Virginia Realtors Learning Center: PMX 2025 Speakers

Speakers

KEYNOTE PRESENTER

Jay Berube

Jay Berube is a seasoned coach and consultant with over two decades of experience in property management and real estate. With a track record of 1400 homes sold and the management of over 3000 properties, Jay brings unparalleled insights into the industry. His expertise extends to cutting-edge technologies, including ChatGPT and AI, making him a leader in leveraging technology for business success. Known for boosting team performance, lead generation, and strategic planning, Jay empowers clients to overcome challenges and achieve remarkable results.

Grimes Creasy

Grimes represents car dealerships, dairy farmers, property management companies, and businesses of all sizes, both in the Roanoke Valley and throughout the commonwealth. Grimes has successfully tried and defended numerous federal and state court cases, and he has been instrumental in drafting and interpreting the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Mark Given

Mark Given is Founder of the Trust Based Philosophy and the Trust Based Academy serving companies, organizations, leaders, sales and service teams, colleges, and universities to dramatically improve their results in building, maintaining, and repairing TRUST. He is an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author of 8 books and is recognized worldwide as a Relationship Expert.

Erin Kormann

Erin Kormann joined Virginia REALTORS^® in 2015 and currently serves as SVP of Legal Operations & Legislative Counsel Legislative Counsel. Her areas of responsibility include developing REALTOR^® education and serving as a course instructor, review of legislation, and all things property management.

Prior to joining Virginia REALTORS^®, Erin graduated from Brooklyn Law School and went on to clerk for two years in the Eastern District of New York and three years in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Office of Staff Counsel.  Erin then decided to join the family business and go into real estate. She sold real estate as a solo agent for almost five years. She then partnered with another agent and created a 5-person team, which was a consistent top producer in the office for several years.

Jon Haley

As Associate General Counsel for Virginia REALTORS®, Jon is involved in every aspect of the association’s legal responsibilities. He works with the rest of the legal team to teach, create podcasts and legal videos, and draft legal briefs for the Supreme Court of Virginia. Jon graduated from the College of William and Mary and the University of Richmond School of Law, then clerked for a judge before starting at a large claims administration law firm. After spending several years with Virginia REALTORS®, he worked at a settlement company in the Fredericksburg area and gained valuable experience before coming back to VAR. He likes to cook and play music in his spare time, which is a rare commodity with two sons running around his house. He and his wife, Mandy, reside with their boys in Mechanicsville.

Santiago Montalvo

Santiago brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Virginia REALTORS®. He served in the U.S. Army, and prior to completing law school at American University, Santiago gained experience through a variety of roles and industries. He has worked as a microscopy engineering technician, served in the financial sector, and practiced law as a solo practitioner. As Staff Counsel, Santiago contributes to the Caveat REALTOR®podcast, creates legal resources for members, and serves on the Standard Forms Committee.

In his free time, Santiago enjoys maintaining and optimizing his motorcycles; working on anything that has a motor, wires, or antenna; and enjoying his recent achievement of becoming a HAM radio operator.

Sean Olk

Sean’s professional background includes both real estate and law. Prior to law school, he worked in various areas of the real estate industry, including as a REALTOR® in California. In 2016, Sean graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law. In addition to his J.D., he also earned a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Sean’s past legal practice focused on civil litigation where he handled cases ranging from personal injury to landlord-tenant disputes. As Staff Counsel, Sean strives to provide excellent service and counsel to the Association and its members.

Sarah Petcher

Sarah knew she wanted to become a lawyer when she was 10 years old. After a stint as a family law attorney in Fairfax, Sarah became General Counsel of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors where she fell in love with real estate. During her tenure at NVAR, she learned not only about running a real estate association but came to understand the full picture of the real estate industry in the US. With this unique perspective, she partnered up with Toula Dreifuss to form S & T Law Group and The 1031 Exchange Group with the goal to provide services to non-profits, trade associations, real estate brokerages, real estate agents, and members of the public involved in real estate transactions. Sarah lives in Falls Church with her husband and two daughters. She joyfully embraces a slower pace of life and enjoys cooking, theatre and to travel as often as possible.

Ryan Price

For more than a decade, Ryan has honed his knowledge of Virginia’s housing market. Before stepping into his current role of Virginia REALTORS^® Chief Economist, Ryan served as the association’s Deputy Chief Economist. Prior to joining our team, he served as the President of the research consulting firm LSA Planning, as an Urban Planner for the city of Alexandria, and as part of the research team at the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.

Even before joining Virginia REALTORS^® full time, Ryan spent years contributing to our research, including the monthly Virginia Home Sales Report and our quarterly regional market reports. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from James Madison University and a master’s degree in urban planning from Virginia Tech.

When he’s not providing research and analyses to our members, lawmakers, and the media, you can find Ryan traveling, snowboarding, or playing soccer with his son. When asked about his food of choice, Ryan noted that he is a Taco Tuesday enthusiast.

Patty Young

Patty Young is a distinguished licensed Real Estate Broker in Virginia, bringing decades of experience, insight, and heart to every client interaction.

Additionally, Patty is a licensed instructor accredited by the Virginia Board of Real Estate; Patty is as passionate about educating her clients, realtors and the next generation of agents as she is about guiding her clients through major life transitions.

Deeply rooted in her community, Patty shares her time as she serves on the Fairfax Fair Housing Task Force, volunteers actively with local schools, and collaborates with the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors and Moseley as an instructor. She's not just involved-she's invested in building a better industry and a stronger community.

'Growing up, Patty moved frequently as her father's career took the family across many parts of the United States giving her the chance to experience new places and new people. Patty developed incredible people skills, problem-solving savvy, and a gift for connection early in life. These traits now shine through in every deal she negotiates and every relationship she builds.