Trade event opens World of Opportunites for city realtors.

Leaders and members of the Manhattan Association of Realtors (MANAR) were among the nearly 24,000 Realtors and guests from the US and 50 countries around the world who attended the four day 2003 Realtors Convention and Expo in San Francisco last month.

Appropriately themed "A World of Opportunities," the premier industry event provided realtors[R] with new ideas and techniques to build sales, increase profits and expand referrals. Participants learned about new real estate trends and explored the latest tools and services, as well as new opportunities to grow their business--on local, national, and global levels.

Walt McDonald, incoming president of the National Association of Realtors[R] (NAR)--the largest trade association in the nation--spoke of how his agenda reflects the will of nearly one million realtors[R]. Early next year, NAR's membership is expected to reach one million, making it the first trade association to enter the million-membership club.

"We will be in a stronger position than ever to advance the interests of Realtors[R] and property owners before the regulatory agencies and on Capitol Hill. Every member of the House of Representatives, on the average, will represent about 2,300 Realtors," McDonald told reporters at a media briefing during Expo.

He said his legislative priorities include continuing NAR's campaign to keep federally chartered banks out of real estate brokerage and property management and to raise the need for affordable housing opportunities higher on the federal agenda.

Cynthia Crowley, 2004 president of MANAR, met with McDonald and other national leaders to discuss priorities for the Big Apple. "They view New York City--the last great untapped source for Realtor--as key in McDonald's goal to reach one million members in 2004," she said.

Crowley envisions a greater voice for NYC realtors, thanks in part to local and national legislative efforts on their behalf. She hopes to reach the "thousands of Manhattan agents who did not realize they finally have opportunity to join the National Association through MANAR."

Among the issues Crowley hopes to address is how realtors can help improve underperforming local schools, which is an area of focus for the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR). "So many Realtors[R] come to us from an education background, that it seems a natural application of talent and resources. With property values tied so closely to school performance, we can have an impact by helping our children and neighbors, thereby improving the local economy."