Accelerate Your Career with Volunteer Leadership

By Karen M. Kroll

When you’re working hard to develop your real estate career, the idea of taking on a leadership role in an industry organization might seem lofty, but totally impractical. After all, there’s no time, and such roles would cut into your ability to actually be a REALTOR®. While that sounds reasonable, the exact opposite is true, according many leaders, who say that industry involvement gives you the competitive edge to build your business.

Why Leadership Benefits You
You can accelerate your career by taking on leadership positions, according to Catherine B. Whatley, CIPS, CRS, GRI, PMN, a REALTOR® and broker with Buck & Buck, Inc., in Jacksonville, FL. Whatley was also the 2003 president of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and has been president of her local and state chapters of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® (WCR).

All have helped Whatley, a multi-million dollar producer for several decades, achieve her career goals more quickly and develop as an individual. “I think I would have become a very strong leader, capable of representing my customers and clients [anyway], but I did so more rapidly because of the experience and knowledge I gained,” through my leadership positions, she said.

Taking on leadership roles within the real estate industry helps REALTORS® both personally and professionally. Whether they’re heading up the local association’s picnic committee or chairing a national task force, REALTORS® gain confidence, knowledge and contacts. Getting more involved in these organizations also can help REALTORS® better understand and even shape the direction of the real estate industry. That’s been the case for Sharon Millett, CIPS, broker/owner of CB Millett Realty in Auburn, ME. Millett was president of NAR in 1999, which coincided with an explosion in the use of technology within the industry.

The timing was fortuitous. “Because I was involved in the association, I could see what was happening around the country,” she said. As a result, Millett was instrumental in helping her firm embrace, rather than fight, the use of new technology. She attributes her firm’s rise to market leader to this strategy. “We could offer agents insights to new technology,” she said. “This helped us move forward.”

“I think I would have become a very strong leader, capable of representing my customers and clients [anyway], but I did so more rapidly because of the experience and knowledge I gained” through leadership positions. – Catherine B. Whatley

“Your involvement gives you an edge off the competition, who didn’t participate in the discussion or even think about it.” – Adorna Carroll

Adorna Carroll’s experience was similar. Carroll, ABR, ABRM, GRI, PMN, SRES, is owner/partner of Realty3 Carroll & Agostini in Berlin, CT, as well as president of Dynamic Directions, Inc., an educational and sales training firm. She was a member of the executive committee of the Connecticut Association of REALTORS® in the mid-1990s, when discussions were underway within the industry and with regulators to change the laws to allow REALTORS® to represent buyers.

Being a member of the team working for the changes provided Carroll with insight she wouldn’t have obtained otherwise. “Your involvement gives you an edge off the competition, who didn’t participate in the discussion or even think about it,” Carroll said. “Information is power.” That translates to the bottom line, as Carroll also has been a multi-million dollar producer for nearly 20 years.

While leadership roles can help a REALTOR® achieve his or her professional goals, anyone who volunteers with the expectation that sales contacts will start flowing in will probably be disappointed. Participating in a leadership capacity can make you more knowledgeable and confident – both qualities that can serve you well in negotiations. For example, Whatley’s positions within the industry have compelled her to stay abreast of changes in tax law that impact home sales and purchases. That knowledge enables her to better serve her clients, which helps her stay ahead of competitors, she added.

That’s not to say that volunteering won’t lead to contacts and leads, as it often does. Pat V. Combs, ABR, CRS, GRI, PMN, a broker and REALTOR® in Grand Rapids, MI, notes that her volunteer endeavors have helped her meet REALTORS® from around the country. Once she’s worked with people in a volunteer capacity, they’re more comfortable sending referrals her way. Combs is the immediate past president of NAR, has held a variety of positions at the local, state and national levels and has been a multi-million dollar producer for years.

While both men and women can benefit from taking on leadership roles, some of the rewards are particularly important to women. “I think a major benefit of taking on leadership roles for women is something we dance around a bit,” Combs said. That is the “self-satisfaction at being able to do a good job as a leader.”

Serving in leadership roles in civic and charitable organizations outside the industry also can provide valuable experience, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the community, according to Barbara B. Lach, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI, PMN, a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker King Thompson in Columbus, OH.

Lach is among the top one percent of sales people within Coldwell Banker and was also the 2002 national president of WCR. In addition to the leadership posts Lach has held within NAR and WCR, she has headed committees for the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Childhood League Center. “You can learn from each one,” she said.

For starters, just the opportunity to see how other leaders handle setbacks and obstacles can be eye-opening. “You see that in leaders, they don’t get hung up,” on potential obstacles, Lach said. Instead, they’ll find a way to get around them to achieve their goals. And, any leadership role can instill confidence. With that, you become more comfortable making decisions and giving others directions, she added. Continue to page 2

–Posted June 2008