It’s a busy time of year at the Aspen Board of Realtors. As the President of our great organization, I get an up-close look at the many details and the large amount of volunteering that happens to present all of the endeavors at ABOR.

We recently completed 30 student scholarship interviews at the three high schools in the Roaring Fork Valley, and we will be awarding $60,000 in scholarships to 23 graduating seniors in the upcoming weeks to give them a helping hand in accomplishing their collegiate dreams. Your generous contributions over the years have made this possible, and we are celebrating our 40th annual scholarship fundraiser this year! Honestly, the scholarship process is one of the most meaningful and heartwarming volunteer experiences I have had the honor of participating in. The kids and their stories are incredible, and I thank you sincerely for helping to make this happen. The 2024 fundraising campaign is getting ready to launch, so stay tuned for more information. Save the Date for the Pre-Party on September 5^th and for the Golf Tournament on September 10^th @ the Snowmass Club.

In March, Mark Lewis, Maria, and I participated in the Western Mountain Resort Alliance Symposium in Scottsdale. The topics covered included challenges in the insurance industry, work force housing shortages, water issues, legal updates from NAR, opportunities for collaboration among mountain resort areas, and a comprehensive examination of the Short-Term Rental Study commissioned by the Alliance.

Currently, the ABOR staff is organizing a community stakeholder meeting. At this event, we will have the team responsible for the STR Study present a detailed analysis to all ABOR members and affiliates, local governments, and community leaders. Establishing a platform where all stakeholders can access the same information and engage in informed discussions regarding how to collectively address this aspect of our community will be advantageous for everyone involved.

We are also planning the upcoming Broker Forum and members session on June 5^th @ the Limelight in Aspen featuring “Marcia Waters” the director of the Real Estate Commission.  She will be discussing recent complaints received, upcoming contract changes, and the Commissions take on the recent lawsuits. We feel the information provided in this session will be very valuable, so please place your reservations today.

Additional programs the ABOR staff is working on are “10 Things” by Scott Peterson and the “NAR Settlement and how it impacts Colorado Brokers” by Damian Cox on July 31^st at the Hoffman Hotel (in Willits) in their new event space.

In other interesting board of director news, due to the NAR lawsuits and changes to our industry ABOR leadership has been attending numerous meetings to collectively discuss the coming industry changes, best professional practices, current advocacy efforts, and the lawsuit. Our intention is to be prepared, be nimble and to shift with any changes required of the real estate industry, and the Realtor organization. ABOR has formed a local “Realtor Value Task Force” to study the changes and how we can best help our membership to succeed in these changing times.

It's an interesting & changing time in the industry and we are paying close attention and plan to be prepared. Please plan to attend the upcoming sessions so you can be in the know.

Best Regards for a fantastic spring season,

Jason