New Year's resolutions: Like them or don't like them

First I would like to introduce myself, Mark Dickey of NAI Norwood Group and I am your 2014 NHCIBOR president. The president-elect with me this year is Jerry O'Connell of KW Commercial Seacoast and all the 2014 board of directors (http://www.nhcibor.com/about/members.php) are proud to be serving you this year. I want these monthly articles to be an enjoyable conversation with you. If you have comments and suggestions my contact information will be located at the end of each article. It's that time of year when many of us have made "New Year's resolutions" and others say "why bother by Jan 31st I will have forgotten them." First let me personally say "make them" and go after them with a vengeance this year. The market is primed for a great year for all of us in the commercial and investment real estate world. Interest rates are still very low and banks appear to be hungry for lending. In addition, there are many programs for more of an owner occupied type deal. For the great affiliates and vendors out there, I am told everyone is very busy with pending deals as well. NHCIBOR can help and assist you with having one of your best years, maybe in a long time. It is quite interesting that when I have made this comment to brokers and affiliates the responses are clearly to one side or another. Either the value of the organization is there for them or it is not. I personally am very proud and honored to be a part of this great organization. The more I help and participate the more I realize all it can do and does accomplish for our members. Okay, so for those whom maybe saying "Mark, it is time to come down off your high horse" and yes I could hear myself as well. So here are my "New Year's resolutions" for the coming year for this great organization. I see two major goals, first to continue the best member service support we can. Allison Ropes is our fabulous and caring support in the office, for those who have you know what I mean when I say she is always there for all of you. Thank you Allison for the great job and all that you do for all of us. We will be implementing new ideas to continue improving our communications and support by applying many new technologies. We look forward to any feedback on these are they are rolled out. I am calling on all of us to "participate," this is "our" organization. Some of you may be saying to yourselves ...here it comes. My second goal is to have NHCIBOR be the organization that not only supports everyone in their businesses, but also helps to make your businesses better. To accomplish this it takes the efforts of everyone, and there a many degrees of effort you can give. I would like to briefly outline a few of them, then choose which one that best fits you and your business. Keep in mind what would you spend your time on if it made your businesses be bigger than it is now? * I will be calling (or welcome to call me) all of our members over the next month or so to do a quick less than 15 minute survey. This is a critical component, without knowing what works best for you, how we can help your businesses be better. * Task forces - I understand time maybe a tough component for many, and making a longer term commitment is not something you can do. We have many task forces groups that assist with a specific item and then that group is done. You know you have helped and there is a finite time frame. * Committees - There are various committees that would love to have you help and join in. If you have a certain interest in a topic, I am sure there is a committee that could use your skills and interest. Thank you for taking the time to have this conversation with me and I look forward to hearing from you. If there is something you would like to see in this monthly article, please contact me. Time to make this the best year ever, do our part to participate and help each other. We look forward to having a great time. Happy New Year! Mark Dickey is the 2014 president of the New Hampshire Commercial and Investment Board of Realtors.