Last week I had the opportunity to represent our local GRAR (Greater Regional Alliance of Realtors) association at the YPN (Young Professionals Network) Leadership Conference hosted by NAR (National Association of Realtors) in Chicago. We have a lot of acronyms in this industry… At this event the local association chair, vice-chair and/or association liaisons come together from locations across the country to discuss real estate and market trends, YPN committee events and best practices. There were over 200 attendees! It was eye opening to interact with young real estate leaders from New Jersey, San Francisco, Guam, Dallas, Miami, Billings, and so many others. Here are my takeaways from the learning and networking in Chicago.
RPAC- Many agents across the country are discussing RPAC and its purpose with their clients. Do you know what RPAC is?
RPAC (another acronym…) stands for Realtor Political Action Committee whose goals are to protect private property ownership rights with a continued focus on fair housing and housing affordability. Most of the YPN professionals at the conferences are RPAC contributors and spoke to the importance it has on our business. I still have a lot to learn about RPAC and have committed to reaching out to my local representative to invest and dive in.
We have a continued dedication to our craft as Realtors in being a facilitator and resource for our clients. I often explain it this way to my clients and agents I train; Much like your lawyer or doctor, my job is to disclose information, provide resources and advice based on my experience and market tools. I cannot tell you what to do, and I won’t do something different than what you ask. We don’t make decisions on the clients behalf.
Many committees and associations have similar struggles in member attendance and engagement. As leaders of committees we shouldn’t be afraid to charge more members with tasks and responsibilities. We should also be open to new ideas, that’s the point of YPN! We should continue to seek a balance between the fun stuff (ugly sweater parties, pub crawls) and educational events with quality content. This goes back to the entire committee understanding the mission, vision and values, and having a cohesive goal in mind.
While these events have great education, the true learning and value comes from the networking. My FB and IN friend requests have blown up in the last week and I now have a presence in front of referral sources in multiple cities across the country. I also have peace of mind knowing that I actually know the Realtors I am sending my beloved clients to when they move out of our market. The value in relationships should never be underestimated.
Lastly, I didn’t speak with a single agent that said their market isn’t highly competitive. Inventory is low across the board, especially for single family homes. As we move into the early Fall market, we usually see a bit of a slow down. If you are a buyer reading this message, now is a good time to jump on listings instead of waiting for the Spring.