Hello WomanUP!® Community!
This week's wonderful welcome is for Shannon King:
We are excited and honored to shine a light on a special real estate industry leader this week. Join Leslie, Sara, and Debra as they sit down with Shannon King for a conversation about leadership, her journey to becoming the Vice President of Association Affairs at NAR, and what she has planned for 2022.
Shannon has been a Realtor® since 2000 and is broker-owner of Island Living Homes, a boutique firm in Kailua on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. King is also vice president of NAR's 2022 Executive Committee. She is an original member of NAR's Young Professionals Network group, and as second chair helped YPN become a recognized committee!
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Here is a little bit about Shannon: Shannon King (e-Pro®, GRI, MRP), a REALTOR® from Kailua, Hawaii, is the 2022 Vice President of Association Affairs for the National Association of REALTORS®. She has been a REALTOR® since 2000.
Shannon practices residential real estate, and is broker/owner of Island Living Homes, a boutique firm in Kailua on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
At NAR, Shannon is serving as Vice President of the 2022 Executive Committee. Shannon most recently served as the Chair of the Consumer Advocacy Outreach Advisory Board. She has also chaired the Member Communications Committee, the Meeting and Conference Committee, and the Strategic Planning Committee. She has served as Committee Liaison for NAR’s Board of Directors and for the Communications, Meeting and Conference, Professional Development, and Research committees.
Shannon was an original member of the Young Professionals Network group, and as second chair, helped YPN become a recognized committee.
Shannon has served on Strategic Planning Committees for the Texas Association of REALTORS®, the California Association of REALTORS®, and the Hawaii Association of REALTORS®. She also served on the Board of Directors for CAR and HAR.
Shannon co-founded Schoolhouse Realty in California, which donates a portion of its proceeds to California schools. She also owned Tribella Realty in Texas.
Shannon was named a REALTOR® Magazine 30 under 30 in 2005.
Shannon’s husband, Scott, served in the U.S. Navy for nearly 25 years before retiring in 2019; he’s now studying to become a real estate agent. The Kings moved frequently, calling California; Texas; Washington, D.C.; and Italy home before moving to Hawaii.
Tell us about your leadership journey… What led you to this moment and to becoming our 2022 Vice President of Association Affairs?
• For anyone in leadership, it always starts with getting involved in the association at some level.
• For me, I spent years on committees, as a committee liaison, learning the ropes of NAR.
• In fact, I served on a number of committees alongside Leslie Rouda Smith, NAR’s 2022 President.
• Both of us put in our time, and we not only built a professional relationship, but a great friendship.
• So, taking on this role, for me, meant helping usher in the next generation of leadership that has grown through this organization together.
As you look back tell us about a challenge you faced. Perhaps it was a risky move that didn’t pay off, a failed project, a fork in the road, or a personal mishap. How did you address it? Did you ask for help?
• My career has been built quite a bit differently than others.
• My husband was an officer in the Navy, which anyone listening from a military family knows, meant moving frequently.
• Every time we moved, we had to pick up our businesses and relocate them to new states;
• We had to learn new marketplaces, find new clients, and sometimes, we’d have to reinvent our approach.
• And then two to three years later, we’d do it all over again.
• This was always an adventure, but it was also frequently challenging. Especially moving to San Diego around the time of the 2008 market crash.
• Truth be told, it was my relationships at NAR that contributed to our success in each of these new markets.
• Because even before arriving in San Diego, or DC, or Hawaii, we already knew the REALTOR organization leadership there.
• We knew the ins and outs of the market before ever stepping foot in our new home.
• Also, I never represent myself in a real estate transaction, so every time we purchased a new home, I found a natural REALTOR mentor who showed me the market.
• And I learned about that market from the perspective of a buyer, which is so important.
From the perspective of where you are today, how would you handle a similar situation this time around? In hindsight, what would you do differently?
• Every time we moved, it was a unique experience.
• Anybody who’s ever considered relocating, whether to be closer to family, a new job, a better market, whatever the reason…
• They oftentimes feel stuck in the market they’re in, and they’re hesitant to take that leap.
• For me, I welcome change. I get to take what I learned in the last market and take it to a new one.
• So, in a way, every move has gotten easier, while still presenting new challenges.
Shannon, you’re part of a history-making NAR leadership team that is majority female for the first time ever… and about time for a trade organization that is two-thirds female!
This is a magnificent opportunity to shine a light on the magic and power of women in leadership working together. What project or program are you most excited about working on with the team? Why?
• So, I have two things to say about this.
• First, I’m extremely proud of a long-overdue female-majority leadership team.
• But I’m even more proud of the diversity the team represents—
• All shapes, sizes, and colors.
• So, I definitely celebrate the feminism there, but there is so much more to celebrate.
• As far as what I’m most excited for this year:
• We continue to focus on the multi-year priority of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I).
• We’re planning a presidential challenge to complete Fairhaven,
• And I’m looking forward to really taking broker involvement to a new level.
• We’re creating a travel team, not unlike the REALTOR Party travel team, that will reach out to brokerages to make sure they have what they need.
• We want to ensure brokers know their role in our large, ever-changing market, so they can echo that value proposition down to their agents at the grassroots level.
• We realize our industry is quickly evolving, and adaptability is the key to success.
What upcoming challenges would you say every brokerage owner needs to have on her radar? Any ideas on how she can prepare for it?
• This is a hard one for me, because we are faced with so many challenges.
• To start with, we have “iBuyers,” new consumers, and new business models to contend with and adapt to.
• I’m in boutique, high-service brokerage, so we’re not a broker for everyone…
• But we have to be sure we’re constantly assessing and communicating our value proposition as REALTORS.
• Brokers usually understand this, but sometimes need help articulating this to their clients.
• Houses are flying off the shelves right now.
• People think finding a buyer is most of the battle, and that they don’t need us by their side.
• In reality, this is when they need us the most.
• Transactions are more difficult, and buyers and sellers are making huge mistakes with huge ramifications.
We are all deep into defining and refining our 2022 plans. What is on your vision board that you’re most looking forward to next year?
• In our personal life, my husband recently retired, so we are going to continue to strike a firm balance and making sure it’s not “all work.”
• We’ll have a lot of “play” as well. And especially with this crazy market, we haven’t had a lot of that lately.
• So hopefully this year, we’ll have a little more focus on spending our downtime very intentionally as a family.
• As a brokerage, our little boutique is really going to ramp up our use of technology. I actually just hired a videographer!
• I also want to plug NAR’s financial resources, because they’ve been so helpful in planning for 2022.
• I love the [Center for REALTOR Financial Wellness] financial resources page, it’s one of the best, and most under-used tools NAR has that has helped me immensely.
Do you have a favorite planning process or tool you use?
• I’m a believer in [author] Brian Buffini’s methodology for planning:
• You have to strike a balance between the “five circles” of life: business, family, financial, spiritual, and personal.
• And I hope everyone listening knows that Brian Buffini’s “100 days to greatness” course is a member benefit! You can find it at nar-dot-realtor-slash-realtor-dash-benefits-dash-program
• That said, we sat down as a team and planned out our year back in November.
• And this might be surprising, but rarely is it about numbers.
• We think about all of our touches, our client engagement, and how we can help folks grow their business.
• The numbers naturally follow.
• I’m all about visualization, so we do this with vision boards to get a clear picture of the year ahead.
We would love to hear your final words of wisdom…
• In this world, be authentic.
• Put on your oxygen mask before helping others.
• And find time for you and your family to refuel.
• But really, just be yourself. And be very transparent.
• In the age of social media, we are constantly watching other people, and we are getting confused on what reality is…
• So, keep it real!
What is the best way for the community to connect with and support you?
Connect with Shannon:
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