 I came to know this modest, soft spoken
native of Wyoming about five years ago, when I served with him on the GLVAR Political
Affairs Committee.By David Herbst
 feel
privileged to interview this very dedicated and knowledgeable REALTOR,® who is leading
our highly efficient and influential Association of five thousand eight hundred members into our
next millennium.
Q) How long have you been a REALTOR®?
A) "I have been a
REALTOR® now for fifteen years. I originally got my license in the state I grew up, in
Wyoming. I moved to Las Vegas in 1989."
Q) How soon after you joined the GLVAR, did you join a
committee?
A) "I was involved with committees before I moved here. The first
committee I joined here was about two months after I joined The Association."
Q) Which committee and how long have you served on it?
A) "The first one was the Quality Control
Committee. The function of that Committee is to maintain as much accuracy as possible in
our data base. I served for about three years, including one year as Chair. Later I was
the committee’s ‘liaison’ from the Board of Directors."
Q) On what other committees have you served?
A) "Sometimes it feels like I have been on most
of them. I’ve been on committees that no longer exist, a lot of task forces.
I’ve been on everything from Public Relations, Political Affairs, The MLS (Multiple
Listing Service) Committee and the Equal Opportunity Committee, and I know I am leaving
out two or three. Currently I am a senior member of the Faculty Committee, teaching
classes. I served as a Director for five years. Then I decided to move up through the
offices. The first office was Vice President, which was last year. Then this year as
President Elect, and I take office as President of The Greater Las Vegas Association of
REALTORS® 2000, on November, 1."
Q) There is major growth in other cities. What made
you decide to move to Las Vegas?
A) "There were a multitude of reasons I liked Las Vegas. I liked the
people in Las Vegas better than most of the cities I found. They have a true sense of
hospitality. After growing up in a small town in Wyoming, I liked that. The countryside
here reminds me of the ranch I grew up on, although it’s not near as cold here in the
winter. And Wyoming is a State with no state income tax, so is Nevada. Those were some of
the major reasons. I already knew some people in Real Estate here. I worked with people in
Real Estate and other businesses that I knew in the community, so it was a logical
move."
Q) Could you please explain the purpose and function
of the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS®?
A) "The Association is the direct contact where
members work together. Through that, there are a variety of things they may do. One of the
most important functions of the Association is to bind its members to a strict code of
ethics, in their dealings with the Public and with their fellow REALTORS.® Beyond that,
the Association maintains a fully updated Multiple Listing Service and education. We have
political activities, where we actually go in and try to defend private property rights,
through legislation."
Q) Would you please define the difference between just
a Real Estate Agent, a ‘License’ and a REALTOR,® who is all those and much
more?
A) "The biggest difference is the Code of Ethics, and the fact that
REALTORS® are working together.
REALTORS® endeavor
to protect the interest of the Public and the Membership. It is against the law for anyone
who is not a REALTOR® to represent oneself as a REALTOR.®"
Q) What other Associations do our Members belong to,
and what are those Associations’ functions?
A) "The Nevada Association of REALTORS® (NVAR), of which I am a
Director also, since ’94. The NVAR function is to work with the State Legislators, to
encourage legislation that is Real Estate industry friendly. The NVAR promotes Real Estate
education statewide. The NVAR coordinates with all the local Associations within Nevada,
to achieve goals set forth by the NVAR and local Associations for our common
interests."
Q) What was the GLVAR and the NVAR impact on the
strong population and economic growth in our State and especially in Clark County, and how
was it achieved?
A) "We helped open-minded candidates get elected
through campaign contributions and provided volunteers to go door to door to help these
candidates get elected. By vigorously lobbying for laws that keep a free flowing economy.
Low property taxes, and no state income tax. These achievements in turn made our community
a desirable place for retirees and companies to relocate to. Those companies in turn
provided jobs for the high influx of people coming to Las Vegas to enjoy a low cost of
living environment. The population increase in turn provided service related jobs and much
construction for more housing. I believe that locally and statewide we have been very
successful, because we have been professional and well organized in our efforts."
Q) How are these very vital campaign contributions
generated?
A) "There is a separate political action group and that group asks
all the GLVAR members and all the other local Association members for contributions. Some
of it is included when the yearly dues are paid. A lot of it is generated by members of
the Political Survival Fund calling on their fellow REALTORS® to contribute Thirty-Nine
Dollars with their yearly dues. There are members who contribute from One Hundred to Five
Thousand Dollars. However, we accept and appreciate all contributions from one dollar and
up."
David Herbst and sculptor Roberta
Baskin Shefrin with Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Goodman.
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Gary Coles - GLVAR President.
Coles and U.S. Congresswoman
Shelley Berkley.
Q) Do you agree with
the assertion that those members who are committed enough to the GLVAR to contribute their
time to committee work, also, without exception, contribute money to keep our Real Estate
industry strong?
A) "That is true. Also, on every odd year, when Legislation is in
session, there is an impressive group of our members that travels to Carson City, (State
Capital), at their own expense, to visit with the Legislators and sit in on the debates.
This gives us a real ‘tie-in’ with our Legislators."Q) Would you care to elaborate on The National Association of
REALTORS® (NAR) functions?
A) "The National Association, (of which I am also
a Director), naturally, has a very strong lobby. It’s highly regarded as the number
one Political Action Committee, (PAC) and number eight Lobby nationwide. We see more
members getting involved and contributing every day."
Q) How strong is the National Association membership
numerically?
A) "Approximately, above 800,000 members!"
Q) When was the inception of the first Las Vegas Board
of REALTORS® and how few members did they start with?
A) "It was in 1922, with only 12 members. M.M.
Riley presided on that board for one year. It was incorporated in 1947 with 24 members.
The growth of this organization has been phenomenal. Like any business enterprise, it
grows when the economy grows and will tend to shrink when the economy shrinks. The major
thing we talked about here in Las Vegas is due to the growth of Gaming. As Gaming
flourished, so did almost every other industry, especially the Real Estate industry,
finding homes and creating homes for those individuals to live in."
Q) Would you please name the positions of the Officers
that run the GLVAR?
A) "The President, elected for one year, the President Elect, who
will automatically step into the President’s position, the Vice President, the Chair
of the MLS Committee, the Chair of the Commercial Division, and the Treasurer. All one
year terms. There are a total of sixteen members of The Board of Directors, including
officers. All non-paid volunteers. The paid staff includes an Executive Vice President.
Below that we have a Management Team. We have the ability, under our current structure, to
have a paid staff of about twenty-two members. We usually have some open positions."
Q) Do you know The GLVAR yearly operation budget?
A) "Yes. Currently we operate with Four Million
Dollars annually."
Q) Why is it, that twenty years ago you could do the
whole Real Estate sales transaction on one sheet of paper, and today, you need at least
twenty?
A) "The biggest source of paper work is the
increase regulations by all governments, local, state and federal."
Q) Why is it advisable for people, especially if they
have not done it before, to engage a Professional, a REALTOR® to represent them in
purchasing or selling their home?
A) "Right now, because of the many regulations
and the complexity of the transaction, I feel it is too expensive for an individual to do
‘on the job training’ and learn by their own mistakes. The sellers are going to
lose a substantial amount of money if they don’t have someone to look out for them.
Attorneys can make lots of money litigating cases for those ‘do it yourself’
people and ‘for sale by owners’ novices."
Q) What has the GLVAR contributed directly and
indirectly to the Clark County Community in regards to property ownership and marketing?
A) "Promote A High Standard of Professionalism, a
Code of Ethics. We have been involved in a variety of charitable functions. Our members
worked closely with builders, lending institutions, and law makers to create affordability
for more people to become home owners, and helped the commercial and industrial segment to
put their Real Estate properties to their highest use."
Q) How would you describe the GLVAR relationships with
The Gaming Industry, local, County and State elected Officials, The Home Builders
Association, The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, The Las Vegas Chamber of
Commerce and The News Media?
A) "I believe, we have a very good relationship with each other.
It’s the typical textbook, free flowing economy. We have worked exceptionally well
together to create a climate for very strong growth and a strong economy. We are and were
fortunate to have and have had good leaders with foresight to allocate adequate funds for
infrastructure; utilities, roads and the ever expending Airport. To give businesses and
companies incentives to come here, and allow the Gaming Industry to grow and prosper.
Together We Created The Las Vegas Success Story."
Q) What predictions do you have for the next three to
five years, in terms of growth, economy and services, for our Community?
A) "I expect to see good, strong growth to continue. We are always
going to have growing pains. We will alleviate much of it because of the experience we
have gained in the last ten years, in planning ahead. I always feel that the strength of
the market is in the near median price, which right now, is about $137,000 to $141,000. We
also see more of the $250,000 to $350,000 homes selling because we have a larger
population and therefore more affluent people who can afford them. I expect to see prices
rise and a continued appreciation of Real Estate values. This Is The Right Time, As Ever,
To Purchase Your Home and To Invest In Our Strong Growing Real Estate Economy." LVN |
