South Saint Paul and West Saint Paul Realtor® Roundtable was a success

On Tuesday, May 12, SPAAR hosted a Realtor^® Roundtable at the newly renovated Wentworth Library in West Saint Paul. The event brought together elected officials and staff from both West Saint Paul and South Saint Paul, including South Saint Paul Mayor Jimmy Francis; South Saint Paul Councilmembers Lori Hansen, Joe Kaliszewski, and Todd Podgorski; and West Saint Paul Councilmember Lisa Eng-Sarne. Also in attendance were 10 Realtors^® who regularly work in these two communities.

The purpose of the Realtor^® Roundtable was to create an open dialogue between Realtors^® and local leaders about the experiences of buying and selling property in these communities—and the event accomplished exactly that. Realtors^® shared insights on the current housing market, what buyers are looking for, the challenges they face and ways each city could improve its real estate transaction processes. City officials and staff also highlighted programs available to residents, including home improvement and rehabilitation loans, community development grants and housing assistance programs for seniors.

Longtime Realtor^® Jackie Beermann said after the event, “Participating in the roundtable was the highlight of my day! Good stuff for all was shared. Thank you for putting it all together. (This event) would be a great value add for any community.”

Another Realtor^® in attendance, Casey Zebrev, added, “What an incredible event! I can’t wait to attend more!”

The Realtor^® Roundtable was such a success that South Saint Paul Mayor Jimmy Francis suggested making it an annual event.

This was the first Realtor^® Roundtable SPAAR has hosted, but it won’t be the last. If interested to host a Realtor^® Roundtable in a community where you live or work, contact SPAAR Government Affairs Director Simon Opatz at sopatz@spaar.com.