Happy Birthday, Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine! This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the magazine’s inaugural issue in January 2004.
Learn about how Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine all began in the January 2014 magazine's "Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine 10-Year Anniversary" article. The official WRA publication timeline is below.
1950: Realtors Bulletin
The first official publication of the Wisconsin Association of Real Estate Brokers (WAREB) was created on a typewriter and mailed to the WAREB board of directors.
1960: WAREB Newsletter
The WAREB Newsletter replaces the Realtors Bulletin. Distribution expands from just WAREB leadership to all brokers.
1963: WRA Newsletter
WAREB officially changes its name to the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association and expands membership from brokers to all sales agents. Newsletter distribution more than doubles in 1963.
1968: Badger REALTOR®
The WRA Newsletter is discontinued and replaced with Badger REALTOR®, the WRA’s first publication in magazine format. The last year it was produced (1981), real estate suffered a record-high average-fixed mortgage rate of 16.63 percent.
1981: Wisconsin REALTOR®
The publication simply changes its name and continues on as a magazine. The cover was printed in color while interior pages were printed in black and white.
1997: Newspaper Format
Wisconsin REALTOR® is redesigned as a newspaper so color could be added on every page. In July 1997, the WRA launched its first website.
2003: Format Concerns
In December 2003, Wisconsin REALTOR® was discontinued due to poor quality reproduction. Circulation rises to 14,952 readers in December 2003.
2004: Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine
Wisconsin REALTOR® is replaced by Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine in January 2004 with a the goal of reporting on the industry as a whole rather than just what’s happening inside the WRA. The launch also included an online edition of the magazine. The first issues were 28 pages in length, with eight pages of full color and 20 pages of a single color.
2005: Full Color
In July 2005, the magazine expanded to 32 pages and became a full-color publication, thanks to its strong advertising base.
2005: Wisconsin Home Magazine
The WRA launched the Wisconsin Homeowners Alliance, a non-partisan, non-profit advocacy organization with a mission to advance and promote issues of concern to all Wisconsin property owners. The WHA quarterly publication, Wisconsin Home Magazine, was included as a tear-out section in Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine.
2006: Real Estate Technology Magazine
The WRA introduces Real Estate Technology Magazine and includes it with the magazine on a quarterly basis. The same year, the WRA holds its first live news webcast and delivers streaming Internet-based continuing education to its members.
2006: Highest Circulation
The real estate market explodes. Interest rates drop to historic lows, average median prices are on the rise. Many REALTORS® enter the market quickly and circulation increases by nearly 500 readers every month. The highest circulation of the magazine was recorded at 19,129 in November 2006.
2008: RSS
The WRA begins syndicating its news on a daily basis through RSS feeds, streamlining communications between the WRA and its members.
2009: 100-Year Anniversary
The WRA celebrates its 100th year serving real estate professionals and commemorates the milestone with a collector’s edition of the magazine in April 2009. The same year, the WRA receives a 100-year proclamation from Gov. Jim Doyle.
2010: Digital Magazine
The digital edition of the magazine is launched. This online viewer of the printed publication included a hyperlinked table of contents, quick links to websites, and user-friendly printing features.
2011: Phone Apps
The first iPhone and Android phone app is launched, giving REALTORS® the opportunity to access WRA news at their fingertips.
2012: Magazine Redesign
The WRA magazine goes through its first major redesign since introduction. A redesign was necessary to freshen up the publication’s image and looks.