By Sue Monson
President of the Fayette County Board of Realtors

As my year as President draws to a close, I thought it would be a good time to summarize the state of real estate in our area. But after further consideration, I realized that since we have begun our articles for “you” the customers and clients that has been the topic covered for the last 3 months.

So, I thought that maybe you would like to know what it means to be a member of a Board of Realtors® and when choosing a REALTOR® why it is beneficial to you that they belong to this professional association.

Every Realtor® must attend a new member orientation which includes a three hour “Code of Ethics” education class within 6 months of joining the Board of Realtors®.

If at any time during this membership a Realtor® violates the “Code of Ethics” another Realtor® and their Broker or a member of the public may file a complaint against that individual. It is then brought before our Grievance Committee which acts like a grand jury to determine if a possible violation could have occurred. Members of the Grievance Committee must have a minimum of five years experience in real estate in order to serve. If based on facts presented, a possible violation of any of the 17 Articles of the Realtors® Code of Ethics are determined to have occurred, it is passed on to our Professional Standards Committee for a hearing at which all parties present their information to Realtor® panel members, which also must have 5 years of experience in order to serve. The disciplinary action for violating the rules of the Code of Ethics can be severe.

Our vision statement at the Board is ‘to provide the tools and services that maximize the actively involved and contributing members’ productivity and profitability’. Therefore, it would probably not surprise you that one of our largest committee is Education. In order for the Realtor® to retain an active license in Georgia, there are numerous educational requirements. This committee works year long to provide a year-long schedule of continuing education and elective courses for the membership.

We also have a Technology Committee that keeps our website up to date and our staff’s computer needs up to date. Our Cultural Diversity Committee keeps us all up to date on the ever changing cultural needs in real estate. Our Governmental Affairs Committee keeps us abreast of changes in our local community and at the state level.

Our other committees consist of Awards, Bylaws, Communications, the Political Action Auction, Noel November and Spring Ball. At one point this year, I totaled 125 Realtors® who volunteer their time to give benefits to the now 1,000 Realtors® members. These tireless volunteers are also full time Realtors® who are giving back to their community of peers in order to give our profession a higher standard.

Patti Harris Ayers will be installed as President on December 6 from 4:00 to 6:00pm at Flat Creek Country Club in Peachtree City. She comes to this Board with 20+ years of real estate experience. Patti has served on committee’s at the Fayette County, Cobb and Atlanta Boards of Realtors®. She has served as a Vice President and President Elect for our Board and will bring an abundance of knowledge. Patti is a wonderful and caring person who will continue to lead this Board in the right direction.

My slogan for this year was “Contribute, Challenge, Change”. Together we made many changes but the honor was in watching those 125 people contribute their time and energy to raise the bar in our profession. As I challenged you to make changes I have come to realize that no one changed more than me.

“Most people feel best about themselves when they give their best to something greater than themselves.” (Quote from John C. Maxwell)
I have had a year of exhilaration in working side by side with so many wonderful people who have each taught me something. I want to thank each and every one of you for that opportunity.

login to post comments