IREM began in 1934 with the mission of elevating the real estate management profession, beginning with the cornerstone of adhering to a code of professional ethics. Today, nearly 90 years later, that’s still a cornerstone of what we value. And we’ve built the Institute around that cornerstone.

In 2022, IREM will continue to break new ground in a myriad of ways because of the work those who came before us began.  We will endeavor to move the needle, to maintain relevance, and to grow awareness of the value IREM and our members add to real estate. We will do this personally, locally, nationally and globally in an effort to make things better tomorrow than they are today … every day.

We will “connect the dots” in hopes of making the world a little smaller, a little less anonymous, and a little more approachable.

As much as we all were hoping we’d be viewing the pandemic in the rear-view mirror by now, it’s still here. And as real estate managers … so are we.

Today our profession, and what we do every day, matters more than ever before. Thank you for your perseverance and dedication.

Our current reality calls for continued collaboration, empathy and compassion … and as much as anything, strong leadership.

A wise mentor of mine once told me, “Barry, you just need to tell the customer what you need the customer to know.”

It’s as simple … and hard … as that. We need to tell people what we do, how we do it, the value it adds and the opportunities it presents to them. And we need to tell our story well.

Today, our industry is competing with the world at-large for talent. To be successful we need to reach out in ways that resonate with the talented people we are competing for. We need to go where they are. And we will.

1. We need to proactively attract people to our industry because they have a lot of options we are competing with.
2. We need to let them know that real estate management is a dynamic and rewarding profession and it should be an attractive option for them.
3. We need to reach out, open doors, and help people who heretofore haven’t been given the opportunity to join our profession.
4. We must provide access to the knowledge, education and networking that will help them be successful.

We need to lead in these endeavors, not just because it’s the right thing to do, which it is, but also because it’s the smart thing to do. Because we are competing with the world at large for talent … and there is untapped talent out there.

So , as we embark on 2022, let’s keep asking ourselves, “What have we done today to move the needle … to make the world better tomorrow than it is today?” We’ve got this.

Here’s to a great 2022!!

Barry Blanton