Experience the information, the atmosphere, and the spirit of the 2006 REALTORS Conference & Expo. The NARdi Gras Live blog will keep REALTORS®, REALTOR® association executives, real estate brokers, and others informed about the events and the learnings from NAR’s 2006 annual conference, one of the largest in the U.S.
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I have lived away since 2001, but was born and raised 30 years in the New Orleans area and have plenty of family I visit here several times a year. Being here with NAR has been extremely bittersweet for me.
Part of it has been very good: It’s literally awesome that tens of thousands of real estate professionals have committed themselves to attending this event in this city, and equally amazing how many have gotten down into the dirt to help improve New Orleans.
When I participated in a Habitat build early in the week, I was struck by the number of volunteers in our group and that so many already knew something about putting up siding from other Habitat projects they’d done.
No one allowed themselves time for self-congratulation, jumping instead immediately to work, seemingly racing to accomplish as much as they could before we broke for lunch and the dedication/key presentation at a neighboring house.
Continue reading "A local point of view" »
At NARdi Gras, just like Mardi Gras, it’s easy to get sidetracked by trinkets, but don’t mistake them for the real treasures this experience has to offer.
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.
Continue reading "On treasures and trinkets" »
A conference of any sort is a great time to catch up with others in the industry you haven't seen in a while. Trying to locate the person you want to see once you're in town, your best tools are e-mail and your cell phone. These days, they are integrated on the same device. It's very painful, though, if you lose that device.
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.
I was in line the other day in the conference registration area at the Morial Convention Center, and bumped into a REALTOR® who was wearing at least 12 different beads around her neck. Indeed, as Cindy Butts noted in an earlier entry, the bead swap is in full swing.
But who has the best beads? I have several personal favorites so far: I love Florida's, with the hanging license plate and the medallions that have pictures of things Florida is famous for....including one that simply says "Moe," as in Moe Veissi, chair of NAR's Strategic Planning Committee and a former Regional Vice President. The Texas beads, with their flags and hats and boots, are another standout, as are Georgia's with the peaches, and Hawaii's with the flowered tee-shirt hanging off it.
But so far, I think the hands-down winner is that of one of the RVP classes. They are heavy, gold- and silver-colored, hand-tied, and sport a medallion that is half sun and half moon, with one small crescent moon complementing the medallion up the bead string on either side.
Which are YOUR favorite beads so far? Let me and others knows with a comment on this blog post.
 How often do you see a few dozen REALTORS® in fabulous finery doing a conga line across a ballroom and up across a stage....over and over and over again....to the toe-tapping tunes of the Drifters, performing live on said stage? In my 17 years with NAR, I can't remember a moment quite like it. And this is just one of the many memorable images I took away from Thursday night's Inaugural Ball, where Pat V. Combs took the oath of office as NAR's 2007 president. Her term officially starts on Monday, November 13.
To be sure, many of the 1,500 folks at the ball had a ball, especially Pat, who looked relaxed and resplendent in a coral satin gown and spoke eloquently about her road to the NAR presidency, her love for her profession, her REALTOR® family, and her own family, recently expanded by her marriage to Guy Combs in April of this year.
This year's inaugural drew a record attendance of 1,500, which explains why there was no room for a dance floor, despite the great music just made for dancing. No wonder there was a conga line!
On Thursday, November 9, I had the privilege of joining 51 other volunteers--mostly REALTORS®--in restoring the Popp's Fountain section of New Orleans' City Park. This effort was one of the "Rebuild New Orleans" volunteer activities that NAR organized for conference attendees.
I've worked on many volunteer teams, but this one stood apart by its extraordinary collective work ethic. These REALTORS® worked tirelessly for hours in the hot sun--dismantling dead trees, clearing thick brush that rose well above their heads, and dragging the debris, ant-like, to a pile 100 yards away.
Conversations over lunch revealed that this kind of effort is typical for REALTORS®. Improving properties is a major part of what REALTORS® do, and that's always hard work. The same can be said for going the extra mile to help someone. One Ohio REALTOR® shared that he actually helps 75 percent of his clients move into their new homes.
Creative problem-solving was another trait that characterized this group. Someone discovered a pile of ragged tarps, which we immediately employed as sleds to haul huge amounts of debris. And while there was discussion of how much more we might have done with heavier equipment or more tools, the attitude remained strictly positive. I heard more than one REALTOR® say, "We'll do the best with the tools we have."
That cooperative spirit enabled us to do an incredible amount of work in the short time we had together. Not once during the day did I see any pretension or self-congratulation, just hard-working people doing what they do and leaving a place in better shape than they found it.
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NARdi Gras Live
Experience the information, the atmosphere, and the spirit of the 2006 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.
The NARdi Gras Live blog will keep REALTORS®, REALTOR® association executives, real estate brokers, and others informed about the events and the learnings from NAR’s 2006 annual conference, one of the largest in the U.S.
As the nation’s largest trade association, representing its 1.3 million members, the National Association of REALTORS® is the collective force influencing and shaping the real estate industry, and is the leading advocate of the right to own, use, and transfer real property.
The blog will feature contributions from NAR editors and the staff of the Center for REALTOR® Technology, as well as selected association executives and leaders. REALTORS® are invited to post their comments on any post. To see the blog in action, stop by the bloggers' lounge on the 3rd floor of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Wednesday, November 8 through Monday, November 13.

This blog is provided by the National Association of REALTORS® to provide members and others with information about NAR's annual conference.
NAR disclaims responsibility for any of the content or opinions expressed on this blog, including, but not limited to content or opinions regarding any products or service mentioned on the blog.
NAR disclaims liability for any damages or losses, direct or indirect, that may result from use of or reliance on information contained in the blog.
This blog may contain links to other Web sites operated by third parties. These links are provided as a convenience to access the information contained therein. NAR has not reviewed all of the information on other sites and disclaims any responsibility for the content of any other sites or the products or services that may be offered on or through those sites. Inclusion of a link to another site does not indicated any endorsement or approval of the site or its content.
NAR reserves the right to edit, remove or deny access to individuals or content that it determines to be unacceptable, including, but not limited to, any abusive, profane, rude, defamatory, or anonymous comments.
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