As a Realtor, my job involves more than putting “For Sale” and “Sold” signs in the ground.
You might be surprised to know that as the 2020 president of Greater Chattanooga Realtors, much of my time is spent being an advocate. In fact, I would say Realtors in our area are not just advocates for homebuyers, but advocates for our entire community.
Being an advocate takes many forms. Last week, I traveled on a bus with other Greater Chattanooga Realtors to the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville. We joined about 500 Realtors from across the state to discuss crucial real estate issues on behalf of current and future home and property owners. These issues include infrastructure, licensing and unnecessary fees for homeowners.
Talking with legislators is one way to advocate for our community, but there’s someone who takes her advocacy to a higher level.
Janice Robertson, a fellow Realtor, is an advocate for hungry school children in our area. She showed me a picture of a young boy searching for food in a dumpster at a local school, and I immediately understood why she does all that she does. Janice told me she learned that one in four children are food insecure, and she wanted to help.
Janice and her husband started Snack Packs food ministry in their living room. Snack Packs now feeds over 7,000 children at 19 schools. Janice saw a need and she stepped up.
Last week, our state association, Tennessee Realtors, awarded Janice with the first Good Neighbor Award. This award recognizes the Realtors from all over state who make a difference in their communities.
In honor of Janice’s work, our state association awarded Snack Packs $5,000. That will certainly help feed some children in need.
Janice is just one of our Realtor members who tirelessly advocates for our community. We have many members who give their time and energy to everything from Habitat for Humanity builds to raising money to cure diseases.
Last year, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said Realtors serve as ambassadors for our area – that Realtors are often the first face people see when they’re moving to the Greater Chattanooga area. I believe this as well, and I’m so proud to be president of an association that serves this community in such a meaningful way.
Realtors are the leading advocates for homeownership and commercial real estate, which is why it’s critical for us to connect with policymakers to ensure they understand the issues facing the real estate industry and their constituents – many of whom are home and property owners.
Supporting home and property owners through smart legislation and regulatory initiatives is essential to advancing our nation’s economy as well as our communities, so Realtors are continuing to engage lawmakers on the issues that impact real estate.
We’re always looking for new ways to serve property owners and advocate for private property rights. That’s Who We R.
Greater Chattanooga Realtors is The Voice of Real Estate in Greater Chattanooga. A regional organization with more than 2,000 members, Greater Chattanooga Realtors is one of some 1,300 local boards and associations of Realtors nationwide that comprise the National Association of Realtors. Greater Chattanooga Realtors services Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in northwest Georgia. For more information, visit www.gcar.net or call 423 698-8001.