Outlook 2026 Conference
By: J. David Chapman, PhD,/May 1, 2026
I remember several years ago when the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission set a strategic goal to create more value for its licensees through a statewide conference. Matt Holder, OREC Director of Education, took that charge seriously. With the support of the entire OREC team, and especially Executive Director Bailey Crotty, he helped orchestrate one of the most professional and impactful real estate conferences I have ever attended. More than 800 residential and commercial professionals from across Oklahoma showed up, a clear signal that the industry was ready for something more.
It was called Outlook 2026, and it was anything but a typical continuing education event. The focus was not on contracts, forms, or the next transaction. It was on the next decade. What will Oklahoma look like in 2036, and more importantly, are we ready for it?
The day opened with Governor Kevin Stitt setting the tone. His message centered on growth, momentum, and a state that continues to position itself as a place where people and businesses want to be. That framing mattered because everything that followed built on a simple premise: growth is coming, but it must be managed.
From there, the conversation moved quickly to the forces reshaping our industry. Scott Klososky delivered a keynote on artificial intelligence, while author and speaker Dianna Kokoszka reminded us that none of this matters without personal growth. Markets change. Technology evolves. The professionals who succeed are the ones willing to adapt alongside them.
One of the most memorable moments of the day, for me, was introducing Dr. Russell Evans, who challenged the room to “become the local economist.” It is a powerful idea. Every real estate professional, whether they realize it or not, interprets the market every day. The question is whether we do it intentionally and intelligently.
The remainder of the conference featured panels that addressed the realities already shaping our industry. Chief Investigator Riece Baker led a discussion on fraud prevention. Commissioner Peggy Wright moderated a panel on affordability pressures. Commissioner Mary Terry guided a conversation on the changing landscape of Oklahoma cities. These are no longer distant concerns. They are here, actively reshaping how we practice real estate and how we protect consumers. The role of the licensee is evolving from transaction facilitator to trusted advisor navigating increasing complexity.
I had the opportunity to moderate the final panel of the day, titled Oklahoma 2036: The Next Decade Starts Now. Sitting alongside me were Marion Hutchison, DeShawn Heusel, Mark Beffort, and Kenton Tsoodle. Each brought a different lens, but together the conversation painted a clear picture of where Oklahoma City is headed.
Transit and regional connectivity are no longer theoretical discussions. They are foundational to growth. Without them, expansion stalls. With them, entire corridors of opportunity emerge.
That, ultimately, was the purpose of Outlook 2026. It was designed to push licensees beyond the transaction and into a broader role: understanding risk, anticipating change, and protecting consumers in an increasingly complex environment. This is where the profession is heading.
The Oklahoma Real Estate Commission deserves credit for elevating the conversation. This was not about checking a continuing education box. It was about preparing an entire industry for what comes next. Because the truth is, 2036 is not far away.
In real estate, the projects we start today, the policies we shape, and the decisions we make will define that future. The question is not whether change is coming. It is whether we are ready to lead it.
Dr. J. David Chapman is the Chair of Finance and Professor of Real Estate at The University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu)