8_29_06

Voting will remain open until September 26

The MAR director elections opened this week and will remain open until September 26, 2006. To help local associations better understand the break down of voters for the districts open for reelection (districts 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 14 and 15), MAR has complied the number of qualified voters for each local association by district. You can use this data to help you communicate with your members about the election and the importance of voting.

“The MAR director voting process is a vital part of our association. As members it is our responsibility to participate in this process and make sure we are well represented. Please take the time to log on and vote for your next director,” Cathy Sherman Bittrick 2006 MAR President.

Members Can Earn Transnational Referral Certification
During MAR Convention

During the MAR Convention & Expo on Monday, September 25 members can earn their Transnational Referral Certification. The training session, being taught by Terry Watson, will be held from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. and will cost $99/person. This course will also offer three hours of continuing education credits.

The Transnational Referral Certification allows REALTORS® to distinguish themselves among two million brokers worldwide. By attending this course you will learn how to integrate international referrals into your business plan by receiving hands on training in using the ICREA referral system and related services.

A Year After Katrina, New Orleans is Ready for You

If you are making plans to attend the National Association of REALTORS® Conference in New Orleans on November 10 – 13, you should be reassured to know that the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau is reporting the city is ready for you.

The soul of New Orleans is thriving, with its unique and authentic culture, is very much alive – including its incomparable cuisine, music, visual arts, museums, galleries, the performing arts and other activities, led by the resilience and determination of the city’s residents. Tourism in New Orleans was one of the first industries to return after Hurricane Katrina and is leading the city’s recovery by providing 35 percent of the city’s operating budget.

Tourism is the lifeblood of thousands of businesses – as large as the Superdome, as small as a store on Royal Street or a po-boy shop. It employs 85,000 people, making it possible for New Orleanians to come home.

Read a report the Bureau has complied on the facts one year after Katrina here.

To register, or view more information on attending the NAR Conference, visit the NAR web site.

MAR is creating a slide show presentation for the Pat Vredevoogd inaugural dinner and we need your help. If you have photos of Pat attending an association event, please forward either to Joe Kras at jkras@mirealtors.com or mail a copy to 720 N. Washington Ave. P.O. Box 40725 Lansing, Mi 48901. Please submit your photos before September 15, 2006.

Have you ever wanted to give MAR feedback on its communication tools? This is your chance. MAR will be hosting some informal focus groups to discuss which communications methods work or do not work for you and why, and how MAR best serve you and in what direction members would like to see the communications go. To make this process convenient for members, focus groups will be limited to one hour each and will take place on September 26 during the MAR Convention & Expo in Grand Rapids. If you, or one of your members would like to participate in a focus group please contact Corie Costello by email at ccostello@mirealtors.com or phone at 517.334.5548.

Correction: At the MAR Board Retreat in Chicago, board members were provided a legal update by Laurie Janik, not Colleen Ryan as was mistakenly written in the last edition of MAR On the Mark.