What Age is a YPN’er?

NAR and many local and state REALTOR® organizations have started new chapters for “younger” REALTORS® called Young Professional Networks or simply YPN. NAR has even set up a YPN for association executives. There are several events this week during the NAR  Convention and Expo for this energetic segment of the industry.

The most common question surrounding YPN is “how old is young?”

There is no single right answer to that question. Some chapters have actually set or recommended an arbitrary age limit, most often under forty. Most chapters have adopted a more open answer that can include people who are new to real estate, young at heart, or open-minded enough to learn from the “young” crowd.

So do you fit in with YPN? Here are a few questions to ask yourself. If you answer “yes” to one or more, you may be a YPN’er.

• Do you embrace technology for both business and personal activities?
• Do you understand that social media is a way to connect with people and NOT a new marketing tool?
• Are you always looking for something new to help you grow as a professional?
• Do you have a passion to lead change?

Even if you answered “yes” to some of the questions above, you still may not be suitable to hang with the YPN’ers. If you answer “yes” to any of the following, you may want to watch from afar.

• Does it bother you when someone is using a smart phone or other mobile device during a committee meeting or education session?
• Do you think email is the best way to communicate?
• Have you ever said, “I don’t get Twitter. Why should I care what people are having for lunch?”
• Do you like networking with your peers by serving on a committee that meets every month, but never accomplishes anything?

The bottom line is that age is not a factor with YPN. I know 35 year olds that need to stay away and 70 year olds that fit right in with the YPN’ers. I do not qualify as young by age, but I really love being around the YPN’ers. They bring a new attitude to the REALTOR® Association and challenge my view of reality.

I hope to see you at one of the YPN events in Anaheim during the NAR Convention…I’ll be the old bald guy with the big smile on my face.