REALTORS® in the Charlottesville area gathered to expand their knowledge getting information on things they need to know now. CAAR hosted the Fall REALTOR® Summit on Wednesday, October 26th at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville. With today’s ever-shifting environment, those active in all aspects of real estate rely more than ever on up-to-date information. The Fall REALTOR® Summit was designed to meet these needs.
The day kicked off with a welcome from Barbara McMurry, 2011 CAAR President who then turned the meeting over to CAAR CEO Anne Gardner to moderate the 2012 Economic Outlook Presentation. This Presentation included updates on economic conditions and forecasts on the national, state, and local levels with a focus on the impacts they have on our region’s real estate market. Realtors heard from Ray Owens of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Barry Merchant of the Virginia Housing Development Authority, and Susan Stimart of Albemarle County’s Economic Development Office. Owens remarked, “The bottom line is things are improving,” adding that it will take some time to get back on track. CAAR believes a housing recovery is necessary for the nation’s economic well-being and continues its efforts to keep housing first on the nation’s public policy agenda.
Another highlight of the day included a luncheon address from Dr. Pamela Moran, superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools. Her presentation highlighted the recent strides made in our local k-12 education system to prepare students to meet the needs of a dramatically changing workplace. She remarked that emphasis is placed on developing analytical processes, working in teams, and a sense of flexibility to prepare students to contribute in jobs evolving so rapidly many of them do not yet exist.
The day also included a variety of classes which members could take for credit toward license renewal. The choices were varied, including such wide-ranging topics as Technology Trends and Reality for Realtors, The Paperless Office using Docusign Management, Home Staging, Risk Management for the Independent Contractor, and Financing Initiatives. Attendees were also able to talk with fellow members during the breaks throughout the day and browse the sponsor information tables.
CAAR’s Fall REALTOR® Summit was another successful and well-attended event, allowing CAAR members to expand their knowledge base in order to better help their business and their clients. What better way to finish out the year!
