What you missed at the NAR conference

By Marty Douglas

Flying to Greece is better than running to fat. But in this case I’m flying to San Diego for the 2009 NAR Conference. As usual the morning flight out of Vancouver is overloaded with real estate industry personalities from executive officers to board presidents to educators. No hijacker would want to tangle with this group or demand a ransom. And all very polite people too – almost everyone tells me they read my REM column before any others. And then usually pass me a large grain of salt as an hors d’oeuvre.

When I travel alone, I have mishaps. Cancelled flights, emergency landings, lost bags, overbooked hotels, strangers with keys to my room – usually male strangers. This trip started with a suitcase about to disappear into the jaws of the luggage machinery when I realized it had been incorrectly tagged. “Stop that bag!” I yell, only to have three husbands turn around, two of them optimistically. Once aboard, in the aisle about two hours into the flight, I got too close to a flight attendant as she backed up without looking. Into me. Spilling both drinks she was carrying onto the passenger in 26B. And they weren’t her drinks. What could I say? Did I mention it’s Air Canada? When I was back in my seat, the same flight attendant missed my glass completely, not by much mind you, and got me right in the – let’s just say I was happy to be wearing dark pants. Unhappy co-incidence? I don’t think so!

San Diego Airport is right downtown – you can tell because you look up at the highrises as you’re on final approach. I directed my cab to the Embassy Suites Hotel and he says, “Which one?” The correct one reached, I admired the hollow square central atrium, 12 storeys high – which means it’s 13 counting the mezzanine. The floors are serviced by glass elevators clinging to one interior wall of the atrium. I have seen this movie – someone is going to die, probably when the earthquake hits. But, free breakfasts, free happy hour – a Realtors’ paradise.

On Friday the 13th my luck continues. At 6′1″, 260 pounds, I’m the smallest guy sitting in a row of real estate politicos at a session called The Future of MLS. Before the meeting started, while occupying two seats each, we discuss the usual complaint when Canadians go abroad to a real estate conference – how good is your expense account, and why is Moss Moloney barefoot – again. Has he no socks? Is he poor? Diseased? Joining a cult?

The session drove us to drink. Of all the bars in all the towns, she had to walk into mine. Most of you are too young to correct that quote from Casablanca, so I’ll just bluff my way through. There we were guys and girls walking in the old section of San Diego looking for a bar. The women shunned Hooters, and being sensitive we didn’t insist. Their choice? Dirty Dicks. I suppose they assumed it was the proprietor’s name. Oh well.

David Knox is worth the price of admission. Seven Changes Managers Must Make is a packed session with folks lining the walls for 90 minutes of hard truths presented in a rapid fire, humorous style. No one argues when he says half of the sales rep population is surplus. His number one instruction is to go home and fire the underproductive.

Should we hire or fire first? Knox replies, “What would you rather have – an empty kennel or a dead dog?” He even has a power point slide reflecting the choices. He gets us laughing with his references to our ‘pet rocks’, the ones we should de-cruit. He urges us to count the ‘piss-off’ factor, not the profit factor. Who do you hate to see at the office?

After emphasizing training, he talks about overpriced listings, banging his head on the flip chart as he advises sellers they can either ‘sell’ or ‘stay’ – it’s entirely up to them. Number five on Knox’s list resonated with me because I’ve been taught, taught and keep harping on it – “answer the #%&@* phone!” He played a video of a buyer trying to penetrate the automated answering voice mail of a sales rep. It was painful.

Think the U.S. real estate economy is on the upswing? Sorry to tell you, that’s not likely the case. At the state of the real estate industry session, leading brokers reflected on the shadow inventory of millions of houses that are one month or more in arrears with their mortgages and not yet into the foreclosure inventory – yikes. Portable mortgages, by the way, are a rarity in the U.S. and are only now being considered as an option. Then there’s the commercial real estate financing challenge. Trillions – yes trillions of dollars of debt are coming due. Lenders have less money and need more equity while commercial properties have declined in value since the original debt was placed – double yikes!

Canada is rarely noticed on the world stage and for that we can be very thankful. We don’t want the kind of excitement or notoriety or targeting attracted by our southern neighbour. While you are making your resolutions, you might just want to count your blessings.

Oh, by the way, Happy New Year!

Marty Douglas is a managing broker for Coast Realty Group (Comox Valley) Ltd., managing two of 15 Coast Realty Group offices on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast of B.C.  He is a past chair of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Corporation of B.C., the Real Estate Council of B.C., and the B.C. Real Estate Association, and is a current director of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 1-800-715-3999; Fax (250) 897-3933.