Local realtors recently got together over business, but in a unique fashion—in costume and in Halloween spirits. While they were dressed up for their thematic get together, they say that things may be spooky right now, but the housing market isn’t one of them.

The group meets annually for a business session that is often different times of the year and in theme.

The business being discussed at this meeting was the election of officers and members that will serve the group in 2023 on two boards.

One of the boards is the Board of Realtors and the other is the Multilist System Board.

The vote was a simple one—with all 2022 officers being reelected to serve in 2023, according to local agent and business owner Michelle Euton.

The Multilist System Board will consist of Michelle Euton, as president, and Renee Storey, John Sinclair, and Anna Johnson as officers, alongside five Board of Directors.

“The benefit of the multilist program is that listings can be shared to realtor.com and all other real estate companies across the United States,” Euton said. “This national forum is important, because it allows people from all over to see your listing. We have about 17 percent of the people in the tri-state buying from out of state. If we didn’t have a forum to list on such a level, these people wouldn’t be finding our listings.”

The Board of Realtors will consist of Valerie Carson as President and Molly O’Bannion, Teresa Ketchell and Cheryl Bowman as officers, alongside five Board of Directors.

“The Board is a benefit, because it helps the Board of Realtors to function as a corporation and an actual business,” Euton explained. “You pay dues to the board to make sure all of the state licensing laws are followed, and we stay in compliance with the NAR, the National Association of Realtors.

The group had an auction to raise funding for the RPAC, the Realtors Political Action Committee, which defends the rights of agents nationwide. It is the largest bi-partisan PAC in the country. Anna Johnson serves as chairperson for the local agency.

The get together welcomed around 100 guests and shaped the coming year of real estate business on an organizational level.

Euton said that the economy may be in flux, but real estate is still safe in this area.

“Don’t let the national news about the interest rates scare you. We still have a very strong market for listings that are priced correctly,” Euton said. “That’s very important, because you see a lot of listings hanging out there, because they’re extremely overpriced like we’re still in the middle of Covid. When listings are priced correctly, we’re still showing and selling everyday with a good lender and realtor.”

Euton’s faith in the housing market is so strong, she recently opened her own office and says she has no regrets.

“I opened by office in June and it is going very well. I love being part of the Portsmouth business community. The area businesses have been welcoming and things are really going business as usual, because I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. I just love what I do. I still have all my past and current clients and 85 percent of my business is return business, people I’ve worked with before.”

Anna Johnson is in the same boat, having recently opened her own office as well, Optimum Realty, after years of growing in the industry.

The groups are currently looking ahead under continued leadership and say that the future of home ownership in the area is bright.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved