We're off and running!
By Greg Hrabcak
President
The Officers, Directors, Staff Leadership and all Committee Chairs met for a day and half of meetings on January 7-8 to review and revise plans for the upcoming year.
Together we generated ideas, goals and projects intended to benefit each and every member of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®.
It was also our mission to look ahead at the numerous issues and challenges the Board faces including our Communication Audit, TempoTM update, commercial section, budget, CORPAC goals, education, foundation fund raising, ethics, arbitration, sales awards, PinPoint mapping, short sales, days on market and MLS area elimination.
The entire group worked hard -- and played hard that evening as we tailgated and watched our Buckeye's come up a little short in the BCS Championship Game in New Orleans.
A very special thanks to all the leadership and the Board Staff for their participation as we planned for the year 2008 and the benefit of all 7,400 REALTOR® members.
Communcation Audit
In late 2007, CBR had Gill Research perform a Communication Audit to gauge how members perceive the association and how we communicate with you. The objective was to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in our communication. The 90+ page report and additional 105 pages of indices were EXTENSIVE! So we formed a task force to sift through the vast amount of information, prioritize the data and recommend a plan of action. Their goal is to complete their task by the end of the first quarter.
That said, there were many excellent suggestions made that we are already acting on. One includes sending all members the housing statistics as soon as they are available. Comments from the audit suggested that some of you were not pleased that the home sales statistics in the magazine are fairly old by the time you receive it. (FYI -- We pull/release stats around the 20th of each month and you should receive your magazine in the first week of each month.) So, yes, the information is a bit stale by then.
Although the statistics are posted to the web site the day they are sent to the media, how many of us remember to check the web site at that time?! So now we'll be sending you an email as soon as the information is posted.
CORPAC
As 2008 is a major national election year, CORPAC fundraising will be significant this year. Not only is it a national election year, but there will be numerous state and local elections which will have importance to CBR members. It is very important that every CBR member stay abreast of the issues and candidates, get involved, and make a donation to your industry political action committee. If you did not contribute with your dues payment, you can do so on your summer bill. Or better yet, just cut the check right now and get it off of your `to do' list.
MLS
The MLS continues to grow and offer more to CBR members to better serve their customers and fellow REALTOR® members. First is, of course, our update to Tempo? 5 later this month. Be sure to sign up for one of the classes offered three times daily in late February and early March. In addition, PinPoint Mapping continues to evolve and MLS Area's will be replaced by new map grids based on of Rand McNally maps.
COCIE
The Central Ohio Commercial Information Exchange -- COCIE -- has seen very strong growth beginning with 400 members to now well over 600 members. COCIE just introduced a Sales and Lease Comparable section that will certainly benefit all commercial real estate professionals.
Members
My request of you is to get involved. Serving on a committee is the easiest way to provide us with your thoughts, concerns and suggestions so that we can continue to evolve into an organization that meets your many needs. But, if committee service does not fit for you, find your own way?attend the meetings, read the correspondence we provide, contribute to CORPAC and the REALTOR® Foundation Fund, read the MLS Welcome Screen messages, get involved in a local area realty association, volunteer for REALTOR® Care Day (June 5), attend an affordable housing roundtable or tech users forum offered monthly, broaden your knowledge of real estate investing by attending our Investment series this month (Feb. 7 & 21), join us at the Funny Bone on Feb. 15 for a great motivational seminar -- Obsessive, Compulsive Sales -- with Stuart "Twitchy" Ellis-Myers. . .
We have so many opportunities. Choose what's right for you. But please choose to get involved.
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