We asked a few of our past presidents what OKCMAR accomplished during their term. OKCMAR has come a long way! There was plenty to share that did not all fit into this slideshow.
Lanny Gardner
My goal for ’94 was to obtain the approval of the Board of Directors for the development
and launching of a Commercial & Industrial Committee (CID). That was approved on March 23rd.
The first membership luncheon was on April 12th at Applewoods Restaurant. Cost was $9, or $11 at the door.
Ron Schrouf was appointed the Chairman of the CID Executive Committee.
Mission: To provide Commercial Educational, Programs, Contracts and forms, Professional
Standards and a voice for the Commercial REALTORS® under our soon to be new roof.
The CID consisted of an Executive Committee of Chairman, Chairman Elect, and Vice
President and a “Chairman’s Council” consisting of 7 Commercial REALTORS®.
There were many accomplishments for OKCMAR that year, especially the construction and
remodel of 3131 NW Expressway headquarters. The land and building were purchased in 1993 under the leadership of President Claudia Chappell
Peggy Pitts
Reaching new heights
We had several notable accomplishments during my year as President of OKCMAR in 1996. First, it was our first full year in our new building and besides just getting settled and furnishing anddecorating the new facilities, we also had a silent auction to raise funds and to purchase art pieces for the building. Each piece of art had a plaque with the name of the person who purchased the art, which was hung in the office.
We followed and actively opposed State Question 669, which dealt with changing the method used for assessing property tax limits. Thankfully, due to the hard work by Barry Whittington and his Legislative Committee, it was defeated!
We also spent a great deal of time and effort getting our membership up and running on the Internet! We had decided to get rid of the old MLS books and go totally online. We had visions of crowds of people storming the OKCMAR offices in revolt! No one wanted to let go of the coveted MLS book – which, by the way, was always at least 2 weeks old by the time we got it! This meant we had to teach a great number of brokers and members HOW to use the Internet. Many brokers didn’t have PCs in their offices so we set up a computer room at the OKCMAR office so they could come by there to enter listings, print listing sheets, etc.
So, I guess you could say, we dedicated much of our time dragging the membership, kicking and screaming, into the new world of the Internet! The big fear was that the Internet was going to do away with the need for buyers and sellers to even use a REALTOR®! After all, if they could just get the information on a house from the Internet, why did they need a REALTOR®? Boy, did we find out that that was a needless fear! But it did make us stop and take stock of exactly what we do provide for our customers, which is a LOT more than just opening houses!
We were also in the first couple of years of setting up the Commercial Division of the MLS and setting up the Commercial Board of Directors. If it weren’t for the active participation of some of the biggest and most professional commercial brokers in Oklahoma City, it would have been a much bigger task.
It was an exciting year, we accomplished so much and I feel we were leading the way into the new world of real estate which we enjoy today!
Bill Poertner
Passionately commit to make a difference
It was a record breaking year for RPAC! OKCMAR met the 40% goal for the first time. A culture for RPAC investment was established.
Our MLS became the first in Oklahoma to provide every MLS user free electronic real estate purchase contracts, listing agreements, and documets with Instanet Forms. It also became the first MLS in Oklahoma to provide every MLS user free “in the cloud” access for managing their real estate transacions with Transaction Desk.
Judy Lindsay
I had the honor of serving as President of OKCMAR in 2009. The Crash of 2008 had depressed markets all across the country. We decided to attack the mood with an “I believe in Oklahoma” media, ad and billboard campaign, focusing on the positive aspects. This proved to have a stabilizing and stimulating effect on our membership and our market. I’m proud to say that we received national media attention calling Oklahoma City, “A Beacon of Light in the Darkness”
Lorna Koeninger
Building Bridges
Financial security for the future of OKCMAR was insured by changing the accounting and auditing procedures, adding a system of internal control. 2012 was also the year of free education to membership and building up the REALTOR store for membership accessibility.
Financial security for the future of OKCMAR was insured by changing the accounting and auditing procedures, adding a system of internal control. 2012 was also the year of free education to membership and building up the REALTOR store for membership accessibility.
Susanna Lorg
Providing a shining light
2015 was a year of adjustments to the Bylaws that made the road a bit bumpy, but we got through it! We had a great Board of Directors and great staff to plow through!