NYSCAR Committees and Realtor of the Year Nominations Committees: To continue to grow and provide members with new services and benefits, we encourage your participation by serving on one or more of NYSCAR’s committees. Committee service easy - “Meetings” can be conducted by teleconference. Whether it is education, legislative, RPAC, technology, professional standards, annual conference or member services, we hope you will not stand on the side lines, but will join your colleagues and get involved in the association. Realtor of the Year Nominations NYSCAR is accepting nominations for Realtor of the Year. The award is to recognize an outstanding active member of the New York State Commercial Association of Realtors for 2015. Deadline for applications is December. If you would like to serve on a NYSCAR Committee, or would like to nominate a NYSCAR member for Realtor of the Year, please email Ali Mann ([email protected]) or Sherry Marr, ([email protected]) for information. National Association of Realtors I will be attending the National Association of Realtors Conference and Expo in San Diego, California next week. I’m looking forward to networking with our commercial colleagues from across the country and will give an update on the conference in the December column. Commercial Real Estate Market Trends 2015.Q3 The Realtors Commercial Real Estate Market Survey measures quarterly activity in the commercial real estate markets. The survey collects data from commercial realtors. The survey is designed to provide an overview of market performance, sales and rental transactions, along with current economic challenges and future expectations. 2015.Q3 Survey Highlights • 63% of commercial realtors closed a sale; • Sales volume rose 7.2% from a year ago; • Sales prices increased 3.8% year-over-year; • Cap-rates averaged 7.9% during Q2.2015; • 63% of members completed a lease transaction; and • Inventory shortage topped the list of current challenges, followed by buyer-seller pricing gap and local economies. Please visit www.realtor.org for a complete copy of the report. Triple Play Conference, Atlantic City, NJ - Dec. 7-10 The Triple Play Conference, sponsored by New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Associations of Realtors is quickly approaching and there is still time to register! There are several commercial programs available for attendees as well a marketing/investment session.  NYSCAR board members, Bob Giniecki, CCIM and James Walker, CCIM will be teaching “Effective Counseling and Representation of Real Estate Clients,” which carries 7 hours of c.e. credit. Please go to www.realtorstripleplay.com for full program information and to register. I hope to see some of you at the National Conference in San Diego. John Lavelle is the president of NYSCAR and is an associate broker, commercial at RJ Smith Realty, Pine Bush, N.Y.