLI Membership and ALC, see how RLI promotes its members.

*Reminder: RLI Members and ALCs – please be sure to use the logo in accordance with the RLI Visual Standards Manual.

About the Author: Laura Barker is a freelance writer based out of California for the REALTORS® Land Institute. She has been with RLI since October 2017.