Surge Ahead

 

New CRS President Mark Minchew looks to create a fresh wave of member engagement with CRS chapters and education.

 

By Michael Fenner

 

With his background in education, Mark Minchew, CRS, knows firsthand the impact that quality instruction and training can have on an individual’s success. As a longtime member and leader of a CRS chapter, he can also attest to the value these grassroots organizations bring to the Council and its members.

 

When he took the helm as the 2012 CRS president in November, Minchew announced plans to focus his efforts on strengthening the chapter program and promoting the CRS courses that help drive the Council’s success. By nurturing both the chapter and education programs during this tighter market, Minchew hopes to help CRS engineer what he calls a “surge” in member engagement with the Council that will help usher the organization into the future.

 

“REALTORS® who flourish in these times will be those who are equipped with knowledge and the tools to succeed,” Minchew says. “I believe in the strength of CRS Designees and their ability to adapt to any economic environment.” And the benefits members will reap by engaging with CRS chapters and maximizing the Council’s educational offerings will help them do just that.

 

The Residential Specialist caught up with Minchew shortly after he was installed as the 2012 CRS president to discuss his background, his commitment to education, and his vision of what lies ahead for the Council this year.

 

I received a master’s degree in education from Baylor University and proceeded to teach on the junior high, high school, junior college and university levels over the next few years. I left the education field to enter the home-building business and spent five years as a homebuilder. Just before I left teaching, I obtained my real estate license, and as the home-building business subsided, my real estate sales began to increase. I had more questions about working in the real estate profession than I had answers, so I decided to pursue real estate education. My board executive officer suggested I start with the Graduate, REALTORS® Institute (GRI) courses, which opened my eyes to a whole new world. I could see the possibilities.

 

 

My father owned a car dealership when I was growing up and I spent a lot of time with him. Sales came naturally to me due to my upbringing. As a teacher I had to find summer jobs to make ends meet — that’s when I decided to get my real estate license and sell homes one summer in Baytown, Texas. I saw very quickly that I could provide much better for my family by selling homes than I could teaching. Still, I loved teaching my students, and I was afraid to leave the benefits that come with steady employment. I also probably wasn’t as sure of myself as I should have been, and that’s how I ended up taking a job as an apprentice homebuilder to keep a salary and benefits. I learned a lot about homes during that time, but I also discovered that there is great satisfaction that comes with helping people find a home of their own. When the building business started to wane, I relied more and more on my real estate business. Eventually I became the manager of the fourth largest real estate company in Baytown.

 

 

I first learned of CRS at a GRI class, and I could hardly wait to take the Council’s courses. Since I wanted to get my education as quickly as possible, I traveled to cities where the courses were being offered. The courses exposed me to many different philosophies in real estate, I learned several techniques I had not known, and I was able to meet and learn from top producers that I aspired to become. I soon began receiving referrals from colleagues I had met in CRS classes in cities other than my hometown. By this time I had moved to Austin, Texas, where the home prices were double that of Baytown. I took my last CRS course and my first CRB course during my first year in Austin, where I had arrived just prior to the real estate bust of 1986 to 1989. The Austin housing market lost 32 percent of its value in that short period, and the number of REALTORS® in the Austin Board dropped 60 percent. But, due to the knowledge I had gained, I never had a year that wasn’t better than the one before. CRS referrals come to me regularly, and I can attribute much of my sales success to those referrals. I strongly believe that knowledge is power — when it is used properly. That saying has been on all of my marketing materials since 1984.

 

 

When I began with CRS it was still a relatively new organization, and an organized chapter program was just becoming established. After I obtained my designation I went to the next national meeting and explained that I was a new designee and that I wanted to see what was going on. The leadership warmly embraced me and invited me to sit in on the meetings. To the best of my knowledge I was the only new designee there. I was offered a position on the Board of Governors in 1987. I have been very active in the chapter program for years, and by now I have served on virtually every committee within the national Council and chaired 10 of them. But I probably learned the most about the Council’s operations while serving on the Executive Committee for two years. I have gained in knowledge and experience by serving in these various positions, and this has enabled me to implement positive changes in my own business and helped me serve my clientele better.

 

 

Early on in my various roles as a leader, I always tried to do everything myself — I had a vision and I wanted to see it fulfilled. CRS has taught me that being a leader is a team effort. When others share your vision you have an opportunity to see great things happen — much greater than what you could ever accomplish by yourself. I see the Council growing into a true grassroots organization, and we can choose either to nurture that growth or to resist it. If we nurture it, I believe we will watch CRS maintain its position as the strongest and most highly respected affiliate under NAR’s umbrella. I hope all CRS Designees see themselves as potential local or national leaders. We have an abundance of talent in our membership. As we grow, that will become more and more evident. Our Leadership Academy has been well attended, and these skillful leaders represent a spirit of inclusiveness and growth, both in the Council and within each one of us individually. I encourage participation on all levels of our Council.

 

 

My educational background prepared me for speaking. I have a minor in speech and plenty of practical experience giving presentations over the years I taught classes. I was able to hone my presentation skills by teaching, but I also became much more aware of whether or not I was communicating effectively. In the teaching profession if you fail to communicate, the student fails; in real estate if you fail to communicate, you fail. I had the opportunity to teach the GRI for 10 years to adults who would challenge me. I taught the first mandatory continuing education (MCE) class in Texas and I am still an MCE instructor. All of these experiences helped me develop into who I am today, and God isn’t finished with me yet. In this ever-changing profession, one must continue learning and retooling to remain successful. That is why taking additional CRS courses is critical for members’ future success.

 

I believe in the American people, and I believe capitalism works. Now, more than any time in the last 75 years, what our government does economically will dramatically affect our way of life and our livelihoods. We are tied to a global economy more than ever before. We need to recognize that as REALTORS® we must prepare ourselves to meet the expectations of an ever-changing consumer. We have already seen a resurgence in various parts of our nation’s economy, and I believe it will spread barring unforeseen national or international upheavals.

 

 

I trust my legacy with the Council will be one of inspired leadership and empowered members by fostering chapter growth and cultivating leaders who share my vision of nurturing REALTORS® by providing top-notch education, real member benefits, personal support and networking opportunities.

 

 

Get to Know… Mark Minchew, CRS, ABR, CIPS, CRB, GRI, SRES

 

• Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Austin Associates

• REALTOR® Since: 1977

• CRS Since: 1986

• Austin Board of REALTORS® Salesman of the Year: 1997

• Outstanding CRS Member Lone Star Chapter: 2006

• CRS President’s Award: 2007

• CRS Medallion Award: 2005

• NAR Omega Tau Rho Award: 1997

• RPAC Golden R, President’s Circle

• RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award