Annual conventions of professional and trade associations are usually uplifting events – rally gatherings that celebrate the achievements of the past year and pump up the attendees with enthusiasm for the future.   It will be interesting to see if the yearly gathering of the National Association of Realtors, slated to assemble in Las Vegas in mid-November, will find a way to establish an exuberance of optimism among the 20,000+ members and vendors who generally attend the event.  

Such a task will not be easy given the state of the real estate …

Amidst all the furor and negativism surrounding the real estate industry, the mortgage banking business and the nation’s entire financial sector because of the alleged problems confronting the real estate industry, for the National Association of Realtors (and most of its members) there is one quite favorable offshoot. The hubbub about national banks entering the real estate brokerage business has been silenced. Quite obviously, the big boys of the banking industry have had their fill of the real estate profession – at least for the moment.

For real estate agents, it’s hard to overstate the business value of specialization in building a profitable practice. As buyers and sellers become increasingly diverse, being “all things to all people” is no longer a viable strategy – if it ever was.
It’s also hard to overstate the importance of neighborhood factors like local schools in the home buying decision. That’s why it’s surprising that so few agents seem to specialize in local schools. It’s a great potential draw for parents, or anyone who understands the importance of school quality …

Recently, one of our newer employees at Dominion Enterprises was asking questions about how consumers make the decision to buy a home. When told that research consistently shows “the neighborhood” and “agent reputation” as key factors, he made an interesting observation: If the neighborhood is so important, why do people search properties first, only later checking out the surrounding areas?
 
It’s an interesting question. Most homebuyers seem to go online, search by city or zip code and browse property listings until they find something they like. Shouldn’t buyers identify the ideal neighborhoods for their …

Last week I was working for a client in Charlotte, N.C. We previously prepared a service plan for the client that called for an increased, thorough understanding of their clients’ needs with regard to being profitable and productive in real estate. In furtherance of this effort, we scheduled seven focus groups over a period of two days to visit directly with samples of their consumers, and to directly receive input and honest, candid feedback on how the client could best serve them.

Every year around this time REALTOR associations across the country begin thinking about a leadership retreat at year’s end for their elected volunteers and incoming leadership team. I hear from my client associations and others from all over with many of the same questions, including (1) Should we have a retreat? (2) How long should it be? (3) Who should be invited?

I wanted to take this opportunity, my first posting to REALBlogging, to put in my two cents on this issue because, at the end of the day, whatever else you think these retreats are – fun, a good time, a waste of members’ money – what association CEOs need to understand is that in truth, they are a critical tool for the success and strategic planning of associations and their REALTOR communities.

Based upon how politically "tuned-in" you are and the extent to
which you care about the political process, this dilemma may be a
serious, soul-searching conundrum or it can be a tiny blip on the radar
screen of your thoughts. If this is something that you do care about,
what are the pros and cons of expressing yourself politically?