IOREBA aims to grow in value as well as membership

The board of the Industrial and Office Real Estate Brokers Association of the New York Metropolitan Area (IOREBA) for the past several years has been and remains dedicated to growing this organization not only in membership but in member value. At our core, we aim to help each other benefit from shared relationships and experiences. This ultimately makes us become more beneficial to our clients. IOREBA builds value through two key avenues: networking and education. Within our organization, the two go hand-in-hand as creators of opportunity. Our monthly meetings and special events - including a well-attended annual golf outing - provide great venues for connecting. Even through simple networking, people who keep their eyes open and their ears to the ground will learn new things. We understand that the most effective professionals are those whose knowledge base extends beyond their niche. Because commercial real estate is a diverse industry, and IOREBA is diverse in its membership, we offer great depth and breadth. We all learn from other peoples' perspectives and perceptions. This can be such a valuable tool when it comes to understanding the needs of clients and colleagues. In terms of maximizing this benefit, IOREBA is in the early stages of building a new resource library for members. The goal is to develop a directory-type online venue where our members can identify and tap into individuals or organizations that offer expertise in a particular discipline related to commercial real estate. We also are exploring ways to include industry white papers by members and non-members on our web site. These efforts will take our relationship-building networking efforts to a new level. We also are working to expand the geographic reach of our group to more evenly draw from New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania in addition to New Jersey, which is our central connection and, therefore, the base of a majority of our members. These markets overlap so much that it has become increasingly important to understand the different idiosyncrasies in order to effectively deal with the marketplace and client needs. We are tapping into and collaborating with other industry organizations that we think of as our sister and brother groups as well. At the end of October, we hosted our annual joint meeting with SIOR. We are working to put together a program with ICREW, and our Developer's Night, while not a direct affiliation with NAIOP, pulls significantly from that organization's membership. With so many crossovers among trade organizations, we are looking for ways to merge our strengths to develop quality educational opportunities. This is especially important in these trying times. Our meeting with SIOR provides a great example of how trade organizations can band together to bring valuable information to our memberships. The presentation, featuring Cushman & Wakefield New York Area research manager Ken McCarthy, focused on the economics of what is going on in the marketplace today. The discussion covered not just the New York Metropolitan Area and its various submarkets, but included an overview of the global and national economies. The important part was learning what is happening on many scales and how conditions trickle down to and across geographic areas. Looking ahead, in the coming months we will be hosting a discussion on real estate financing in today's climate. We have a public speaker scheduled for a program that will help our members develop new skills for successfully communicating their services and products. Our Developer's Night in March will feature a panel discussion about conditions in the office, industrial, retail and multifamily markets. In short, our educational programs seek to connect our members with the current environment and open new doors - even in a struggling market. Real estate brokerage and related professionals today all are looking for an answer on how to best weather this economic downturn. In the New York Metropolitan Area, we have survived four recessions since 1975. IOREBA's diverse membership includes senior members who have been through all four, newer members who have never seen one, and many who fall somewhere in between. With so many different experiences, we surely will - once again - be able to rely on one another for valuable perspectives, knowledge and skills that will unveil and create opportunity. Charles Logan is vice president of IOREBA and president/CEO of The Aztec Corporation/Aztec Architects LLC in Iselin, N.J.