In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, we're posting comments from our readers on what they're thankful for. Today's entry is from Gail Pullan of Altanta.

I am thankful for being a REALTOR®. This profession allows me to help my fellow Americans achieve that great dream, home ownership!

Posted on November 24 at 05:19 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (3)

by Hilary Marsh, Managing Director, REALTOR.org

I am thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in helping REALTORS be successful in what they do by understanding and using the resources their national association provides for them.

I'm thankful for my exceptionally intelligent and hardworking team, for my large network of fabulous colleagues, and for the warm and engaged communities of REALTORS and REALTOR association executives I have met online and in person.

I'm thankful for my managers, who help me grow professionally every day.

I'm thankful for my son and daughter, who are blossoming into wonderful young adults.

And I'm thankful for my sweetie, who has welcomed me into a new family with open arms.

Posted on November 24 at 05:17 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

By Robert Freedman, senior editor

Where are home sales heading? Who's buying today? Why are home prices struggling to find a floor?

We talked to NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun a couple of weeks ago in a video-taped session to get his views on what's happening in the market. His take? Thanks to increased affordability, buyers are returning in big numbers in markets that have seen the most dramatic decline in prices. But we won't see a market turnaround on a national basis in the short term without a boost to demand, he says, and that's going to take some serious public intervention such as an interest-rate buy down.

Take a couple of minutes to watch NAR's chief economist share his views on our new Web video platform called REALTOR® TV. Starting with this first interview we'll be bringing you these video-taped economic updates on a regular basis.

Posted on November 24 at 10:54 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Wendy Cole, Senior Editor

Are your Thanksgiving cards to past clients in the mail?
Uh, what?
At a Thursday seminar called "What to do NOW . . ." for salespeople with innovative Chicago brokerage @properties, more than 100 practitioners sat with blank stares when company performance coach Rich Rogala asked if they'd mailed notes of gratitude to people who have ever given them business. "We have a holiday specifically designed for giving thanks," said Rogala. "Why don't you thank your clients?"
He promised to make templates of Thanksgiving notes available for anyone who needed them, but just tossing out the proposition to the room crowded with slightly maudlin salespeople triggered nods of appreciation from those seemingly starved for ideas about how to spend their work time productively. It's an emotional and relational business, after all.

Is anyone else planning to send out gratitude cards? If not, why not?

Posted on November 20 at 03:47 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

by Hilary Marsh, Managing Director, REALTOR.org

Last week's request on Twitter, a "micro-blogging" tool that limits entries to 140 characters, drew more responses from REALTORS® and others about what they are thankful for:

"Thanks to all the Realtors today who are adapting to the brave new world of real estate by helping their customers & clients navigate change." -- Emily Medvec

"I am thankful for all of our great clients who have helped us to have an amazing year in real estate in Metro Detroit." -- Maureen Francis

"I am thankful for all the wonderful people, clients and colleagues & business partners, who have come in to my life as a realtor-Fantastic!" -- Pam Buda

"Thankful for the opportunity to have everyday be different and to work with many great people, both clients and industry related." -- Tim McDonald

"I am thankful for loyal and patient clients and all my friends in the social networks." -- Joe Spake

"I am thankful 4my amazing brokers who make me feel like I'm top in sales whether I'm selling cribs or stuck home w/kids!" -- Cin Langston

"I am thankful for my friends and my family. They just keep supporting me through every up and down in this market." -- Cat Zwicker Grant

"While I am not a Realtor, I am thankful for the resilience of Realtors in the face of adversity - and their willingness to try new things :)" -- Chris de Jong, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Posted on November 18 at 05:00 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Marilyn Urso, CRB, CRS®

The Green Movement started back in the 1960s and ’70s when most of us were not particularly conscious of the environment and how quickly we were destroying it. Today, everything is green — or trying to be — from cleaning products to building products to cars. So it's no surprise that more and more consumers are looking to have healthier homes and save money on their utility bills. At least that's what I'm seeing in my market — how about you?

At the REALTORS® Conference in Orlando, Fla., this month, I was lucky enough to be in the first class of students for the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ new green designation. There were 236 people taking the class, if that's any indication of the level of interest. It was two days filled with environmental and energy-saving concepts, ideas, and information that we can use to help our customers and clients in the buying and selling process.

There’s no particular green demographic; it spans all generations and cultures. As REALTORS®, it is not our job to be the green experts, but we do need to have the knowledge and the team of experts to help consumers get the answers they need regarding all aspects green. So I encourage you to start building that team—the home inspectors and energy audit professionals, the organic landscapers and interior designers, and the banks that can provide green loans, just to name a few.

At REALTOR® magazine online and REALTOR.org, you can search “green” or “smart growth” for a lot of ideas on how to go green in your real estate practice. You’re bound to become greener in the process—and, from there, you can determine whether NAR's new green designation is right for you.

Marilyn Urso is broker-owner of Long Island Village Realty Inc. in Syosset, N.Y. She is the GEO (Green Executive Officer), handling the marketing, technology, and green education for her office. Thanks to Marilyn’s efforts, Long Island Village Realty, Inc won the EPA/EnergyStar 2008 Small Business Award for its energy efficient operation. She has been a REALTOR® for more than 15 years. In addition to the designations above, she has earned the e-PRO certification and GRI, PMN and SRES designations. She’s a graduate of Douglass College.

Posted on November 18 at 12:08 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

by Hilary Marsh, Managing Director, REALTOR.org

Grrr...misinformation is so hard to erase! The RE.net has been in an uproar all day after a FSBO site issued a news release filled with false info about REALTOR.com.

Move.com, which operates REALTOR.com on behalf of the National Association of Realtors, has demanded a retraction of the release, and NAR is doing everything we can to counteract this with the facts. I'd love it if everyone reading this blog helps us spread the truth by re-blogging, tweeting, etc.

Contrary to what the ForSaleByOwner.com news release says....

1) They are NOT in a partnership with REALTOR.com
2) The settlement between NAR and the DOJ did NOT force REALTOR.com to accept FSBO property listings
3) Properties from sellers not represented by Realtors will NOT appear on REALTOR.com
4) MLSs still get to decide which listings to distribute to REALTOR.com

As Michael Wurzer explained on the Flex MLS blog, "So, this is just another version of a limited service listing, not some revolution in policy regarding FSBOs."

Also, as Laurie Janik, NAR's general counsel, told VAR Buzz,

"Please reassure your members that there are no unlisted properties on Realtor.com.

"We still cannot figure out the basis for the outrageous claims being made by ForSaleByOwner.com in this press release. No relationship exists between that entity and Realtor.com. Listings displayed on Realtor.com continue to be provided by the MLSs, and contrary to the headline, there is NO “agent free access to Realtor.com.”

Read NAR's official news brief on REALTOR.org.

Posted on November 13 at 08:15 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (19)

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, we're posting comments from our readers on what they're thankful for. Today's entry is from Jim Coleman of St. George, Utah.

The expression of thanks, the process and experience of giving thanks, and the reflection of Thanksgiving are matters very personal and unique. They are in direct relation to the life experiences one has enjoyed or suffered. I am thankful for the great blessings given me to be in this great land of freedom and abundance. I am thankful I have had the opportunity to fail and to grow; to deal with adversity and become strong; to excel and realize the thrill of high achievement; to enjoy the peace of happy relationships with family, loved ones and associates.

I am thankful for the great individuals who have given me opportunity and helped me to gain vision and strive for accomplishment through service to others and realizing personal development in the process. Above all, I acknowledge and give thanks to the Lord who has given me all I have and who has made it possible to progress due to His great gift to all mankind.

Truly, Thanksgiving is a time not only to reflect upon the goodness of life and enumerate acts of kindness and inventory blessings too numerous to count, but also make personal acknowledgement and give heart-felt thanks while thinking of those less fortunate and striving to help them gain a measure of peace and greater prosperity. I am a very fortunate man.

Jim Coleman, ABR, ABRM, CRS, GRI, e-PRO, SRES, and REALTOR® of 34 years

Posted on November 13 at 12:48 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (3)

by Hilary Marsh, Managing Director, REALTOR.org

I put out a request on Twitter, a "micro-blogging" tool that limits entries to 140 characters, and heard from several REALTORS® about what they are thankful for:

Here's what I'm thankful for, Hilary: "Honoring our Veterans"

--Matt Case

I'm thankful for such a great band of RE.net friends and the fun times we have when we actually see each other live in person

--Matt Fagioli

I am thankful to be in a business where success or failure depends almost completely on my actions and ability!

--Jay Thompson

actually having clients. :)

--Shanna Lafontaine

Posted on November 11 at 03:56 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

By Laura Melcher

Attendees at NAR's 2008 Conference & Expo "Short Sales Solutions" session busily scribbled notes throughout the 90-minutes talk led by the husband-and-wife team of Michael and Stacy Spickes.

Through their company, America’s Home Rescue in Austin, Texas, Michael and Stacy have spent the last four years facilitating short sales, and they have offered more than 200 short sales training sessions for companies, brokerages and REALTOR® associations, with a goal of reducing foreclosure rates across the nation.

The session highlighted five keys to closing short sales, as follows:

1. Knowing the correct steps in the process, depending on the type of loan. (The order of steps is also different depending on the loan type.)

2. Knowing what different lenders require in a short sale package, and submitting the required documents quickly.

3. Knowing what lenders’ bottom-line net percentage is for a short sale.

4. Knowing what banks will or will not approve in the buyer’s purchase offer.

5. Forming good relationships with loss mitigation reps at banks, in order to facilitate short sales approvals.

The Spickes team offered an extremely informative session, packed with information (slides are available their Web site). They emphasized that short sales are a win for everyone – sellers, banks and buyers – and that getting the education necessary to effectively manage a short sale is the key.

Posted on November 10 at 01:29 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

By Stacey Moncrieff, Editor-in-Chief

Charles McMillan of Fort Worth, Texas, had his inaugural ball and swearing in ceremony Thursday night, though he officially takes the gavel as president of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® at tomorrow's Board of Directors meeting.

I've known Charles a long time, and I've always felt a special bond with him because we I share a birthday. So I may be a bit biased when I say I'm excited about Charles' presidency. I've had the pleasure of working with the past several years' presidents on their REALTOR® magazine columns; each brought something special to his or her time in office. Charles is a man who knows first hand what it's like to experience lean years, so he'll be an inspirational leader to those who are suffering today. He'll also be an eloquent and forceful advocate for REALTORS® as they work with Congress to help revive the housing and finance markets.

I managed to make it to the inaugural just before dessert was served (what timing!), and I got to see Charles' moving and intensely personal speech. One of our editors, Melissa Tracey, caught some highlights of the inaugural, including a few moments of the speech, on her Flip camera. Enjoy!

Posted on November 9 at 10:49 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

We asked REALTORS® attending the REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Orlando to tell us how their market had changed over the past year. The interviewer, whom you never see on camera, is senior editor Wendy Cole.

Posted on November 9 at 09:34 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Jennifer Cavendish, REALTOR.org Staff

Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, gave Saturday morning session goers a taste of his approach to thriving in the current world of work. The best strategy in a world of abundance, he stressed, is to give people what they didn't know they were missing. He cited the introduction of Apple's iPod on October 23, 2001, six weeks to the day after 9/11, as the prime example of marketing success in a period of crisis and apprehension.

In today's real estate industry, Pink pointed out that clients are doing the routine work - the preparation, the online searches, etc. He suggested that REALTORS® should, in addition to their expertise, concentrate on the nuances - the neighborhoods, the people, the uniqueness and stories of the area - to add real value to the transaction.

Pink went on to describe his six key concepts to thinking about business today in a whole new way, with a whole new mind. His concentration is on the right side, the creative and artistic side, of the brain.

Design - Everything is design, from user design to purchasing design, and it's simply solving problems in elegant ways. He encouraged REALTORS® to become design thinkers by paying real attention to examples of bad and good design in the things we do and use every day. Then apply that to how we design our day to day business and the real estate transaction. Pink stressed that this is a fundamental literacy in business today.

Story - Connect with people through our story and theirs. We live in a world of ubiquitous facts, so use our unique perspective and experience to put facts in context and relate them in impactful ways. This makes story a differentiator in our work.

Empathy - Take someone else's perspective. Purposefully walk in a client's shoes and talk to them in their language, not yours.

Play - It's not only about enjoyment. Don't forget to let yourself and others have fun.

Symphony - This goes beyond focus. Take a step back, see what's missing, and be the one to add it.

Meaning - Finally, it's not just about accumulation. We live in a world of abundance where, Pink pointed out (to uproarious laughter), houses are bigger and yet there's a $2.6 billion business built on storing all of our extra stuff. Don't just accumulate, but accumulate what matters.

Liberating your right brain abilities and unleashing the creative, according to Pink, is what makes business much more interesting. And it's also what can make REALTORS® today even more successful.

Interested in more information? I was! I went straight to the conference bookstore and bought his book. Visit DanPink.com.

Posted on November 9 at 08:59 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Maura York
In a ceremony filled with international goodwill and optimism for the future, 2008 NAR President Dick Gaylord signed Bilateral Agreements to establish official relationships with six new partners at the International Operations Committee meeting on Saturday.

NAR's six newest partners are real estate organizations in Belgium, Belize, Peru, Taipei, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Delegates from each partner organization were seated at special tables and posed for photographs with President Gaylord after they signed the documents. The delegates then each made official statements expressing their gratitude and hope for their new alliance with NAR, and graciously presented gifts from their corners of the world.

The at-capacity ballroom, dressed with flags from around the world, buzzed with the excited chatter of an audience of international attendees, including more than a dozen members of the Vietnamese delegation.

Posted on November 9 at 08:22 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Laura Melcher, REALTOR.org Staff

Olympic gold-medal-winning beach volleyball stars Kerri Walsh (left) and Misty May-Treanor lit up NAR's booth at the 2008 REALTORS® Conference and Expo in Orlando on Saturday, signing autographs and posing for photos with their fans. Many more waited in line for a chance to meet the players and took photos from afar.

Other booth attractions include NAR’s Government Affairs team; the "Drive-in" Theater with informative 20-minute presentations; information on the REALTOR Benefits® Program; a sale of up to 25% on select garments at the REALTOR Team Store®; and road-tests of NAR resources: Information Central, REALTORS® Commercial Alliance, NAR Leadership Academy and REALTOR® University.

Posted on November 8 at 01:02 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Maura York, REALTOR.org Staff

At the Association Executives Forum on Friday, the message from an AE with three decades of experience was clear: Be a part of change, not a victim of change.

Christine Todd, RCE, CAE, from the Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS® outlined10 tips for navigating the current market environment:

1) Put yourself in your members' shoes. You know how the current challenges have affected you and your work, but expand your perception to see how what your members are going through, too. Keep their situation in mind when you are dealing with them or making decisions that will have an impact on them.

2) If they behave badly, don't take it personally. Your members are working harder than ever these days, and stress and overwork can make people short-tempered and aggressive. Do the best job you can and, if that isn't enough, know that it probably isn't you, but them.

3) Avoid negative talk and negative people. It's easy to get caught up in everything that's going wrong -- especially when everybody's doing it -- but wallowing is rarely productive. Instead, encourage those around you to work with you toward solutions, or work on them by yourself.

4) Never forget you are the cheerleader for your association. Take every opportunity you can to get out the good word on REALTORS® -- from arranging for your association to sponsor community events to talking up your members to your neighbors and family at social gatherings.

5) Reevaluate your budget and attempt to renegotiate everything. Take a fresh look at your association's expenditures against the reality of its needs -- chances are there are areas that could be better aligned. Cancel services you don't need and ask your vendors if better prices or terms are available for products that you do.

6) Cut your budget before your members do. Being proactive in this area will likely prove a win-win for your members and you: they will see that you are looking out for their best interest and will benefit from your expertise, and you will have more say in changes that will affect you.

7) Be honest with your staff. Even if the message can't be exactly what everyone wants to hear, they'd probably rather hear it and be able start processing what it might truly mean. And sharing with them may elicit ideas and solutions you may not have thought of alone.

8) Take care of yourself. You spend a lot of time thinking about your members and staff and taking care of their needs, but you have to make and take time for you. Whether it is a brief respite of quiet time or an exercise regime that lets you burn off energy, do something for yourself.

9) Don't be afraid of a merger. Joining forces with another association (or multiple associations) may result in a loss of operating control and personnel, but it may not -- it may even yield more power and resources that your association can't provide on its own.

10) Remember this, too, shall pass. It's important to be prepared to deal with unfortunate circumstances, but it's even more vital to keep perspective and to not overreact.

Posted on November 8 at 06:51 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Jennifer Cavendish, REALTOR.org Staff

One of the conference hotels this week is the Peabody Orlando, home to some famous residents. As attendees were leaving this year's 59 1/2 Minutes on Thursday, they were treated to the 5 p.m. daily ritual of the March of the Peabody Orlando Ducks. Each morning at 11 a.m., five charming mallards ride the elevator down to the lobby from their penthouse and waddle down the hotel's red carpet to the lobby fountain, where they spend their day. At 5 p.m., their march is performed in reverse - back down the red carpet and up the elevator to their penthouse for the evening. They draw quite a crowd for their marches and, after having a sandwich by the fountain today, I can confirm that they are well behaved and lively lunch companions. They do splash about, as ducks are wont to do, so mind the possibly wet floor.

You can get the whole story on the ducks here.

Posted on November 7 at 05:17 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Jennifer Cavendish, REALTOR.org Staff

REALTORS® get questions about schools and districts every day. How do you move beyond test scores and ratings that don't tell the whole story? How do you market homes in diverse communities, and those with diverse public schools, appropriately and effectively, and promote diversity in your own community? Friday morning’s 2008 Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity Forum entitled “Schools and Housing Choices: Is Steering Rooted in School Performance?” featured two speakers well-versed in educational diversity.

Taki Sidley is a teacher at T.C. Williams High School, of “Remember the Titans” fame, in Alexandria, Virginia. The school is known for its diverse student body. Today, the school boats students from 80 different countries, speaking 60 different languages. Mr. Sidley instructs on journalism, photography, and documentary studies.
His students value and promote their diversity. They have produced a photo essay book and video, “We Are the Titans: A Profile of Diversity at One American High School”, which includes student profiles and housing experiences of individual students. It addresses how students’ housing and family situations impact their education, opportunities, and choices.

Sibley stressed that his students have a broad, sophisticated concept of diversity, one based on a combination of factors well beyond race, and that it is deeply rooted in personal experience – that which makes us each unique.

William Tobin is a professor of sociology at Duke University. He outlined his proposal on how colleges and universities can promote K-12 diversity through their admissions processes. His initiative states that undergraduate applicants should be considered in part based on their ability to compete and achieve in a truly diverse K-12 environment. Tobin believes that such students have, through their experience, developed an understanding of inclusive education and that they are a valuable asset to colleges and universities.

According to Tobin and Duke University research, students achieve, compete, and cooperate in diverse, inclusive environments. Students use the term “lean in” to describe their approach to challenges. He points out that nearly all college mission statements address diversity, and that it truly advances the public good.

Tobin closed by stressing the importance of thinking in new, voluntary ways about the issues of diversity in education, without relying on government intervention. Building diverse, cooperative environments at the high school level leads to real success at the college level, and strengthens communities in the process.

Many attendees added their comments and thoughts to the discussion. Highlights included REALTORS® seeking out the good things that their local schools are doing, from local students’ perspective. REALTORS® are in a unique position to get students and their parents involved in “selling” their own communities and schools to buyers coming into the area. Another in attendance pointed out that REALTORS® are public-policy minded by nature, and are often active in their communities. This presents a great opportunity to be involved in educational dialogue. REALTORS® also have a unique way of looking at public policy issues. They live in a community, sell in a community, and help build and strengthen communities through their profession.

Lots to think about after this session!

Posted on November 7 at 04:56 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Laura Melcher, REALTOR.org Staff

Friday’s Member Services Information Forum (“Your World – One Click Away”) at the 2008 REALTORS® Conference and Expo was chock-full of information to help REALTOR® members understand and use social media.

The session began with a Second Life presentation featuring a virtual Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, providing an update on market conditions. According to Yun, we are “near the bottom” of the market, and the stabilization of the economy overall is dependent on the housing market’s recovery.

The session continued with Maggie Morris of Sellstate Achievers Realty Net (Fort Meyers, FL) presenting a number of options for REALTORS® looking to find a niche in the world of social media. Morris defines social media as “online communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the activities and interests of others."

Morris recommends the following sites:

Second Life – Founded in 2003, Second Life is a virtual reality online environment that now boasts more than 15 million user accounts.

Facebook – Launched in 2004, Facebook provides social networks across geographies, industries, workplaces and schools. More than 110 million people use Facebook worldwide.

Twitter – A “microblogging” service, Twitter allows users to send short (140-character maximum) messages to groups via computer or cell phone. More than 3 million users have registered Twitter accounts.

Linked In – A networking site with more than 30 million users, Linked In is favored by those who are looking to interact with a slightly more established and professional clientele.

Plaxo – This social networking site was originally designed as an online address book and has expanded to a social network with more than 20 million reported users.

Morris's recommended up-and-coming social networking/information services include the following:

MyDealBook.com – A networking site intended to help real estate professionals find clients and collaborate on deals.

The Real Estate Wiki – An online, user-maintained encyclopedia of real estate information.

Zolve – This smaller network was founded to help real estate professionals connect with others who have similar business interests.

Wanna Network – A free site created by a Las Vegas real estate agent.

Wes Atiyeh of Long & Foster REALTORS® in Richmond, Virginia, then spoke the group about a few other sites, including ActiveRain, a blog network, Ning, a social network, WordPress.com and Typepad.com (blog tools), Real Estate Tomato, VARbuzz (a Virginia Association site), and Commoncraft.com, which features tips and how-to videos about using online network features.

Atiyeh mentioned numerous reasons for REALTORS® to get in the business of blogging, including getting a message in front of prospective clients and partners, creating a conversation, boosting search engine rankings, collecting customer feedback, and creating a record of your communications.

To close out the session, J. Lennox Scott of John L. Scott Real Estate in Bellevue, WA discussed ways in which REALTORS® should engage clients in the current market. He emphasized the importance of helping buyers see these as times to both sell at the current market price and buy at current price. For example, Scott said, when the market value of the majority of homes is less than $450,000, or within conforming loan limits, “We should be writing about this stuff and creating buyer demand in today’s market - because we have the inventory.”

He encouraged attendees to visit his Web site, johnlscott.com, to experience functionality that will engage prospective clients. His site is undoubtedly a success, with a reported one million user visits each month and 1,000 user inquiries. Out of every 100 inquiries on his site, Scott said, 3.7 were converted into a sale. “The Internet is just a relationship tool,” he noted. “Real-time is the only time.”

Posted on November 7 at 04:20 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Amy Konstas, REALTOR.org Staff

Did you know that as we begin the transition to a new presidential administration, there's a role for REALTORS® to play? Over 3,000 federal appointment positions will be filled in the Obama administration, and given the current housing and economic environment, those with knowledge of real estate will be in demand, this according to three experts on presidential transitions.

Dr. Paul Light, Professor of Public Service at New York University; Howard Glaser, of the Glaser Group and a veteran of the Clinton administration; and, David Horne, Chief of Staff at Housing and Urban Development shared their insights on what to expect from an Obama administration and emphasized the importance of getting involved at today’s Regulatory Issues Forum: Transition to a New Administration.

The burden of two wars, rising unemployment, and a deep financial crisis will make this transition “the most difficult since Abraham Lincoln,” said Light, so the challenge for Obama will be to focus on a few top priorities. One of them will undoubtedly be implementing the economic stimulus package passed last month. But the others are still a question mark waiting to be answered and could center on issues such as energy or Medicare. “Next year we are not going to have a ‘New Deal’ or a ‘Great Society,’” predicted Light. Still, he remains hopeful about the future. "Obama will be a bridge builder. He will be brokering and finding solutions between parties.” Light wrapped up with this reminder to members: “You have access to key members of Congress. Why shouldn’t you engage and seek appointments? REALTORS® must get engaged.”

Glaser outlined the dynamics that Obama inherits and emphasized that “regardless of who won the White House, both would be reacting similarly because of the external environment.” A push for more regulation, a turbocharged Democratic Congress, and Republican anger at Wall Street will ultimately determine how much Obama will be able to do in office. Mortgage broker reform, predatory lending practices, and the cycle of foreclosures are some of the issues he must address to get the private market working again.

Finally, David Horne highlighted several key housing and financing issues to watch for:
• Will Congress release $450 billion as the second part of TARP?
• A foreclosure mitigation effort
• A shift in regulation to reflect the changing regulatory environment
• How will GSEs be revamped?
• Consumer protection

“Regulation will be the primary tool for the next administration,” predicted Light.

For more information on federal appointments, take a look at the "Plum Book," the basic reference for discovering federal appointment opportunities. NAR can also help identify relevant positions and offer insight on seeking and being in a federal appointment. At NAR, you may contact Bill Gilmartin or Joe Ventrone.

Posted on November 7 at 03:32 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

REALTORS® attending the NAR Conference & Expo in Orlando were eager to share their thoughts about what President-elect Barack Obama should do to help the real estate industry and the economy.

Posted on November 7 at 09:30 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

By Wendy Cole, Senior Editor

ORLANDO—Less than 48 hours after Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, NAR leaders expressed confidence that the ascent of the junior Illinois senator to the White House would bode well for REALTORS®.

At Thursday’s Member and Director Update at the Peabody Hotel, Chief Lobbyist Jerry Giovaniello noted that Obama has long been an advocate for property tax and fought predatory lending. Obama also supported the NAR-backed economic stimulus plan, which boosted loan limits in high-cost areas.

As much opening-day pep rally for the 2008 REALTORS® Conference & Expo as it was an informational forum, the high-toned gathering also offered a sneak preview of the association’s first-ever foray into the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day.

The Centennial Float features a colorful tree house theme, inspired by the shipwrecked Swiss Family Robinson. Members saw artistic renderings of the float and heard the specially-commissioned tune that will play on the floral-festooned float during the parade.

The presentation was a powerful reminder that homeownership is far more than a financial transaction: It’s also deeply emotional. Cue the music.

Posted on November 6 at 07:34 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

There are so many things I am grateful for, but this election, think what you want to think about politics, this election for me means so much so much more than politics, we will always have the political machine with us and get things done in spite of it.

This morning, reading USA today, looking at the pictures on the front page of these young beautiful smiling faces celebrating Barack- I just started crying, here at the Westin, getting ready for the shuttle to register for the convention. I cried and I remembered being very young and asking my mom why Rosa Parks had to sit in the back of the bus, and why there were separate drinking fountains down south, and my mom said, its not right, it has never been right, and throughout history there has been prejudice against many races and religions. I remember watching Martin Luther King on TV and thinking how handsome, and what a great speaker he was, so in control and such good manners, I know I wished so much that things would change at that moment in time.

I am grateful that I live in this Great Country, One Nation, One Nation Under God, God, who I think Toni Morrison said, is the color of water, and I believe is bigger than our smallness and loves all of us. I am grateful that Martin Luther King's life was not in vain, and I felt that wish of a little girl in Simsbury Connecticut in 1963 came true today.

--Jodi Tussing, Director of Career Development, CENTURY 21 Access America, Connecticut

Posted on November 6 at 05:48 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Jennifer Cavendish and Amy Konstas

The 2008 NAR Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL, kicked off this afternoon with lively and informative discussion at 59 1/2 Minutes: A Member and Director Forum.

Ron Phipps, candidate for 2009 NAR First Vice President, sat down with Jerry Giovaniello, NAR Chief Lobbyist, and Gary Clayton, President of the Illinois Association of REALTORS®, to find out what Tuesday's presidental and congressional elections mean for REALTORS®. In a "Meet the Press"-inspired format, entitled "Meet the President," they offered assessments on the Obama presidency, relief on the mortgage and housing front, pushing through important economic stimulus legislation, and more.

Who is Obama? Clayton and Giovaniello described him as observant, reflective, disarming and cautious. "He's fun, friendly, and no pushover. He's very, very bright," says Clayton. Regarding real estate, Obama has talked about the importance of tightening mortgage broker licensing and revamping and strengthening Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He also supported the $700 billion economic stimulus package passed in October.

The credit crisis is still the nation's number one issue. NAR has established a call for action in support of its Four-Point Housing Stimulus Plan.

2008 NAR President-Elect Charles McMillan faciliatated a discussion on what NAR is doing to help REALTORS® in tough times, and highlighted Six Super Resources available to NAR members. Participants were NAR senior vice presidents Lawrence Yun of Research; Janet Branton, Association Executives, Leadership Development and Business Specialties; and Bob Goldberg of Marketing and Business Development.

Lawrence Yun reported on the current economy, stating that there has recently been a 20 percent improvement in affordability. "The economy won't recover unless the housing market recovers," he added.

Janet Branton emphasized that when business is slow, REALTORS® go back to school. NAR offers the new Green designation, and courses on short sales and foreclosures, partnering on real estate auctions, and risk reductions for international transactions, among others. Branton states that it's a great time to shore up your business by sharpening your skills.

Bob Goldberg stated that the REALTORS® Commercial Alliance and CCIM are offering the Intro to Commercial Real Estate course at a reduced price, for those who want to explore the commercial market. Other ways that NAR is positioned to help REALTORS save money in a tough economy is through offers from the REALTOR Benefits® Program and the new FHA Toolkit, which demystifies FHA loans and is available at realtor.org/fhatoolkit.

In summation, the Six Super Resources will help REALTORS® stay competitive in a tough market. They are:

1. Daily economic commentaries from NAR research
2. Economic reports from 150 markets
3. Green designation
4. Partnering with Real Estate Auctions course
5. CCIM Course
6. REALTOR Benefits® Program discounts

Even more resources can be found at realtor.org/NARHelpsYou.

Attendees were then rewarded with a preview of the music and float design for NAR's 2009 Tournament of Roses parade. Composer Charlie Fox created the original song to accompany the "Swiss Family Robinson"-themed float. What a great way to cap off NAR's centennial year!

Photo by Maura York

Posted on November 6 at 04:41 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

I am grateful to be on the right side of the ground, and all my parts work.

I am grateful to be at the NAR conference, surrounded by old friends and meeting new friends.

I am grateful to have a wonderful network of women and men who support and guide me, many relationships forged through my Realtor volunteerism at Women's Council of Realtors.

I am grateful that both of my parents are alive and well.

I am grateful that I have a roof over my head and food to eat.

I am grateful that my family taught me good values (IMHO!) and gave me a good education.

I am grateful for the numerous opportunities I receive every day, to serve in my industry, to help other Realtors, and consumers.

I am grateful to the children with whom I spend my volunteer time: my little sister, Rocio, and my 'boys' who read with me in the JCC Literacy Program-Omar and Donovan. They all bring me such joy!

I am grateful for the fellowship of Rotary.

--Judy Moses, President, Pathway Home Realty Group, Newton Centre, Mass.

Posted on November 5 at 10:30 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, we're posting comments from our readers on what they're thankful for. Today's entry is from Annie Becker:

I'm thankful for buyers, some of whom I've worked with for years, who are as loyal to me as I am to them. Many of them are now realizing that the time has come to get a great deal. It feels like a great gift when they get back in touch and I realize that they've been unsure about when and what to buy, but certain that they would call me when the time came.

Here's the original post.

Posted on November 5 at 02:03 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Stacey Moncrieff, Editor in Chief

“We’re in a good place.” That’s how 2009 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® President Charles McMillan characterized the 2008 federal election results to the magazine’s senior editor Robert Freedman.

McMillan spoke to Rob when the election of Sen. Barack Obama as president of the United States and gains by Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate were all but certain. REALTORS®, he said, "stand ready to work with our new president and the new Congress on issues that are at the heart of the American dream of homeownership.” Those issues include the availability of affordable mortgage financing and affordable health insurance.

Lest anyone think the R in REALTOR® also stands for Republican—a phrase I’ve heard occasionally in my years with NAR—McMillan and other NAR leaders put that notion to rest. “There is no partisan divide when it comes to homeownership, strong communities, affordable health insurance, and strong commercial real estate markets,” McMillan said.

NAR provided election support through the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) to more than 400 congressional candidates, with Democrats getting a slight edge in support, reflecting the larger number of Democrats in the outgoing 110th Congress. “Ours is the most bipartisan PAC in the country,” RPAC Chair Larry Edwards told Rob. (The association doesn’t take sides in presidential races.)

Among the NAR-backed victors Tuesday was Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Capito has advocated for NAR-backed small business health insurance coverage and helped pass FHA reform, the first-time homebuyer tax credit, and expansion of homeownership opportunities for U.S. veterans.

In Pennsylvania, Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.) pulled off a surprising victory over Republican challenger Lou Barletta, the mayor of Hazleton, Pa. Polls had predicted a loss for Kanjorski, but at 11:15 p.m. EST with 86 percent of precincts reporting, the Associated Press declared him the winner. Kanjorski has been an ally of REALTORS® in the fight to keep large national banks out of real estate, authoring the original “Community Choice in Real Estate” bill.

Not all NAR candidates fared so well. Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.), a veteran lawmaker on the House Financial Services Committee, lost a hard-fought campaign. Shays helped pass housing stimulus legislation this year and has been a steady supporter of NAR-backed legislation to keep banks out of real estate. He was defeated by Democrat Jim Himes, a former Goldman Sachs vice president who went on to become an executive with Enterprise Community Partners, a leader in affordable housing and community development.

Robert Freedman also contributed to this blog post. His full election story will appear in today’s REALTOR magazine online news.

Posted on November 5 at 01:05 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, we'll be posting comments from our readers on what they're thankful for. Our first entry is from Kevin Sandridge:

On the business side - I'm thankful that I never got wrapped up in trying to "woo" Realtors by stopping by with Krispy Kremes and Fruit Baskets. Instead, I connect with them on a professional level by providing marketing support and service up front - thus earning their business later on.

On a personal note: I'm thankful for my amazing girlfriend, Justine, our two wonder-dogs Buddy and Charlie, and of course, my family.

Happy Thanksgiving - and Bah Humbug to all stores who play Christmas Music before Nov. 28th!

Posted on November 4 at 10:54 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Stacey Moncrieff, Editor in Chief

I'll soon be on a 1:15 flight bound for Orlando to attend the REALTORS Conference & Expo. This conference marks my 20th anniversary with the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. I attended my first conference, during my second week of work here, in San Francisco in 1988. I've seen down markets, but never in my 20 years have I seen an economy quite like this one. We've received many letters from REALTORS expressing a wish that the magazine and NAR could do more to help them through this difficult time.

Although the official conference theme is "Destination Success," a lot of our readers are focusing now on "Destination Survival." And I think survival and turnaround will certainly be the focus this year, not only in the education sessions but also on the trade show floor, where REALTORS will be asked to sign a model house that asks Congress to pass a housing stimulus package. Plans are to ship the house back to Washington, D.C., and put it on display.

Watch for updates here at the "Speaking of Real Estate" blog, where REALTOR magazine editors and REALTOR.org staff will be bringing you news and tips from the conference education sessions.

Posted on November 4 at 10:34 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

By Stacey Moncrieff, Editor in Chief

This is the time of year when we get the chance to take stock of—and give thanks for—what we have. So as Thanksgiving approaches, REALTOR Magazine and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Publications staff would like to take a breather from all the economic uncertainly and hear from you about what you’re thankful for this year. Please take a few moments to enter your comments, name, city, and state. During the rest of November, we hope to surface a new “I’m thankful for . . .” post each day.

I’ll start: I’m thankful for the wonderful relationships I’ve built with REALTORS® and NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® staff over the course of my career here. I’m grateful for the health of my husband and three children, and for the great joy they bring me. And I’m grateful for the wise guidance and love I’ve received throughout my life from my parents and my older brother and sister. Being the baby of the family has its advantages!

Posted on November 3 at 01:15 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (3)