Dear CAR Member,

Thank you to all of you who attended C.A.R.’s Virtual Legislative Day earlier this month. Your attendance made it a great success! The day was packed with great information that informed, inspired and engaged more than 3,200 REALTORS®. California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis gave a keynote address, and there were great discussions with Los Angeles Times housing reporter Liam Dillon and with USC demographer Dowell Myers, PhD about population trends’ impact on housing. C.A.R.’s Deputy Chief Economist Oscar Wei gave a comprehensive economic update, and C.A.R.’s new CEO John Sebree talked about his first full month in his new role. We also had a panel on the insurance market and a dialog on increasing the housing supply with Asm. Tim Grayson. Additionally, Sens. Bob Archuleta and Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh and former Fontana City Councilmember Jesse Armendarez shared their experiences as REALTOR® elected officials, and top political consultants talked about what it takes to run for office.

If you weren’t able to make it or just want to review a session, all 11 sessions have been recorded and are available to view on the desktop version of the platform until June 2 and on the mobile version until Sept. 2. And don’t forget to join us in Sacramento on Wed., April 27, for in-person Legislative Day. Contact your local Association for registration information.

Sessions have been eye-opening.” “Move over George Jetson!” “This has been an amazing day!” These are just a few of the comments we heard from attendees about our second Tech Xperience: A Virtual Summit event held just last week. The day was packed with hearing featured tech experts, CEOs and top producers covering tech tips and strategies on blockchain, NFTs, cryptocurrencies, content creation tools, virtual staging and much more. If you couldn’t attend the full event, want to rewatch sessions you enjoyed or didn’t register yet, all six content sessions, sponsor spotlights, speaker presentation slides and other must-have resources are available to access in the event platform now through April 30. If you’re already registered, click here to enter the event platform. If you still need to sign up, click here to register for $15 and gain immediate access to the platform. Visit virtualxperience.org for more info. and save the date for our next virtual summit, Marketing Xperience, coming June 1!

While I’m on the topic of events, we know that first-time buyers face numerous hurdles to achieve homeownership. That’s why C.A.R.’s Transaction Rescue team is holding a free, two-hour STEPS Toward Homeownership program on April 6 to share information from experts in every step of the transaction. This is an opportunity for agents to provide their clients with all the tools and resources they need to make the best decision for their situation. Confirm your free virtual spot here!

Lastly, I’m excited to announce the return of the Rising Star Awards program for 2022! The Rising Star Awards program is a C.A.R. initiative that works with the brokerage community to recognize their up-and-coming agents. We’re looking to highlight elite, new talent entering the industry and help boost their growing careers. If you know a deserving candidate who represents the next generation of leading agents, click here to view nomination rules, production requirements and application submission details. Applications are due by May 31, so act fast.

Sincerely,

Otto Catrina
C.A.R. President