Guest post from Emily Chenevert, Director of Public Affairs for the Austin Board of REALTORS®.
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As leaders in Austin, we often find ourselves advocating on behalf of diverse stakeholders, requiring us to create consensus among those who may share similar interests, but often don’t agree on how best to advance them. That’s certainly true for the Austin Board of Realtors, where we have 10,000 members across 15 counties in Central Texas. Demographically, our membership looks a lot like the population of the region, which means they have as many viewpoints as Austin has neighborhoods.
Yet, as an organization, we don’t let that stop us from taking positions on important topics and actively participating in the issues shaping Austin’s future. In fact, we believe the diversity of our membership is a strength that keeps us balanced in our advocacy. It does, however, require that we approach advocacy differently. For those facing similar situations, I’d like to share how ABoR navigates this path. It comes in a three-part approach: a strong foundation, an inclusive process and a commitment to engage.
At the Austin Board of Realtors, we believe the most important part of advocacy is a strong foundation. For us, that foundation is this: strong communities make great places to live. That means our advocacy isn’t restricted to the real estate business. We want to protect the long-term viability of our communities, which leads to issues like development, transportation, water and neighborhood character. When deciding to engage in an issue, this foundation guides our efforts.
Of course, not all of our members agree on the best way to approach big, complicated issues like these. That’s why the second pillar of our philosophy—inclusiveness—is so important. We must strive to understand where members as well as Austin-area homeowners stand on these issues. We rely on our leadership for that direction as well as polls, studies and surveys. This leads to a balanced perspective that is reflective of attitudes throughout Austin, as opposed to one-sided viewpoints from narrowly interested parties.
Even then, however, the solutions aren’t always obvious. That’s when we call upon our third pillar: a commitment to engage. In many of the important issues our community faces, viewpoints vary and consensus is hard to achieve. However, we’re committed to overcoming those obstacles and showing leadership. We work collaboratively with our stakeholders and take a position when we believe the issue affects quality of life in Austin and when it is in the best interests of members and homeowners.
For example, in early 2012, the City of Austin grappled with the controversial issue of short-term rentals. Opinions pit neighbors against neighbors and ranged from those seeking no regulation at all to those wanting complete prohibition. Austin Realtors were also divided, making it difficult to define a position. However, the outcome of that debate would significantly affect livability in Austin, so we couldn’t sit on the sidelines. We surveyed members and homeowners, assessed economic impact and sought input from throughout our leadership. That led us to advocate for a balanced approach to short-term rentals, which we supported with a public campaign. Ultimately, a compromise passed. As with all compromises, reactions among our members were mixed. Most importantly, however, we stayed true to our philosophy of advocacy and had a positive impact on an important issue for Austin.
We know we’ll encounter these complicated situations again. Like Austinites, our members have differing viewpoints about how Austin should grow, which will affect our positions on development, transportation, energy conservation, land use and more. However, knowing we can rely on a solid foundation, an inclusive process and a commitment to engagement, rest assured you’ll be hearing the voice of the Austin Board of Realtors.
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NOTE: The opinions of Leadership Austin alumni, faculty members, and guest bloggers are their own, and do not represent an official position of the organization. Explore techniques for building consensus and collaborations in greater detail at Leadership Austin’s Skills Booster Shot workshop—From Consumer to Citizen—June 27 at the Austin Board of REALTORS®.