New President FIABCI inaugurated

Mr. Jean-Marc Levet officially took office as FIABCI President at the closing ceremony of the Federation´s 54th annual congress which took place in Berlin, Germany from May 28-30 2003.

A property manager in Paris for thirty years from 1970-2000, where he managed the company which bore his name, he founded in 1991 the international network of property advisors Levet & Partners with subsidiaries in Paris, New York and Lisbon. He also devoted a considerable portion of his time to both French and international trade organisations and held the following positions :

* Secretary General (1982-86), then Vice President (1987-92) of the French
National Confederation of Property Managers (CNAB)

* Member of the French National Habitat Council (1983-92)

* Co-founder (1989) of the European Confederation of Property Managers (CEAB)

* President (1992-96) of the European Council of Real Estate Professions

Within FIABCI, Jean-Marc Levet was successively President of the Property Managers Committee (1992-93), President of the French national chapter (1995-97), and Treasurer of the Federation (1998-2001).

During his first speech as President, Jean-Marc Levet indicated that his objective was to allow Fiabci to successfully negotiate the first natural watershed in its development. He reminded the audience that Fiabci actually has two categories of members: real estate trade organisations (generally national associations whose members range depending on the country from a few dozen to many hundreds of thousands of individuals) and also individual members.

Levet explains: 'The globalisation of the real estate profession has for fifty years been felt and exploited principally by the individual member, or at least by the most dynamic of them. These members have found that FIABCI enables them to give them the international dimension that they needed or desired. But today, globalisation goes beyond individual interests and affects the collective interests of the professions, and examples of this phenomenon are numerous. One only needs to look at the work of
international organisations such as the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Organsiation. For some time now, this Council has been showing interest
in such diverse issues as codes of measurement, co-ownership of property, building site usage and valuation methods of land and property. This phenomenon is still more evident in Europe where the current goal is to harmonise professional practice as regards the real estate profession. If we are not careful, these studies and their results will take place without the participation of the real estate professions themselves. This is why it is now up to the trade organisations to play their role. Some still remain to
be convinced. Our role is to take up this challenge.'

Levet also indicated his intention to remain loyal to the humanist aspect of the Federation´s activities and to the generosity of spirit which makes our experiences available to others. The Global Housing Foundation is the perfect example of an advanced professional skill, honed and creative, which serves the underprivileged. The creation of a new category for the Fiabci Prix d´Excellence awards for excellence in real estate, to reward the renovation of unfit housing, is yet another example. Fiabci´s participation in the work of the UN springs from the same philosophy.

Source: FIABCI

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