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Become a National Leader in 2021 for Women's Council & National Association of REALTORS®: The Time is Now

By Pamela Banks, 2020 President-Elect

If you are reading this article, you are a Women's Council member who belongs because you want to enhance your industry business leadership. As your President-Elect, I want to ensure that next year we continue the great momentum we have in super-sizing our participation at the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), and this means you need to act in the next 60 days for national NAR appointments. While I have your attention, I also want to walk you through the process of how to get involved nationally at the Women’s Council. I know that 2021 seems a long way off, but the time to act is now!

Your first thought might be, "Why get involved nationally, at Women’s Council or NAR, especially if my sphere of influence is local?" National involvement at Women’s Council and NAR are great forums for debate and discussion. Being involved nationally allows you to contribute to the decision-making processes, and gain experience beneficial to further your leadership roles. You develop personal and professional networks that stretch you professionally, along with the satisfaction of making a difference on a national scale. And the good news is that as a Women’s Council member, you are statistically more likely to be "chosen" given the respect the organization has nationally. Although the Council represents 1% of NAR’s membership, our members hold nearly 23% of all committee appointments, as well as 30% on the board of directors. See our Leadership Infographic below.

Here is the process to get involved nationally at NAR

The 2021 committee application website opened March 1 and closes May 1. A special note to those of you who have applied in the past - the time frame has moved up and you have less than 60 days to apply! Please view the following links:

Here's a quick breakdown of important pieces of the 2021 process:
Note: Some links will require your NRDS login.

Here is the process to get involved nationally at Women's Council of REALTORS®

The volunteer application deadline for 2021 is May 1st. A 30-minute webinar can be viewed on the Leadership Identification and Development process (note, while the video is from 2018, many principles still apply). You must begin by filling out the volunteer application.  Depending on which local Network you belong to, this will then go to your state leadership, RVP, or Governor along with the National headquarters staff. Appointments will be made starting in summer for 2021. Opportunities include (but are not limited to): liaison positions to NAR, finance & budget committee, project teams, Network 360 Leadership Conference faculty, inspiration/pledge speakers at national meetings, election volunteers, trade show booth volunteers, and meeting ambassadors. Other unforeseen leadership opportunities arise as well, so participating in the process raises your volunteer leadership profile.

Additional 2021 national leadership opportunity: Leadership Institute

While we are on the topic, another national opportunity is the Women's Council Leadership Institute, an initiative that seeks to develop leaders who have demonstrated leadership potential through their local and state network, with the goal of creating a network of industry experts across the country who are actively involved in improving our Council. The year-long program has enjoyed great success and is a rewarding personal and professional experience and will enter its third year in 2021. The application process, which opens in June, is separate from the Leadership Identification and Development process. Full details can be found on our website.

The Council is a leadership organization, and it is our goal to develop business leaders both locally and nationally and to contribute to your success. Consider getting involved nationally as part of your leadership journey. As your President-Elect, I can tell you that it has been a rewarding journey on both a personal and professional level.

Pamela Banks
2020 President-Elect