The person just picked to lead the staff of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors is well schooled in the supply and demand of property.
Melanie Blakeney's first job after she graduated from the University of Oklahoma was as director of the historical museum in Norman, Okla.
Of course, a focus of the Norman and Cleveland County Historical Museum was the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889, when the government put 2 million acres up for grabs to those willing to settle the land.
In this economy, there's hardly a rush for property as the 49-year-old Blakeney takes over the Realtors organization effective Dec. 1.
"The best thing we can do is ... do everything we can to be a resource for our members," said the native of Lake Charles, La.
That means providing Realtors continuing education about the best financing options at a time when their clients are having a tough time getting home loans, about creative marketing at a time when sales are harder to come by, and maintaining a high-quality Multiple Listing Service and property-records system as a resource for Realtors.
Blakeney will succeed Jules Wade, who has been executive vice president of the local association since 1984.
Over the past dozen years, Blakeney has accumulated experience tackling several jobs within the association. She has been in charge of its technical services, its marketing and communications and its Commercial Council.
"She's tremendously personable," said Bayard Snowden, vice president of Colliers International/Memphis. He was president of the Realtors' Commercial Council in 2007.
He described Blakeney as engaging, diligent and capable.
"The kind of person that anyone would want working for them," Snowden said. "Working with real estate brokers is like herding cats. She just does a great job of making it happen."
Blakeney moved to Memphis in 1999 when her husband, Jeff, accepted a job offer here. For the previous 10 years, she'd been president and CEO of the Lafayette (La.) Board of Realtors.
Before that, she led the Norman Board of Realtors as executive officer.
Steve Herbert, chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate in Lafayette, worked closely with Blakeney in 1994 when he was president of the Realtors board there.
"Melanie was always positive, enthusiastic and very participative," he said.
In 1994, the real estate industry was concerned about what the Internet would do to the industry, he said.
"There was a great fear at the time of losing a bunch of our membership, that the Internet was going to put Realtors out of business," he recalled.
Blakeney instilled confidence by establishing contingency plans. "But luckily, the fears never came true," he said.
Now, the economy has done what the Internet did not. Membership at the Memphis Area Association of Realtors has dropped to 3,300 from a high of 5,400 in 2007.
The association's staff of 15 understands the challenges Realtors have been facing, Blakeney said, adding their job is to provide stability and even comfort to the members.
Her immediate goals include having the organization be a strong advocate for policies that will strengthen home ownership.
For example, she'll fight proposals to start requiring minimum down payments of 20 percent of a home's cost.
"That would knock out so many potential home buyers," Blakeney said.
Meanwhile, she accentuates the positive in tough times.
"Interest rates are so low that if you have a small amount for a down payment and talk to a Realtor, you can find a house," Blakeney said. "The opportunities are there for many folks to have home ownership."
-- Tom Bailey Jr.: (901) 529-2388
Source: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/sep/27/resources-rush/?partner=RSS
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