Several months ago there was a thread that discussed Dallas/Fort Worth Aggies in real estate and trying to get a networking group together.

I'm still interested in getting a group started.

Every now and then STAMREP puts together a Dallas golf tourney or HH. I went to a HH about a year ago, from a networking perspective it would have had very little use.

Its sad, because it could be a really strong organization with the right leadership.

I'm actually on the Board of STAMREP and we are trying to improve all areas of STAMREP.

Is the STAMREP website ever coming back up? Is it being re-worked or being moved to another site?

I would be very interested in a Metroplex Aggie Real Estate Networking Group.

fort-worth-realtor@aggienetwork.com

Well, I think the first thing you should do being on the board of STAMREP is let people outside of the LERE program know that it exists. There are thousands of Aggies in RE that have no idea what it is.

I'm not trying to be critical and I've said for probably the last two years that I should do more to encourage the program, but I hate that the organization doesn't do more.

I would be interested as well.

brent at avcappraisals dot com

CHIP - I agree. I'm not a LERE graduate. So how do you think the best way to let people know that STAMREP exists?

I will keep everyone's email address and start a Master List.

I envision having all types of professionals involved in STAMREP as follows:

Commercial Developers
Commercial Brokers
Residential Brokers
Real Estate Attorneys
General Contractors
Appraisers
Engineers

The list could go on and on.

Bankers

I agree with Chip. STAMREP (and I have been a member for about 4 years) often seems like a club for LERE grads. I feel it could be a huge assets to all Aggies in all fields of real estate.

An idea (albeit time-consuming): the Aggie Network web site will allow one to "find an Aggie" by occupation. "Real Estate" and "Real Estate Development" are occupations on the pull-down.

I think the first thing that I would want to see out of LERE would be a clear vision for what the organization really wants to accomplish. What it's goals are and how it plans to achieve them.

Having a great big organization of every single RE professional in the state doesn't do anyone any good if that organization doesn't actually accomplish anything.

Once those things are clearly outlined, I'd put together some sort of marketing materials whether it be electronic or hard and start to grow the organization with a massive blitz. We all work with Aggies (although there aren't many where I work), we all went to school with guys that are in RE, and we all have people we do business with that are Aggies. If the organization is poised for growth with a clear purpose, make it so that we WANT to get our fellow Aggie RE'ers involved in the organization.

The last STAMREP HH I went to was in probably October of 06. There are three Aggie retail brokers downstairs plus the guy I work for at my client is an Aggie. I didn't invite any of them because as far as I could tell, there was no point to it. How do you sell something to a friend if it doesn't really have any value?

I was in Houston one day having lunch with my Aggie boss and my Aggie broker. My boss had never heard of the organization and the only way my broker had was because he had been asked to speak at the 06 STAMREP meeting. The three of us talked then about what it would take to turn the organization into a valuable tool and force in the local industry.

I can't pull up the STAMREP website so I can't see who the local reps are. Southlake, are you BC, who put together the 06 HH at the Gingerman?

[This message has been edited by ChipFTAC01 (edited 1/4/2008 10:56a).]

And please don't take my comments to be overly critical. I really would like to see STAMREP become a successful organization and would be willing to get involved to make it so if there was a large commitment to change, new ideas and growth.

I feel like working in RE in Dallas that I'm a lonely Aggie adrift in a sea of Mustangs and Longhorns. Its especially bad where I work. Casual observation tells me that there are a lot more Ags in RE in Houston.

I will join you, Chip. But you'll have to help me figure out the best way to open doors without going to SMU

I am actually the one that started the thread a while back and because of a combination of responses all over the board (from people looking for jobs, to people looking to be someone's realtor) and my personal life(getting married in March) the idea kind of fizzled out. I'm working with a buddy of mine to set up a website/forum specifically for real estate and Aggies right now. I think it is very useful to have the ability to differentiate between what everyone is wanting out of a networking group like this. I will work in whatever capacity to get something done properly with someone, because as everyone else has mentioned it is a shame not to use oure great Aggie family to its fullest in the real estate game up here.

Chip:

I'm not BC. I got involved with STAMREP in 2006 and put on the Board this past summer. I would love to get a group together to discuss how we could make STAMREP a more meaningful organization.

In addition to the LERE program you could probably contact someone from the MSLD and the MBA in Real Estate programs. All three Texas A&M programs put out an alumni directory which you could use to get contact info for DFW.

Of course not everyone in DFW real estate went to one of the three real estate graduate programs at A&M. Maybe TREC will give you a list of licensees that graduated from A&M.

Everytime I'm at an Aggie Happyhour or an Ol' Army Cocktail Hour I meet a few Ags who are in real estate.

One of my friends with initials MB is involved in Dallas real estate and knows a bunch of real estate professioanls in the area. If you email me at greg@marooned.biz I'll give you his contact info.

For those that have been involved with STAMREP you know that it is not an organization solely for LERE grads.

Send Southlake an email that you want to be on the list for the HH's and give him a chance.

Our big event each year is in the summer. This year it will be at the Gaylord Texan here in D/FW. I'm expecting to see all of you in the hospitality suite.

We are trying to reach out to all Texas Aggies that are involved in Real estate and would love to have more ideas.

Count me in Southlake Ag.

BTW, I have a residential appraisal office in Southlake.

I would be interested as well.

jenny dot gruber at tklaw dot com

Thanks for the interest. I'm going to compile a list of emails and will try to get this group going.

Jim Patterson

mlkersten - at - gmail - dot - com

Thanks

stevehorn@remax.net...allen texas

Keep them coming.

kellerag98 at gmail

thanks

debbiem@servicerealty.com

tonyawilliams at judgefite dot com

geof dot younglove at gmail dot com

My bro is a Commercial Broker as well as a residential appraiser.

pat at auroraappraisal.com

[This message has been edited by b.blauser (edited 1/14/2008 2:54a).]

trush at bullfinancialgroup dot com

concrete_jungle_07@yahoo.com

Count me in...I'm a residential appraiser

crehagen at sbcglobal dot net

I'm there. I'd love to help work this out and make it better in our area at least.

LERE graduate '04 and STAMREP member (though only spoken at one of the yearly meetings because there is not much else I have seen that we do).

nathan-dot-piwonka @ brinker-dot-com

Perhaps we can get some facetime with the DAMC and have a booth at events. I'd be willing to get that going and man it.

RE Attorney, county me in as well.

jrp1078@ aol dot com

[This message has been edited by TechLawAggie (edited 1/17/2008 8:23a).]

So with all the responses, I have a couple of questions:

1) I think the group needs to be divided between Dallas and Fort Worth. We can have functions together, but DFW is a large area.

2) We also probably need to see what individuals are in commercial versus residential real estate.

Any thoughts or ideas?