What will technology hold for the future in real estate? A panel of tech experts on Thursday during NAR’s Midyear meetings gave predictions of what they think the next five years will hold for technology in the industry. Tools that allow you to deliver information and communicate with customers in real-time will be the driving force behind advances in technology, the panel said.

Read what the panel had to say: 5 Technology Predictions for Real Estate

Do you agree? What are some of your technology predictions?

Posted on May 16 at 05:24 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

NAR President-elect Charles McMillan encouraged young professionals to take an active role in in the industry, as he addressed the YPN’s newly formed Advisory Board during the Midyear meetings this week. McMillan responded to board members questions about how young professionals can get involved within the industry and informed them about some of NAR’s key initiatives.

Check out McMillan’s blog entry on NAR’s Voices of Real Estate about his talk with the board and his advice to young real estate professionals throughout the industry.

The meeting marked the YPN Advisory Board’s first meeting, which also included brainstorming sessions on YPN future events, increasing membership, and providing more resources to its members.

The YPN Advisory Board is featured in the photo above with McMillan (from left to right: Alexander Chaparro, James Nellis, YPN chair Heidi Fore, NAR President-elect Charles McMillan, Shannon Williams King, Kenny Parcell, and Ian Phipps).

Posted on May 16 at 05:22 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

YPN's "Happy Hour on the Hill" connected about 100 young real estate professionals at a networking event on Tuesday that coincided with NAR's Midyear meetings. REALTORS met at Lounge 201 on Capitol Hill for an evening of exchanging business cards and making new contacts in the business. The event, hosted by REALTOR magazine, was sponsored by NAR's Community Outreach and Government Affairs, HomeSteps, and the Center for REALTOR Technology.

Check out our vlog from those who attended:

Posted on May 16 at 04:10 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

The Young Professionals Network has arrived at NAR's Midyear Meetings. Today, in a standing-room-only session, several YPN Advisory board members spoke on a panel about “Marketing Strategies That Work,” and offered up some of their best marketing ideas.

The Gen Y and X panel looked at how to tailor your marketing to different generations and cultures, and gave some ideas for the best technology tools to help you do it.

Here are some of their ideas:

• Host education seminars to reach out to different generations. Baby boomers are preparing for retirement, downsizing homes, and interested in second-home investments, so they'll be interested in seminars on self-directed IRAs and second-home buying, suggested YPN panelist Shannon Williams King, ABR, GRI, of TriBella Realty in Austin, Texas. The Gen X crowd may be more interested in seminars on buying their first home. King suggested holding seminars for lifestyle-conscious Gen Xers at a boutique or unique restaurant.

• Become a niche practitioner. Target a certain industry and make yourself an expert and important resource to that industry. King has established herself as a practitioner catering to dentists. She's learned about the business of running dental practices and and when new dentists move to her city or to a new office in her market, they know to call her. She also hosts relocation seminars at cities throughout her state, targeting graduate programs of dentists and doctors who might be interested in relocating to her market, Austin, Texas.

• Establish yourself as an expert. Baby boomers value education, so you can show yourself as an expert by getting a REALTOR® designation (CRS®, ABR®, GRI, etc.), King said.

• Expand your network with social networking. Reach out to Gen Y by tapping social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.). Make managing all of your social networking sites easier by partnering up with someone else in your office – or your

  Continue reading "Young Pros Make Big Splash at NAR Meetings" »

  Posted on May 13 at 10:17 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

NAR's Diversity Area has a variety of best-practice programs, tools, and education that put REALTOR associations and their members in the best position to effectively reach out to consumers of all cultural backgrounds.

From grant seed money, to practical programmatic examples from a variety of associations, to fostering leadership of young, diverse members, NAR's Diversity area is committed to the needs of the REALTORS serving emerging markets. For more information on what's available, visit the NAR Diversity Web site at REALTOR.org/diversity.

And if you are in town for next week's NAR's 2008 Midyear Governance Meeting, come meet with us at our booth on the tradeshow floor in NAR's REALTOR PAVILLION, space #1707.

NAR Diversity is also a sponsor of the YPN "Happy Hour on the Hill" networking event on May 13. You'll be able to learn more more about how they can help you in your business at the YPN event.

Due to overwhelming response, RSVPs for YPN's "Happy Hour on the Hill" are now once again being accepted. RSVP by this Friday.

Posted on May 8 at 10:34 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)