The REALTOR® brand has been invigorated this year as members of the National Association of REALTORS® in all 50 states rally to celebrate the power of their collective voice during the national Riding with the Brand motor coach tour. But what will keep the energy going once the tour reaches the finish line in November at NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience in Anaheim, Calif.?
A new initiative called Ignite Others will carry the torch, aiming to translate the unifying message of the Riding with the Brand tour into action, 2024 NAR President Tracy Kasper announced Tuesday during the association’s Leadership Summit in Chicago. The initiative, which officially kicks off next year, will be centered around events and programs designed to help members demonstrate their community leadership—including sending them into local high schools to teach students about financial literacy and homeownership preparedness.
“We will have an opportunity to change the lives of an entire generation of [potential] homeowners who never thought they could achieve that piece of the American dream,” Kasper said of the Ignite Others high school financial education program, which is now accepting applications for volunteers to go into their local public or charter school. The goal is to help young people from all walks of life understand how to plan for a financial future that includes homeownership—and possibly even a career in real estate. “We can build a culture of inclusion and belonging. So often, when we say we want every voice at the table, the table doesn’t necessarily change. So, we’re saying, ‘It’s time to build a new table.’”
Members of Kasper’s 2024 Leadership Team talked about Ignite Others’ six “points of light,” which will “ignite our fellow members, our associations and our communities to help build a better, more inclusive future with opportunity for all,” Kasper said.
All REALTORS®, members of the National Association of REALTORS®, are leaders, whether in their family or through their brokerage, community or association, Kasper said. Leaders must take responsibility for everything in their world, including the impact they have on their customers and neighbors, she added. The Ignite Others initiative aims to impart leadership skills to members. “Taking ownership requires humility and courage. Taking ownership for mistakes and failures is hard. But doing so is key to learning, to developing solutions and, ultimately, to victory.”
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