NARdi Gras Live blog for the 2006 REALTORS Conference & Expo

At Saturday night's REALTOR® Magazine Good Neighbor Awards reception, special honors were given to five exceptional REALTORS® who have made tremendous difference in the lives of people and communities. Also acknowledged were the award winners from the program's seven-year history and the REALTORS® who received honorable mentions.

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.

Posted by Hilary Marsh on November 12 at 02:46 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

The New Orleans Times-Picayune has published some fantastic stories about REALTORS® and NARdi Gras this week. It's especially good to see all the stories about REALTORS® volunteering in recovery efforts, including a piece in today's paper, 75 Volunteers Help Finish 5 Renovations.

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.

Posted by Deborah Aker on November 12 at 12:01 PM | Permanent Link

If you've been reading this blog -- or any of the others on REALTOR.org -- you probably know something about blogging. Have you thought about starting your own blog? Why should you -- and how complicated is blogging?

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.

Continue reading "You've read the blog. Are you ready to start your own?" »

Posted by Deborah Aker on November 12 at 08:02 AM | Permanent Link

What happens if you ask a demographer, a sociologist, and a performer to talk about how a unique culture survives after disaster? The speakers at Friday's Equal Opportunity - Cultural Diversity Forum discussed what binds diverse people and communities together and what will enable New Orleans and its people to survive after last year's hurricanes. Each chose different facts and vastly different ways of telling the story. All came to the same conclusion: New Orleans and its people are survivors.

Continue reading "Survival of the city" »

Posted by Deborah Aker on November 11 at 08:43 AM | Permanent Link

REALTOR® bloggers and others are invited to visit the Bloggers' Lounge in the Newberry Room on the 3rd floor of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. The room features soft leather couches, free wireless Internet access, snacks -- and blogging lessons from experts in NAR's Center for REALTOR® Technology. Bring your laptop and sit a spell, or just stop by between 9 am. and 8 p.m. through Monday, November 13!

Posted by Hilary Marsh on November 11 at 08:04 AM | Permanent Link

What would you do if you had three minutes to network? Talk fast! That's what a group of REALTORS® did Friday evening during REALTOR® Magazine's first Young Professionals Network event. The cocktail reception, sponsored by REBAC, the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council, was an opportunity for young NAR members to get to know each other and to learn more about their professional association.

The most talked-about part of the invitation-only reception was a speed-networking game. Each participant sat across from another REALTOR®, each pair had three minutes to get to know each other before a bell sounded and the moderator, my colleague, REALTOR® Magazine senior editor Chuck Paustian, prompted the players to change seats and meet someone new. Anyone who was tongue-tied by the pressure to be social on cue had a safety net: They could draw an index card with a prewritten question to start the conversation flowing.

Missed this year's event? Don't worry, REALTOR® Magazine is doing it again next year. And the magazine is still accepting applications for its annual "30 Under 30" feature. The deadline is January 16th.

Posted by Christina Hoffmann on November 10 at 08:53 PM | Permanent Link

The Morial Convention Center lobby emptied suddenly on Friday, November 10 at 5:00 p.m. when the doors opened to the REALTORS® Expo. REALTORS® were eager to browse booths displaying technology products and services, business builders, professional development opportunities, financial products, relocation and referral services, and much more. And of course, they were eager for the great deals, fun giveaways, terrific prizes, and free samples that many exhibitors provide to expo attendees.

The expo is packed with information, with more than 600 exhibitors and thousands of products on display. It's lively and

And the best news of all is that the expo is open until Monday at 2:00 p.m.

Posted by Hilary Marsh on November 10 at 07:46 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

The television news magazine 60 Minutes is reportedly filming "background" scenes at the National Association of REALTORS® annual conference for a possible story on NAR and organized real estate. What do you think the odds are that it'll be a positive piece, given the increase in negative media coverage in the last year about issues of competitiveness in the real estate industry? Have you spotted the CBS camera crew in action? Tell us about it here!

Posted by Pamela Geurds Kabati on November 10 at 07:08 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (2)

Hi y'all!

The blog for the 2006 REALTORS Conference & Expo is now live. We hope you'll check back often to get the latest information about the insightful committee meetings and forums, informative educational sessions, fascinating stories from conference attendees, and the great experiences in New Orleans itself.

Stay tuned!

Posted by Hilary Marsh on November 1 at 10:32 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (3)