During my most recent trip to the great state of Mississippi to visit the Jackson Association of REALTORS®, I had the pleasure of chatting with well seasoned REALTOR® Lee Garland. Lee is the Broker-owner of Remax Alliance in Mississippi. In his 17 years of experience, Lee has many achievements under his belt, including Recruiter of the Year, being recognized as a Certified Residential Specialist, and serving on numerous boards and committees for the Jackson Association of REALTORS®. During the few moments I had to talk with him and get to know the JAR Board members, I learned Lee has a world of industry knowledge and a love for training. One broker told me he is the best teacher she knows. What follows are some of the insights he shared with me:

1) What is your opinion on the health of the market in Jackson, Mississippi?

I have seen an improvement in the market in the last two months. I'm seeing progress in new development areas that we haven't seen since 2005. The increase could be attributed to interest rates. People start to see them go up so they want to make a move before they increase any more.

2) How has technology changed the way you work in the last 5 years?

Everything is getting smaller. Agents aren't dependent on bulky desktops. Everything is going mobile. Also a transaction can be made with the first sit down meeting being at closing.