1920s- BRIEF TIMELINE

1920 – First meeting to consider forming the Colorado Board of REALTORS®.

1921 – The first year of the Colorado Association of Real Estate Boards (CAREB) led by L.F. Eppich. Dues were $1.00 per year.

1922 – First annual meeting held in October at the Boulderado Hotel with over 100 members in attendance.

1923 – The Colorado Board of REALTORS® changed its name to the Colorado Association of Real Estate Boards at a meeting of the Board of Governors on Dec. 5, 1923. A new policy from the National Association drove the change. On April 13 the NAREB Board of Directors voted that local Boards should remove the term “REALTOR” from the names of their boards as not all members of local boards were REALTORS® which was reserved for real estate brokers only. The rule was overturned on May 6, 1939, when the NAREB Board of Directors voted that boards could use “REALTOR” in their name provided that all active voting members of the board were REALTORS®.

1925 – State passage of the real estate broker licensing law by the Colorado legislature.

1926 – Colorado voted in favor of the three-way membership agreement. It stated that anyone desiring to use term “REALTOR®” must belong to the state board, local board, and national association.

1928 – The Colorado Association of Real Estate Boards was accepted by NAR’s Board of Directors as a member of the REALTOR® organization.

1929 – First assessment of $1.00 per member that was earmarked for legislative efforts.

1930s BRIEF TIMELINE

1931 – First “exhibit hall” at the annual meeting at the Congress Hotel in Pueblo.

1932 – The Great Depression reached Colorado and the Colorado REALTORS® Association faced survival and struggled to maintain members. Colorado did not have a sales tax or income tax, so there was little funding to provide any relief.

1933 – Excise tax on gas was introduced.

1933 – NAR reduced dues from $10.00 to $5.00 annually.

1934 – CAREB worked on rent, taxation and
foreclosure legislation.

1934 – The U.S. President signed “Code for the R.E. Business”

1937 – CAREB worked on a mutual agreement with the Bar Association to draw up legal papers for REALTORS®.

1938 – CAREB began accepting members into the State Association without requiring them to be members of the National Association. Membership grew by two to three members per month. The annual convention was held at the Broadmoor and rooms were $3.50 for a single and $5.50 for a double.

1940s BRIEF TIMELINE

1941 – Colorado helped pave the way to the National Association forming the REALTORS® Washington Committee (Now RPAC).

1942-1945 – CAREB was focused on efforts to assist the U.S. Government during World War II, including working with the War Production Board to find vacant storage facilities for war materials in the region.

1944 – First dues increase to $2.50 per member.

1944 – The annual convention on October 6 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver had a record attendance of 550 members.

1946 – The Women’s Council led by Mrs. Ora Chester Barber was developed within the state organization.

1946 – Phil Berg was hired to be Executive Vice President of the Association.

1947 – Emphasis on educating the public about the importance of using a “REALTOR.”

1948 – Colorado became one of several states to allow associate memberships. Other states
followed suit over the years.

1950s BRIEF TIMELINE

1950 – The Multiple Listing Services (or listing exchange groups) started to develop within
local boards.

1951 – A joint conference held with Colorado and New Mexico. The first REALTOR® of the Year was also awarded to Damian P. Ducy.

1955 – All rooms and seats are sold out ahead of time for the first time at the Annual Convention. Association membership increased to 1,250 with annual dues increasing to $20/member.

1957 – The State Supreme Court settles a case in favor of REALTORS® and non-REALTORS® in the case of Conway-Bogue Realty Inv. Co. versus the Denver Bar Association. The Denver Bar Association wanted to prevent REALTORS® from drawing up any legal documents relating to real estate. Today, both REALTORS® and Non-REALTORS® are thus able to complete prompt real estate service to their clients. John Gorsuch, legal counsel for CAREB, helped champion this fight.

1959 – A severe blizzard hampered the Annual Convention. Some members who left Greeley on Wednesday did not arrive until Saturday at the Broadmoor.

1960s BRIEF TIMELINE

1960 – CAREB Foundation was formed for the purpose of furthering real estate education and research.

1964 – CAREB’s long-standing opposition to enforced public housing mandated by a central government reached a conclusion when Governor John Love signed the Public Housing Referendum Law, which made it possible for each individual community to determine its own housing mix.

1965 –  CAREB sponsored six regional conferences around the state.

1966 – CAREB started to work with the real
estate commission to create standardized real estate forms.

1967 – The GRI program was introduced to CAREB by the National Association. State dues were $40/member. Record attendance at the Annual Convention was 1,100 members.

1968 – CAREB moved into new office space. Prior to this, CAREB had been sharing space with the Denver Board of REALTORS®.

1969 – By the end of the decade, 78.5% of the state’s population was now urban creating new challenges for real estate in the next decade.

1970s BRIEF TIMELINE

1970s – This ERA was a decade of inflation. With interest rates reaching 19.5% by the late 1970s, 1031 tax-deferred exchanges flourished.

1972 – The political action committee was formed.

1974 – Long-term AE Phil Berg retired after 28 years. Arnie VanZandt was hired as his replacement the following year.

1975 – CAREB purchased the land to build a permanent headquarters.

1976 – CAREB  became the Colorado Association of REALTORS® (CAR). Ethics and arbitration proceedings are implemented throughout the association.

1977 – CAR broke ground on the first building for the association. CAR also designed resolutions to protect Colorado water rights.

1978 – A condominium committee is formed to oversee legislation pertaining to this new form of housing.

1980s BRIEF TIMELINE

1981 – CAR’s issues PAC (IPAC) was created. CAR reorganized its existing two districts into three (the new Mountain District, the Northwest District, and the Southwest District).

1982  – Due to increased member interest in CAR’s initiatives and education, the annual convention at The Broadmoor had attendance in
excess of 3,000.

1983 – CAR focused a lot of effort on improving its administration systems by purchasing an IBM computer and leasing a large Xerox copying
machine.

1984 – Janet Scavo was elected as the first female President. CAR’s successful Political Action Committee was presented with several national awards from NAR.

1986 – CAR improved the GRI program by implementing a new delivery system with Van Education. A new entity called the Political Survival Fund (PSF)  was formed in 1986 to collect and disburse funds to CORPAC and IPAC.

1987  – The CAR Education Foundation held its first annual Marla Moore Job Fair. The event was attended by more than 100 Colorado college students interested in a career in real estate.

1988 – A new program called the REALTORS® Affordable Housing Program was created which would begin to address housing for the homeless, low income rental housing, and foreclosure prevention/mitigation. At the June 1988 NAR Rocky Mountain Regional Conference held in Vail, CAR hosted the largest attendance ever for such an event.

1990s BRIEF TIMELINE

1991 – The CAR Housing Opportunity Foundation (CARHOF) was established.

1994 – The new CAR website is launched:
www.ColoRealtor.org.

1995 – Board of Choice passes at NAR:  “Members may join a primary board across contiguous state lines. State association membership would be in the state where primary board membership is held.”

1996 – New Single Licensing is now law, signed by Governor Romer on April 22, 1996. The new law acknowledged three levels of responsibility: Broker Associate, Independent Broker, and Employing Broker. The CAR Legal Hotline was established where REALTORS® could call and talk to a real estate attorney for free.

1998 – Mandatory E&O insurance was now required by state law starting January 1, 1998.

1999 – CAR establishes the CAR Columbine Foundation to assist victims of the school shooting that happened on April 20, 1999. A new CAR logo is created.

2000s BRIEF TIMELINE

2001 – CAR offered the GRI Program online for Continuing Education (CE) for the first time.

2003 –  CAR’s Legislative Policy team worked hard to help pass Designated Brokerage which was approved by state legislature as of January 2003.

2004 – MLSs are required to adopt a Virtual Office Website (VOW) by July 1, 2004.

2005 – About 885,000 foreclosures notices in the US were filed on 846,982 properties during the year.

2006 – CAR introduced a new logo and an updated website look.

2007 – The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) announced that 2007 had the largest drop in existing home sales in 25 years, and “the first price decline in many years and possibly going back to the Great Depression.”  CAR also opened a Downtown Denver Office Location in January to have closer access to the capitol.

2009 – Renovations were made to the main building at 309 Inverness Way South that included a grand new entrance, more conference areas and a staff lounge. The Colorado Young Professional Network (CYPN) is formed.

2010s BRIEF TIMELINE

2010 –  The last Colorado REALTOR® Magazine is mailed out in July. All future publications are emailed. Colorado Young Professional Network (CYPN) is formed.

2011 – CAR Business Services was formed in January with the primary purpose being to generate non-dues revenue for CAR and provide discounted products and services to its members.

2012 –  There were over 1,498 wildfires and over 300,000 acres burned during summer of 2012. Colorado was very dry with excess of 100-degree temperatures across most of the state.

2013 – The floods in September 2013 were a historic natural disaster. A slow-moving storm brought rain for four days, resulting in 9-17 inches of rain, affecting 17 Colorado counties.

2014 – CAR adopted Policy Governance as its new structure.

2015 – CAR Changed the title of “President” to “Chair” – CAR also established a new Mission and Value Statement.

2018 – The CAR Foundation was established to combine the Educational Foundation and the Housing Opportunity Foundation under one philanthropic umbrella.

2020s BRIEF TIMELINE

JAN – NAR’s new “Clear Cooperation” Policy is in effect to promote quicker advertising of listings available to all sales people.

FEB –  REALTOR® Day at the Capitol & Economic Summit Focused on the State’s Growing Economy and Housing Needs with over 250 attendees.

MAR – Colorado Governor issued a Stay-at-Home order and that the states Real Estate Transactions were NOT Essential… Within 24 hours, CAR got the Stay-at-Home order amended to include Real Estate Transactions as essential.

APR – As a direct result of CAR’s advocacy with the Governor, AG, DORA, real estate appraisals, closings, home inspections, and final walk-throughs are all considered essential.

MAY – CAR signed onto stakeholder letter to Governor Polis and Joint Budget Committee to request eligible use of Covid-19 relief funds be spent for housing assistance.

JUNE – CAR Sends Letter to Governor Polis Requesting Allowance to Resume responsible safe showings – Request is granted. After four years of work, CAR helps a bill authorizing remote notarization pass with protection for data privacy of consumers.

OCT – CAR holds it’s first Virtual Fall Forum due to COVID-19 restrictions. 402 REALTORS®, staff and vendors participate.

DEC – The year ends with COVID-19 restrictions still in place across the country. Active listings and months supply of inventory fall to record lows driving land sales in many communities across Colorado.

Information as of 12/31/2020.