REALTOR® Celebration is coming up on December 19. That might sound like a long time from now, but time will fly! It is always a sold out event at which the REALTOR® of the Year and John E. Wolf Community Service award recipients are recognized and the 2020 HAR board of directors and officers are sworn in. Make sure to check out all of the details on page 7. Even though it is also symbolically the end of my term, I am looking forward to the event and to celebrating all of the amazing leaders.
Do you hate receiving those unwanted spam calls on your phone every day? I know I do. Consumers don’t like them either, especially when they are on the Do Not Call Registry. Did you know that violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) can cost the offender between $500 to $1,500 per violation? So, if you are utilizing automated calls to reach consumers, make sure you are following all of the rules. You may read more about it on page 12.
HAR’s largest residential real estate event each year is Engage, and it is coming up on October 23. Tickets are already getting scarce, so make sure you read pages 26-29 and buy your tickets today, so you don’t miss out. The event includes 6 hours of CE credit, lunch and more. We have world-class speakers coming to town to bring you the latest and greatest technology and information to make you more “engaged” in your business. I’ll be there, so I hope to see you there!
If you haven’t invested in TREPAC, you may still do so. It will just count toward next year’s goal. The TREPAC fiscal year ends in September, and we once again raised more than $1 million, which is the fourth year in a row to cross that milestone. HAR continues to be the only local REALTOR® association to achieve that as well. You may see all of the Lone Star Statesmen ($250) investors and above on pages 30-31. If you aren’t on the list, make sure you invest so you can be on the list next month. When you look at what legislative successes we had as an industry and community this past session, you can thank TREPAC for most of them. Congratulations to HAR Director of Political Affairs and TREPAC Karen Driscoll and HAR TREPAC Chair Jennifer Wauhob for an outstanding job!
While you have been driving around our region, you might have noticed some yard signs have popped up. Yes, it is that time again for City of Houston elections. Additionally, there have been a couple resignations from the Texas House of Representatives that have sparked the interest of numerous candidates. The Woodlands and Missouri City will also have elections on the ballot. Plus, there are constitutional amendments as a result of the recent legislative session. Make sure your voice is heard and register to vote, if you aren’t already. The deadline to register is October 7, 2019. You can read more about the races and important dates on page 32.
Do you know what real estate website has the most accurate and up-to-date school boundaries for the greater Houston area? I’ll only give you one guess. Of course, it is HAR.com. HAR goes through the painstaking process of securing the updated boundaries from more than 300 school districts in our region. Other sites purchase the information from national companies, which are not as accurate and are usually about a year behind. So, when you want to make sure your client is really zoned to the school they want, make sure you are using HAR.com. Still, you will want them to independently verify the schools since there can be special circumstances. You may see a list of all of the updated schools on pages 34-35.
You see many of the things that HAR does, and you might have wondered what the process is. It all starts with the advisory groups, and this is the time to sign up to get involved. You may see a list of advisory groups and area networking groups on page 36. Then, go to www.har.com/getinvolved to apply. The advisory groups are where the real work gets done. The ideas flow from the advisory groups to the board of directors for final approval. They are also great places to learn more about the association and have a tangible impact on our industry.
Lastly, I want to congratulate the 2019 YPN 20 Under 40 Rising Stars in Real Estate. You may see a list of this year’s honorees on page 37. You may also see more information about how to purchase a ticket to attend the awards luncheon, which is always one of the most energetic events we have. This year’s luncheon will feature Leigh Brown, who is one of the biggest personalities in real estate. She is not to be missed, in addition to all of the recipients.
Until next month,
Shannon Cobb Evans
HAR Chair
