As my term as 2023 President of Greater Chattanooga Realtors® begins, I think it’s important to talk about where I’ve been, where I came from, and where I plan to lead our association in 2023.
I have had the pleasure of living in Chattanooga all 44 years of my life. I have witnessed first-hand the changes that our community has undergone. One thing that has remained constant is that real estate is still a people business. It is a face-to-face, voice-to-voice, handshake at the end of the deal business. I consistently see up close the importance of building relationships and how to best serve the needs of all parties involved.
Looking back, I believe the importance of these relationships, and the need to competently serve others led me to a career in real estate. In 2007 I became a REALTOR®, and then a Managing Broker in 2015. Every day I have the privilege of guiding fellow Realtors in their efforts to do the business the right way. Helping others led to me wanting to serve our association, Greater Chattanooga Realtors®. Some folks might think that we only serve Chattanooga, but our association represents all 2,700 Realtors in our area, which serves Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee and Catoosa, Dade, and Walker counties in northwest Georgia.
This is a large area, but regardless of where Realtors provide services, Greater Chattanooga Realtors® strives to be present in our community. Our presence allows us to not only help existing homeowners maintain value in their largest investment, but to also be a voice for our local and state elected officials, and to serve those who are looking to move to our community.
As this year begins, I am encouraged by the direction that our Association is going. We have spent the last year strengthening relationships throughout our region. We have data sharing agreements with many of our neighboring real estate associations that enable our agents to see most properties available in our region. We continue to promote the importance of education by providing free courses to our members. Finally, we encourage our members to take an active interest in political causes through our Realtor Political Action Committee. We saw growth in both participating members as well as dollars donated in 2022.
I am very thankful to my friend Derek English, who was the 2022 President of Greater Chattanooga Realtors®. Derek and the Board of Directors have set an impressive precedent for me to follow, and thanks to his leadership we have some clear objectives to work towards during my term. Everything Derek did this past year has given our association a great foundation moving into the new year.
I’m so thankful for those who have helped me in this journey, especially my family. Lindsey, my wife, is a physical therapist who helps transform lives every day and our two daughters who work so hard in all their schooling, sports, and activities. Working in real estate often means long and unconventional hours, and I’m so thankful for their endless support.
And so begins my term as 2023 President of Greater Chattanooga Realtors®. Regardless of who is leading our association, all who are in my position know how important the role of a Realtor is. We serve as ambassadors for those looking to move to our community. Each day, Realtors work with those who have just arrived, and those who have spent their whole lives here, like me. Realtors, here and across the state, and our country, help their communities every day. That’s Who We R®.