We sat down to talk with 2017 RAHB President Lou Piriano.
Q. First of all, congratulations on becoming President for 2017! Being on the board of directors and now being President is a big commitment of time, and you do this as a volunteer. What makes you want to spend that time on behalf of members and the association?
A. The real time commitment here is the one our members have made to being a REALTOR® belonging to Ontario’s finest association! Members have put their faith in the board of directors so we owe it to them to do whatever is necessary to empower them to succeed.
Q. The big thing coming up in 2017 is RAHB’s new Matrix MLS® System. What else do you intend to focus on this year?
A. Once again, I only represent the hard working board of directors and so the entire board will determine priorities along with our CEO. Those priorities are based in part on member surveys. MLS® services , a core competency, is consistently rated as members’ prime concern. Therefore, along with Matrix, we will be adding complementary services to give members an edge in their daily work which they can use to up their professional services and image to their clients. Increasing professionalism and conveying REALTOR® value to the public are also high on members’ priorities. It’s now our job to demonstrate the delivery of these services.
Q. Are there any particular challenges you see for members or the association in 2017?
A. It is clear that government, particularly at the federal level, is trying to “cool” the market. Tighter mortgage rules will feed into that effort. I am confident our location near the GTA represents the optimum value for buyers and we will continue to have a strong market in spite of those changes. Technology is also a huge challenge. As everyone knows, it changes at the speed of light and affects how REALTOR® services are delivered in some cases. Therefore, we need to be ready to adapt quickly when necessary.
Q. If you had to name one thing you wanted to accomplish this year, what would it be?
A. I don’t want to restrict our goals in any way. We can certainly walk and chew gum at the same time and I see no reason why we can’t complete multiple goals that members need and want. A huge goal is to share as much data with as many associations as possible so that members are not caught without information when their clients ask. Other associations have told us they aspire to the same goals.
Q. Any last thoughts to pass on to members?
Just know that we on the board of directors are members just like you and make the best decisions we can based on facts we have. As a member not on the board I often wondered why certain decisions were made. Now I know. As transparent as we are, there are still facts that can’t be “public” immediately.
My door is open to any member if I can help, 905-308-2988 is my cell number. Most questions are operational in nature and we have an incredible staff who are more than willing to help. Just try’em at 905.529.8101… tell ‘em Lou sent you.