The cover feature in this edition of Bay State REALTOR® Magazine is all about REALTORS® giving back to their communities. And I know that REALTORS® like you don’t generally consider your volunteer efforts to be worthy of note. We view it as a welcome responsibility of being part of a community. That sense of responsibility is just ingrained.
We know that communities are only as strong as the people who get actively involved. We also know that involvement greatly adds to the quality of life and benefits everyone in a community. Simple supply and demand dictate that if involvement drives desirability, more people want to live in a community, and property values rise. But is that the reason behind your involvement as REALTOR®? I’m willing to bet that doesn’t cross your mind when you are on the front lines, making your community a better place to live.
When we claim to be “neighborhood experts,” we are not talking about knowing all the cold, hard statistics (although that’s important to know) as much as knowing the lifestyle of our neighborhoods and what makes them special and unique. We know the people, and because we know the people, we want to help them. We want the area where we live to be the best it can be. So, we volunteer at our schools or ask to be appointed to a town committee. We pick up trash along the highways or participate in clothing drives. We go to town meetings and make our voices heard, we have regular conversations with elected officials, we write letters to the editor, we register voters, and sometimes we even run for elected office and win.
When state and national Good Neighbor Awards are announced, I am in awe of the things our fellow REALTORS® do to give back at such a large scale. It is truly amazing, and I know I’m not the only one who needs to reach for a tissue when hearing their stories. However, I’m just in awe of those of you who do the little things too, because it adds up to a lot. I really think we make a great impact across the entire state.
The long and short of it is that we are part of the fabric of our communities. We know our neighbors, and we care about them. We help others because, well, we just want to. We like that feeling. We can’t walk by and not take notice of need—and we are compelled to help. Whether it’s at an open house or the House of Representatives, we really are about making houses into homes and streets into communities.
Save The Date for REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill:
In addition to giving back to our communities, one more way that we can make a difference is through advocacy at the grassroots level. What this means is talking to our elected officials about issues that are important to REALTORS®, homeowners, and people who want to be homeowners.
So, I want you to save Wednesday, June 12 for our 34th Annual Margaret C. Carlson REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill. This is when you get the opportunity to join your fellow REALTORS® to talk to your state legislators on a range of legislative issues that we either support or oppose. It’s the definition of participating in the democratic process and it’s really fun and inspiring. I hope to see you there!