4 minute read
What We Have Learned So Far This Year
By Jason Witt, 2024 President of the Colorado Association of REALTORS
We are already about halfway way through 2024.Your state leadership and staff have been busy visiting local associations and brokerage offices, in addition to attending the Region Xl Summit and hosting the CAR Spring Summit. Between the hallway talk and the sessions we attended, here’s we have learned so far this year.
The Region XI conference, held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was an incredible experience and an opportunity to connect with other members in the Region to discuss the issues facing our associations collectively. The conference consisted of many amazing speakers such as: Marki Lemon, discussing how to use AI to enhance your business; Elizabeth Mendenhall, an NAR Past President, who taught us the importance of “Getting Your Mind Right” through visualizing success; and finally, NAR’s current President, Kevin Sears, who took the time to present a current update from NAR in regards to the settlement and what it means for members.
Here are some additional takeaways from Region Xl:
•Members need to focus on things in their business that need to be done, differently, but the sky is not falling.
•NAR will not be increasing membership dues in 2024 or 2025.
•How to use AI for real estate sales: 100% of real estate now involves the internet. Embrace and utilize virtual tools to help market yourselves and your properties.
• The Region Xl conference serves as a wonderful opportunity to learn what is happening in the rest of the region and potentially help Colorado with similar challenges.
•2022 was the worst year for home sales since 1995 according to NAR Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun.
•It was suggested there will be a huge pent-up demand from homebuyers and sellers which presents opportunities to impress our value and help consumers understand what it is we do as REALTORS®.
At our annual Spring Summit, we offered a more accessible and cost-effective opportunity for CAR to connect with the members across Colorado by hosting the Summit in the Denver Metro area. This location was well received by our members. The Summit was very interactive where participants got a chance to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns with each other and CAR Leadership. Let’s keep remembering why we all do what we do and that it is our members we are working for!
Here are some of the association leaders’ takeaways from Spring Summit:
• There is a lot of misinformation regarding the NAR Lawsuits and Settlement. The best place to get the facts about them is at Facts.REALTOR.
•Members need to realize the lifetime value of a client.
•Clients need to have Top of Mind Awareness when it comes to our business.
•RPAC is a crucial investment in your business and helps support legislators that align themselves with what is important to Colorado REALTORS®’ careers.
There was so much more gained by members attending the Spring Summit and I encourage you to take the time to attend a national, regional, or state conference, and more importantly, your local meetings, even if you can only spare one day. It is worth it.
As a closing reminder, I invited all CAR Committees to a 100% RPAC Participation Challenge. We are 30% of the way to our goal of 100% participation, with some committees falling short by only a few members’ participation. Therefore, I extend this challenge to you all as well. Let us strive for 100% participation in the RPAC, not out of obligation, but out of a genuine belief in the value it brings to our industry and our community.
Thank you to all the CAR staff, without whom these events would not take place. Thank you to the members for providing us your valuable feedback on these events so we can continue to improve in the future. And a final thank you to all of our members who make up this amazing association: I value you all, I appreciate you, and I thank you for your participation in these events – See you in October for the Leadership Symposium!
