Talking with the president
Audio: What's In Store for Real Estate

The 2006 president of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® talks about Internet's role in real estate, the qualities of a great manager, and why ancillary services are becoming more important.

BY PAMELA GEURDS KABATI AND STACEY MONCRIEFF

Thomas M. Stevens, a REALTOR® since 1972, stepped into NAR's presidency in 2006 — during a time when REALTORS® faced numerous challenges, including a federal lawsuit calling NAR’s Internet policies anticompetitive and a Government Accountability Office report shining a spotlight on competitiveness.

Here, Stevens talks candidly on these topics:

• What makes a good manager. Stevens, who became a manager at the young age of 24, has hired many managers over the course of his career. Here, he talks about the qualities he looks for. Listen Now
  
• Reaching your potential. Stevens says he experienced profound growth after participating in a training program developed by the The Pacific Institute, a company that helps individuals and companies maximize their potential. Stevens participated in TPI training in the 1970s. Listen Now
  
• Lifetime of real estate investing. Stevens bought his first house at age 18 from the Yeonas Co., a Vienna, Va., home builder. His dad, Norm, worked for the company; it's also where Stevens got his start in real estate and where he set a goal, at 22, of purchasing one real estate investment every year. Listen Now
  
• Competition in real estate. Is organized real estate anti-competitive? That's been the subject of much debate in Washington in recent months. But Stevens says, in his 30-year career, he's never seen more intense competition than he sees today.
  Listen Now
  
• Ancillary businesses. One of Stevens' goals as NAR president was to determine what services the association should be offering to brokers who operate ancillary businesses, such as mortgage and title. With pressure on profits, he says, those businesses are critical revenue sources for brokerages today. Listen Now
  
• The role of the Internet. Will the Internet ever eliminate the need for a real estate salesperson? Stevens thinks not. Listen Now
  
• Getting involved in NAR. In speeches around the country, Stevens talked about the "50 percent solution," his goal of getting 50 percent of members involved in NAR activities. Here, he talks about why member involvement is so important. Listen Now
  
  Learn More
  
  Taste of the Future
  REALTOR® Magazine profile of Thomas M. Stevens (January 2006)
  
  Thomas M. Stevens
  Biographical information of the 2006 NAR president at REALTOR.org