Missouri REALTORS®,
I am just back from a very successful trip to France where I was honored to represent Missouri REALTORS® at MIPIM, the world’s leading global real estate market, business conference and networking event. I was joined by our 2019 President Brenda Oliver. Missouri REALTORS® had a booth in the USA pavilion, hosted by the National Association of REALTORS®.
MIPIM draws over 26,000 leading real estate executives from 100 countries, including more than 5,400 investors. The four-day annual gathering of the global real estate industry brings together investors, developers, occupiers, architects, hotel groups, public authorities, city mayors and property associations from around the world.
Missouri REALTORS® was joined by Dennis Pruitt, the State of Missouri’s Vice President of International Business Recruitment. Missouri REALTORS® Treasurer-elect John Mayfield was also in attendance. Together, we capitalized on Missouri’s strategic location to be a booming epicenter of commerce.
Investors understand when we show them Missouri on a U.S. map and explain that locating their operations in Missouri allows them to reach more than half of the continental U.S. in less than a day’s drive, with most other states reachable in less than two. We highlighted how a company can send their goods or products anywhere they need to go via our international airports, extensive river barge network, or any of the United States Class 1 railroads, all of which come through Missouri.
We are most excited for the four-year relationship we have built with Alstom, a French multinational company operating worldwide in rail transport markets. We met them our first year at MIPIM and have continued a dialogue that has recently yielded over 400 new jobs in Missouri.
It is my contention that we are successful at MIPIM because we approach it as an economic development conference. If we create more jobs, the residential and commercial real estate transactions will follow. I believe our work at MIPIM will pay dividends for every community in Missouri for many years to come.
John Sebree
CEO, Missouri REALTORS®