Season’s Greetings from the President

Wow! I still can’t believe we’re fully into December and the holidays are now just around the corner!

I love this time of year and welcome the hustle and bustle of it all. It’s nice to take a break from the hectic REALTOR® life so I can really enjoy the Christmas season—visit and thank clients, mix and mingle with friends and family, and most of all, ring in the new year and all the good fortunes it will bring!

This year has been amazing, traveling from coast-to-coast to see the amazing work done by REALTORS®across this great country.

The strides we’ve made this year with REALTOR.ca and its brand-new layout focusing on lifestyle enhancements like school catchment areas, interesting blog content and an improved user experience, helps solidify us as the No. 1 real estate website in Canada heading into 2019.

We are the national voice of the REALTOR®community in Canada. More importantly, our unified voice can help influence decisions and policies that impact homeowners, buyers and sellers. Our work has helped put housing affordability into the spotlight as we head into an important election year.

All this great work we’re doing—in our communities, for our clients, on behalf of home buyers and sellers—is because being a REALTOR® means something. The consultations we started toward the end of 2018 are just the first step to ensuring the REALTOR®Code of Ethics is something we can all embrace and enforce consistently. Ultimately, it will help reiterate the meaning and value of our profession and role as REALTORS®.

On a personal note, I hope you all have the happiest of holidays and get to feel the magic the season brings. I will be spending time with family and friends and, hopefully, hitting the slopes. We will be back at it in January, so I look forward to seeing you all in the new year!

With 2019 fast approaching, we reached out to Board of Directors to see what their New Year’s Resolutions are.

I am looking forward to an exciting and busy 2019. My goals for next year include focusing on my wellbeing, spending more of my spare time reading, and starting a new weekly activity with my family so we can spend more time together. I should also focus on not getting so stressed out when my favourite team loses.

Jason Stephen
President-Elect

I need to start blocking off time when I’m not engaged with any screens—no cellphones, no TVs, no computers, no answering emails. Even if it’s just for an hour or two. I also need to focus more on reconnecting with people and creating meaningful conversations. Too often, I’ll see someone post on Facebook and throw them a “like.” Well, I’d like to actually talk with people more. Next year will be about improving my quality of life… until at least March when resolutions tend to end.

Costa Poulopoulos
Vice-President

Anyone who knows me knows that I am probably one of most organized, disorganized people on the planet. When it comes to personal finances, there is no better example of a “shoebox” accountant than myself. My resolution for next year is to organize all my finances in an orderly, electronic format so that whenever I visit my accountant’s office, they no longer run for cover! However, based on my success rate of keeping previous New Year’s Resolutions, I’m not sure I like my chances. Happy New Year everyone!

Len Wassill
CREA Board of Directors
Regional Director – Saskatchewan