As the presenting sponsors of this weekend’s annual Home Expressions Show at the RBC Convention Centre, WinnipegREALTORS® and the Manitoba Real Estate Association (MREA) will have an opportunity to show the public how such a partnership works to their advantage.
“We’re excited about being the co-sponsors,” said WinnipegREALTORS® president David MacKenzie. “Anyone who is thinking about buying or selling a home will find out how they benefit from our professional advice.
“We’re (WinnipegREALTORS®) there to provide information about the day-to-day activities of the real estate industry,” he added.
In the week leading up to the March 27 to 29 home and garden show, volunteers from the two associations erected an extensive display booth on the third floor of the convention centre.
“I think the display will illustrate what we provide as REALTORS®,” said MREA president Roberta Weiss, “which includes making buying and selling a home easier for all parties involved.”
“It’s a spectacular display,” added Peter Squire, the public affairs director for WinnipegREALTORS®.
Weiss said the booth will also showcase REALTOR® involvement in communities across the province.
One wall includes large-screen videos to show the public how REALTORS® are “greatly involved with charitable organizations,” she added.
“It may be a surprise to some people, but we do a lot in the community because we believe a vibrant and strong community benefits all of us.”
In conjunction with Renovations Plus, the two real estate associations will be holding a draw for a $10,000 home renovation prize.
MacKenzie said the draw is a natural fit for both the home show and REALTORS®.
“It’s one-stop shopping,” he explained. “At our booth, we’re able to answer the public’s questions about where in a home they will get the biggest bang for their buck, whether it’s refinishing a kitchen or doing a bathroom.
“We have the experience of dealing with where money is best spent for a renovation through our everyday business operations when interacting with clients.
“And we’re then able to direct them to where on the showroom floor they can get more advise on their renovation project,” he added.
“We’re very excited to have both WinnipegREALTORS® and MREA on board as presenting sponsors,” said Home Expressions Show co-ordinator Jan Currier.
“It’s a partnership that makes sense in that as show organizers, our goal is to make the show as all-consuming and educational as possible for consumers.
“People come to the show with so many questions. Now, they can get answers from experts from renovations to real estate.
“It’s a great opportunity for consumers,” she added.
Currier said WinnipegREALTORS® and MREA will be working closely to “create a really positive customer experience.”
Home Expressions was launched in 1974 by the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association to feature the latest trends and designs for interior and exterior living spaces at home and in the cottage. The show brings local experts, suppliers and consumers together under one roof.
“I hope the public comes away from the show understanding how much we constantly strive to be highly professional with their best interests at heart,” said Weiss.
“Our intention is to showcase the tools REALTORS® use to earn the trust and business of thousands of consumers every year when they make the most important investment decision of their life; that is, buying a home,” said MacKenzie.
Under the big, red R® sign, MREA and WinnipegREALTORS® have made a three-year commitment to be the presenting sponsors of Home Expressions, and this year is the first year of that commitment.
“It’s an opportunity to elevate and enhance the REALTOR® identity and brand in the minds of the buying and selling public,” said Weiss.
Ticket prices at the door are $12 per person, $8 for seniors (65-plus) and free for children 12 years of age and under. For more information about this year’s show, visit the website: homeexpressions.ca