I have to start by saying what an honor it is to serve as your HAR chairman of the board of directors for 2011. It is surely going to be an exciting year for our residential and commercial members. Already, we are working on new tools and services that will be rolled out during the course of the upcoming year. Just look at what’s been done in the past month alone. 

The new Members Only site was launched with a cleaner, more modern design and layout. It is now easier to find what you need, and the links at the bottom of your page are intuitive to show those tools you use most. The option to continue using the “classic” version will go away on January 31, 2011, so make sure you have tried out the new version before then. And, as always, let us know any feedback, good or bad, that you have so we can improve it.

The FIND search feature is now live, giving you the ability to search all of the listings using natural language (e.g. “3 bedroom, 3 bath in Bellaire with a pool”). You may “find” this new search capability in both the classic and new Member Only areas. 

It seems like politics never goes away, and that is certainly true with the 82nd Texas Legislative Session beginning on January 11, 2011. There will be many difficult decisions our elected officials will be making in Austin, but you can be assured that HAR’s leadership will be communicating with them regularly to make sure the REALTOR® and homeowner perspective is always considered. This is also why it is so important that you register to vote, actually vote in the elections to support REALTOR®-friendly candidates and contribute to TREPAC.

While I might be a commercial real estate broker, don’t think that means we will be any less focused on our residential members; just as HAR does not neglect our commercial members when a residential agent is chairman. I want this to be as anticipatory and responsive a year as HAR has ever had to please let anyone on the staff or me know if there’s anything we can do to improve our tools and service we provide to you. HAR is known as the best local REALTOR® association in the country, and that reputation takes work.

HAR’s 2011 theme is Navigating the Dynamic Forces of Real Estate. I look forward to working with the entire HAR team to ensure that we continue to provide the tools and services that you, our members, need to achieve that.

I wish you all a joyous and prosperous new year.

Carlos P. Bujosa
HAR Chairman