Published by the CIPS Network of the National Association of REALTORS®
Fourth Quarter 2008
Celtic Motif Symbolizes Connectivity
By Carol S. Weinrich
Irish culture can be found the world around, evidenced (and enjoyed) most commonly by the existence of the Irish pub in no fewer than 215 countries— from Albania to Yemen—according to the Irish Pub Directory. The total number of Irish pubs worldwide is nearly impossible to calculate, let alone to count.
A well-known motif of Irish culture is the Celtic Knot, often seen in jewelry and art.The delicate twists and turns of the image are found in ancient stone art, in illuminated manuscripts, and in various forms just about anywhere the Celtic people have traveled.The continual looping of the designs suggests themes of interconnectedness and of eternity. It is the interconnectedness that illustrates this story.
Many Champions for Dublin CIPS Institute
Last June, the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute (IAVI) sponsored a CIPS Institute in Dublin. There were 30 students enrolled, mostly from Ireland and the U.S., but also from Bermuda and Italy. The manner in which all this came to be involved a lot of connections and also produced a lot of connections.
NAR has long considered Ireland a desirable market for the CIPS program because of the high caliber of IAVI brokers and training requirements. ICREA Chair Emeritus Cormac Meehan, CIPS, a past president of IAVI, and long-time friend to NAR, began the auditing process required for CIPS faculty at the Dublin Institute and also taught the TRC course there.
NAR Regional Coordinator for Western Europe Ruth Krinke, CIPS, was instrumental in getting IAVI CEO Alan Cooke on board to sponsor both a CIPS and a TRC course. Alan, who oversees a highly successful business operation, would not casually pursue a program without confidence of financial and member service success, and Ruth was appropriately tenacious in convincing Alan that such a program was good for IAVI.
Students Quick to Connect
Students quickly made connections, both internationally and in their own local markets.
“I really loved the CIPS program. Beyond meeting the great people . . . it has already begun to help my business.Today I made an outgoing referral. I
[also] took a listing from a client who was so impressed that I was in Dublin when he called me, that by the time I got back he was entirely convinced that I was the broker for him.”
—Cynthia Maloney, Lake Forest, Illinois
“It will prove immensely valuable to me. Already I have the possibility of fee earning income from some of the Irish members of the group.”
—Michael Body, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary (Ireland)
While it is great to hear responses like this, particularly about the referrals—from students, this sort of feedback is not uncommon. What made the Dublin program unique, and let us know that the connections were being made, was a letter from IAVI CEO Alan Cooke, who wrote:
“On behalf of the IAVI, I would like to pay tribute to the caliber of the CIPS course delivered in Dublin ...IAVI President Ed Carey participated fully in the course and went into it with the somewhat jaundiced view one has come to expect from seasoned‚ practitioners but, by the end of the six days of intensive study he was lauding the course content and delivery, as were all Irish participants . . . All in all, any doubts were more than laid to rest.Well done to all concerned—ICREA and NAR have an excellent product that can only strengthen our global position in the property sector.”
Adding a broader international element to the program, ICREA opted to hold its annual strategic planning meeting in Dublin in conjunction with the Institute. The events reinforced the value of ICREA’s TRC program, which was integrated into the week’s programming. A sponsorship by SecondSpace, an online holiday homes portal was related to ICREA’s involvement. The results were better than anticipated.
Teamwork and Cooperation
I consider Alan to be both a colleague and friend, so it is with respect and affection that I say that praise from Alan does not come lightly. Whether as a result of the buy-in of ICREA and SecondSpace, the encouragement of Ruth, the back-up from Cormac, or the support from both IAVI and NAR staff (or perhaps some combination of all) the connections were made and made very successfully so for students, for organizers and for sponsors.
There’s an old Irish proverb which in Gaelic reads “Trína chéile a thógtar na caisleáin.” This literally translates to “In our togetherness (as a team), castles are built.” No doubt it sounds better in its original Gaelic tongue, but what it means, simply, is that teamwork and cooperation are required to complete great projects.The Dublin CIPS program was a great project.
NAR extends very special thanks to all who invested their time and energy to help make the Dublin CIPS a success. They truly made the connection. gp
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