The Only Constant is Change

President's View

If the past year has taught us anything it’s that the only constant is change. The thing that saying doesn’t quite capture is how uncomfortable change can be, especially when it seems to be relentless.

Much of 2024 has been adapting to this new era of real estate—changing a lot of the day-to-day tasks of how we interact and deal with our buyers and sellers and the process of how we run our businesses.

And, wow, it has been a lot. I, for one, welcomed the clock turn at midnight on Jan. 1, 2025 as a fresh, clean start for a year of possibilities. And, in the short time we’ve been in this brand new year we’ve been lucky enough to have been met with more… you guessed it…change.

I think the change in any part of our life often feels disruptive and unwelcome because we are comfortable and used to the way things have been. It’s true— familiar feels safe. But every shift, no matter how uncomfortable, holds the potential for growth and that is the landscape we find ourselves in now.

We were all lucky enough to be led by an executive who really understood the niche New Jersey real estate market and held the incredibly valuable institutional knowledge that helped our industry succeed for decades. I’m talking, of course, about Jarrod Grasso, our now-former chief executive officer who took a newly created position as Senior Vice President of Industry Relations at the National Association of Realtors® early in 2025.

His accomplishments over his tenure with the association since 1999 are vast, but know that many of the protections of the real estate industry and private property rights that have been upheld in New Jersey were because of his work. We thank Jarrod for his decades of commitment to New Jersey Realtors® and all our members and their clients.

And we welcome Doug Tomson as the new chief executive officer, a role he is well-suited for with his experience leading the government affairs team at the association for more than two decades. I know he will do right by our members.

It would be easy to resist against the tide of change that has swelled around us for the past few years, but I urge you to see the potential in this moment. We have the opportunity to look at the way we conduct our business, our policies, our strategy—all at the same time.

By taking the time to educate and update one another on the changes unfolding, we can turn them into opportunities, creating a brighter future for ourselves, our clients, and our industry.