President’s Perspective: Room to Grow

Hugh Rider 2014-2015 President, Chicago Association of REALTORS® I want to thank all of you for the confidence you have placed in me to serve as your 2014-2015 Chicago Association of REALTORS® president. I am privileged to represent such an impressive group of professionals who are varied in their areas of real estate expertise. As Chicago REALTORS®, you each bring something to our diverse industry and contribute your talents in new ways each and every day. You are the backbone of our association and our industry, and I couldn’t be more excited of the path we’re about to travel together. Since 1982 when my dad, Harold, was installed as this association’s president, although it was the Chicago Real Estate Board at the time, I have seen the opportunities C.A.R. affords each and every member. From the resources and member benefits to the networking events, C.A.R. membership is essential to our shared success as professionals. We all know real estate is a business that thrives on the momentum of the partnerships and connections we create. That’s why I joined C.A.R. and that’s why you joined C.A.R. This coming year, I see taking all of the good with our association, and adding to it. In the last 10 years of my involvement I have seen the good and the bad with our market and have been proud to be a part of the successful navigation of those markets. I firmly believe in strength in numbers, and I see room to grow C.A.R. beyond what I’ve seen this great Organization already accomplish. With initiatives like our CommercialForum and our advocacy efforts on behalf of commercial practitioners, like myself, we are expanding our reach like never before. We should explore more cooperative partnerships with other established professional real estate organizations. Our vested interests and goals are similar, so let’s team up to start a conversation about potential partnerships. Just as we work to expand the reach of our business by making connections, we can capture this same synergy to work with other real estate organizations. If we can be more, we can do more – and achieve more for all practitioners. I look forward to working with you to break new ground in the year ahead. Thank you for the honor of serving as your president.