President’s Report | January 2026
By Mark Oegema
2026 Michigan Realtors® President
My fellow Realtors® – Thank you for this incredible honor. To be fortunate enough to serve as 2026 President for this impactful organization is both humbling and inspiring.
The Foundation of Leadership
Leadership, to me, is simple: listen first, serve relentlessly and deliver unmistakable value every single day. That is exactly what we will do together this year. We will protect private property rights with the same ferocity we always have. We will turn every challenge into opportunity and make certain every member, whether they close two deals a year or two hundred, feels seen, supported and proud to call Michigan Realtors® home.
Our Collective Value
While the media has generated a fair amount of clickbait by often presenting an unflattering and chaotic narrative to the real estate world, I’ve never bought it, and I’m confident that you all know your immense value to your clients. I am particularly proud of the ways in which leadership at Michigan Realtors® stepped up to help us navigate the changes presented by the NAR settlement. In my time on the Board, we’ve had consistently great leadership with a goal of empowering membership by providing relevant education, meaningful outreach and innovative resources that move us forward stronger than ever. It’s no secret that Realtors® take our commitment to our clients, the industry and our communities to another level. Chris, Sandi, Natalie, Jamie – learning from you over the years has made me a stronger leader, better collaborator and a more passionate Realtor®.
Building a Promising Future
As we look to our future, it will always be informed by the lessons we learned from the past.
Membership must recognize itself in our association. We know that true engagement generates future volunteer leaders.
An advocacy group like ours thrives off new voices, unique viewpoints and healthy debate.
The benefits and initiatives that we roll out must continue to be cutting edge and reflective of member needs.
I know that we will succeed because I have the incredibly good fortune of working with an exceptional leadership team, Al Block and Michele Papatheodore, a dynamic Board of Directors, an amazing CEO in Rob Campau and an association staff that is unrivaled. Collectively, we are laser focused on providing member value and building for the future.
Join Our Community
My first “ask” as your 2026 President is simple: Join our community and let’s continue the conversation. If you’re interested in meeting some like-minded and motivated Realtors® in Michigan, make plans to attend the 2026 Achieve Leadership Conference on January 29-30 in Grand Rapids. Achieve provides leaders of every level with the tools needed to be part of the change they want to see in their local associations, offices and communities. The event gathers the best and brightest association leaders and public policy advocates from across Michigan.
In closing, I again thank you for this opportunity. I look forward to a value packed Achieve full of new friends, insightful speakers and tons of great educational opportunities. Let’s learn from one another and have a great time!
We are Michigan Realtors®.
