Last week, the leadership from local and state associations gathered in Chicago for our annual Leadership Summit. The highlight was hearing 2009 NAR President Charles McMillan unveil his theme for next year, “United Toward Tomorrow.”
There is no doubt that these are challenging times for our industry, but also it is an exciting time for us, as leaders, at NAR. As REALTORS, we are known for our independence There is no time when it is shows more dramatically than when we serve our members in a leadership role.
The Summit had the largest attendance ever with more than 1,400 attendees. Our leaders are so energized to learn what tools that NAR offer its members to help them compete in a challenging market.
The path that we have chosen as REALTORS is not always easy. But we must always remember that unlike any other profession we have the unique opportunity to open the door to the American Dream of homeownership. We understand that homeownership offers untold benefits for families and our communities.
As we learned from Charles, we also understand that to stay viable and successful as an association we must be “United Toward Tomorrow.” — Vicki Cox Golder, 2008 NAR First Vice President
Last week, the Leadership Team traveled to Texas for our monthly meeting, and we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend some time with the extraordinary Ebby Halliday. In fact, Ebby, along with her assistant Betty Turner, and her partner Mary Frances Burleson, as well as several other members of the MetroTex Association of REALTORS® and the Texas Association of REALTORS®, joined us for dinner one evening, and I just have to share what Ebby said to the group.
First, Ebby welcomed everyone to Texas and mentioned that she was sorry about the 100 degree-plus weather. Certainly, the venue – Nick & Sam’s Restaurant – made up for it because it was dark and cold. (You can always count on Ebby to give it to you straight.)
Ebby also commended the Leadership Team on their good work in making REALTORS® jobs easier, especially in these trying times nationwide.
But it was the topic of her longevity that really brought us all to life. Ebby told the story of one of her agents calling her for assistance in getting a one-time showing of a property in Highland Park. Ebby made the call, and the housekeeper answered and said, “The lady of the house isn’t in, could she return your call?” Ebby said, “Yes, please ask her to call Ebby Halliday at this number.” The housekeeper said, “Who should she ask for?” – to which Ebby said “Ebby Halliday”. The housekeeper replied, “Lord, is she still alive?”
We roared with laughter. Those of you who experienced my interview with Ebby at our Midyear Legislative Meetings in Washington, D.C., will remember that Ebby’s sense of humor and positive outlook are just two of the many things that make her so special.
She also has a great knack for making us feel special, too. In fact, the Dallas Business Journal recently interviewed Ebby and asked, “What was the single most defining moment in your career?” she answered: “Perhaps the most defining moment of my long career was recently being flown to Washington, D.C., to act as honorary chairwoman for a two-day celebration of the 100th birthday of the National Association of Realtors®.”
Ebby said that we couldn’t have picked a better President for our Centennial Year. As flattering as that is, I know that Ebby Halliday could run circles around me any day. There is NO ONE who could serve as chair of our Centennial. Thank you, Ebby, for being an inspiration to us all. – Dick Gaylord, 2008 NAR President
It’s been a while since my last update on the Inman Conference, but I assure that you we are really pushing hard to tackle some tough issues before the end of the year.
In fact, I recently appointed a new Presidential Advisory Group to consider how we can raise the professional standards for membership in NAR. NAR Past President Richard Mendenhall – a dear friend and one of the most well respected members of our organization – is leading this effort. The group will hold their first meeting in September, and will report their recommendations back to the leadership later this year.
We’ve heard a lot from you on this topic during the past couple of years. In fact, it’s one of the most often discussed topics of concern when we travel to state and local associations. I want you to know that we are working on it, and we will update you on the group’s efforts. In the meantime, I invite you to share your thoughts – What do you think the standards for NAR membership should be? – Dick Gaylord, 2008 NAR President
Last week, the Washington Post ran an exceptional article that explains why the Case-Shiller index, which gets a lot of media attention for its predictions of a housing collapse, is not a reliable measure of the market.
The piece is a summary of a research study by three very highly regarded academics ( Charles W. Calomiris is the Henry Kaufman professor of financial institutions at Columbia University; Stanley D. Longhofer directs the Center for Real Estate at Wichita State University’s business school; and William Miles is an associate professor of economics and Barton fellow at Wichita State). You’ll find an abstract of their research here.
Please pass this along to your fellow REALTORS. We need more news coverage like this! — Dick Gaylord, 2008 NAR President
I received “word” today that my blog for this month is late. Despite what the messenger thinks, I actually enjoy writing…..being late doesn’t mean I’m not having fun. It just means (hopefully) that I’m busy.
In fact, I’ve traveled to Washington, D.C., three times in the last 45 days or so to work on health care legislation – specifically, the SHOP Act and the CHOICE Act. While these two pieces of legislation do different things, they actually complement each other and show that NAR is sensitive to the various needs and problems members like you encounter. Testifying before Congress is a great experience. And, I have found that the Members of Congress I have had interaction with truly understand our concerns and want to work with us to resolve them – which brings me to the real purpose of my blog today…
As most of you know by now, Congress passed, and President Bush signed, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. Many Realtors® (and others) have told us that we (tax-payers) shouldn’t help bail out those who willingly spent beyond their means. While I agree with many of the thoughts that have been forwarded to NAR, I also feel very strongly that we need to do SOMETHING that will get America’s real estate market, and thus the overall economy, back on track.
Recently, NAR President Dick Gaylord wrote a note to a member who was unhappy with the Association’s position regarding the Housing and Economic Recovery Bill. He explained that, as volunteers, we are trying to do the “right thing” for our members and for real estate. Resolving the current issues in our markets is difficult and time consuming for everyone. Frankly, only time will tell if the provisions in this bill will help and, if so, how well.
The important thing is not whether we agree with EVERY aspect of the bill, but that, while others stood on the sidelines and wondered WHAT to do, REALTORS took action. I think we all can agree that real estate is the lynchpin for our nation’s economy. We took a stab at fixing a problem for the benefit of our members and for our country, and we can be proud to say that NAR is working to keep our economy and our businesses strong and growing.
On that note, I encourage everyone to enjoy the rest of the Summer, while Congress is on recess. Soon, those of us in the northeast will be showing properties in the snow!! — Jim Helsel, 2008 NAR Treasurer
