News releases

February 28, 2008 - More than 900 REALTORS® from across the state attended the 2008 Texas REALTORS® Winter Meeting, Feb. 22-26 at the Hyatt Regency. The annual meeting featured educational sessions, networking opportunities, committee meetings and several notable speakers.

During the five-day annual gathering, Texas REALTORS® listened to speeches from state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, and Mark Dotzour, chief economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. Meeting participants also heard from 2008 National Association of REALTORS® President-Elect Charles McMillan and Randy Jeffers, 2008 chairman of the Texas Association of REALTORS®.

Key topics discussed at the Austin meeting included: the upcoming primary election, issues affecting homeowners, commercial real estate trends, professional standards, international real estate issues, technology, trends for multiple listing services, property leasing and risk reduction.

In addition to educational sessions and speakers, the Texas Association of REALTORS® handed out its annual statewide awards:

• Realtor of the Year - Dwight Hale, San Antonio
• Tom D. Morton Association Executive of the Year - Travis Kessler, San Antonio
• William C. Jennings Commercial Transaction of the Year - Frank Fitzgerald, Houston
• Educator of the Year - Dan Odom, Fort Worth
• Education Programs of the Year
• Sales and Marketing category - Austin Board of REALTORS®
• Innovation category - MetroTex Association of REALTORS®
• Ethics category - San Antonio Board of REALTORS®
• Omega Tau Rho designates: Carlos Bujosa, Houston; Greg Glenn, Amarillo; Ray Holtzapple, Houston; Randy Jeffers, Amarillo; Larry W. Johnson, Arlington; Sherry Matina, Fort Worth; Thomas M. Patterson, San Antonio; John Rosshirt, Austin; Howard Smith, Amarillo; Roger A. Sturgell, Austin; and Jeff Updike, Dallas

All real estate brokers and agents must follow fair-housing laws, which protect specific segments of the population. Those that choose to become REALTORS® extend that commitment further in pledging to uphold the Realtor Code of Ethics. Available at TexasRealEstate.com, the Code of Ethics keeps issues of fairness toward all consumers at the forefront of REALTORS®' minds.

Promoting Fair Housing Month is just one of the many ways Texas REALTORS® work on behalf of consumers. Whether upholding fair-housing laws, protecting buyers from predatory lending or negotiating on a seller's behalf, Texas REALTORS® work all year long to protect the interests of their clients. And this year, Texas REALTORS® are putting a special focus on fair- and affordable-housing issues all the way through June, national Homeownership Month. For more information about these and other issues, visit TexasRealEstate.com.

About the Texas Association of REALTORS®

The Texas Association of REALTORS® is a not-for-profit professional membership association representing more than 90,000 members statewide who are involved in all aspects of real estate. For more regarding our organization, real estate practitioners should visit TexasRealtors.com and consumers should check out TexasRealEstate.com.