Friday, January 28, 2011

Leadership stays on hand during FR meetings

ORRA’s leadership and executive staff spent the better part of last week attending the Florida REALTORS® Mid-winter Business Meetings (conveniently held right there in Orlando). They represented ORRA’s interests during five days worth of board meetings, committee meetings, council meetings, governmental forums, etc.
When not taking care of association business, leadership participated in social events and maybe even sat in on an educational session or two for their own benefit.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

ORRA chairman addresses Orlando’s economic leaders


ORRA  Chairman of the Board Mike McGraw presented a “state of the Orlando housing market” during yesterday's 2011 Central Florida Economic Forecast luncheon, of which ORRA was a sponsor. Mike provided a snapshot of the current market, a recap of 2010 housing activity, and predicted an increase in sales during 2011. Read his full remarks, here.
Dr. Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida, also gave a presentation on the economic outlook for 2011.
The luncheon was attended by a mix of small-business owners, large-industry representatives, and local governmental representatives.

Monday, January 17, 2011

ORRA initiative assists Orlando's homeless families

On Saturday morning, members of the ORRA Board of Directors came together and served breakfast to Orlando-area homeless families currently living at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida’s Center for Women and Families. The ORRA members dished out scrambled eggs, grits, and bacon to more than 120 residents of the center, including many children.
As the largest emergency shelter in Central Florida that accepts intact families, the Center for Women and Families provides a crucial service to homeless families and regularly houses up to 240 members.
Under the leadership of ORRA Chairman of the Board Mike McGraw, ORRA has started an outreach program in which REALTORS® have the opportunity to help fellow community members who are in need.
Brokers, for less than $170 your office can sponsor and serve a breakfast or dinner that feeds needy families in our community. If you are interested in having your office participate in the program, please contact Cathy Case at cathyc@orlrealtor.com or 407.513.7281 for more information.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

ORRA honors major RPAC donors

ORRA Sterling R, Crystal R, and Golden R investors were recognized at this afternoon’s annual Sterling R luncheon, held at the Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park. REALTORS® at the Sterling R level contribute at least $1,000 annually; REALTORS® at the Crystal R level contribute $2,500 annually; and REALTORS® at the Golden R level initially donate $5,000 and then contribute $2,000 annually to sustain.
Members of the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association donated $74,347 to the REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) in fiscal year 2010. RPAC funds support political candidates and real-estate related issues on the national, state, and local levels.
Locally, RPAC’s attention in 2010 was focused on issues such as Wekiva River Basin Septic Tank rulemaking, Amendment 4, and local foreclosure ordinances.
For more information about RPAC, please contact the ORRA Governmental Affairs Department at gac@orlrealtor.com or 407.513.7277.

ORRA Brokers Council plans for upcoming year

At today’s quarterly Brokers Council meeting, ORRA brokers met to discuss industry issues and trends, as well as plan educational events and programs designed specifically for today’s brokers.
Each year, the Brokers Council presents the Broker’s Briefing Breakfast series, which is free for all brokers to attend.  Each breakfast features an informative presentation on topics such as risk management/legal liability, industry trends and issues, legislative and regulatory issues, and brokerage management concerns.  
The next Broker’s Briefing Breakfast is scheduled for Friday, February 25.  Please save the date and watch for additional details to come soon. You won’t want to miss it!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

REALTORS® gather at first-ever LIST Breakfast meetings

REALTORS® and Affiliate members at the LIST Breakfast in Lake Mary.
This morning, REALTORS® gathered at three locations around town to attend ORRA’s first-ever LIST Breakfast meetings. At each of these well-attended meetings, REALTORS® were given 60 seconds to pitch their property listing to fellow agents and brokers. Members of ORRA’s Executive Committee were also on-hand to share the latest need-to-know information.
The first 20 REALTORS® at each location received a free $5 gift card toward breakfast, compliments of an Affiliate-member sponsor.
ORRA will be hosting twice-monthly LIST Breakfast meetings, with the next breakfast scheduled for Thursday, January 20 at 8:30 a.m.
We hope to see you on January 20! For more information about ORRA LIST Breakfast meetings, or to reserve your spot at the next breakfast, please visit www.orlrealtor.com. 

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Welcome to the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association Blog

Welcome to the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association Blog, where you'll have the opportunity to interact with ORRA leadership and learn about the latest news and happenings at your association.

We hope you will find the blog to be a useful tool, and we encourage you to share your ideas, comments, and suggestions.