Newsletter

Message from the President:
The magic of a chapter of the Women's Council of REALTORS® is the opportunities it presents to an individual to develop skills in leadership, to further her educational pursuits and to network with like-minded individuals.
At each of our meetings we gather with other REALTORS® and affiliates who are also building their businesses and helping their clients to realize the American dream of homeownership, often learning from their experiences.
This year we have scheduled programs and activities that provide our members with a full range of free continuing education credits and multiple networking opportunities.  We will have fun and fellowship while we grow in our chosen professions.  Our chapter will also partner with and support the Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS® as it celebrates its 150th year anniversary.
I look forward to the exciting year ahead and to the valuable experiences we all will share.  If you have comments or suggestions, please share them with me.  I am always open to new ideas that will benefit the chapter.

150th Anniversary of the Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS.
Some things come once in a lifetime.  The Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS® was founded in 1858 and is the oldest real estate association in the United States.  In 2008 GBBR will be celebrating 150 years of service to the real estate industry and the Baltimore Community. The GBBR Charitable Foundation has expanded this record of service, by providing support and funding to worthy projects like Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together Baltimore, The Women’s Housing Coalition, the Maryland Mentoring Program, and Homeownership Preservation and Education initiatives. These endeavors build on GBBR’s distinguished past and are a legacy that GBBR’s nearly 5,000 members can be proud of as we look to the future.
Throughout the next year, GBBR will recognize its rich heritage with "Leading the Way", a celebration of its 150th Anniversary, culminating with a gala ball on April 5, 2008.
All of the proceeds from the gala will go to benefit the work of the GBBR Charitable Foundation.
more from GBBR e-edition .......

Connections Magazine
The Connections magazine is a WCR news magazine which is published bimonthly and sent to all National members of WCR and its subscribers.
The Jan-Feb. 2008 edition highlights, Ebby Halliday a past president of WCR (1957), who established a brokerage and built it into an annual sales volume of 4.7 billion dollars.
more from Connections Magazine .....

                       Get Ready

Feb. 7 -    Program: "Mastering the Clock"
                 Speaker: Gail Hartnett, 
                 Past National Pres., WCR (2006)

Feb.- March - Recruitment and Retention Contest
Feb. 21 -    Continuing Ed (3 hrs) Short Sales, foreclosures
Mar. 11  -   Basket Bingo
Mar. 13  -   Affiliate Fair  -
                 Program: "What's a Blogg anyway?"
Apr. 5,   -   GBBR Anniversary Celebration

more about "The Task is to Ask".....

The Maryland State Chapter of WCR
The State of Maryland has 7 local chapters of WCR. They are Coastal/Delmarva, Anne Arundel County, Greater Baltimore, Greater Capital Area, Prince George County, Harford County and Frederick.  The MD State chapter meets every 2 months.  The State Chapter governing board includes all chapter presidents.
more about the Maryland State Chapter of WCR .....

Referral Roster
WCR members all over the world use the WCR referral roster as a major networking compendium when seeking persons to whom to refer clients away from their home area of expertise. The roster has grown from a list of names and addresses to a well designed and colorful brochure containing photos, slogans, communities served and profiles.
more on the referral roster .....

Performance Management Network (PMN)
"Harnessing the Power: Skills Based Performance Management"
Instructor: Adorna Carroll, ABR, ABRM, GRI, PMN
What separates the best from the rest? The best have systems, not just for their real estate businesses but for themselves. They have harnessed the power of performance management skills to challenge themselves, to manage their time effectively, to build credibility and to develop a personal vision. This course will show you how to eliminate the obstacles that conspire to prevent you from getting to that next level in your business and in your life.

Thursday, May 15, 2008, 8:30am-5:00pm
Capital Hilton, Washington D.C.

more about performance management .....

WCR.org
The National WCR website has a completely new makeover this year. Upon your first visit you must register your name and password so that you might be authorized to enter member’s only areas of the site. Chapter leaders especially can find valuable information to help guide their chapter to a successful year of programs and activities.
more about WCR.org .....

Members Only Conferencing Area (MOCA)
This is an area on the National WCR web site where members can communicate ideas and programs with other members.  This is a password protected site for members only. Here you can find thoughts and ideas from members throughout the country.  Suggestions for interesting programs are given.  Particularly one can find programs and activities that worked in the past for various chapters.
more about MOCA .....

*This newsletter is prepared for and distributed to members of WCR and their friends. For questions contact the editor.

Basket Bingo
Basket Bingo is an evening of Bingo Games, fun and fellowship. 26 or more bingo games are planned with Longaberger® baskets as prizes. Interim prizes are so numerous that it seems that everyone wins a prize.
Fun, Food and Fellowship completes the evening

To be held: On March 11, 2008, 5:30 pm.
                 At Tall Cedars Hall, 2501 Putty Hill Ave.
                 Parkville, MD  21234
For tickets: contact Martha Lessner, Linda Dieter,

Mid-Year Meeting
The Mid-Year meeting of WCR - a Council of the National Association of REALTORS is always held in conjunction with the NAR mid-year meetings in Washington D.C.  These meetings are planned to give members an opportunity to meet with their Senate and House representatives in Congress and to be updated on the progress congress has made on the housing agenda.
In addition, WCR designs a program related to the business of real estate.  You leave with a greater sense of what you can do personally to stimulate your business.
more on the Mid-Year meeting .....

Influential Women Summit
July 11-13, 2008
Marriott Boston Long Wharf
Boston, MA
Meet some of the most influential women in our industry as they share their experiences and insights on what it takes to make it to the top. You’ll learn from them how visibility is good for business, what their strategies are for balancing their work and family lives and much more. We’ll also give you hands-on learning labs where you will design your own Action Plan for Influence. Located right on the famous Boston Harbor, this summit will inspire and motivate you
more about influential women ......

Win a Free Technology Makeover
Complete your new online profile at the New WCR.org website by April 30, 2008 and you will be entered into a drawing for one of two personalized Technology Audits conducted by Matthew Ferrara & Co.  Each winner will also receive $500.00 cash to spend on your recommended tech enhancements!