Mike Berk is still getting settled into his new office and home, but his enthusiasm for his new role as CEO of Longleaf Pine REALTORS® is already in full swing. Just a few weeks into the job, the association management veteran sat down with the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal to talk about what brought him to southeastern North Carolina, his vision for the region’s real estate community and why he’s ready to finally try real grits.
Q: So you’ve been in association management for about 25 years. What drew you specifically to working with REALTOR® organizations?
A: It’s funny—I actually got my real estate license back in 2011 while I was working as an association executive for a statewide organization in Pennsylvania. I was a REALTOR® for 10 years while doing association work, and I just loved it. I loved real estate, and I really loved working with realtors. So I decided, why not combine the two things I’m passionate about? I took my first REALTOR® association job up in Burlington, Vt. Beautiful area, but those winters? Let’s just say I was ready for a change…