After years of operating separately toward a shared purpose, we’re excited to announce an important development: The Boards of Directors of both MAR and SPAAR have unanimously voted to recommend a merger of the two associations.
An all-member e-vote will give members the opportunity to vote on the proposed merger. We’ll notify you when the e-vote opens with details on how to participate. The original effective merger date of January 1, 2027, remains our goal.
Bringing together the best of both
In recent years, we’ve grown an increasingly collaborative relationship with SPAAR. Our boards’ shared focus on what is truly best for our members has led to this bold step. We believe this is a unique time and opportunity to create one association that maximizes our different strengths and unique histories to carry the mission even further for our collective members.
FAQ
Why are MAR and SPAAR Boards recommending a merger?
This may come as a surprise to some members, especially those who have long believed our two organizations were “too different” to ever come together.
The reality is that MAR and SPAAR have spent years working more closely together on behalf of members, brokers, and the industry. Along the way, we discovered that we are more alike than different, and most of our challenges, opportunities, and goals are shared.
After several months of discussion and evaluation, both organizations’ leadership teams came to believe this is a unique time and opportunity to create one association that maximizes our different strengths and histories while carrying the Realtor® mission even further for our collective members.
This proposal is not about replacing each association’s legacy. Rather, it is about honoring the work that brought us here while creating something strong enough to serve future generations of Realtors® better than either association could individually.
Is something wrong with either association?
No.
One of the reasons this conversation became possible is because both organizations are coming to the table from positions of strength and with a growth mindset. We are not pursuing this merger because either association is struggling financially or operationally.
Instead, leadership believes this is an opportunity to be proactive about the future and double down on things that are unique, including complementary strengths to provide even better value for all in our region.
Why now?
Many of the things that affect our members today no longer stop at association boundaries.
Agents increasingly work across the metro. Brokers operate across multiple markets. Advocacy issues often require regional collaboration. Technology investments continue to become more important and more expensive.
At the same time, MAR and SPAAR have built a high level of trust through years of working together. Leadership believes that foundation creates an opportunity that may not always exist.
Simply put, the timing feels right to explore what we can accomplish together.
What does this mean for members?
The board believes members stand to benefit from:
- A simpler, more consistent experience across the Twin Cities and greater surrounding area.
- A stronger and more coordinated advocacy presence.
- Broader networking opportunities and professional relationships.
- Access to more tools, resources, education, and programming.
- Greater organizational capacity to invest in future member value.
Most importantly, we believe members should spend less time navigating organizational differences and more time serving clients and growing their businesses.
- Remove friction for brokers and agents associated with transfers, differing processes and policies, and unified engagement for our members.
- Integrate operations for maximum reach and impact across membership services, education, events, technology platforms, and staff resources.
- Establish a strengthened regional advocacy presence in all 17 counties with extensive focus on both metro and rural dynamics for greater impact.
- Unify the MLS shareholder voice as the MLS evolves to ensure the benefit of the tool continues for our membership and the public.
- Enhance member value by leveraging unique strengths of both orgs while managing costs more efficiently to benefit our members.
- Better position for organizational sustainability to weather volatility as our industry evolves, and to bring a unified viewpoint to support our brokers who work across a broad geographic region.
Will the new association be a non-profit?
Both MAR and SPAAR are incorporated and registered as Minnesota non-profit corporations. Likewise, both organizations exist to serve Realtor® members and utilize the revenue that they generate to invest in member programs and services to support their members real estate businesses. The combined entity would also be a non-profit corporation and would file for tax exempt status under 501(c)(6) of the IRS Code.
What about the MAR and SPAAR buildings?
Are we losing our own unique MAR or SPAAR culture?
We understand this concern because many of us have asked the same question ourselves.
Both organizations have proud histories, existing for more than 100 years, and have built strong cultures that have also evolved over that period. It’s undeniable that there are unique aspects to those cultures and identities; however, it’s increasingly apparent through our collaboration that there are many more things that unite us than separate us. Generations of leaders who helped build these cultures provided us an opportunity to bring the best of both together and breathe that into the newly imagined entity, setting us up for even greater success for our members.
This proposal is not about replacing each association’s legacy. Rather, it is about honoring the work that brought us here while creating something stronger together to serve future generations of Realtors® better than either association could do individually.
Couldn't the organizations simply continue partnering?
That’s a fair question.
In many ways, we already do. The two associations have partnered on advocacy efforts, lockbox programs, MLS initiatives, broker outreach, leadership programs, and numerous industry issues over the years.
As leadership continued working together, we found ourselves asking whether members would be better served if we moved beyond coordination and built one organization designed to tackle these challenges together from the start. It’s also been clear that partnership relies heavily on a huge time investment of those in board and staff leadership. This is time that could be invested in more meaningful member engagement rather than administrative coordination. In addition, we know this close partnership has not always existed, and it is largely because of the alignment and willing mindsets of our leaders and, without a merger, there is no guarantee that will continue as leaders move on and new leaders join.
Who will be leading the new organization?
There will be a transitional Board for the first year of the merger led by 2026 MAR President-Elect Geoffrey Bray, who will be supported by Gabe Walsh (current SPAAR CEO). Officers of the board would be a mix of current MAR and SPAAR Board leaders.
What does this mean for our relationship with the State and National associations, and other locals across the state?
We believe strongly in the value of the three-way agreement and belonging to a local, state, and national association. We will continue to forge a strong partnership with the state association, and the state will continue to be the connector for all of us in Minnesota.
And just as MAR and SPAAR did individually and jointly, we will continue to work alongside other locals to benefit our broader community of Realtors®®.
Is this about saving money?
Cost efficiencies are certainly one benefit, but they are not the only reason leadership is recommending this merger.
The larger opportunity is creating greater member value that is sustainable in an ever-changing business environment. Our focus has been on how we can strengthen advocacy, deepen member relationships, expand programming, invest in better tools and technology, and create an organization with the scale to remain relevant and impactful for years to come.
Will dues increase?
While we can’t set pricing for the merged company unless and until the merger closes, we believe that natural scaling and reducing duplication of efforts will enable us to provide increasingly competitive pricing that will benefit both our members and thereby the consumers they serve.
We also know there will be synergies as well as redundancies to work through, which will create greater efficiency in the long term than either organization can achieve alone.
What are the risks?
We would not be transparent if we said there were none.
Throughout this process, leadership discussed concerns including:
- Cultural integration.
- Preserving a sense of belonging for members.
- Governance changes.
- Integrating technology and membership systems and processes.
These are real considerations and, if approved, we are confident in our ability to mitigate risks through careful planning, ongoing listening, and transparent communication and roll-out. Our recommendation reflects the belief that long-term opportunities outweigh the challenges. While challenges may exist, we are confident we will work through them effectively.
Has the decision already been made?
No. The merger itself will only move forward if members approve it through the voting process, achieving a simple majority of those who participate. All members have the opportunity to vote.
The SPAAR and MAR boards have formally and officially recommended a merger as the best path forward for our memberships.
The next phase is about listening, sharing information, and answering questions. Keep an eye out for opportunities to attend broker and agent town halls about this potential merging of associations.
We fully expect members to have questions, concerns, and differing opinions. In fact, many of those same questions were raised by leaders throughout this process.
What are my opportunities to share feedback and learn more?
We had many townhalls in August & September, and while we are no longer hosting those standing meetings, if you lead an office and would like us to attend or joint virtually to present, please send any requests to me****@*********or.com, and our leadership team will be in touch. Similarly, you may also email questions or concerns to that email and we will reach out. The most important way to ensure your voice is heard is through participating in the Realtor® member vote.
How and when do I vote on the merger?
The MAR and SPAAR Boards have unanimously voted to recommend a merger. All members will be notified when the e-vote opens and provided with information about how to participate. Any active Realtor®® member in good standing is eligible to vote.
We have partnered with ElectionBuddy to administer the election. You’ll receive your ballot by email and SMS text message when voting opens. Add in*********@****************dy.com to your contact list to prevent the email from being identified as spam.
What would you say to members who are skeptical?
First, we understand.
This is a significant decision involving organizations that have served Realtors® for generations. Healthy skepticism is appropriate.
We would simply ask members to keep an open mind, attend a listening session, ask questions, and evaluate the recommendation through the lens of where our industry is heading over the next decade.
Many of us began this process with questions of our own. After months of discussion and due diligence, we came to believe that bringing our organizations together creates a stronger future and more opportunity for our members, our profession and the consumers we serve.
While there is certainly much work ahead, we are excited about the possibilities and grateful for the thoughtful engagement of our members as we consider this important step together.
We welcome conversation with our Board of Directors, who unanimously support this recommendation, as well as our current CEOs Carrie Chang (MAR) or Gabe Walsh (SPAAR).
What type of legal entity would the combined entity be?
Both MAR and SPAAR are incorporated as non-profit corporations in Minnesota; we intend for the joint entity to be the same. Our current tax statuses differ, as SPAAR is tax exempt under 501(c)(6) of the IRS Code, where as MAR is not. As these two strong organizations come together to exist under a single entity, we intend to maintain 501(c)(6) tax exempt status, as we are structuring the transaction accordingly. We will continue to file for such status going forward.
This FAQ was updated on September 22, 2026
What will be the name of the combined entity?
The proposed name of the joint association is Twin Cities Area Realtors® (“TCAR”). One piece of important stakeholder feedback was not to overcomplicate the name. It also became apparent through stakeholder feedback that the name needed to do a few things:
- Accurately reflect the geography being served as best as possible
- Be inclusive of these in the broader metro area beyond Minneapolis and Saint Paul, including members in areas outside the metro being served by the two associations today
- Reflect that this is one of many local associations in our state and bordering areas.
Out of the names we considered, both brands of directors felt this name best accomplished these objectives. The final documents, which will be part of the all-member vote and approval, will reflect this new name.
This FAQ was updated on September 22, 2026
How does the potential merger impact 2027 board and committee recruitment
Right now, MAR & SPAAR have paused recruiting for the board and committees given the governance changes that would take place if the merger were approved. If approved, there will be no new directors appointed for the inaugural year, as the combined 2027 board will be very large as people continue their terms.
For the committees, as member-driven associations, the boards have asked current committee leaders to explore how this merger could look at the committee level and the best way to engage a broader membership with their activities.