Florida Realtors 2015 President Reflects on New Position
By Aaron Tefel
Andrew Barbar, the 2015 president of Florida Realtors, spoke about his position, goals, and the current outlook of Florida Realty.
“Here at Florida Realtors we have three goals as an organization,” Barbar said. “We believe in our industry, we believe in our business, and we believe in our community. Our mission statement is to be the voice of real estate in Florida. Believing in our industry we advocate for the rights of homeowners. We believe in our business, where through our education we are more knowledgeable and professional. In terms of the community it is the realtor heart, where the realtor gives back to those in need. The Florida Realtors care.”
According to Media.FloridaRealtors.Org, Florida Realtors is the state’s largest professional association with a current total of 140,000 members. Florida Realtors designates itself as a professional trade association for licensed real estate practitioners. Additionally, it serves as the statewide organization for 58 local and regional Realtor associations or boards in the state of Florida.
Barbar is no stranger to leadership positions over the course of his successful career. He was the former president of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches, former president of the Regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS) of Florida, and he has served as a director and district vice president of the state association to name a few.
In regards to his new position as president of Florida Realtors, which Barbar attained back in January of 2015, he described this new opportunity by saying, “It’s a privilege and I am humbled. Most of all it’s a humbling experience.”
Barbar also took some time to shed light on what he believes to be the outlook for Florida Realty in 2015.
“So far we are having a record year,” Barbar said. “We are very optimistic for our outlook over the next five years. The outlook is strong because of low interest rates, funding, and a recovering economy.”
Being a member of Florida Realtors is voluntary, but Barbar feels confident that the advantages it provides to those who choose to join are unparalleled.
“Our code of ethics and standards of practice are a higher threshold than what the law would ask,” Barbar said. “With that come our professionalism, knowledge, and experience.”
Judy Ramella, the 2015 President Elect for the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches, spoke on why she feels that Barbar is a good choice for president of Florida Realtors.
“Andrew is the most down to Earth, selfless man I’ve ever met,” Ramella said. “He is a gentle giant truly. His actions truly speak volumes. When he says he is going to get something done he does it and more. I couldn’t be happier for Andrew and his new position.”
Matt Halperin, president of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches, also shed some light on why he feels that Barbar was the right choice to be 2015’s president of Florida Realtors.
“We are very proud that Andrew is our president,” Halperin said. “He is doing a phenomenal job in leading over 100,000 realtors in the state of Florida. It is even more inspiring to see his success coming from our local association here at the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches.”
