Wilkins' Attend NAR Rethink the Future of Real Estate Seminar

Madison, NJ - Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates and Thomas R. Wilkins, Jr., Central Processing, were invited attendees to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR)Strategic Plan titled “Rethink—The Future of Real Estate” hosted by Realogy located at their new headquarters in Madison, New Jersey.  The 1-day seminar was designed by NAR and was the last in a series of 100 seminars designed to review the changing world of real estate—visualizing a 5 year plan and 10 year plan.

One of the presenters, Summer Greene, Broker and past President of Florida Realtors®, stated, “This seminar, of which I’ve now given close to 100 of them, describes scenario planning and is designed to rethink the future as to, literally, what’s going to happen.  Will there be big shifts in the real estate value proposition, a collaborative effort driven by data opportunity, external threats and the need for more future-consumer centric models.”    The seminar focused on the Ostrich, meant to represent slower incremental changes at the local Realtor Association level; Beauty and the Beast, which represented getting key players to collaboratively reshape the real estate industry, defy conventional wisdom and look into a future where the real estate industry was successful in path breaking efforts to redefine the industry’s value proposition; and last, the Jungle which presented a 5 and 10 year future game changing shifts to the industry and business environment which was driven by new politics, shifting values and external forces beyond the control of the realtor or the general public.  The Jungle was a volatile, yet innovative world of game-changers and power shifts, new risks and opportunities, new winners and losers; for Real Estate, a technotic shift that reshapes the industry landscape, suddenly and decisively, as new players enter the market with new models for housing and homeownership.  The Jungle also focused on a previously unthinkable world just a few years ago--how and why did it happen.

Said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, “For the past 7 – 8 years all we thought about was next week.  We never thought about 5 and 10 year changes in the real estate market, only because we were focused on today and tomorrow at the latest.  To sit in a day-long seminar and talk about things 5 and 10 years out, honestly, was mind blowing.”

While the presenters offered no answer to the propositions they were presenting, the seminar was designed to make everyone think outside the box about what was happening with the real estate industry.  NAR’s Strategic Planning Committee took this new approach to encourage dialogue and open minds about thinking big for the future.  In the seminar, various videos portrayed Realtors of 2017 and 2023.  As you watched them, you listened to the challenges that they had and/or lived through for the past 5 to 10 years as the economy came out of the recession, the changing of the politics involving the real estate industry and how people alone lived in either extended families, possibly as co-ops, sharing one home with other families and specifically about the “new’ American dream.

Said Tommy Wilkins, Jr. “While I am only 20 year old now, I want to own my own home, but being young I’m not sure how I am going to do it.”  “Listening to where the market is going and what it might be like to be a Real Estate Agent in the 21^st century was extremely interesting to me.” Wilkins, Jr. added.

To learn more about Rethink—The Future of Real Estate, visit them online at www.rethinkfuture.com .  This interactive site will allow you to experience the events online.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates operates three offices throughout the Pocono Mountains and is celebrating their 25^th year in business—2013.  You can visit them online at www.wilkins1.com.  All offices are open 7 days a week.

PHOTOS:

TOP LEFT:

Thomas Wilkins Jr., Central Processing (L) & Amy Chorew, Vice Pres, Platform Development (R)

TOP RIGHT:

Summer Greene, Regional Mgr at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st (L) & Jason Pantana, Speaker, Realtor® (R).

BOTTOM LEFT:

Amy Chorew, Vice Pres, Platform Development, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate

NAR RECOGNIZES MEILINGER AS GREEN AGENT

STROUDSBURG- The Green REsource Council has awarded Michael Meilinger with the National Association of REALTORS® GREEN Designation.

As an NAR GREEN Designee Mike will help his clients and customers differentiate fact from fiction and make educated decisions about: green materials, energy-efficient technology, green ratings, green design, green living, green incentives and more!

According to www.greenresourcecouncil.org the organization was established by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Association of REALTORS®, the Green REsource Council was founded to make the knowledge of green real estate practices available to everyone. They accomplish this by focusing their attention on real estate agents and property managers; the link to millions of consumers, tenants, developers, and building owners of residential and commercial property.

Green REsource Council members place themselves at the leading edge of green real estate, gaining access to member benefits including ongoing education, up-to-date green resources and professionally crafted marketing tools. We also work to promote NAR’s Green Designation, building consumer and builder awareness and supporting green real estate advocacy.

For more information on how Mike can help you understand green terminology and cost benefits, please e-mail him at mmeilinger@wilkins1.com.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates services the entire Pocono Mountains, North Pocono/Moscow area, historic Milford and all towns in between. Better Homes and Gardens Realtors handle listing, rentals and sales of primary, vacation and starter homes, as well as estate and farm properties. Buyer services include first and second home buyers, relocation buyers and transferees. Visit Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates on line at www.wilkins1.com.