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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:
Continue reading "Short Sales Solutions for REALTORS®" »
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!
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.
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.
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.
Continue reading "NAR Welcomes New Global Partners" »
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.
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.
Continue reading "10 Tips to Help AEs Get Through Tough Times" »
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.
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.
Continue reading "Diversity in Education" »
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.
Continue reading "Your World – One Click Away" »
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.
Continue reading "The Obama Administration: Policies and People (Including You)" »
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.
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
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.
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