2021-2022 STRATEGICPLAN

WE ADVANCE REALTORS® AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE THROUGH ADVOCACY, PROFESSIONALISM, AND RESOURCES.

Texas REALTORS® exists to serve our members, advance our industry, and improve our communities. Advocacy, professionalism, and resources … these are the pillars underlying all we do. While these principles have remained constant throughout the organization’s 100-year history, the products, programs, and services we deliver change to meet members’ needs at the time.

Your path to a thriving real estate market, satisfied clients, and a growing business.

Our internal brand promise

Achieve SuccessOur external brand promise

Our brand pillars uphold our brand promise

AdvocacyAdvocate for Texas REALTORS® and private- property consumers.

Represent Texas REALTORS® and consumers at the local, state, and federal levels to protect property rights and promote a strong real estate industry.

ProfessionalismProvide a path to superior client service

Set a foundation for dependability, integrity, and high standards so members and their clients can achieve success.

ResourcesHelp REALTOR® businesses operate efficiently and profitably.

Forge strong relationships in the industry, maintain a culture of continued learning, and deliver services and tools that enhance the relevance of members.

OUR BRAND PILLARS

In five key areas—innovation, advocacy, customization, strength, and improvement—the details provided for each will help association leaders and staff focus on how to best provide REALTORS® in Texas what they need to succeed and thrive.

This plan was formed after a comprehensive input process that included an analysis of membership trends, input from more than 7,000 Texas REALTORS® who completed a member survey early in 2020, a senior-staff planning session, five focus groups with the association’s core constituencies, and a thorough process from the Strategic Planning Committee to distill all that input into this document.

The Texas REALTORS® Strategic Planning Committee formulated this document during work sessions in early March 2020, when the COVID-19 crisis was becoming apparent but before stay-at-home orders were widely issued in Texas. The committee revisited this plan in early May 2020 to view it through the lens of the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Committee members believe this plan, as written, forms a solid foundation for the association to successfully meet future challenges and opportunities—known and unknown. By building on strengths from our association’s past and leveraging new ideas and technologies, we create a future where Texas REALTORS® remains relevant, successful, and committed to serving our members.

Priorities to achieve the organization’s vision and continuously improve organizational performance and culture.

Innovate: Identify forward-thinking technology and data strategies to facilitate innovation and efficiencies

Advocate: Execute a collaborative, comprehensive advocacy plan

Customize: Use data on member engagement and preferences to provide a customized, inclusionary member experience

Strengthen: Develop a brokerage outreach program to strengthen relationships and increase utilization of programs/resources

Improve: Define and embrace professionalism to improve the REALTOR® and consumer experience

2020 Strategic Planning CommitteeKristin Smith, Chairman

Jennifer Wauhob, Vice Chairman

Brandy Guthrie, Liaison

Dan Hatfield, Immediate Past Chair

Yvette Allen

Christi Borden

Jef Conn

Leah Cox

Vicki Fullerton

Jay Gohil

Judy Jones

2020 Texas REALTOR® LeadershipCindi Bulla, 2020 Chairman

Marvin Jolly, 2020 Chairman-Elect

Russell Berry, 2020 Secretary/Treasurer

Marcus Phipps, 2020 Secretary/Treasurer-Elect

Travis Kessler, President/CEO

Chris Kelly

Gary Maler

J.R. Martinez

Ed Moore

Malyn Powers

Leslie Rouda Smith

THE STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM THIS

STRATEGIC PLAN PROVIDES THE GUIDEPOSTS FOR OUR ASSOCIATION’S NEXT TWO YEARS OF ACTIVITIES.

Cindi BullaCindi Bulla Marvin Jolly

Russell Berry Marcus Phipps

Travis Kessler

Kristin Smith Jennifer Wauhob Brandy Guthrie Dan Hatfield

AUTOMATED ≠ NO REALTOR®.THE WIN IS IN REMOVING COSTS AND FRICTION.JEFF TURNER Entrepreneur In ResidenceSecond Century Ventures

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• Identify member and consumer challenges that Texas REALTORS® is uniquely positioned to address through data resources. Use strategic partnerships to provide the data to address these opportunities.

• Showcase innovative real estate technologies at events outside the real estate industry (such as SXSW).

• Assess partnership options with Second Century Ventures and tech start-ups to promote new technologies that help members achieve success and enhance their delivery of services.

• Incorporate tools, speakers, and trainings at Texas REALTORS® meetings to provide members direct access to new technologies and deliver innovative meeting experiences.

INNOVATEin·no·vatemake changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products

• For statewide events, explore adding consumer- facing activities related to fair housing and housing attainability.

• Incorporate legal, business, MLS, and technology concerns into legislative priorities.

• Examine the feasibility and value of a REALTOR® Advocate certification program.

• Coordinate advocacy and communication efforts with affiliated and multicultural organizations.

• Clearly define advocacy roles for TREPAC, Issues Mobilization, Public Policy and Political Affairs. Create more-cohesive overall advocacy messaging.

• Create tools to make it easy for brokers to share information through their channels.

• Leverage IT resources to capture valuable data and create more efficient systems.

• Develop a successor to “Good to Great” and “Breaking New Ground" that focuses on regulatory and consumer strategies.

• Communicate to members and consumers the value of the association’s advocacy efforts.

ADVOCATEad·vo·catepublicly recommend or support

100%success rate in local campaigns to end forced annexation (2018-2019)

96%of REALTOR®-supported candidates in contested primaries either won or advanced to a runoff election

(May 3, 2020)

Local issues

3,000+bills tracked each legislative session

Election successPublic policy

• Partner with allied organizations to meet inclusion goals.

• Streamline the volunteer process to make it easier and further integrate it with the member database.

• Use internal and publicly available data to deliver customized, relevant information to and engagement opportunities for members.

• Leverage data to improve volunteer recruitment strategies and to increase inclusionary initiatives.

• Enhance the capabilities of our communication technology to create personalized relationships with members and offer suggestions based on previous behaviors and data.

• Engage members with messaging that meets their delivery expectations.

• Explore opportunities to partner with NAR and local associations to share membership information to enhance member experiences and deliver information and services to members based on areas of interest. Utilize the shared information to improve the committee volunteer process.

• Improve functionality, usability, and automation of member profiles on texasrealestate.com.

• Conduct ongoing focus groups to gather member information and improve programs, products, and resources.

CUSTOMIZEcus·tom·izemodify (something) to suit a particular individual or task

13%2019

Tenure (REALTORS® joined since:)

34%2017-2019

54%2014-2019

67%2010-2019

Membership Trends Total REALTORS®

• Conduct focus groups and surveys to identify brokers’ needs and priorities. Use that information to create a strategy to deliver direct services to brokerages.

• Partner with local associations to enhance broker participation in Texas REALTORS® initiatives.

• Conduct forums/education/breakouts/networking at association events targeted to brokers.

• Engage brokers in the forms-development process.

• Consider creating a broker advisory committee or task force.

• Seek broker input and feedback on regulatory matters.

• Leverage NAR’s Broker Involvement Program when applicable to Texas REALTORS® initiatives.

• Develop a plan for direct outreach from the association’s Leadership Team to brokers.

• Improve direct communication with brokers on the impact of Texas REALTORS® advocacy initiatives. Provide related content easy for brokers to share with their agents.

STRENGTHENstrength·enmake or become stronger

The independent consulting firm T3 Sixty, using results from a member survey with 7,508 responses, rated Texas REALTORS® as a Superior State REALTOR® Association. The rating is based on the cumulative score of the following five categories: Value, Voice, Engagement, Resources, and the Core Competencies of Legislative, Legal, and Education/Professionalism.

IMPROVE• Conduct consumer and member research to define

important aspects of professionalism.

• Identify ways to enhance the utilization of the professional standards process.

• Develop a comprehensive plan for educating consumers on fair housing.

• Work with TREC to ensure consistency in enforcement of rules and regulations.

• Ensure consistent, high quality delivery of professional development courses by Texas REALTORS®-certified instructors.

• Consider establishing a Texas REALTORS® designation with an emphasis on professionalism.

• Explore mentor/apprentice programs to enhance members’ professionalism.

• Research legislative opportunities to strengthen professionalism in the industry.

• Expand use of C2EX through promotion, incentives, and recognition.

• Consider implementation of a recognition/incentives program for those who go above and beyond.

• Encourage affinity group leadership participation in the Texas REALTORS® Leadership Program (TRLP).

• Establish a greater understanding of all REALTOR® business models through provision of clear information and meaningful relationships with brokers.

• Develop a drip campaign focused on material from TREC’s Legal I & II to reinforce concepts from those courses throughout the member license cycle.

• Promote the value and accuracy of the MLS to consumers.

• Communicate with consumers that REALTORS® offer a wide array of business models, services, and buying platforms to help them achieve their real estate goals.

Top 10 programs and services as ranked by members responding to survey:Texas REALTORS® Forms

Code of Ethics/Professional Standards

Legal Info/Risk Reduction Tools

CE/Designations

Legal Hotline

MarketViewer - Data & Research

TexasRealEstate.com

Advocacy & Lobbying

Texas REALTOR® Magazine

TREPAC/Electing Candidates

im·proveachieve or produce something better than