At the National Association of Realtors 2009 Conference and Expo 2009 President Charles McMillan had a chance to speak about what is happening in the real estate industry, where we are going and how we get there. Here is what we learned from the Immediate Past President of NAR.

If you want to be in business today you have to be better and faster than you were before. McMillan likens our industry position to that of Rip Van Winkle who refused to take care of  responsibilities and went to sleep for twenty years. Now we are all waking up. We assumed that changes in the real estate industry would happen predictably and gradually, but instead they occurred overnight. With the advent of social media, podcasting, blogs and video to name a few.

We have entered a time in our industry when growth and learning are no longer luxuries to turn to in our spare time. They are the hallmarks are shaping the crafting of a new profession. Where we go will be entirely dependent on our imagination, education and willingness to work. It really is a brave new world.

The heart of McMilllan’s remarks are best summed up in a single quote from his presentation. “All Realtors are created equal and some will choose to remain that way.”