Chairman’s message: How Texas REALTORS® serves your specialty

Some members who practice property management, commercial, farm & ranch, or global real estate ask me what Texas REALTORS® does for them. As a specialist in commercial real estate myself, I’m happy to answer that question. Our association provides so many valuable resources and services for each and every specialty, just like we do on the residential side.

Your Voice is Heard. Committees that focus on commercial, property management and leasing, farm & ranch, global, broker-managers, and YPN ensure that members can address important issues in their area. Each committee focuses on the needs of that specialty, with committee members who are active participants in those markets. This ensures that knowledgeable voices guide decisions on advocacy, public policy, forms, and association services that meet their needs. If you want more input on your specialty area, I encourage you to get involved by serving on a committee. You can also contact Texas REALTORS® staff, regional vice presidents, or association leaders with questions and comments.

Advocacy. You’ve heard all about the outstanding job that TREPAC and our government affairs activities do to protect private property rights, but there’s so much more to it than that! Our advocacy efforts include fighting to protect 1031 exchanges, making sure land use and zoning rules don’t negatively impact commercial owners, challenging unfair eminent-domain rules, fending off harmful tax proposals, balancing the interests of landlords and tenants, ensuring a healthy business environment in our state, and more. As a commercial practitioner, I don’t have my own lobbying team to make sure commercial matters are at the forefront of our elected officials’ minds during the legislative sessions. There’s where Texas REALTORS® government affairs activities come in, so we can keep protecting our businesses and our clients.

Forms. Consistently ranked as one of our highest valued benefits, Texas REALTORS® forms may only be used by members and their clients. You get forms for property management, commercial, and farm & ranch. Member task forces and association attorneys review the forms often to make sure they address new business practices and laws. When you provide comments about existing forms or proposals for new ones, know that these groups review them to consider all input.

Member Benefits & Discounts. Everyone loves discounts. Our Member Benefits Committee and staff have tons of discounts and savings for you! Whether it’s savings on office supplies, technology, travel, or other categories, you’ll find what’s available at 917877.com/benefits.

Information, Courses, Webinars, and Data. Texas REALTORS® publishes articles and research for real estate specialties, too. You’ll find it in this magazine, monthly specialty emails, and at 917877.com/research. You can also get data and create infographics for many commercial and multifamily segments in the commercial dashboard of MarketViewer. And Texas REALTORS® provides courses and webinars targeted to every area of real estate throughout the year.

Texas REALTORS® leaders and staff are dedicated to serving all members in every specialty, including residential sales. Whatever type of real estate you specialize in, know that your association is working hard on your behalf, so we can all serve our clients and grow prosperous businesses.