Meet the 2016 OAR Leadership Academy class
By Sara Calo, OAR President
The Ohio Association of REALTORS is pleased to announce its inaugural, 12-member Leadership Academy class. These REALTORS will embark on an intense, nine-month program focused on goal-setting, communication, business relationships and personal growth beginning at the organization's Spring Legislative Conference, April 18-20, in Columbus. Congratulations to:
Michelle Billings
Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS
Coldwell Banker West Shell
Top Industry Challenge: Finding ways to overcome the public's perception that our industry consists of real estate agents that lack sufficient training and competence.
Top OAR Challenge: Increasing member professionalism.
Heather Dunn
Columbus REALTORS
Coldwell Banker King Thompson
Top Industry Challenge: Part-time agents are not an asset to our industry. I fully understand why an agent may need to have another source of income at some point, especially while getting started in this profession. However, someone who stays part-time to simply just do a deal now and then is not making a firm commitment to the profession, their clients or their peers. It is our responsibility to be educated in our respective markets and that requires "living" this profession. Immersing ourselves in educational opportunities, conversing with other agents, attending conventions, repeatedly working on our craft: pulling CMAs, showing homes, writing offers, negotiating. It takes repetition to be competent in this industry and only working part-time doesn't allow for that.
Top OAR Challenge: Lack of involvement of the newer/younger agents. As an Association, we need to constantly be replacing ourselves. In order to do that, we must show the Local Boards and brokerages that there is a benefit to their newer/younger agents attending and participating at a state level. With the increasing age of the majority of REALTORS, if we don't involve the younger generation, our Association is going to face a major lack of volunteer-leaders in the years to come.
Sandra Green
Scioto Valley Association of REALTORS
Kear Realty
Top Industry Challenge: Competition from other sites/entities that convince buyers and sellers that no personal interaction or representation is needed.
Top OAR Challenge: Defining the OAR brand to its members and the asset it can be to them for their business.
Cindy Jacobs
Guernsey-Muskingum Valley Association of REALTORS
Lepi & Associates Real Estate Services
Top Industry Challenge: Convincing sellers to price their homes according to our expert advice using our market knowledge.
Top OAR Challenge: Opposing the proposed legislation to repeal the broker prominence rule in Ohio.
Ralph Mantica
Dayton Area Board of REALTORS
Kinzeler Realty, broker/owner
Top Industry Challenge: The changing real estate landscape with the push from the National Association of REALTORS in the way of professional standards, project Upstream and Amp, and agent ratings. This would include Board mergers, regionalization of services.
Top OAR Challenge: Local Board survival -- are they going to be able to handle the changes due to Core Standards, Upstream and Amp. Will the membership see the value in being a member? (The REALTOR organizations) will have to provide value services and be willing to look at mergers, to look at the larger picture and not to worry about protecting the past, but able to see the future as well. No one likes change, but it will happen. Are you going to be proactive or reactive?
Joe Marino, III
Stark County Association of REALTORS
Whipple Auction & Realty
Top Industry Challenge: One of the most significant challenges that today's real estate professional faces is the vast and boundless amount of technology that works its way into the market on a regular basis. New technologies find their way to market quicker and more bountiful than the year before. As an agent with their finger on the pulse on these new apps and widgets, I find that it's a multi-faceted issue. Many REALTORS are unable to catch up with new trends, as they feel lost about what new thing they should tackle next from the countless options available. They find themselves in a constant barrage of advertisements promising the next best tool in real estate. Diversely, on the horizon are applications that can threaten our livelihood. Automation does have some place in our field and can be used to enhance our offerings or be used by outside forces to devalue the services we provide. Keeping a watchful eye, getting involved in Associations, discussing these issues, and letting our government know what's best for the consumer and the REALTOR will help guide these technologies in the right direction.
Top OAR Challenge: There seems to be a need for more involvement from volunteers in the organization. I feel that more thought could be placed on assisting Local Associations with creating and administering local YPN chapters. These groups could easily discover talent waiting to be fulfilled and bring them to the forefront of our institutions. A strong improvement in video media communication to the members would help accomplish bringing people into the fold. Video is easier to produce and spread in today's social media world than ever before.
Dan McQuillen
Toledo Regional Association of REALTORS
The Danberry Co., Vice President, broker/manager
Top Industry Challenge: The ever-changing rules and regulations make it difficult for an agent to stay up-to-date. Educating the agent population on these regulations and how to set expectations with their clients is an ongoing challenge.
Top OAR Challenge: I believe relevance and communication is a big issue for OAR. It is important for OAR to communicate to its members what OAR is doing for them. If they are unable to communicate this, then the members think OAR has no relevance.
Debbie Milnar
Toledo Regional Association of REALTORS
The Danberry Co., Vice President of Operations
Top Industry Challenge: Protecting our clients' data and keeping its integrity. Upstream roll-out could be a challenge.
Top OAR Challenge: Lack of involvement from younger, newer members.
Joe Mock
Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS
Cutler Real Estate, manager/agent
Top Industry Challenge: Professionalism of our agent base, and how agents interact with our clients.
Top OAR Challenge: Continuing to be of value to our members.
Phil Morrical, III
Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS
Morrical Realty, Director of Development
Top Industry Challenge: The DANGER Report, through its analysis of our industry, indicates that our professionalism as agents is our biggest threat to our industry and I also feel that is our most significant challenge.
Top OAR Challenge: Membership growth and retention.
Christopher Pedon
Columbus REALTORS
HER REALTORS, Regional Vice President Northeast Region, Manager Gahanna/New Albany officers
Top Industry Challenge: MLS organization and data protection.
Top OAR Challenge: Membership and relevance to its members.
Fred Troyer
Wayne Holmes Association of REALTORS
Real Estate Showcase and Auction Co., broker/manager
Top Industry Challenge: The ever-changing federal regulations in respect to lending and financing that create additional hardships for lenders, title companies, agents and the consumer.
Top OAR Challenge: Maintaining our position as a REALTOR organization at the state level. Making sure we are a significant force politically to protect our interests in proposed legislation and changes in policy.
