NAR has already sent a summary of the major actions out in their INS report, so be sure to read that for a complete report. Three notable things: the new IDX policy detailing when Exclusive Agency listings must be included in data feeds; changes to Standards of Practice in Article 12 related to Internet practices; and the $1M contribution to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in DC. You likely saw the latter on the news as the Memorial was being dedicated at the same time as the Directors meeting was happening.

An AE highlight was watching Louisiana AE Malcolm Young presented with the Magel Award of Excellence. President Tom Stevens noted that Malcolm had members who evacuated Katrina move into his home for 7 weeks; and the months of extraordinary leadership he provided during Relief efforts. Malcolm has also played key roles in ensuring AE professional development programs at NAR.

About New Orleans - The enormity of the gratitude in New Orleans was clear -everywhere in the city and at the hotel THE WORKERS (ranging from the cab drivers to the waitresses to the maids) said thank you for helping them - and they were sincerely customer focused. Those participating in the rebuilding projects or who ventured out into neighborhoods relayed that there is still significant work to be done. Going to New Orleans was the right thing to do.

And finally, on a flight today I sat next to a local AE who has held his position for 31 years. I’ve worked with the REALTOR organization for 23 years and we’d never managed to meet before today. There are such great opportunities to learn from our peers – even if it’s just riding along on a plane.

8,364: The number of hours NAR members had spent in volunteer activities through Saturday, November 11.

15,000: The number of dollars NAR donated to purchase supplies and equipment to help restore City Park. The equipment used during volunteer projects in the park will remain for future upkeep and maintenance.

100: the number of dollars worth of nutritious food provided for every NAR volunteer hour with the Second Harvest Food Bank. Volunteers unloaded goods from trucks, readied the food for sorting, and then sorted the donated items into food groups for distribution.

535: The number of students at De La Salle School who will have a better learning environment thanks to volunteers' efforts in painting areas of the school.

3: The number of months ahead of schedule the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library have moved, due to the contributions of NAR volunteers who sorted donated books for distribution to schools and literacy programs as well as the library's weekly book sale to raise funds to rebuild and expand the library.

20: The number of computers hooked up at the St. Joan of Arc School during a day of activities that also included repainting a map of the United States on the blacktop of the school's courtyard, among many painting projects.

Those are some of the measurable results of volunteer efforts during NARdi Gras. But the overall value can't be quantified. How do you put a value on providing a safe, clean, and healthy learning environment for children in the city's schools? Or restoring parks where people can enjoy the peace and beauty of the area? Or putting displaced people back into houses they can call their own?

There's no way to measure all the contributions and generosity of NAR members who helped in so many ways. A big "thank you" to all who volunteered, from NAR and the people of New Orleans.

NAR reported on the REALTOR® volunteers who dedicated a New Orleans home on Tuesday, November 8, and helped build Habitat homes in the Musicians' Village, a community in the Upper Ninth Ward conceived by New Orleans native musicians Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis for displaced New Orleans musicians and families.

We want to hear about your experiences volunteering during NARdi Gras. Tell us here by responding to this blog entry.

Opened the evening saying he was going to give us a great concert because of the $525,000 donated to homes in the Musicians Village and all that REALTORS® have done for New Orleans. And he did. Absolutely incredible performance - thousands and thousands of screaming REALTORS® (and Association Executives!)

A great deal of the Sunday business meetings, and the Regional Caucuses, mainly include reviews of what happened during meetings on the prior days. And still no beignet - but I know they're out there.

The winners talked about the difference that the $10,000 grant to their charity will make and about what winning the award meant to them. They shared many stories and extended many thanks. I was seated next to Jack Conway, one of this year's Honorable Mentions winners, and his wife, Patti, who shared the story of their involvement with MainSpring Coalition for the Homeless.

What an amazing group of individuals! Their tireless efforts to rally communities, make a lasting impression, and help individuals live better lives is the greatest imaginable source of inspiration.

As great as it is to see this kind of coverage, let's be real. It's not about the recognition, it's about helping communities. REALTORS® seem to thrive on helping others and giving back. Not for recognition, not to build business...but just because they care. This year's Good Neighbor Award winners (and all their predecessors) embody this kind of generosity, but thousands of REALTORS® give to their communities every day with no expectation of anything more than the satisfaction of helping.

My hat is off to all of you.

Comments include: "I came looking for fresh ideas, and I've found them." "I'm here for the networking." "There's a ton of information here." "It was worth the trip."

We'd love to gather more feedback from first-time NAR conference attendees. What was your favorite thing about NARdi Gras? Did you participate in any volunteer activities? Did you get to tour New Orleans? Did you see the Expo? Attend educational sessions? Please share your comments here.

NAR's conferences just get better and better, so start planning for the 2007 Midyear Legislative Meeting and Trade Expo in Washington in May and the next annual conference in Las Vegas in November. See you there!

Celebrity Moment - Went to a tiny corner restaurant for dinner near the convention center, and at one table was both Harry Connick, Jr. and Sr..; another table was Frankie Muniz, the kid who played Malcolm on the TV show “Malcolm in the Middle.” Since all three I had dinner with don’t watch television I had to explain.…

At the Blogs in Real Estate forum sponsored by NAR's Center for REALTOR® Technology, four experts in blogging -- three with extensive real estate experience -- described how blogging can create relationships and online communities that can help REALTORS® develop leads and grow their business. The forum and handout provided all the information needed to get started in blogging.

Posting to a blog is quick, and it's as easy as sending an e-mail message. Blogs can serve the same purpose as newsletters, and then some.

Ready to try blogging? A demo blog is available at www.blogsinrealestate.com. Once you've registered, you can practice blogging. You might want to blog on one of these topics:

- You, your company, and your experience in real estate
- Your experiences at NARdi Gras
- Your impressions of New Orleans

Or visit the Bloggers' Lounge in the Newberry Room on the third floor of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Hopefully you’ve already had a chance to experience the 2006 REALTORS® Expo (or at least read about and see pictures of it in this blog). I had the pleasure of working at the NAR booth on the opening night of the show. The expo floor before the doors open is a backstage frenzy of last-minute freak-outs and fixes that ultimately has to give way to the excitement growing both behind and in front of the curtain.

I was disappointed to hear a couple describe the Expo as “totally disappointing” because they hadn’t scored anything worth saving from the trash bin. When another attendee countered that he’d enjoyed some good sessions at the Expo, the couple conceded that there were indeed GREAT sessions, but the takeaways weren’t as good as they should have been. I say it depends on what you’re looking to take away.

Please remember: the goody bags and free gifts available at most tables in the Expo are only a fraction of what’s good about the event, like the cherry on top of a really good sundae.

To call Barb's presentation dynamic would be an understatement. She spoke with an ardent passion and respect for both buyers and REALTORS® and stressed the importance of staging a home before it is sold.

As Barb would tell you, staging is a few things. It is intelligent merchandising. It is uncovering everything a house has to offer by depersonalizing it. This can mean clearing trees to discover a view the home owners had long forgotten or removing knickknacks from shelves and counters. Last, Barb says that staging is one of only two things that sell houses, the other being price.

She will also tell you what staging is not. It is not spending large amounts of money, and it is not decorating (which is personalizing, and therefore the opposite.)

Over the course of the presentation, Barb gave the audience concrete steps and guidelines to follow when staging a house, as well as helpful sayings, like, "If you can't see it, you can't sell it" and "The way you live in your home and the way you market and sell your house are two completely different things." She positioned REALTORS® as directors who examine and define each room, helping sellers act as producers.

Barb elaborated on the absolute importance of dealing with sellers compassionately. She encouraged REALTORS® not to complain about sellers, but to "understand them before you seek to be understood." She offered insightful ways to bring sellers to a place where they can accept difficult choices--like removing the collection of deer-heads from the living room wall--and emphasized the importance of honesty and respect in all phases of staging.

Near the end of the presentation, the audience was wowed by spectacular before and after photos that showed how radical a change some creative rearranging and painting can produce. Some of these images are visible on Barb's site.

Barb closed on a serious note: More sellers are hiring professional stagers, many of whom hold the staging designation, and many houses are selling based on their work. She encouraged REALTORS® to incorporate staging into their services or at least form referral relationships with stagers, because it is becoming increasingly common and necessary as buyers and sellers grow savvier in the marketplace and demand more from their REALTOR®.

"Don't defend your commission," she concluded. "Be proactive and add more services [like staging]--show people what you're worth, and they won't ever have to question."

Read more about staging a home on REALTOR® Magazine Online.

I dropped my cell phone this morning, and it totally died. The hard part about breaking a phone in New Orleans was trying to get a replacement for it. I had to travel to Harvey to find a T-Mobile store that had a Sidekick in stock. Now I'm back on the cell network and getting phone calls and e-mail. I will admit, though, I had the shakes.

He gave a list of signals REALTORS® should watch for when speaking with a potential buyer. One sign by itself doesn’t necessarily mean danger, but when a person exhibits many of the following traits, you should be careful:

Some signals are obvious enough to recognize over the phone:

- Do they ask personal questions like, “Are you married?”
- Do they specifically ask for a woman REALTOR®?
- Do they comment on the picture on your business card or billboard?
- Do they ask you to meet them at the property? Is it vacant? Do they prefer to meet at night?
- Did they ask about the house or its price?

Beware of questions that have nothing to do with the real estate transaction, and position yourself for your protection. For example, drive separately when you can, and park where the buyer cannot block you in. Many REALTORS® also avoid entering windowless basements, electing to let the potential buyer lead the way through the house, and explore the basement on their own. This empowers buyers and keeps REALTORS® safe.

Jim gave a few demonstrations of how REALTORS® might protect themselves in a dangerous situation using common items. He will give another presentation at the NAR booth (#947) on Monday at 10:30 a.m. devoted entirely to REALTOR® self defense.

And for more tips, resources, and tools about staying safe, visit the REALTOR® Safety Week pages on REALTOR.org.