If there’s one thing that stands out about Illinois REALTORS® membership, it’s the fact that we do more.

It may be making sure burst pipes are fixed and damage cleaned up during a January polar vortex, lending a hand (and a strong back) to help move furniture for a first-time homebuyer or working with military veterans to help them realize the dream of homeownership.

Doing more could also be defined by contributing volunteer leadership to this association and so many other local organizations.

For Illinois REALTORS®, the mission of helping others is part of our DNA, which is why this year I wanted the state association to focus on telling the stories of those who make their communities – and our state – such a great place to live and work.

This summer, I asked local REALTOR® associations to share photos of their members’ community involvement in advance of the association’s business meetings. The results, which were displayed at the inaugural banquet, clearly showed our members’ work to give more, do more and contribute more.

Throughout 2020, you’ll see an emphasis on our members, the important role they play in our state and the future of the association which represents them. You might say we are looking for 20/20 vision in 2020, a clear, honest review of where we are and what we are going to do to make the association more relevant to its members.

Any association must constantly gauge its success by how much it does for its members and those its members serve.

In other words, to do more, we must always strive to be more.

As we begin work on a new strategic plan for the association, having 20/20 vision in 2020 serves as a reminder of our members’ importance, and clearly puts the focus where it should be.