The success of NAR's educational classes and Innovation Showcase at the NAR convention in New Orleans In November 2002 has resulted in the award of a bigger budget and more creative leeway for senior vice president Frank Sibley, who oversees NAR's conventions and publications.

In November, the NAR spent about $500, 000 on technology innovations, including Technology Learning Centers, five rooms full of over 50 computers and wireless devices, so that Realtor convention attendees could have free classes to learn how to use real estate applicable hardware and software. According to Sibley, there were over 200 sessions offered over the four-day convention period. The classes, cosponsored by Stewart Title, ranged from how to use a Blackberry or Palm, to how to use Toop Producer, to how to publish stationery with Microsoft Publisher, to how to use a digital camera. Taught by a wide range of technology professionals including name speakers such as Rolf Anderson, the classes are an attempt by the NAR to draw more agents and brokers to the conventions, and especially younger and new agents.

The classes worked hand in hand with the Innovation Showcase, a section of the trade show run by RealComm, which featured the newest and most innovative hardware with applications for the real estate industry. There, Realtors who are interested in learning how to operate a new digital camera, for example, or a new tablet PC, can see which brands and models are most suited for their purposes.

Explains Sibley, "The RealComm staff attend about 20 top technology shows annually. They pick out the applications and products that have the most applications for real estate industry, and that's what they display at the Showcase, that is truly new and innovative."

The idea, says Sibley, is to provide the seam between new products and learning how to use them.

"We want to be known as where to go for technology training," says Sibley. "Six thousand people went through the training sessions in New Orleans, and we have the go-ahead to add facilities to accommodate another 1000." Sibley says that in addition to more seats and classes, the Innovation Showcase in San Francisco will feature a special section for brokers with office management applications.

"We have an arrangement with Realcomm (with Jim Young) to do the real estate office of the future," explains Sibley. "Brokers can enter and see how to create a technology-based office and reduce costs, materials and space for a more efficient office. It would be state-of-the-art technology applied to running a business like a brokerage."

The NAR convention drew flat traffic this year, with 22,000 attendees, about the same as the previous post Sept. 11th convention in Chicago in 2001. Meanwhile, overall membership has grown over the last two years by about 40,000 new members, putting the membership at over 800,000. The NAR hopes that new programs will spark better attendance for the conventions, which are also dependent on sponsorship by vendors at the trade show.

"A couple of years ago we didn't have that idea," says Sibley, "the thought is technology is going to make a big difference in the success of individual Realtors. At the trade show, the solutions are whatever the vendor is selling, you know, buy my stuff, but we will teach you how to use that stuff. Then you can go to the Innovations Showcase and talk to the Realcomm people in a non-selling environment to answer technology questions before you buy. You can get fair guidance and advice that is unbiased. Then you can go to the convention floor armed with information before talking to vendors."

Sibley says that the classrooms were full until the convention began to thin out on Sunday and Monday. "Friday and Saturday were booked, but they could get in on other days."

So if you are a Realtor and want to get in on more free training, plan to stay longer at the convention in San Francisco.

"We'll have time management with ACT and GOLDMINE, Have Palm Will Travel, digital camera demonstrations, Front Page fundamentals, and more," says Sibley who says the curriculum reflects current trends in technology.

"The trend is the broker has a lot of responsibility for helping the agent understand how to adapt the technology," explains Sibley. "We are very aware that the agent, as an independent contractor, often doesn't have an IT department to rely on. From the NAR educational point of view we are trying to give them the most information we can, and the broker has a big role to play."

Does Sibley see a time in the future when the NAR will operate a tech support site for agents?

"We are like the good housekeeping seal," replies Sibley. "We set standards and review products and services before they are pushed out to members and give the suppliers suggestions. I see us through the Center of Real Estate Technology as a repository of what is new and valuable as it applies to our industry."

But the NAR is not only attempting to keep up with what's current, but what also lies in the future.

"We will keep pushing on education on VOWs and things like that," assures Sibley. "Before November, a lot of big franchises didn't know that VOWs are as important as they are, and the technology group is trying to set standards. There will be a lot of stuff coming up in the May meetings. We understand it will be a huge educational job that NAR is going to be involved in."

Published: December 30, 2002

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.