(Photo above courtesy of coar.com)
Central Oregon Association of REALTORS (COAR) President Dave Feagans, President Elect Carolyn Bostwick, Past President Scott Halligan, Commercial Chair Tom Tapia and Commercial Committee Vice Chair Jenn Limoge joined nearly 20,000 colleagues, industry leaders and real estate experts from the U.S. and abroad at the 2016 Realtors Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida from November 4–7.
This year’s conference theme, Educate, Innovate, Celebrate, encouraged realtors to educate themselves on market trends and key real estate issues, learn about the latest technologies and innovations affecting the industry, and celebrate another year of positive growth. Realtors had the opportunity to make professional contacts from across the globe, as well as attend educational and informational sessions featuring nationally recognized presenters, trainers and industry experts.
Among the panelists and speakers were Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, who shared the latest outlook for residential and commercial real estate markets, Dennis Lockhart, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Jim Parrott, former economic adviser to President Obama and senior fellow at the Urban Institute; Brian Montgomery, former federal housing administration commissioner and vice chairman of the Collingwood Group, Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at realtor.com, Howard Fineman, global editorial director at the Huffington Post, Alex Perriello, president and CEO of Realogy Franchise Group and senior staff from the federal aviation administration and national flood insurance program.
“Realtors are home buyers and sellers competitive advantage because we are constantly educating ourselves about the latest developments and issues affecting the real estate market and industry,” said Feagans. “This year’s conference was an incredible opportunity for me and my fellow Realtors® to immerse ourselves in the newest trends and strategize solutions to the problems facing the housing market across the country and in our own communities.”
Throughout the week realtors participated in 100-plus conference sessions, workshops, forums and classes on a broad range of real estate issues to help prepare themselves and their businesses for 2017. This is one of the many ways realtors raise their professionalism and skills through specialized knowledge and expertise.
During the conference, Bill Brown, a second generation realtor from Oakland, California, was installed as 2017 NAR President.
“In 2017, realtors will work to keep the issues affecting homeownership – whether it be defending the mortgage interest deduction or fighting for more affordable financing – a priority on our nation’s public policy agenda,” said Brown. “Realtors are here to encourage our leaders to put forward policies that put the American dream of homeownership within reach for every American whose goal is to own their own home.”
COAR leadership members also had the opportunity to try out and learn about the latest state-of-the-art products and services for real estate professionals. Over 400 exhibitors showcased their offerings during the trade expo, the largest in real estate, exposing realtors to fresh ways to better serve clients and grow their business.
The Central Oregon Association of REALTORS® (COAR) is your voice in real estate industry in Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson and Harney Counties. COAR serves REALTORS by maintaining ethical standards, providing continuing education, promoting the value of REALTORS and advocating on behalf of the real estate industry. COAR serves the public by working to build better communities by supporting quality growth and seeking sustainable economies and housing opportunities that embrace the environmental qualities we cherish, while protecting a property owner’s ability to own, use, buy, and sell property.
