“What if the next disruption in real estate is not a new technology? What if the next disruption is instead a generation…” Guest columnist Sarah Jones of Bamboo Realty asks this question in her article that may be found here. If an entire generation views homeownership as less desirable or less of a goal in life, what impact would that have on our business? Check out this insightful article and get involved with the Nextgen REALTOR Group (NRG) to continue to learn more about this topic and ways the association can help our younger members.

Last chance to be part of the 2016 class of the Texas REALTOR® Leadership Program (TRLP). We recently asked during a leadership meeting how many of the people in the room were graduates of the program. An enormous number of those in attendance raised their hands. TRLP will not only help you become a better REALTOR for your clients but also a better citizen for our community. You may read more about how to apply here. The deadline is March 18, so don’t delay.

There is an upcoming Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) meeting at HAR on March 22. This is part of TREC’s statewide listening tour to hear from licensees. It also provides the opportunity to comment on the proposed advertising rule changes. There are some potentially troubling aspects to the changes, so we need as many members to come out and comment as possible. Look for an official position to be taken by the HAR Board of Directors soon. You may learn more about the meeting here. We hope to see a great turnout for this important meeting.

Continuing education is one of the ways that we all stay on top of the latest and greatest tools and information to be the best we can be. Some continuing education is actually required by the state for licensees. TREC has made some modifications to the rules, so please read here to find out more and to make sure you get the credit you deserve.

In addition to being the chairman of the board for HAR, I also serve as chairman of our commercial division, Commercial Gateway. The latest quarterly market report from Commercial Gateway offers the results from the fourth quarter of last year and shows that the commercial market held up better than many expected considering the decline in energy prices. You may read more from the report here.

Until next month,

Mario Arriaga
HAR Chairman of the Board