My commencement speech to the class of 2004

Ladies and gentlemen of the inaugural Land Use Academy class of 2004, I say this: Plan. If there is one tip that I can offer for the future of your success, it is to make a plan. Plan your work and work your plan. The benefits of planning, thoroughly testing, researching and then executing a plan are time-tested and work. It’s been my experience that this is the hardest of work, but worthy of a great undertaking because, as you all know now, the future of land use is ours to take, ours to control, but there must be planning.

Use the power of your local, state and national association. The resources are vast and there is trained staff, experts in land use, ready to help you educate members of the local municipalities on why smart land use practices are important for the future of communities. Enjoy their wealth of knowledge and use them. That’s why they are there.
Become active. Take an interest in what your peers are doing, especially those who are making developments work. They’re out there, too. You just have to know where to look. We all need communities where people want to work and play. By becoming active, by donating to the REALTOR® Political Action Committee, you’re becoming active and keeping REALTORS® at the table to design higher density alternatives to large lot, low-density development that will allow for such tings as mixed uses, compact designs and walkable communities.

Meet your local legislators. Meet your state legislators. And, if you can, meet your national legislators.

Don’t waste time on holding grudges for those who don’t see things the MAR way. That’s the nature of debate. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Remember that the race is long and, in the end, it’s winnable. However, remember your friends and those who helped you with your development along the way, because they will be there for the long haul. Forget the insults. How? I don’t know, but if you can do it, tell me how because I would love to know.

When you fish, use the right bait. Worms usually work best.

Attend local township meetings. Get on the agenda and make sure you know what you have to say to educate the government officials on why it’s important not to micromanage projects. Tell them to let the developers and REALTORS® to do their thing because in the long run, it’s in the best interest of everyone.

A full house always beats a flush. Always.

Maybe you’ll run for office. Maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll run for a seat on your local REALTOR® board. Maybe you’ll run for a state or national seat. Whatever you do, don’t be satisfied with just what you learned at the Academy. The nature of the land use debate changes constantly. Keep up with the times and be ahead of the curve.

Read your association’s publications. They’re good, you know, and help with keeping up to date on land use.

Enjoy your profession. Real estate is definitely the best job in the world. We are the ambassadors for the community. Let’s harness that power and work to bridge the gaps in geography among members. There’s a lot of land out there that will be developed and it has to be done properly.

Respect draft picks, but don’t forget about the veterans. Encourage your fellow members to become involved and look for advice and wisdom from those who already are.

Listen to what your association has to say. Don’t be afraid to tell others what you learned here, either. Tell them to attend future Academies, because, by the look of the smiles on your faces and the energy that was displayed, this is a must-attend event. Tell others. Tell everyone. Dispensing advice, the right advice, to other REALTORS® will help the educating process that is so essential to land use.

But make sure you have a plan. Trust me on this one.