Tom's Indian Wells Candidates' Forum Presentation

 The full text of Tom Carnahan’s speech delivered at the recent Candidates’ Forum in Indian Wells is below. Contact Tom if you have any questions or suggestions.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for having the commitment to be here today. Your participation is essential and appreciated.

As you know, I’m running for 2011 President-Elect.

And, as a consummate team player, next year — if you see fit to elect me –  I’ll be supporting, implementing and pursuing the agenda set by the President and our entire leadership team.

Yet even in that role, each and every Realtor in this room who knows me – and those who don’t know me will soon understand – that while I embrace life in a big way, enjoying it’s pleasures and thrills, I’m always, ALWAYS looking out for my fellow Realtors. In fact, that’s why I decided to run; I’m the right candidate at the right time.

You got a problem? I’ll be there.

I’ll do whatever it takes to make a Realtor’s life less complicated and to make buying and selling real estate easier, faster and trouble free?

But while I’m working for you, you’ll also hear me asking a lot of “Why?” and “How?” questions.

I’m always going to be on the lookout for what I can learn, for what we as Realtors can gain from every experience and how we can use that knowledge to implement new services and expanded, modern member benefits.

Everything that I do will be with the intention of making sure a Realtor has the answer, a Realtor has the solution, and that a Realtor’s knowledge will always play a pivotal role in every transaction.

I’m experienced at what I do and after serving on more than 275 committees, boards and community groups over the last three decades I can answer most questions. Plus, I understand the dynamics of working in an association and strategizing along with dozens of powerful personalities.

Many of you here today have already made me aware of so many needs and presented so many brilliant suggestions. There are no shrinking violets in this crowd, that’s for sure.

While I love to solve problems, I also know my limits. I recognize that leadership means gathering good, knowledgeable people together, encouraging their expertise to surface and then allowing them get to work.

And there is SO much that needs to be done.

Don’t think for a second that we’re going to get a break from the tidal wave of change that has washed over the industry over the past 10 years. As a new decade dawns, information and information technology will be more powerful than ever.

The systems we approve today will yield what our members rely on tomorrow and for years to come.

Instead of reacting to old news or clinging to fading paradigms, C.A.R. must prepare members for the next market, the NEXT challenge, and the NEXT technology.

While surfing the C.A.R. website I recently came across a member survey.

At the time, about fifty-five hundred members had responded. Of that total 70 percent said they used some form of social networking to advance their business.

This is huge. It confirms an enormous shift in use of technology that directly facilitates relationship building. It’s an acknowledgment by the majority of our members that engaging is advancing.

Technology won’t replace the Realtor, but a Realtor using technology will have an advantage over other licensees. Realtors who embrace and adopt the tools will have the competitive edge.

Leadership has a responsibility to continue to develop, introduce and assist members with the adoption of those tolls that build online presence and keep the Realtor at the center of the transaction.

In order to effect change and inspire, a leader must know the members and acknowledge that the profession is growing more ethnically and culturally diverse with passing year.

Realtors, just like all Americans, are not a uniform, homogeneous group. We’re a motley lot, a collection of multiple cultures, multiple languages and religions, not to mention an assortment of Gen X’ers, Gen Y’s, Baby Boomers and beyond. We are small boutique companies, large brokers and some of us are even Green.

All of us have a different perspective on the world around us.

Diversity is good, it gives us insight and strength, yet ALL Realtors must come equipped to serve ALL clients, many of whom are younger than ever before.

Our challenge is to ensure that our membership understands and reflects this diversity and that they have all the tools they need to serve and thrive.

As a second generation Realtor, I’ve experienced firsthand how the business has changed over the decades.

While our clients and our members are more accepting, they are, in reality, more expecting of advances such as online, eco-friendly, paperless real estate transactions.

We also must maintain a sharp focus on the way we approach city councils and our state Legislature.

Government is more involved in our business than ever before. While we pursue new technologies and new tools that keep Realtors at the center of every transaction, we also need to stay vigilant and active in the political arena. To do that, we’ll need even more member involvement and support.

In closing, my intention is to find the solutions to the challenges confronting our profession.

We are strong. We are resilient. We are proud Realtors.

With your support we will, together, move our association into the next decade.

I humbly ask that you vote for me as your next president-elect.

I welcome your questions.

I am eager to hear your suggestions and your solutions.

Thank You.