President’s Perspective: Autumn 2018

With fall upon us, the remaining weeks of 2018 will be fleeting. Autumn ushers in the start of a new association year and marks the end of my time as your president. This past year has been one of great change, as well as immense opportunity — both at our association and throughout our industry. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of moderating a panel of industry disruptors. These companies challenge the status quo and are often villainized for doing so. As soon as the word “disruptor” is mentioned, there is an innate knee-jerk reaction to discount what they are doing, disregard it as irrelevant and double-down doubting their ability to change us or our industry. In doing so, we miss the point: the industry is evolving. We’ve seen unmatched investment pouring into real estate technology and companies striving to change the game. These so-called disruptors see opportunity in addressing and alleviating the pain points in a real estate transaction, and the common thread is their emphasis on simplifying the process for buyers and sellers. There is something we can all learn from this. Invite Questioning. When we forget to question what we know, we miss the point. Speak to current and past clients to better understand their pain points. Take that knowledge and adopt your business model to anticipate those needs and provide a higher level of service. Ask more questions in your business, with your clients and even with your vendors. Ask, “why?,” and if the answer is ever, “because that’s how we’ve always done it,” you’ve found opportunity. Explore. When we don’t stop to explore the unfamiliar, we miss out on opportunity. Read industry news from CR Magazine and Inman News (Inman Select subscriptions are included with your Illinois REALTORS® membership). Attend conferences and events: YPN breakfasts, Member Outreach, national conferences and events from our industry partners. Look outside our industry to monitor trends in technology and marketing, economics and investments. Best case: you’ll learn something life changing. Worst case: you’ll be a great conversationalist over cocktails. Embrace Change. Understand that the world is changing and it is easy to get left behind. Be an early adopter and try new things. Look for systems that automate what you do so you have more time to focus on relationship building and highlevel client service. Know that change is never easy, and although there may be bumps along the way, the journey is just as important as the destination. Change is upon us and rather than focusing on the past, it is time to look to the future. Our CEO, Michelle Mills Clement, is a force of nature. From the moment I first met her, I was in awe of her talent, tenacity and vision. She, incoming president Tommy Choi and our board of directors are committed to further evolving our association to better serve the needs of all members. Our relationships with our clients remain paramount, and our ability to leverage technology to provide a higher level of service will be what defines us in the years to come. Question, explore and embrace change. In the words of the illustrious University of Chicago professor Linda Ginzel, we all should strive to be “wiser, younger.” I am grateful and honored to have served our association for this past year. Thank you for helping me to become “wiser, younger.” Rebecca Thomson, 2017-2018 President of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®