The housing market slump has begun to whittle away at the number of Realtors in metro Atlanta.

And as their membership dwindles, local boards of Realtors are feeling the pinch.

Atlanta Board of Realtors President Scott Simpson said membership in his organization has dropped about 8 percent from March 2007.

And the loss of revenue from dues has forced the organization to cut its spending.

"Everybody's watching their budgets right now," Simpson said.

Among other things, the Atlanta board severed its contract with local lobbyist Patrick Dennis, who has been working with the organization about five years. Simpson said the group also employs a staff member who shares the lobbying responsibilities.

But Dennis said the change could disrupt important continuity in the Realtors' position with policymakers.

"Relationships with officials take years to cultivate. They know your integrity. They know your passion," Dennis said. "I hate to see that momentum lost."

Atlanta is not the only local board tightening its belt.

"The Atlanta board mirrors what's happening in other local boards as well as other cities across the country," Simpson said.

Ann Raymer, executive vice president of the Metro South Association of Realtors in Morrow, said her organization has not yet made targeted cuts, but membership has dropped from about 2,500 at the end of November to about 1,900.

"We're trying to pay close attention to our budget and be frugal," Raymer said.

Membership typically drops in the early part of the year and swells again as the peak spring and summer selling seasons progress, she added.

The National Association of Realtors is reporting a 5 percent drop in membership from 1.32 million in February 2007, to 1.25 million in February 2008.

Market fluctuations are inevitable in real estate, Raymer said, and down cycles always separate the professionals from the opportunists.

"People who are in real estate for the long-term will hang in there," Raymer said. "The ones who are just dabbling will fall by the wayside."