President's Call To Action!!!           James A. Kilroy, CPM RPM

  Over the past several months I have asessed our Chapter as I would a new property in my portfolio.  What is working really well and what can we improve. 

A lot is working well.  Several years ago the Board agreed to collaborate with CCIM on various programs.  The association with CCIM has given the chapter critical mass at our events and has expanded each of our professional networks.  In 2008 the Chapter will continue to collaborate with CCIM.

Four years ago the Chapter leaders agreed to grow the Friends of IREMProgram.  At the time we had somewhere around 5 or 10 friends. Participation was poor.  I am happy to report that the chapter now has over 30 members of the Friends of IREM program.    These companies and individuals support the Chapter financially and volunteer their time to assist in Chapter activities.

Years ago the chapter golf tournament was consistently undersold or just didn't take place  We have now held 7 consecutive tournaments and the most recent four tournaments have been sell outs.

Last year David Tripp initiated a member survey.  What a novel idea - asking your members what they like and what they want.  The Board will again survey our members for their feedback and this Board will do it's best to meet those needs of the members.   

In 2007, Cara Houser and the Chapter completely revamped our web site.  If you haven't seen the new Chapter web site, I recommend you take a look this weekend.  It is truly a first class web site that is appropriate for an IREM Chapter of our stature. 

Two years ago the Chapter chose to support Rebuilding Together.  In 2007 IREM and CCIM Volunteers fixed an elderly woman's home in San Francisco and in 2008 we will fix a home for another person that cannot afford it or is unable to do it themselves. 

There are three items we can improve     Marketing, Marketing, Marketing!!!  

The Real Estate Community needs to know the benefits of hiring a Certified Property Manager (CPM).  As I look around the room and as I read the different professional publications in the market place I see CPM's are the owners of companies, I see CPM's that are owner and leaders in the largest national and regional real estate service companies, In addition, I see asset managers and owner representatives that are CPM's.  The powerful theme amongst these leaders is that they all busted their buts to become CPM's.  This year the Board has agreed to run an ad in the SF Business Times that recognizes these leaders and publicizes their CPM credential.  These are the leaders in the business of real estate management and they all have one thing in common, three letters, CPM.

• I want to revamp the chapter flyers and the email advertisements. 
• I want to update the Chapter logo.
• I want to continue to use innovative web based methods to reach out to our members.  CVent is the Chapter's on line event registration service that has been up and running for over a year.
• I want to expand the use of a web based communications and email service like Constant Contact.
• As previously stated, I want the chapter leaders to  REACH OUT to these CPM leaders I described earlier and publicize our course offerings, to encourage these leaders to send their employees to an IREM course, to encourage their vendor to become a Friend of IREM and most important, to encourage their employees to become ARM's or CPM candidates. 

The Chapter kicked off 2008 with our annual Forecast luncheon. at the Oakland Marriott  The event was co-sponsored with CCIM and East Bay BOMA and will feature a powerful speaker from the Bay Area Economic Forum, Dr. Sean Randolph.  This spring the chapter is sponsoring a program about the TransBay Terminal development.  One of the speakers will be former SF Supervisor, State Senator and Superior Court Judge, Quinten Kopp.  Judge Kopp is the Chairperson of the California High Speed Rail Authority.  The San Francisco high-speed rail terminal is the major component inside the new terminal. 

Later this spring, the chapter is sponsoring a program featuring a LEED Certified Office development in downtown Oakland hosted by Brandywine Real Estate.  Thereafter, in April your chapter leaders will meet with other chapter leaders from around the country in Washington DC.  On the final day of the conference we will visit Capitol Hill to lobby our political leadership on the issues that are important to our industry, our clients and our profession. 

IREM volunteers are planning other creative programs.  Our programs will emphasize current issues and feature powerful speakers that will set IREM programs apart from the others.   

Being a part of IREM has been a tremendous benefit to me from a career and personal perspective.

From a career perspective I have benefited from the IREM education.  I have taken various courses about real estate and the IREM courses are the most demanding and are the most relevant to the work that I perform.   

When people ask me about the IREM education I tell them it is like learning a new language.  You are learning the language that owners and investors speak.  If you want to succeed in real estate management the IREM education provides the knowledge that owners expect and the tools you need to communicate effectively. 

Personally, I have benefited from the network of professionals that I have come to know.  I know that if I need help, maybe advice, a contact, an introduction, or a referral, I know that I have a vast network of friends and colleagues that I can call.  You too can benefit the way I have from IREM.  

• I challenge you to volunteer for a committee,
• I challenge you to become more involved in the              Chapter; 
• I challenge you to refer a professional acquaintance, or ask your boss to commit to making your company an AMO;
• I challenge you to recommend that your co-worker become a CPM candidate;
• I challenge you to refer a vendor to the Friends of IREM program. 
• I challenge you to attend this year's Rebuilding Together Program.

And as I prepare to leave you today, I will share a story that you can use to create some Buzz and convince someone to pursue an IREM education.

Frank McBride, my IREM instructor, began my 400 course offering with this story.  It is about two baseball players and they were college friends, both had similar skills and they were drafted by the same team in the same year.  One came early before each game to train and practice; he studied the pitchers and studied other batters hitting tendencies.  He took ground balls and practiced defense, he exercised during the off season.   The other player didn't train or prepare like his friend. 

Early in their career they both did very well, both were equal.  As their careers advanced, the player that trained more did a little better than his friend.  He wasn't a superstar but he got an extra hit maybe every other game.  He didn't make the little mental mistakes that his friend made.  Over the short term these differences weren't a big deal, but as the got older and over the course of one or two seasons these incremental differences showed in the averages.  The numbers revealed who the better player was.  The player that trained and participated more had a 280 batting average, while his friend has a 240 batting average.  The player that trained and participated more with his teammates made fewer errors, made few mental mistakes, he was quicker, he scored more runs and stole more bases.  He became a better player.

That player signed a multi-year contract at age 32 and played till he was 36.    His friend was traded, didn't play much and retired at 32.    The better player became a major league coach. 

An IREM education, your participation and involvement can mean the same for your career or the career of someone you know. 

 

Sincerely,                                            

 

   James A. Kilroy, CPM, RPM 

     President, Chapter 21