This election season has been truly memorable.
An unprecedented number of people voted early, by absentee ballot and in-person. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office reports 68.6% of Tennessee’s 4,437,042 estimated registered voters submitted ballots, a record for the state.
Election officials report more than 3 million people cast votes statewide, well surpassing the previous record set in 2008 when 2.6 million Tennesseans voted overall. Our Georgia neighbors also broke records with more than 4 million votes cast, bringing voter turnout to greater than 74%, the Georgia Secretary of State reports.
It’s encouraging that nearly 90% of our local Realtor membership is registered to vote. People want their voices heard. People aren’t sitting on the sidelines; they’re getting involved in the political process.
No matter one’s political persuasion, people are looking to be counted and recognized. People are looking to lead; locally, statewide and nationally.
As Realtors, we’re doing our part to be engaged in the democratic process. Not only do Realtors engage annually in one-on-one meetings with our state and national legislatures, we also invest in RPAC, vote and encourage others to do the same.
So if you follow us on social media you may wonder why leading up to elections we have reminders to register to vote and also to get to the polls. As the voice of real estate in Greater Chattanooga, we encourage everyone to exercise their right and privilege to vote.
Coincidentally, as many around the nation went to the polls and cast their votes last week, Greater Chattanooga Realtors also held our own elections for officers and directors. All local Realtors – nearly 2,200 of them – had the opportunity to vote for who will lead our association in the coming year.
These are volunteer positions, and our members are not compensated for serving. On top of their already-demanding business schedule, our officers and directors freely offer to help lead their professional association, along with their peers, into a position of strength for the future.
In addition to these elected positions, we have more than a dozen committees and task forces comprised of even more volunteer members. Serving in these leadership positions is no easy task. They are a commitment to our industry, the community and to our professional development.
It’s truly a team effort to work toward our mission and vision. At Greater Chattanooga Realtors, we are lucky to have so many Realtor members who are looking to serve.
So what do we work on throughout the year? In short, a lot.
Through the board and various committees, this year we launched a Let’s Talk! Diversity & Inclusion webinar series designed as an ongoing conversation to promote equal opportunity and cultural diversity within the real estate industry and our community.
Also in the works is a community flower garden in Highland Park Commons, part of our Placemaking efforts to transform public spaces into vibrant community places. As a space becomes more desirable and welcoming, properties around that place increase in value.
When it was apparent this year’s plans would not include travel to various conferences, we reallocated and invested those funds in our community. In addition to our annual donations to the Snack Packs ministry and Habitat for Humanity, we provided $4,000 to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank for COVD-19 relief efforts and nearly $10,000 in funds and supplies for the April 12-13 tornado victims.
On top of these contributions, our members have been hands-on volunteering with Habitat, packing Snack Packs and helping with tornado recovery efforts.
We pivoted on plans for our annual membership appreciation event and identified ways to help our local business. We had a pop-up pumpkin patch, with pumpkins purchased from a local nursery and gift cards to local restaurants for each member. Winners of our pumpkin-carving contest won gift cards to local businesses.
Realtors are many things. We’re ambassadors for our community and serve the property needs of our clients.
But we are also leaders, and we will continue to lead our community in a way that will help protect private property rights and help ensure that the American Dream of homeownership is within grasp for all.
Realtors help serve our clients and community throughout the year, but we also serve our fellow Realtors. That’s Who We R®.
Greater Chattanooga Realtors is The Voice of Real Estate in Greater Chattanooga. A regional organization with more than 2,400 members, Greater Chattanooga Realtors is one of 300 local boards and associations of Realtors® nationwide that comprise the National Association of Realtors. Greater Chattanooga Realtors service 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.