Why AIA due does not include FREE AIA documents subscription?
I am a licensed architect and a licensed real estate broker in California, and also an AIA member and a NAR member (National Association of Realtors) so I can compare the professional organization of these two trades.
The due for my NAR membership and CAR (California Association of Realtors) and my local MLS board (Multiple Listing Service) are paid together, pretty much like the AIA due structure of National, State and Local Chapter. However, my NAR/CAR membership include an incredible benefit: FREE and unlimited use of the Zip form, the electronic documents for EVETRY form you need in a real estate transaction. This benefit alone is worth about $1000, and worthy of the annual dues that I pay for. Besides that, we still have many other benefits, like free phone consultation to CAR board attorney, etc.
My question is: Why AIA due does not include FREE AIA documents subscription?
If AIA can do that, our profession will be much stronger because many more licensed architect will use the AIA FORMS, and I bet the AIA membership increase greatly. That is just my suggestion, I hope someone in AIA is listening.
Had a jaundice eye on the AIA my whole career, but whenever I got squirrelly I always reverted to my Practice Manuals and when I did that things always seemed to run smoother.
The Documents represent a major source of revenue for the Institute. Losing Documents revenue coming from Members would mean that revenue would need to be made up elsewhere -- like in dues, which many Members already think are too high.
As it is, Members receive a discount on the purchase of Documents -- in my area it's about a 20% discount compared to non-Member prices.
Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Architectural Service at ArchiteG, Inc.
Top Contributor
There are two way to make money, charge a higher fee, and sell your products or service to fewer people., or charge a lower fee and sell it to more people. I believe you make much more money using the 2nd method. Why doesn't AIA give it a try for several years? I bet AIA memberships will greatly increase, and the increase member number will more than cover the "loss" for giving out AIA doc for free.
I have personal very good experience by doing similar things: I gave out free review copies for my LEED Exam books and ARE Exam books every now and then. It seems like I will lose money by giving out free eBook, but in fact, every time I gave out free copies, my other book sales surge because the traffic to my website increase greatly, and many people who got the free eBooks from me will end up buying many other books from me later years down the road because they now know about my books and have tried it out. It is against your instinct, but giving is more rewarding, not just in spiritual sense, but actually make financial sense.
By giving out the AIA docs for “FREE” to AIA members, you actually will substantially increase the market share for AIA membership and AIA docs, many people will join AIA and will tend to use AIA forms, and will even try out some not so popular AIA forms, that itself is a great FREE marketing for AIA and AIA docs.
It take a vision to do great things, and I hope AIA has this vision. At least do some experiments, and give it a try.
Gang Chen, Author, AIA, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
See detailed discussions at the AIA Linkedin group too:
^Gang, I'm skeptical of that suggestion. The number of architects who practice independently and are not already members of the AIA is probably not very large.
There are contractors and other design professionals who might use AIA standard documents, but they are unlikely to join the AIA as associate members just because they got the docs free. I'm pretty sure most architects have already heard of the AIA, so this kind of publicity promotion isn't really valuable.
I don't understand the hostility occasionally voiced towards the AIA (not by you Gang). It's totally voluntary - no one needs to join the AIA to be licensed or practice architecture or do anything else at all.
It's mostly (for me) a way to connect with other architects in the city and see what they do and talk about work, and sometimes promote good design. It provides access to some helpful tools, but nothing I couldn't work without. Mostly it's a club for people who like nice architecture and want to have fun trying to promote it. If that's not for you, fine. There are other professional architects' organizations if you want an alternative.
Dec 10, 14 3:38 am ·
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Why AIA due does not include FREE AIA documents subscription?
Why AIA due does not include FREE AIA documents subscription?
I am a licensed architect and a licensed real estate broker in California, and also an AIA member and a NAR member (National Association of Realtors) so I can compare the professional organization of these two trades.
The due for my NAR membership and CAR (California Association of Realtors) and my local MLS board (Multiple Listing Service) are paid together, pretty much like the AIA due structure of National, State and Local Chapter. However, my NAR/CAR membership include an incredible benefit: FREE and unlimited use of the Zip form, the electronic documents for EVETRY form you need in a real estate transaction. This benefit alone is worth about $1000, and worthy of the annual dues that I pay for. Besides that, we still have many other benefits, like free phone consultation to CAR board attorney, etc.
My question is: Why AIA due does not include FREE AIA documents subscription?
If AIA can do that, our profession will be much stronger because many more licensed architect will use the AIA FORMS, and I bet the AIA membership increase greatly. That is just my suggestion, I hope someone in AIA is listening.
From The Greatest Lies Ever Told:
I'm from the AIA and we're here to help you.
Two numbers:
AIA National Membership - approximately 83,000
National Association of Realtors Membership - approximately 1.042 million
tldr: Lawyers cost money.
Had a jaundice eye on the AIA my whole career, but whenever I got squirrelly I always reverted to my Practice Manuals and when I did that things always seemed to run smoother.
The Documents represent a major source of revenue for the Institute. Losing Documents revenue coming from Members would mean that revenue would need to be made up elsewhere -- like in dues, which many Members already think are too high.
As it is, Members receive a discount on the purchase of Documents -- in my area it's about a 20% discount compared to non-Member prices.
Gang Chen
Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Architectural Service at ArchiteG, Inc.
Top Contributor
There are two way to make money, charge a higher fee, and sell your products or service to fewer people., or charge a lower fee and sell it to more people. I believe you make much more money using the 2nd method. Why doesn't AIA give it a try for several years? I bet AIA memberships will greatly increase, and the increase member number will more than cover the "loss" for giving out AIA doc for free.
I have personal very good experience by doing similar things: I gave out free review copies for my LEED Exam books and ARE Exam books every now and then. It seems like I will lose money by giving out free eBook, but in fact, every time I gave out free copies, my other book sales surge because the traffic to my website increase greatly, and many people who got the free eBooks from me will end up buying many other books from me later years down the road because they now know about my books and have tried it out. It is against your instinct, but giving is more rewarding, not just in spiritual sense, but actually make financial sense.
By giving out the AIA docs for “FREE” to AIA members, you actually will substantially increase the market share for AIA membership and AIA docs, many people will join AIA and will tend to use AIA forms, and will even try out some not so popular AIA forms, that itself is a great FREE marketing for AIA and AIA docs.
It take a vision to do great things, and I hope AIA has this vision. At least do some experiments, and give it a try.
Gang Chen, Author, AIA, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
See detailed discussions at the AIA Linkedin group too:
https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=113822&type=member&item=5947210289249267715&trk=groups_search_item_list-0-b-ttl
^Gang, I'm skeptical of that suggestion. The number of architects who practice independently and are not already members of the AIA is probably not very large.
There are contractors and other design professionals who might use AIA standard documents, but they are unlikely to join the AIA as associate members just because they got the docs free. I'm pretty sure most architects have already heard of the AIA, so this kind of publicity promotion isn't really valuable.
I don't understand the hostility occasionally voiced towards the AIA (not by you Gang). It's totally voluntary - no one needs to join the AIA to be licensed or practice architecture or do anything else at all.
It's mostly (for me) a way to connect with other architects in the city and see what they do and talk about work, and sometimes promote good design. It provides access to some helpful tools, but nothing I couldn't work without. Mostly it's a club for people who like nice architecture and want to have fun trying to promote it. If that's not for you, fine. There are other professional architects' organizations if you want an alternative.
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