Dear Fellow Missouri REALTORS®,
Our recent hybrid April Business Conference was a tremendous success! We had over 400 REALTORS® across the state in attendance, either in-person or virtually. In-House Physicians did a superb job of coordinating daily temperature and wellness checks for conference participants.
On Tuesday, I welcomed Missouri Governor Mike Parson to the stage for the conference’s Opening General Session. I had the pleasure of speaking with him as he addressed a number of legislative issues and infrastructure initiatives that will impact the real estate industry. Governor Parson also discussed the state’s recovery from the Coronavirus Pandemic. Regarding his initial reaction to the public health and economic risks associated with COVID-19, the Governor said, “My first priority was the people of this state because I love the people of this state. I don’t care where you live—I just believe in this state so much.” What an honor to sit on stage with our Governor! We had our moments of levity and I hope you have a chance to watch the interview.
On Wednesday, Rob Hahn, the Managing Partner of the strategy consulting firm 7DS Associates, led the Emerging Issues Forum. He presented Missouri REALTORS® with a no-holds-barred discussion on the major market disruptors in 2021 and beyond. Hahn warned the virtual and in-person audience of the problems that younger generations pose for the industry. Rob also addressed the emerging trend where huge, powerful teams of REALTORS® leverage technology to their advantage. “Tech companies aren’t competing against you. But the teams working with technology ARE, and they’re killing it. They’re winning,” Hahn said about companies utilizing tech like Zillow and Opendoor.
We wrapped up the conference Thursday morning with the Board of Directors meeting, followed by a celebration of a lifetime of service for Past President R. Layne Morrill.
Layne served as president for Missouri REALTORS® in 1974 and the National Association of REALTORS® in 1998. He was a nationally recognized leader whose advocacy had a tremendous impact on the local, state and national real estate industry. It was a beautiful tribute to Layne and I want to thank everyone who participated. I will always cherish the fact that he installed me as your President. He was a very dear friend and will be missed by so many.
To view the entirety of the Opening General Session, Emerging Issues Forum, R. Layne Morrill’s Celebration of Service and recordings of conference sessions and meetings, visit the schedule page of the April Business Conference microsite.
We hope you’ll also take time to view event photos from the April Business Conference. Pictures are worth a thousand words and this time around is no exception. I love seeing all the friendly faces and smiles! As always, these photos are available for you to download and use.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Missouri REALTORS® Fall Business Conference, September 29 – October 1, in Kansas City at the Intercontinental Hotel. If you have never been to a state conference, I encourage you to take this opportunity to garner more knowledge of our industry and state association. If you have attended it before—it’s going to be EPIC. I look forward to seeing you there!
Truly,
Janet Rodriguez Judd
President, Missouri REALTORS®