The Real Estate Landscape in 2024 and Beyond: Navigating Change

Calling all brokers! 2024 has been a year of change in real estate. SPAAR remains committed to providing the tools and resources to help best serve clients and customers. On Tuesday, September 17, a panel of Association and MLS leaders will discuss industry changes and provide a dialogue on real estate in Minnesota in 2024 and beyond.

The featured Association and MLS panelists will be Gabe Walsh, SPAAR CEO; Tim Dain, NorthstarMLS CEO; Josh McFall, Minnesota Realtors® CEO; and Jonathan Kopecky, Minnesota Realtors® senior vice president of Legal Affairs. Amy Peterson, 2024 SPAAR President, will serve as moderator.

Register here to join the livestream broadcast event on September 17 from 9:30-10:45am. This is a great way for all members of an office to participate; however, the broker must register on behalf of the office.

Note: If you are responsible for hosting sales meetings in your office and not the Designated Broker, call Sheri Richards at SPAAR at 651-776-6000 to register your office to join the event.

Panel of Speakers

Josh McFall - CEO of Minnesota Realtors®

Josh McFall is the Chief Executive Officer of Minnesota Realtors® (MNR). Prior to this, he was the CEO of the Huntsville Area Association of REALTORS® (HAAR) and ValleyMLS.com in Alabama. McFall holds several professional designations, including the National Association of REALTORS® REALTOR® Certified Association Executive (RCE) Designation, ePRO Certification, At Home with Diversity (AHWD) Certification, and the Commitment to Excellence Endorsement (C2EX). Additionally, he has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

Originally from Florence, Alabama, McFall holds a bachelor’s degree in public communication from the University of North Alabama and a master’s degree in communication from Auburn University. He has a rich background in strategic development and professional development, having served as vice president of Strategic Development at the Alabama Association of REALTORS® (AAR). McFall has also been a faculty member at Auburn University, Huntingdon College, Auburn University-Montgomery, and Jefferson State Community College, where he taught communication courses.

Tim Dain - CEO of NorthstarMLS

Tim Dain is CEO of NorthstarMLS, a regional MLS serving more than 22,600 REALTORS in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. An industry innovator, Dain possesses a wealth of experience, including serving as vice president and general manager for real estate technology company Remine, as President and CEO of MARIS MLS, as Director of MLS for ACTRIS and SIRMLS, and as a REALTOR salesperson and broker-owner. He was named to the Swanepoel Power 200 list of the most powerful and influential executives in the residential real estate industry in 2017, 2022 and 2023.

Gabe Walsh - CEO of Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®

Gabe Walsh is the CEO of the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®, where he began this role in July 2024. Gabe previously served as General Counsel of the Iowa Association of REALTORS® and as CEO of the Lake Superior Area REALTORS, Inc. Prior to entering the REALTOR® Association, Gabe also worked as an attorney in a law firm.

In addition to his role at SPAAR, Gabe serves in leadership positions both at the State and National levels of the REALTOR® Association. He currently serves as Chair for the Minnesota REALTORS® Association Executives Committee, as well as Vice Chair of the Associations Executive Committee Volunteer Leadership Advisory Board at the National Association of REALTORS®.

Gabe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Iowa State University. He also holds a Juris Doctor Degree from Drake University Law School.

Jon Kopecky - Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs for Minnesota REALTORS®

Mr. Kopecky received his Juris Doctorate from The Saint Louis University School of Law in 1998 and has been licensed to practice law in both Iowa and Minnesota since 1999. Mr. Kopecky practiced Real Estate law for five years while an associate at Ackley, Kopecky & Kingery, LLP and then practiced Canon Law for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for eight years.  He began working for Minnesota Realtors in 2013 as Director of Professional Standards and Associate Legal Counsel.  Mr. Kopecky is currently Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs for Minnesota REALTORS®.

Panel Moderator

Amy Peterson - 2024 President of the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®

Amy Peterson is serving as moderator for this panel. Amy has been a Realtor® for 20 years and currently holds the position of 2024 SPAAR President. In addition, she has held volunteer leadership positions at both the state and national levels. Prior to becoming a Realtor®, Amy worked in glass and glazing sales and project management, and then in manufacturing as a sales engineer, which were instrumental in her transition to real estate so many years ago. Today, Amy is a trusted advisor with Edina Realty in Blaine.