Evening star., 1924-06-05
FREQUENT SURVEYS
b OF REALTY URGED
National Secretary Tells of Value
Of Accurate Statistics on
Changing Conditions.
ACT AS SHOCK CUSHION
Superficial Opinions Often Changed
by Knowing Facts.

Real estate board secretaries were
the guests this afternoon at lunch
con in the Willard room of the New
Willard Hotel The secretaries were
welcomed in an address by j. G.
Weldon. president of the Washing
ton Real Estate Board. responded to
by n. K. Ennis. president of the ma
tional association.
Herbert t. Nelson. executive sec
rotary of the national association, in
an address urged that local boards
make semi-annual surveys OF rental
conditions. and outlined large field
of research work for the locals.
Nature of Surveys.
81 would like" said MIR. Nelson. TO
see every real estate board record
and chart monthly the movement OF
real estate tranSferS. as we'll as the
movement of real estate mortgages
in it's community. | would like to see
every board max" frequent inVeSti-
cation anG reports on the money
supply available for thc financing of
al cStat" enterprise. | would like
10 see each board make "A quarterly
survey Of j'tt res, r>,at" market, in
dicatins what types Of property are
most in demand.
II would like to sec each board
make a vacancy survey II stated in
tervals Above all. I would like to
see every beard undertake Il rental
survey twice year The movefne Mt
"f rents represents not merely the
opinion of a few owners. but the
collective Judgment of the entire
community ON the effective demand
which exists for the use of real
proDertN
Value of Studies.
Economic conditions and the sup
ply Of property will. of course. cause
this demand TO vary. BY an accurate
knowledge of present conditions, one
can more surely predict what is to
occur. and thus cushion the shock.
"A few boards have undertaken to
do some of this work and have gained
excellent results. When it is done
more generally, members of our
boards will be able not only to con-
duct their own business with better
foresight and more assurance and
judgment. but more wisely to advise
the clients whom they represent.
In this field the national associa-
tion has undertaken general enter
prlSeS. our Semi-annual survey Of the
real estate market has now been is
sued four times. We are getting in
creasingly more complete results
from mt mber boards. IL has been re-
ported to me- that our QUESTIONABLE 5
have been TIL" occasion. m many cities
for a taking OF stock of the local
situation. which has been more bene
fetal. perhaps, than the results %
our own work.
Opinions often Changed.
MANY a man has told us that our
questionnaire caused the local real
tors. in assembling their replies. to
try 10 come to conscientious and just
estimate of the local real estate con-
ditions and that this estimate, in
many cases Varied widely from the
supe rficial opinions which they had
previously held.
so far as the national body'S sur
vey itself is concerned il is being
received by scientific institutions
throughout the country, as well as
liable and accurate barometer of the
real estate market which exists. We
hope to develop the survey and in
tenSifY its conclusions.
Research in other fields We have
also undertaken. especially with re
gard TO mortgage loans. | believe
that by stimulating the spirit of fact
finding in our member boa rds we can
ultimately encourage and develop a
critical and open minded outlook on
the part Of our member boards with
regard to the local situation which
will IN itself be more valuable prob
ably than any more concrete results
which our surveys might achieve"