Bob Floss
Bob Floss & Son Realty, President, Chicago Association of Realtors
What issues should agents focus the most on in 2012? How will CAR help them do this? In the new year, agents should focus on profitability and professionalism. Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR) has several education and networking opportunities to help them exceed their own goals by learning something new and meeting fellow agents and affiliates who can help them grow their businesses.
Do you think there will be an increasing amount of brokerage acquisitions next year? Yes – brokers are running businesses every day, and evaluating how to continue to run lean, or find new ways to run with other partners either via shared services or through acquisition.
Will there be more or less people choosing to join the real estate industry next year? Do you think a significant amount of agents will switch from full-time to part-time due to the market? We will likely continue to see an increase in dual-career agents, as professionals (progressively) rely on two incomes to help meet the needs of their households and personal obligations. More people will likely evaluate whether or not this business is still for them while new entrepreneurs continue to consider a career in real estate and whether or not it’s right for them.
What is CAR doing to help agents next year? CAR is focusing on helping agents transition their licenses in 2012. All hands are on deck to offer the most comprehensive offerings – whether online, in our offices or at the convenience of brokers in their offices – we are committed to helping transition all agents effectively. Education provides a prime opportunity for agents to learn from and apply to their business, and we are committed to helping them through that process. Additionally, we are rolling out a super-stellar statistics program for our members that truly acts as “a point and click” for reporting. An additional product from MRED’s contract with “The Thing,” we are producing detailed reports agents can access by the click of a mouse. You can see any one of the 77 Chicago Neighborhoods activity, in charts, or that of the suburbs, simply by viewing a map. A great asset to any listing presentation for agents – and offered exclusively to Chicago Realtors.
What are CAR’s plans and goals for 2012? We are committed to connecting with the region’s commercial community. Neighborhoods need great commercial properties to provide great communities – and we are spearheading an effort to connect with commercial practitioners to help them achieve their goals – and ultimately make Chicago and the suburbs we serve even more fantastic places to live, work and play. We are also implementing new practices for bringing our offices to agents through our CAR2U program. You’re more mobile, and we are too. We are now bringing our branch services to our members’ offices and helping service their needs with a call or email – versus them having to visit us to get association business done. It’s the “Chicago difference.”