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Inside the WRA
Inside the WRA with Bill Malkasian
As I write this in August, the WRA Board of Directors is concluding
its work session for the year. Many topics, issues and challenges
arose in 2003 to face the Wisconsin real estate industry and keep us
busy. The board wrapped up these issues and said a thanks to those who
have served as board members over the last couple of years during a
meeting at the Heidel House Resort on August 7-8.
Highlights from the meeting included the following topics, thank-yous
and issues:
- Board Chairman Weber announced that he would bestow the WRA
Presidential Citation Award to Mr. Clete Hanson for over 20 years of
service to the Real Estate Board and to the Department of Regulation
and Licensing. Mr. Hanson was in attendance to accept the award,
which will be officially given out at the WRA Convention opening
ceremonies on September 21.
- The WRA also officially thanked Realtors® who have recently
served on the Real Estate Board, including Jim Imhoff, Dick Hinsman
and Nancy Gerrard.
- I would like to extend a personal thank you for the efforts of
the following Realtors® who are going off the WRA Board:
• Mark Bugher - UW Research Park
• Gary Gerhardt - RE/MAX Realty 100
• Matt Miller - Stark Company
• Steve Mills - Bear Realty of Kenosha
• Bill Quinlevan - James T. Barry Company Colliers International
• Marc Ranger - RE/MAX First Choice
• Ron Smith - M&I Bank.
- The board elected the following Realtors® to the Executive
Committee for 2004:
• Kevin McKillip - Bear Realty Inc.
• Mike Siegel - William Realty, Inc.
• Steve Beers - Keefe Real Estate
• Roger Rushman - First Weber Group, Realtors®
Though many other important issues were discussed at this board
meeting, I would like to concentrate the balance of this month's
article on the adoption of the 2004 WRA operational budget. This
budget, of course, sets the WRA dues levels for next year.
As you may recall from my previous columns, we have recently
concentrated on reviewing buyer and seller trends and brokerage
operational issues here in Wisconsin. Through a series of focus groups
and consumer polls, the WRA learned a great deal about its marketplace
in 2003. Armed with that data, the board approved a budget which makes
some changes in WRA operations for 2004. Here are some of the
highlights to think about when deciding to renew your WRA membership
this fall:
- We will reorganize our well-utilized legal services by hiring an
additional business law and practices attorney. We are at full
capacity with now nearly 14,000 members of the WRA. We hope to
redesign the program to allow for more outreach to firms and more
direct electronic delivery of Legal Updates to ALL members.
- The DR Package that brokers now receive will be restructured to
include more information to managing brokers on supervision issues
within the office environment.
- A special workgroup chaired by Terry Hilgenberg of Shawano will
be appointed to explore on a deeper level issues of risk management
and broker supervision that face managing brokers in their day to
day operation. With no pre-set agenda the workgroup hopes to explore
the needs of our brokers and to see if additional services are
needed.
- We continue to support the Legal Action fund on a $10.00 per
member contribution from your dues.
- The WRA continues its relationship with the ZipForm product
line. A new three-year contract was signed with a small increase in
costs for 2004-06.
- WRA continues to update its automation/e-mail and Web
capabilities for direct delivery of products to the member. Look for
enhancements in all products in this form of communication.
- The 2004 budget begins to plan for the crucial 2004 elections at
all levels of government. We continue our now nationally famous
Governmental Affairs Director (GAD) sharing program with our local
boards (we have the best GADs in the country).
- With our new VP of Marketing and Communications, Rob Uhrina, we
will be converting this publication into a magazine format beginning
in January of 2004. Also watch for a revamping of our Web site with
new exciting opportunities.
- All of our prelicense educational products have been revised due
to new testing standards. We hope to enter the world of "streaming
video" next year and expect the usual full plate of educational
services from the WRA - either delivered direct or via local board
cooperative agreements.
The next 12 months will offer many challenges in the changing
landscape of Wisconsin real estate. We believe that the next 12 months
will be strong for the housing and commercial sectors of our economy.
Our expectation is that 90 percent of you will renew when you get your
dues billing in the next month or two.
In the end I truly understand that you each have many choices in
where to get quality services to keep you ahead of the curve in your
individual business. I'm proud of what our board approved in August
for our program year in 2004. I'm thankful to Bobby Weber of Madison
for leading the WRA in 2003. If you have a chance to say thanks to
Bobby, here is how you can do it:
Robert R. Weber, CRB
First Weber Group Inc~TPike
2985 Triverton Pike Dr # 200
Madison, WI 53711-5807
608-274-7500
weberb@firstweber.com
Let me in advance say thanks to each of you for being a member of
WRA. As I hit the travel trails for local board installations and our
state convention next month, I look forward to meeting each of you
again ...
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