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A letter from IREM President Cheryl Gray, CPM

A look inside this issue of JPM

By Cheryl Gray, CPM
Businessman

IREM President Cheryl Gray, CPM

2020 has been a year to remember. In March, businesses across the United States and throughout much of the world closed their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with that came the need to quickly adapt to an increasingly virtual world. The new reality of the real estate industry is changing dramatically, and IREM members and staff have been working tirelessly to help ensure the real estate management profession stays ahead of the curve. As the current year draws to a close and we all prepare to hit the ground running in 2021, this issue of JPM gives an in-depth outlook for the year ahead.

With such an abrupt interruption to our normal way of life, the entire world has been looking to our leaders in government for guidance on how to navigate these extraordinary times. IREM members across the globe have stepped forward in our industry to provide guidance whenever possible. For example, in the U.S., questions of how commercial and residential tenants alike can continue paying rent put IREM in a critical position to advocate on behalf of property managers and owners. You can read more about IREM’s U.S. advocacy initiatives throughout this tumultuous year in the government affairs column.

IREM members are leaders in the real estate management field, and the disruptions to business as usual in 2020 have presented us with opportunities to rise to the occasion. In May, IREM shifted to virtual learning, allowing students to continue investing in their careers from the comfort of their homes. Thanks to this migration into the digital realm, we’ve expanded our reach and look forward to more students taking advantage of this new route to IREM certification.

Business wasn’t the only thing interrupted by COVID-19 in 2020, and the annual IREM Global Summit was no exception. But as you might expect, IREM headquarters was ready to adapt. Check out the Virtual IREM Summit recap feature for a look at how we reinvented our annual event. And though we couldn’t celebrate together in person, the outstanding achievements of our members could not be overlooked. We raised a glass (albeit virtually) to the winners of the 2020 IREM Foundation Awards and the REME Awards with our “Cheers to Your Peers” live event.

My tenure as IREM president has certainly been an eventful one, and I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the work that we’re doing to move toward a more equitable future for all. We’re furthering our commitment to our core values of diversity and inclusion by engaging a diversity expert to implement a strategy in partnership with IREM’s Diversity Advisory Board. Looking ahead to next year, JPM will begin featuring a rotating column on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

Anticipating what comes next is always a tall order in an industry as dynamic as real estate management. Read ahead to discover what trends our experts say you should expect in property management heading into 2021. As for my own outlook, I know that the Institute will be in the best of hands under the leadership of the incoming president, Chip Watts, CPM, CCIM, and the rest of the executive leadership team. My term as president may be coming to a close, but the honor of serving IREM during a time of such uncertainty will stay with me forever. Best of luck to the new leadership team, and we all look forward to what IREM has in store for 2021.

Cheryl Gray, CPM IREM President

Cheryl Gray, CPM
IREM President

Journal of Property Management

Cheryl Gray, CPM, is 2020 IREM president and executive vice president at QuadReal in Toronto, Ontario.

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