N.A.R. was there

I'm not a Realtor.  I don't have to be.  I have a real estate license for the State of California, and theoretically I could sell real estate (but I don't).

A Realtor is someone who is a dues paying member of an organization, The National Association of Realtors or NAR for short.   Not a member of NAR?  You cannot call yourself a Realtor.  Simple as that.

Like any organization, one of NAR's objectives is to help their members.  That help might be in the form of legal matters, regulations, licensing, lobbying, education, or understanding new and emerging technology.

That's why I was a little surprised to see Keith Garner of NAR's Center for REALTOR Technology.  Why?  Inman's Real Estate Connect was all about bringing together technology and real estate professionals under one roof.  The Palace Hotel was overflowing with Agents who understood how emerging technology could enhance their business.

 

It turns out Keith is a former programmer and understands tech better than most people.

For those that don't know there's a little "friction" between some of the Agents and NAR.  Valid or not, Keith is doing a great job.  He understands his departments role and is doing everything he can to help Agents adopt and use technology to their advantage.

Oh yeah, he does have a blog. Fancy that!  http://blog.realtors.org/crt

Keep up the good work Keith!

REBarCamp 2008

First question should be "What the heck is a REBarCamp?  Did you learn how to build bridges or something? 

From the website: 

"RE Bar Camp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from attendees. Visit our wiki for more information."

I can say it was a great event and have to thank Andy, Todd, and all the rest that helped make it happen.

Here's just a small sample of some of the many who attended....