Here at the Board, turning 100 years old has made us a bit nostalgic… So, we decided to take a look back and see what else was going on in the Fraser Valley a century ago, and since then.
Is it the longing for a simpler time? Perhaps. Or is it to understand how the Fraser Valley has changed and what growth has meant? Yes, this seems more likely, so let’s go with that…😊
We put our sleuths – true Sherlockians at heart – to the test. Armed with nothing more than a magnifying glass (okay, it was more than that – it was Google…) and a deerstalker (well, Google that!), we asked them to look back at the humble beginnings of what is now a vibrant and thriving Fraser Valley.
What we uncovered was nothing short of spectacular…
For example, while there are many businesses with a long tenure in the Fraser Valley (some of which we will be featuring in future articles), FVREB stands alongside the Otter Co-op (established one year to the day after the FVREB, on October 19, 1922) as the two oldest organizations in the Valley! Interestingly, we are both member-based and member-driven organizations. How cool is that? And who do we have to thank for that?? YOU! Okay, you and your predecessors, but it was REALTORS® like you who helped build the local communities which the FVREB has had the honour to serve.
When we turn to housing, of course, that hits closer to home (See what we did there?). The Valley’s history is filled with many homes across all seven municipalities that set the foundations for what we see as the spectacular Valley today. And oh my, how housing has changed, eh?? A century will do that, of course. However, opportunities in the Valley still exist – from first-time homebuyers to those with growing families, right through to empty nesters looking to downsize. Stay tuned for more stories on these homes to come soon!
We didn’t stop there though – we went further and looked at the oldest brokerages in the Valley – and to our astonishment, there were only two! Who are they?? Well, we shall have to leave you with a cliff hanger – with the answers to come in a future article.
If you have suggestions on anything Centennial-related that we should look at, let us know by emailing the Communications team!
We’ll leave you with some results of some research conducted by the Harvard Business Review about what helps organizations achieve 100 years of successful operations!
In summary, HBR’s research found that longevity comes as a result of having a stable core and an unchanging organizational purpose, based on community engagement. The second step though, is via disruption, bringing in outside expertise and learning from other sectors (even ones that we do not appear to have anything in common with). In other words, the secret sauce lies in balancing tradition with innovation – now, who could argue with that??
Source: FVREB Communications