It’s a People Business…Have you Heard that Before?

Working on MIBOR’s centennial history book provided a series of “awakenings” for me. I have been a staff member of MIBOR for the last 10 years.  While that length of service pales in comparison the amount of time many members have devoted to the industry and the association, by today’s standards of employment, a decade is a decent run. With that tenure, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of the heart and the feel of the place. What I learned while helping compile materials for the history project was that I was both right and wrong.

How was I wrong? It’s always good to get that out of the way first, right? Namely, I thought the history would be boring and, frankly, a little predictable. WRONG. I didn’t expect the stories and the people to be as dynamic, colorful and transformative as they turned out to be. I had often heard stories about Bud Tucker and Helen Hirt and others and I knew they were important leaders that ushered in decisions and policies for the business of the board. What I didn’t think about was the impact they had on the way people think and act. Bud instituted a philanthropic and community development spirit that many people say led to the REALTOR® Foundation and MIBOR’s significant economic development focus. Helen turned the “old boys club” upside down by being as tough and shrewd as the best of them. She did it all and ultimately broke the glass ceiling making it possible for women to play the prominent role they do today. And those are only two examples of many others.

The book published to honor the centennial, REALTORS®: Opening Doors for 100 Years, contains countless stories that illustrate the people who have shaped this region and industry. Reading this book and watching the companion video is time well spent to understand not only how we got to this point, but – most importantly – who got us here.

That’s where I was right. It’s about the people, then and now. In the last ten years I have been continually amazed at how much time and energy members put back into the association on top of the crazed, unpredictable work lives they lead. It may have started 100 years ago, but it’s still true today. There are plenty of you who jump in with both feet, push for change and make the industry – and everyone in it – better.  

Claire Belby
MIBOR Communications Director