The Year of Commitment and Conquering Challenges

As my year serving you as NVAR President draws to a close, I’m incredibly grateful to have been entrusted with this honor, privilege and responsibility. Was it the year I, or any of us, imagined? Of course not. But I can honestly say that the challenges we faced have made us stronger as an association and as an industry. The theme of this year’s Convention and Trade Show captures it best: we Reimagined.

We reimagined ways to communicate, swapping podiums for virtual platforms and stages for computer screens.

We reimagined the business of real estate, lobbying to keep real estate services open and supporting safe and virtual transaction processes. Through September of this year, you sold more than 16,600 homes worth more than $11 billion, exceeding last year’s sales volume!

We reimagined member service and engagement, with drive-up and lockerbox pickup, free shipping, text messaging, live online chat, revamped email resources and more to ensure that you could continue to serve your clients and run your business.
We reimagined meetings and classes with virtual and hybrid solutions, offering more than 135 sessions. Leadership and learning never stopped.

We reimagined programs and events, offering exclusive sessions for our Top Producers and inspiring more than 1,100 new applicants. We expanded our 7th annual Showcase of Unique Ideas and Innovative Concepts from a two-hour program for 100 attendees of the NAR Legislative Meetings, to six hour-long virtual sessions with participants from across the nation and around the world! We “super-sized” our annual Convention & Trade Show from a one-day event to a three-week virtual phenomenon featuring 100 session and more than 3,000 session participants. You can still access session recordings and the Reimagine: Replay podcast (see page 8).

We reimagined community impact, finding creative ways to support individuals and local businesses. NVAR sponsored the George Mason University Housing Challenge to explore issues addressing affordability in our region and leveraged a grant from NAR to help build a community park (see page 41). Through everything, we have continued to demonstrate that NVAR Cares.

We reimagined leadership as individuals and as an association, celebrating Realtor® award winners and finalists at local, state and national levels (see page 28). NVAR was recognized for global leadership by NAR and as the top regional business advocacy group by the Washington Business Journal. Our CEO, Ryan McLaughlin was named one of Virginia Business magazine’s Virginia 500 in its 2020 Power List. With more than 65 media mentions through October, NVAR and our members continue to be recognized as the trusted real estate resource for our region.

And our efforts have not gone unnoticed. NAR CEO Bob Goldberg joined us not once, but twice this year – presiding over the virtual ribbon-cutting of our Digital Experience Center in Fairfax and as a participant in a CEO to CEO series during our virtual Convention. Bob’s words during that session underscored our ability to reimagine: “NVAR is one of the most advanced local Realtor® associations I’ve seen in the country. You have the right formula.” We were also complimented on the vision and strength of our association by VAR President Kemper Funkhouser and NAR President Vince Malta during my President to President series.

So as we pass the torch to next year’s leaders, I have the greatest confidence that we will continue to meet every challenge that comes our way, because That’s Who We R.


Nicholas Lagos
2020 NVAR President
president@nvar.com