St. Louis REALTORS® Committees are an integral part of our Strategic Plan and provide resources that enhance member professionalism, support the growth of St. Louis’ diverse community, and protect private property rights. Your membership in St. Louis REALTORS® offers you an opportunity to use passion and expertise to be involved in your Association through committee service.
What does it mean to serve on a committee?
“Committees are the workhorse of the organization. That's where the ideas come from, where the work gets done, and most importantly, that's where we identify our future leaders.” - Dan Sale
“Being on a committee means you're there to help your committee achieve its goals, whatever they may be, to actively participate in those discussions, to bring your ideas and share them freely.” - Dan Sale
What are the time commitments and requirements for committee involvement?
“While it varies by committee, the typical time commitment includes a bi-monthly or monthly meeting that lasts around 1-2 hours. Besides the actual meetings and any committee events, a lot of the time comes from preparation; many of our committees do require some research and reading in preparation for their meeting to make sure that they're effective. You can always ask a Chair or Vice-Chair about the time commitment of a specific committee.” – Matt Muren
“Some of the more basic requirements of committee participation are reviewing all of the background materials, reading the agenda and coming to meetings prepared, and accepting and following through on assignments that the Chair may ask you to complete. Lastly, it’s considering becoming a REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) investor.” – Dan Sale
How do I go about expressing my interest?
Look for an email inviting you to share your interest in serving on a committee or task force. (Typically, this email is sent in July.) You will receive a list of all the committees that the Association is looking to appoint members to, along with descriptions of each committee. Enter your first, second, and third choices on preferred committees to serve on, and that’s it! We will then follow up with you in late November/early December with committee selections.
“With the large number of committee opportunities we have, one can absolutely find a committee that fits their path. There are many opportunities to find the things that are of interest to you - and that's key. You want to be involved with a committee that matches what you’re passionate about” - Matt Muren
What are the roles of the Chair and Vice-Chair?
The Committee Chair works closely with the Vice-Chair, the Staff Liaison, and the Director Liaison in organizing their committee members and implementing the goals and objectives of their committee.
In addition, the Chair and Vice-Chair are expected to attend a yearly committee leadership orientation. This is a very informational program that gives committee leaders all the tools they need to be successful.
The Chair is also responsible for communicating with members and leadership, presiding at all committee meetings to help meet the committee’s annual objectives, and making sure those objectives align with the committee’s purpose and the Association’s mission. It’s also helpful to be familiar with Robert's Rules of Order.
Another key role of the Chair and Vice-Chair is making recommendations to Association leadership for future committee makeup. Often, the Chair and the Vice-Chair will see budding young new volunteers that have leadership potential and would be a great addition to certain committees. And lastly, the Chair and Vice-Chair are supporters of RPAC and encourage their committee members to contribute.
How do the Chairs and the Vice-Chairs get appointed?
Typically, the Chair is appointed by the President, and the Vice-Chair is appointed by the President-Elect, with the realization that when the President-Elect becomes President, the Vice-Chair will become Chair. Lastly, all Chair and Vice-Chair appointments are approved by the Board of Directors.
OVERVIEW OF ASSOCIATION COMMITTEES
- Advocacy Committee: The Advocacy Committee promotes REALTOR® involvement in election campaigns, political affairs, and government activities. In conjunction with Missouri REALTORS®, this committee sets the legislative agenda for the year.
- Affiliate Council: The Affiliate Council is composed of affiliate members of St. Louis REALTORS® and is a group of dedicated industry-related professionals who work to support St. Louis REALTORS® events and initiatives.
- Community Engagement: The Community Engagement Committee seeks partnerships with other organizations to enhance the quality of housing and homeownership in St. Louis and engage in meaningful projects and programs to make a visible difference in our communities and neighborhoods.
- Contracts & Forms: The Contracts and Forms committee provides an opportunity for all interested members to give feedback on proposed contracts changes and discuss risk-reduction issues and trends that affect brokerage operations.
- Finance Committee: The Finance Committee is chaired by the Vice President/Treasurer; this committee prepares and presents the annual budget for approval by the Board of Directors. The committee also monitors the budget and reviews and approves capital items within certain limits. In addition, the committee sets investment and reserve policies and monitors the Association’s Long-Term Investment Fund.
- Grievance Committee: The Grievance Committee reviews arbitration and ethics complaints filed with the Association to determine if they are appropriate for a hearing in accordance with the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual.
- Inclusion Advisory Group: This committee openly discusses concerns regarding diversity and fair housing issues in addition to helping members become more educated on diversity issues. They host events such as Big, Big, World & the new “Can We Talk?” Webinar series.
- Leadership Academy Advisory Board: The goal of the St. Louis REALTORS® Leadership Development Working Group (also known as the Leadership Academy Advisory Board) is to give members a chance to Lead, Engage, Act and Perform (LEAP) by giving them access to a network community and industry leaders who can enhance their leadership abilities.
- Professional Standards Committee: Professional Standards is comprised of ethics and arbitration panelists who conduct professional standards hearings. Panelists must have served a minimum of three years on the Grievance Committee and must attend annual professional standards training.
- RPAC Fundraising Group: The REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) is a powerful tool that utilizes the voluntary contributions of individual REALTORS® to elect candidates who support the REALTOR® Party and the Real Estate industry.
- Urban Affairs: All members are invited to attend the Urban Affairs Forum events, which are designed to promote living in St. Louis as well as provide education and networking in an effort to assist REALTORS® in selling the benefits of St. Louis City.
- YPN Advisory Board: The Young Professionals Network (YPN) is dedicated to engaging the newly licensed and younger generation of real estate professionals by giving them the tools and encouragement they need to excel in their careers.
LISTEN & LEARN MORE
Tune into a Realtime Real Estate podcast episode to hear from Matt Muren, Immediate Past-President, Katie Berry, 2022 President, and Dan Sale, CEO, to learn more about what it means to serve on a committee at St. Louis REALTORS®