Q&A WITH WR’S ONCE AND FUTURE PRESIDENTS
Q&A WITH ALISHA HARRISON, WR’S 2023 PRESIDENT:
As our 2023 President, what was your motivation for running for a leadership position?
As a second-generation REALTOR®, I followed the lead of my dad and got involved immediately. I attended my first WR Hill Day within weeks of obtaining my license. I was elected to the Board of Directors for my local association before I had even completed a year in this business. I served as local President in 2013 and became involved at Washington REALTORS® as well. I have personally and professionally benefitted from my involvement; stretching and growing personally, gaining lifelong friends, and increasing my business through referrals. I just knew it was time for me to step up. I wanted to give back in a bigger way, to continue to serve this association that has supported me and my ability to make a living in the career I love. Shortly after I made the decision to run for First Vice President, we found ourselves in the throes of chaos the pandemic had created and I knew, despite the uncertainty and confusion surrounding us, that this is where I was supposed to be.
What are some of your most important goals for the Association and our Membership in 2023?
As has been the case for the past few years, we are yet again entering unfamiliar territory as we navigate into 2023. The industry is correcting from the past year and a half of unchecked price increases and the wild-wild west market practices we saw during the frenzied times of 2021 and early 2022. While this correction was inevitable and I believe will eventually prove beneficial to the industry and our members, we find ourselves on ground that feels unsteady, especially to many of our newer members.
My primary goal for 2023 is that Washington REALTORS® remain solid and continues to provide tools and services so our members can prosper. This is the time for WR to stand strong and demonstrate our value so that our members not only withstand this shift but come through stronger on the other side.
Another important goal is ensuring the leadership of Washington Realtors® more accurately reflects our membership, and our membership more accurately reflects the communities we serve. One way WR is working towards this is through our Connecting Real Estate Initiative — a program with the goal of recruiting members of underrepresented communities to consider real estate as a profession, and to support their success. We are working with Momentum Professional Strategy Partners and exploring the best ways to reach our target audience so we realize measurable growth. This will not only help us serve more diverse communities in the path to homeownership, but it will also give us a broader view as we consider how to best lead our association forward.
Leadership identification and development is another of my key priorities. We as leaders in this organization have the duty to identify future leaders, and to ensure they are equipped with the tools and confidence to take the reins. I am proud of the fact that through the strategic planning and budgeting processes in preparing for the coming year, we were able to earmark funding in our budget for programs such as the WR Leadership Academy, the Ignite Leadership program, and the L.E.A.D. Vision Course, because our association is only as strong as the leaders we develop.
What is one piece of advice you’d offer to a fellow real estate broker looking to weather the changing market?
I know many of our members are experiencing some trepidation in this changing market, and while I cannot predict the future, I can say having experienced a few market shifts in my career that nothing lasts forever. The key is to take this time to invest in yourself, lean into the tools offered by WR and NAR, mastermind with fellow brokers both locally and across the nation, and build your toolbox. Complete the (complimentary) C2EX program and utilize what you learn. Get involved in Washington REALTORS® (and the National Association of REALTORS®) — not only will you learn important and effective ways to grow your business, you can also create a broker-to-broker referral network across the state (and country). Build relationships within your community and wear your REALTOR-R with pride in your day-to-day life so that your community recognizes you as a real estate professional. That quiet reminder can produce dividends in your business. Maintain a level of professionalism that makes you stand apart. This market will stabilize, and you will emerge on the other side stronger and better for it.
Q&A WITH CHERI DANIELS, WR’S 2022 PRESIDENT:
As our Immediate Past President, what are your biggest takeaways from your year as President?
It was my honor to serve as your 2022 Washington REALTORS® President. I am immensely proud of the work that our members and volunteers accomplished to help shape our industry for the better in 2022 and beyond! One of the most important personal lessons I learned as President of a 23,000+ membership, is that you have to be flexible and that unexpected things will happen! You have to be able to roll with change and enjoy the ride.
What goals do you feel like you achieved for the Association and our Membership in 2022?
When I was campaigning for the office of President, I was asked numerous times what MY goals for MY year would be. My response was that being President isn’t about personal goals, it’s about advancing the goals of the Washington REALTORS® organization on behalf of our members. The position is about being responsive to our members and various opportunities to improve the organization and through that, professionalism in the real estate industry.
Washington REALTORS® has formed a great strategic plan for our organization and this year, we continued to work on those goals, including updating our community focused values, our internal organization values, adding leadership development goals, enhancing DEI initiatives, and more. I have seen many strategic plans and strongly feel we can be proud of the forward thinking on display in WR’s Strategic Plan.
I was so excited to see several new programs happen in 2022. We hosted a brand new event called Ignite, focused on curating and develop new leaders in real estate. We also hosted the C3 Conference, a political event for our REALTOR® Champions Club Members. Both events were very successful! Stay tuned for future dates.
My Presidential theme was “Making a Difference” and as such, we celebrated REALTOR® Day on May 12th! Local associations, brokerages and individuals showcased volunteer efforts and ways that REALTORS® make a difference in our communities throughout the year!
Any challenges?
COVID-19 restrictions forced us to cancel our in-person Legislative Days Day event in January 2022. This was a big disappointment for many people, but we adapted and held a virtual event in its place.
What is one piece of advice you’d offer to a fellow real estate broker looking to weather the changing market?
Don’t get too freaked out, don’t focus on negative press. People will still buy and sell real estate in changing markets and considering the history of interest rates, 7% is still a good rate. Remember, our market is cyclical and brokers have been weathering changing markets for a very long time. My advice is to find a broker has been through several market cycles themselves and ask them to mentor you through changing market conditions.
What is one piece of advice you’d offer to a fellow real estate broker looking to take a leadership path?
If you are thinking about getting into leadership, ask yourself why you have the desire to be in a leadership position. Talk with other leaders and ask them about their leadership journey. There are many ways to get into leadership but one simple way is to start with your local association. Join a committee, attend leadership networking events and classes, apply for a Leadership Academy...just go for it! I liked to joke that when I made mistakes at the lectern, I am a good illustration of how leaders don’t need to be perfect. If I can be a leader, so can you! ◊