Tony Schmidt New President of Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS®
Tony Schmidt, a second generation REALTOR® and Broker of Record of Howie Schmidt Realty has been elected to serve as president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR).
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (December 8, 2017) ––Tony Schmidt, a second generation REALTOR® and Broker of Record of Howie Schmidt Realty has been elected to serve as president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR).
Active in the community, Schmidt has been a REALTOR® since 1995, served as president of the Cambridge Association of REALTORS® in 2005, and has been involved in the Preston BIA for over a decade.
“As the new president I am looking forward to working with our amazing REALTOR® community in Waterloo Region and board of directors in the year ahead”, says Schmidt. “Waterloo Region is a leader in technology and quality of life for its residents; and KWAR is focused on leveraging this to deliver the very best technology and MLS® services to its members. KWAR’s leadership is committed to continual innovation and providing all the great additional services that our members want and expect.”
Schmidt also notes that with the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act currently under review, there is a role for KWAR to ensure that its members’ voices are heard. “In the last year there’s been a lot of chatter and some negative voices weighing in to the review in a very public way that paints a picture that is much worse than what we believe is the reality, or frankly fair.” Schmidt says, “REALTORS® in Ontario are extremely regulated, and the vast majority act very ethically. While we welcome updating the act and all REALTORS® continue to focus on enhancing professionalism, we want to make sure any changes are a step forward and not simply an empty gesture.” KWAR wants to ensure that the powers that be are getting all the right information and can make evidence based decisions.
Joining Schmidt as officers of the Association are James Craig of CBRE as Past President, Brian Santos of Peak Realty, as 1st Vice President, Colleen Koehler of RE/MAX Twin City Realty as 2nd Vice President, and Executive Officer Bill Duce.
New to the directors this year are Megan Bell of Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, Leon Martin of Re/Max Solid Gold Realty, and Jim Watson of Homes By Watson Realty & Appraisals Inc.
Returning as directors are Jane Gardner of Royal LePage Wolle Realty, Nicole Pohl of Re/Max Twin City, and Charlotte Zawada of RE/MAX Twin City Realty.