For more info, contact Karen Yaap, Executive Director, 770-451-8800, [email protected], www.GaREIA.org
we are GaREIA Jan/Feb 2015 19
New Board Committees were formed and statewide Chapters were established in Savannah, Athens, Macon, Augusta and Columbus. The Board created a long-range plan for the Association and the Policies and Procedures manual for the Board was completed. A Government Affairs Committee was formed and assistance was provided by a lobbyist to keep members abreast of state legislation regarding housing.
During 2005-6 there was a staff of eight, including Executive Director, Director of Education, Director of Marketing, General Manager, Business Associate Coordinator, and Member Services staff. Membership numbers continued at record heights.
By December 2007, the U.S. Great Recession had begun which greatly affected the U.S. housing market, and of course the Atlanta housing market. Many investors were greatly impacted. GaREIA’s membership numbers began to decline rapidly, as did REIA’s around the country.
In 2008-9, as with many companies in the U.S. and globally, GaREIA faced tough times. Membership numbers continued to decline with all the uncertainty in the real estate market. Many investors being deeply impacted by the recession left real estate and went back to work at regular jobs. Most of the GaREIA staff was laid off.
In 2010, GaREIA moved to a smaller office space at the current office on Tilly Mill. The tenacious Board went ‘back to the basics’, working diligently to provide quality education and networking opportunities for real estate investors. Two educational programs, the GaREIA Apprentice Program and Quick Start Boot Camp, were re-instituted. National and local experts continued to teach at General Meetings, Saturday seminar and weekend Boot Camps. Slowly but surely, membership began to increase, with new members joining and returning members re-joining the Association.
By 2013-14 the tide had shifted. Many previous members continued to re-join the Association and, as always, new investors joined. Membership numbers began to grow. A dedicated Board of Directors developed ways to improve service to our members – with Technology, utilizing Google Groups for online discussion forums, and YouTube, Facebook, MeetUp, and other social media to expand our community and ability to communicate with each other. Quality education programs including the GaREIA Boot Camp were offered again, and Coaching Programs were developed, including the highly successful Yellow Letter Marketing Program, Buying Properties at the Courthouse Steps Program, Mastering Passive Income: The Key to Quitting Your Day Job Program, and Customer Relation Management Program, with more planned for 2015.
The Board continued to work with National REIA and sent two Board Members and the Executive Director to Denver in 2014 for National REIA’s Midyear Conference where they learned what other REIA’s around the country were doing successfully to provide their members with quality programming and discounts with companies like Home Depot, Sherwin Williams, Investigative Screening and Consulting (ISC) and many more. GaREIA’s Volunteer Program began rebuilding to utilize our greatest asset – the service oriented, wanting to give back mindset and big hearted people who are interested in serving the Association and their fellow members, helping new members just beginning their investing career, and volunteering at community projects, including the GaREIA Build Days in partnership with the Fuller Center for Housing to help needy families.
The ‘back to the basics’ is always a great place to re-group and re-focus. GaREIA is an institution. From humble beginnings over three decades ago, its legacy is the service it provides to the real estate industry, in Atlanta and beyond, by being a place where people come to learn about real estate investing. It is a community where people make new friendships and create business relationships. It provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to succeed in reaching their dream to create wealth in real estate for their family and generations to come. GaREIA has served thousands of people over its long history. Communities in the Metro Atlanta area have benefitted from our investors renovating and improving homes. Countless people have worked countless hours, whether through volunteering or serving on the staff. GaREIA is thriving and will continue to thrive because of its legacy and worthy mission. We welcome you to become part of this amazing community!