When a real estate agent joins their local association they are also joining the state and national associations. This is called the three-way agreement. Your local association collects dues for all three organizations; only a portion of the dues you pay stays locally, the remainder is sent to the state and national associations. The local association also tracks your education and code of ethics requirement, reporting your code of ethics to the national association. There is no means to join just the local, or just the state*, or just the national, the three are bound together.