Alabama Association of Realtors

Press Releases moving-forward

Dec 23, 2009

NASCAR racing has been a longtime passion of mine. I like the energy at the track with each fan cheering their favorite driver. I like the anticipation of the last lap where anything can happen. My wife used to say they were just driving in circles. I believe they are chasing their dream. They draft and maneuver around the track each and every lap moving forward, hoping to capture that elusive victory flag and treasured trip to victory lane. As an industry, we are going through tough and trying times now. It is easy become frustrated and want to park your car. Sometimes it may be necessary to drive into the pits for a quick adjustment or tire change but get back on the track. Continue to move forward; continue to chase your dream. I want the Alabama Association of REALTORS® to continue moving forward. We have in place the many tools and staff necessary to be victorious.

My theme as you might have guessed for this year is “MOVING FORWARD”. There are many elements to a race just as there are to the real estate industry. We are faced with many challenges in the coming year. With these challenges, it is critical that all REALTORS®, companies and our association become united to work hand in hand moving forward to help meet the needs of those who depend on us. It’s not a time to sit and wait to see what is going to happen. It is a time to join together; taking action and making good things happen. This will require us to roll up our sleeves and provide better service than the customer expects. The driver alone does not win a race; it takes the crew, owner, and many others on the team to succeed in winning the race. So it is in real estate. The agent, broker, company, local associations and state association must all do their part for our industry to succeed.

With 2010 being an election year, the AAR business plan dictates that the elections and governmental affairs be our leading focus. Politics is a critical part of being a REALTOR®. The state and local laws and regulations affect our industry in many ways. With many government agencies in critical need of additional funding, we must be proactive on all levels to safe guard our industry. We must attend city council meetings, planning commission meetings, county commission meetings, and state legislative sessions. Only by knowing early on about issues and decisions that affect our industry can we take the actions we need to make positive changes. Everyone must do their part. This is critical to keeping us moving forward.

This year a major focus will be the National Association of REALTORS® Broker Involvement Program. This is a program where legislative call to actions are sent to the broker who forwards them to the agents. This program requires each agent to respond with two simple clicks of their computer mouse to allow their voices be heard by their elected officials.

Every vote counts is a program in which we are going to ask every agent to carry voter registration cards to be given at closing. New homeowners can change their physical addresses to assure they are voting in their correct places.

We are moving forward with our new Alabama Association of REALTORS® building in Montgomery. You can chart the daily progress by logging onto AlabamaRealtors.com and click on a live web cam.

My prayer is that all REALTORS® will be more involved in the process of moving forward our industry. I want everyone working together to bring about positive change. REALTORS® are a fantastic group of individuals but together we even better. I know I can count on each and every one of you to be a vital part of the Alabama Association of REALTORS® team.