When people ask what I do for a living, I tell them I’m a Realtor. While most people have an idea of what that entails, they might not be aware of all that happens behind the scenes.
Property and market reports, inspections, lender and appraisal communications and many more daily routines keep our clients on track whether they’re buying or selling a home.
Something a little trickier I’m quickly learning to grasp is the role of president for Greater Chattanooga Realtors.
Greater Chattanooga Realtors is the local Realtor association. It represents more than 2,500 members and services in Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in northwest Georgia.
In short, Greater Chattanooga Realtors is the voice for real estate in the greater Chattanooga market and the surrounding areas.
According to our mission statement, our purpose is to “promote the highest ethical and professional standards and cooperation among ... [our] members, provide products, programs and services that meet the evolving needs of the real estate industry and consumers and advocate for private property rights and community involvement.”
The last sentence of our mission statement is especially important to me, as it conveys what Realtors do for consumers beyond real estate transactions – advocate and engage in the conversations and decisions related to polices impacting all property owners, whether commercial or residential.
Individually and collectively through our governance process, Realtors take an active role in advocacy, regardless of party affiliation.
Through our staff and volunteer-driven Governmental Affairs Committee, we monitor proposed policies and legislation for issues that might affect property rights and values – positively or negatively. It’s not uncommon to see Realtors engaging in weekly City Council or monthly Regional Planning Commission and County Commission meetings.
Realtors travel to the state and national capitol for this exact purpose on our annual Day on the Hill event and whenever issues arise that need our attention.
I was thrilled to return in person for this year’s Realtor Day on the Hill and join Realtors from across the state in visiting with our elected officials at the state capitol.
In May, Greater Chattanooga Realtors will travel to Washington D.C. to meet with our federal officials. Getting this one-on-one time with officials is how Realtors ensure the needs of property owners across the city, county, state and nation remain top of mind.
Our officials know Realtors see the community from a unique perspective, and we appreciate the opportunity to work alongside them.
What do we talk about during these visits? On the national level, Realtors are watching legislation related to tax reform, natural disasters, mortgage and rental assistance and flood insurance – to name a few.
In addition, Realtors advocated for increased housing access to homebuyers by letting them utilize FHA loans, which they had not been able to do in the past.
During our Nashville meetings this week, our conversations touched on a variety of topics important to property owners, such as broadband access, tax relief for disabled veterans and victims of recent natural disasters, opposing impact fees on residential development, monitoring building and construction standards and legislation regarding subdivision regulations.
These are just a few of the issues Realtors are monitoring in more than the 80 proposed bills for the upcoming session. Leadership is not easy but our role representing the public and our industry is worth the effort.
No member in a leadership or voluntary role for Greater Chattanooga Realtors is compensated for their time or efforts. We lead because we know our industry is stronger when we work together on behalf of all our neighbors, whether they own or lease their home or business.
Through our advocacy efforts, Greater Chattanooga Realtors continues to be the voice of real estate in the greater Chattanooga area. That’s Who We R.
Founded in 1912, Greater Chattanooga Realtors is a regional organization with more than 2,500 members servicing Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in northwest Georgia. The Association is one of approximately 1,100 local associations and boards of Realtors nationwide that comprise the National Association of Realtors. Greater Chattanooga Realtors owns and operates a Multiple Listing Service that is one of approximately 600 MLSs in the country and services more than 2,700 users.