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REALTOR®: C.A.R. President Meets Local Realtor Officials, Discusses Impact of Market Conditions on Industry


Image about REALTOR®: C.A.R. President Meets Local Realtor Officials, Discusses Impact of Market Conditions on Industry

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Pictured left to right are SILVAR President Leannah Hunt, 2009 President-elect Jeff Bell, C.A.R. President Bill Brown and 2008 President-elect Julia Keady.

California Association of REALTORS® president William Brown was in the area recently and addressed officials of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®. Brown acknowledged the shakiness of the housing market, and discussed the impact of market conditions on the state trade association and the industry.

"The situation has provided us with the opportunity to focus on our members - to drill down, look into our own programs and find out what works, what doesn't, what our members need, and what is relevant," Brown said.

The California Association of REALTORS® is a statewide trade association dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. The association develops and promotes programs and services that enhance the members' ability to conduct their individual businesses successfully and, through collective action, promotes the preservation of real property rights. The association includes more than 115 local member associations and their REALTOR® and affiliate members who abide by a rigid code of professional ethics.

Brown indicated C.A.R. currently has 177,000 members. Due to the downturn in the housing market, the expectation is that membership will decline somewhat, so the trade association is budgeting for 158,000 members for 2009. Brown pointed out in 1999, C.A.R. had 100,000 members; in 2006, membership was at 217,000.

"The reality is half our members have never seen a down market," he exclaimed.

While the Silicon Valley region has fared well despite the downturn in the market, other places are hurting, Brown said.

"You guys are very fortunate you have not been hit as hard as other parts of the state," Brown said. "Places like Tracy, Modesto, Stockton, the Inland Empire areas are getting murdered."

Brown said C.A.R. has begun been offering S.W.A.T. - Special Weapons and Tactics to members. S.W.A.T. is a program that familiarizes real estate agents with procedures used in the sale and disposition of distressed properties like short sales, foreclosures and REOs, including required paperwork changes according to whom the agent is representing. Agents also gain an overview of the tax/credit impact of these sales. The association plans to continue offering the S.W.A.T. courses in 2009.

"We are telling our members we have to refine our business, work hard, embrace technology," said Brown. "It goes back to the work ethic. We can't sit and wait for the phone to ring."

The C.A.R. president then turned his attention to the political arena. The passage of the Economic Stimulus Package was a good move by Congress, according to Brown. Even with government plans to pump money into financial institutions, Brown said there are fears that banks will hold on to the money they receive and not deploy the funds.

"If we don't get banks to lend money again, we will be in dire straits. We need to provide more liquidity to the market," Brown said.

Brown said REALTORS® need to continue being active and involved in the political arena. "The bottom line is things still need to be addressed. Indications are this problem is going to be with us for a while. We need to maintain as strong political presence in the political process as we can, because it is during times like these that we are weakest."


The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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