As a new decade approaches, we'd like to highlight a hidden association treasure that includes laser keys, talking cars, and silver jumpsuits. Our friends at the National Association of REALTORS Library & Archives dug up an old 1990 video that was created by NAR for its 8th annual State & Municipal Town Hall Meeting during the 1990 REALTORS Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.
So how exactly did this wacky artifact come to fruition? According to Hathaway Hester, manager of the association archives, the theme of the 1990 town hall meeting was "The Broker's Office in the Year 2000," and the futuristic video served as an introduction to the proceedings. The entire thing was filmed and made available to members through NAR's mail-order service, which was a precursor to today's REALTOR Store. It was advertised throughout 1990, then disappeared from the radar until it was digitized and posted online in 2008, the year of NAR's centennial, Hester says. Over the years, the short video has caught the interest of external publications wanting to highlight the video's amazing '90s cheesiness.
This NAR creation was put out before the beginning of a new decade, a new century, and a new millennium. "Add to that the widely feared Y2K doomsday scenarios, and you've got the perfect storm of excitement and anxiety attached to the upcoming year" Hester adds. And did we mention the enjoyable nostalgia of the '90s production quality?
The Culture Scan highlighted some of our favorite humorous moments throughout the nearly 9-minute video.1. These swirling shapes at the start of the video that fly in to form the retro NAR logo, in all its cube-y glory. Can we bring back the registration mark twinkle?
2. The star agent of the futuristic film, Sally Schultz, is tapping her snazzy touchscreen desktop computer. Get a look at that silver business wear!
3. A keyless entry to open the front door of a property is just a zap away. If only these '90s technology predictions came true...maybe eventually.
4. The metallic space suit outfits. No further explanation needed here.
5. The clients walking through this home of the future. Black-and-white striped floors? We're sold.
6. When the clients ask the agent about changing the color of the home, the agent instantaneously projects what it could look like right in front of their very eyes. We really hope this becomes a reality some day.
Go back in time and feel the '90s vibes yourself by watching the full video, titled "The Broker's Office in the Year 2000," posted on NAR's YouTube account below.
