From the desk of Dale Carlton, CRS, 2015 president
As I end my term as CRS president, I look back on the great strides the Council has made in 2015 to serve its members and provide them with valuable benefits and educational opportunities. Its been an important year for CRS with the launch of several exciting new initiatives.
For example, the Council recently unveiled the CRS Referral Network, which gives Designees two new ways to find agent referrals and generate consumer leads. This complimentary tool includes a more accurate and efficient Find a CRS search tool that allows search by ZIP code, among other new features. The new CRS Qualified Consumer Leads program (powered by Referral Exchange) delivers pre-qualified consumer leads directly to CRS Designees.
CRS also partnered with real estate and technology publisher Inman News to deliver Inman Select news exclusively to CRS members free of charge when they sign into their CRS accounts at crs.com.
Sell-a-bration®, the Councils flagship educational event, was a huge success, hosting nearly 800 of the most successful real estate professionals in the business. Next years event is slated for Feb. 8 9, 2016, at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Florida.
CRS Week delivered five free webinars, which members can still download and listen to, as well as a white paper focused on building referral business and a presentation aimed at demystifying the home financing process for buyers.
The Council recently restructured its chapter organization to more fully engage all CRS members at the state and local level. This new structure provides multiple ways for CRS members to connect locally, regionally and across the country. It is designed to engage all members in a more tangible way and encourage their involvement with CRS. It also eliminates the need for chapter dues, requiring only one single CRS annual membership dues payment.
I would like to thank Council leadership, volunteers and staff for working so hard to maintain and build upon what is undoubtedly the top organization of its kind in our profession. As I complete my term as 2015 CRS president, Im confident that the Council is on strong footing to thrive in the coming years.
I wish you all the best.
