Commercial highlights from the commercial forums and meetings, with recaps on research, education, and the networking reception.
Download this issue (PDF 5.32MB)
Notice: The information on this page may not be current. The archive is a collection of content previously published on one or more NAR web properties. Archive pages are not updated and may no longer be accurate. Users must independently verify the accuracy and currency of the information found here. The National Association of REALTORS® disclaims all liability for any loss or injury resulting from the use of the information or data found on this page.
In This Issue
5 key takeaways from the 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.
The Commercial Committee agenda centered around discussion of the Commercial Real Estate ALERT report trends, released earlier this year.
The Commercial Economic Issues & Trends Forum explored rationale behind largely positive commercial market projections.
With the first public draft of the Republican plan for tax reform having dropped hours before the meeting, the Commercial Real Estate Legislation & Regulatory Advisory Board was buzzing with members eager to hear NAR's take.
2017 Commercial Real Estate Research Advisory Board Chair Mike Vachani, ABR, CIPS, started the meeting with an emphasis on the importance of members updating their NRDS member profile with the correct field of business, in order to have accurate information about NAR’s commercial membership and to capture better, more comprehensive data.
After observing a moment of silence in remembrance of the passing of industry veteran Wayne D’Amico, CCIM, Chair Alex Ruggieri, CCIM, CIPS, CRE, GRI, led the Commercial Leadership Forum in an intriguing look at the commercial real estate ecosystem.
Featured speaker Carl Carter Jr. discussed REALTOR® safety during the Property Management Forum, telling the story of his mother Beverly, who was tragically murdered. Carter Jr.’s presentation serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of property managers remaining vigilant about personal safety practices in the daily course of onsite business.
NAR expanded the Commercial Marketplace in 2017, providing a more engaging space for commercial members attending the conference. NAR’s Commercial Services team and Xceligent™ anchored the space, interacting with attendees to convey benefits, share key information, answer questions, and conduct live CommercialSearch™ demos.
The Groundbreaking Women in Commercial Real Estate panel spotlighted three leading Chicago commercial practitioners. Jimena Sayavedra of Paine Wetzel, Rosemary Swierk of Direct Steel and Construction, and Ashley Donat of Bridge International, touched on the professional and the personal in equal measure.
Putting up a slide of the classic 1985 film Back to the Future, Levison highlighted the uphill battle against time: “It’s not going to take another hundred years for technology to be drastically different from today than today’s technology is from the earliest commercial real estate technology.”
Several seasoned commercial practitioners joined moderator Sandra Miller to discuss their experiences at the MIPIM event in Cannes, France.
Carlos Fuentes, CCIM, CIPS, took the floor to talk about the facts of international life in the commercial real estate business.
This year’s Commercial Caffeinated Networking Breakfast was perhaps the touchstone event for commercial attendees. Accompanying the eggs, coffee, and networking were speakers bringing thought-provoking looks at the notions of “conscious capitalism,” industry gender balance, and diversity.
The task of building a brokerage business that lasts is all about recruiting and fostering new talent. The ‘hows and wheres’ for the task were covered in this session, moderated by Emily Line, RPR® VP of Commercial Services, and Jean Maday, NAR Director of Commercial Real Estate Development and Services.
The basic explanation of this emerging software technology is as simple as describing an accounting ledger or a document registry. Blockchain is at root a public software system that registers and documents transactions in real-time. Unlike a paper ledger, blockchain does this with irrevocable security, modern speed, and universal recognition.
REALTORS® Land Institute members Ben Crosby, Norma Nisbet, and Bob Turner, each told a special tale of site selection that went down to the dirt when it started but built up to the heights by the time it was completed.
Some problems of economic development stemming from real estate require more than property transactions and transparent pricing; they require a consultative, non-transactional approach. Markets have their limits, after all.
This interactive session, moderated by Andy Velkme, CIPS, featured a panel of wide and diverse expertise on international commercial real estate transactions.
Yan Khamish, Managing Director at the online commercial property sales platform Ten-X, asked the big questions about commercial real estate technology: What are the components, inefficiencies, and opportunities in commercial real estate?
A NAR REach® startup, Goby provides invoice automation, energy management, and sustainability reporting to property managers and owners.
Photos from the Commercial Networking Reception at the 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Chicago.
