Nobu Hata

By Nobu Hata, 2009 NAR Conference Blogger

Friday night’s NAR/YPN get-together was unlike any other REALTOR event I’d ever been to. Members of 47 national chapters networking, talking shop, and bouncing questions off each other, not to further their business, but to further their YPN cause both locally and nationally. A group of people taking this new, open, collaborative model of real estate to the next level for the betterment of our industry. “Our” industry. Who’d have thunk that?

Membership and sponsorship drives? Well, yeah.
Local media and PR relations advice?  Seriously?
YPN model collaboration? Yes, please.
Educational curriculum sharing?  Please do!
Local and national political action?  Tell me more.

I don’t remember hearing one iota of “me” the whole night; it was “us” and “we.” It was a decidedly un-REALTOR like evening.

My Minneapolis YPN chapter was voted Chapter of the Year for 2009. I was stoked. Honored. Less than 24 hours later, however, I can’t help but think that this award is a testament to a group of current and future real estate leaders, who at critical mass started setting the blueprint for the future of our industry.

So I urge all of you on the fence about YPN, get on board! Get involved! We’re getting stronger, and we’re not going away.