Incline Village Real Estate - Volunteer Leadership

Real Estate Leaders and Volunteers Make Positive Impact

When people are buying and selling property in Incline Village and Crystal Bay they routinely interact with agents, title companies, home inspectors, repair men and a host of other service providers. But, what they don't see is the vast amount of time and energy spent on behind-the-scenes activity that takes place all year round by the local real estate leadership and volunteers who keep things running smoothly.

The Incline Village Board of Realtors (IVBOR) has an executive director and a staff person who are the paid employees that support the members of our local real estate community. In addition, there are a variety of volunteer leadership positions that are filled by agents and brokers. These positions consist of a President, President-elect, MLS Chairperson, Board of Directors, Public Policy Committee Chairman, Grievance Committee, Nomination Committee and a Scholarship Committee.

In a recent interview with Diane Brown, the current IVBOR President, she provided some insight as to the importance of shared leadership and volunteerism. “Volunteer leadership is the oil that keeps the wheels of real estate turning. We have so many wonderful people doing something out of the goodness of their heart.”

One of the key issues that the local leadership focuses on is property owner rights and how those rights may be affected by bills that are working their way through the State Assembly and Senate. The Public Policy Committee Chairman and other volunteers search through all the bills that are being considered by our state government and focus on what positive or negative impacts there will be on property owners in Nevada. A good example of this monitoring of the legislative process is the proactive leadership which has been demonstrated over the last several years which has resulted in the real property transfer tax not increasing. There have been numerous efforts during the past couple of legislative sessions to increase this tax, but it has remained the same due to the diligent efforts of the volunteer leadership.

Incline Village and Crystal Bay property owners benefit from the time and energy spent not only monitoring legislative issues but through local involvement with community plans and development and ongoing efforts to protect property rights and property values.  While California has a coastal access law that essentially makes beaches on that side of the Lake open to the public as long as one does not trespass on private property to get access to the beach, property owners on the Nevada side of the Lake actually own the beach that is a part of their particular parcel.

When asked why Ms. Brown became involved as a volunteer leader she said, “I enjoy giving back to my community. I feel both sides of an issue should be heard so people can have good information and be able to make their own decisions.”  In addition to serving as the local Board of Realtors President, she is working on the new Global Committee, the purpose of which is to foster better communication with the international community and to provide information for investment and future relocation opportunities both domestically and abroad.

Both the National Association of Realtors and the Nevada Association of Realtors provide leadership training in an effort to increase knowledge, raise awareness of key issues and foster good communication and teamwork. There is an emphasis on the importance of shared leadership responsibilities while encouraging broad participation among members of the real estate community over the long term.

You will find volunteers and affiliates in the real estate sector working not only on issues related directly to real estate but also providing valuable support to a broad range of community events and charitable activities.  There isn’t space to list everyone who donates time, money and energy to these causes, but some real estate agents have become synonymous with certain organizations and events year after year.  Here are just a few examples: Mike Chamberlain and the Shakespeare Festival, Ron Stichter - Star Follies, Tom Bruno - Red White and Tahoe Blue, JoAnna Rice – Kids and Horses, Janet Pahl - Pet Network and the Parasol Foundation.  The beautiful Incline Gateway (which I have dubbed Spumoni Circle in memory of my cat who provided the inspiration for the roundabout) was created by this author and came to fruition with the volunteer support of several members of our community.

So, the next time you are engaged in a property transaction remember that it's not just the agents on both sides of the deal and the escrow officers who are involved with keeping our real estate activities running smoothly. The volunteer leadership plays an important part in the overall well-being of the Incline Village/Crystal Bay real estate community along with protecting property values and the rights of property owners.

Don Kanare is a Realtor at RE/MAX Premier Properties Read his blog and weekly stats on his Incline Village Real Estate web site at www.InsideIncline.com