October 4, 2011 -- As the nights get cooler, we all have a number of autumn traditions to look forward to like Thanksgiving, Halloween and fall fairs. One tradition that has been part of the real estate community since 1986 is the Toronto Real Estate Board’s 25 & 50 Year Member Dinner.
It celebrates Members’ many years of service to Greater Toronto Area (GTA) homebuyers and sellers.
This year’s event, held at the Allstream Centre September 22nd welcomed 701 REALTORS® who joined previous 25 year members in our association, and more importantly serving their consumers.
The event’s theme, Connecting, gave attendees the opportunity to reconnect and have portraits taken with former colleagues and competitors. Real Estate is one of the only careers that I know of where you sit down with your competition on an ongoing basis and negotiate solutions.
To illustrate how many years have passed since this year’s inductees began their careers, consider that when they did so the average price of a home in our city was $138,925 and 52,919 of them changed hands. Today, the average price of a GTA home is $451, 663 and sales are expected to reach 90,000 this year.
One Member, Gordon Eckersley, was welcomed into his 50th year of membership at this year’s celebration, joining 31 others who have been working in the profession for more than half a century. When Gordon began his career, in 1961, the average Toronto home cost $16,334 and the year saw a total of 9,264 transactions and there was no “rush hour”
When you consider that it is estimated the average person changes their career five times throughout their employment years, remaining in the same profession for two and a half decades or more is really quite an achievement especially with a 24/7 work schedule. The extensive number of Greater Toronto REALTORS® who achieve this distinction exemplifies our profession’s commitment to helping you make the move to a home that’s right for you.
The Toronto Real Estate Board hosts an annual fundraising event as well, the Charity Golf Classic, which raises approximately $20,000 each year for causes that have included Habitat for Humanity Toronto, the Salvation Army and Free the Children.
We also roll up our sleeves daily to feed local children through the Children’s Breakfast Program, a partnership of the Toronto Real Estate Board and the Toronto District School Board. As part of the program Greater Toronto REALTORS® sponsor and serve 9600 nutritious meals to children in 17 different schools each month.
As you get together for fall’s many celebrations this year, I hope that you will take the opportunity to connect with others in your community as well. As a Greater Toronto REALTOR® I can say with certainty that the strength of our city lies in the many diverse neighbourhoods and relationships that we have formed together.
Source: Toronto Real Estate Boad (TREB)
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