The Time is Now:
Become a National Leader in 2022 for Women's Council &
National Association of REALTORS®
By Sylvia Seabolt, 2021 President-Elect
That’s right-the time is NOW! If you are reading this article, you are a Women's Council member interested in giving back to the Real Estate Industry while honing your leadership skills. As your President-Elect, I want to ensure that next year we will 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 2022 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 both at Women’s Council and NAR offer engaging opportunities not only to contribute to the decision-making processes, gain experience beneficial to further your leadership roles, but also increase your referral potential. You will 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. And as a PMN designee even more so! Although the Council represents 1% of NAR’s membership, our members hold nearly 11% of all committee appointments, as well as nearly 20% 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 opens on March 2 and closes on May 7. Because NAR values your involvement at Women’s Council, you will want to highlight this experience as well as your PMN designation as you go through the application process. It is essential that you also take the time to get recommendations for the positions you are seeking.
Here's a quick breakdown of important pieces of the 2022 process:
https://www.nar.realtor/national-leadership/committee-members-liaisons/committee-selection-process
This page contains your expertise profile, timeline, policies, and FAQs.,
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 June 1st. A 30-minute webinar can be viewed on the Leadership Identification and Development process (note, while the video is from 2020, 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, National Liaison, along with the National headquarters staff. Appointments will be made starting in the summer for 2022. 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, social media influencers and meeting ambassadors. Other leadership opportunities will arise as well, so participating in the process raises your volunteer leadership profile. Note, due to the pandemic in 2020, many “live” opportunities were scrapped, but we continued having robust leadership opportunities. National continues to refine national volunteer opportunities so go through the process for opportunities that are yet unforeseen.
Additional 2022 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 fourth year in 2022. The application process, which opens in June, is separate from the Leadership Identification and Development process. Full details can be found on our website. We are operating in the second year that the Institute will operate in at least a partially virtual world; however, we hope 2022 will be live. Whether live or virtual, participants form close personal and professional bonds and the leadership team is committed to the participant's success.
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 my service to Women’s Council of REALTORS® has been a rewarding journey on both a personal and professional level.
Sylvia Seabolt
2021 President-Elect
