Are you a Texas Realtor®? Have you heard about the Texas Realtors® Leadership Program (TRLP)?
In 2012, my esteemed colleague, Heather Anderson (Janus Real Estate Group , Allen, TX) urged me to consider applying for TRLP through the Collin County Association of Realtors (CCAR). Her encouragement, promising that this experience would be a 'game changer', was 110% true.
Founded by NAR, sponsored by the Texas Association of Realtors, and implemented through select local area associations who have committed to the requirements for program delivery, this distinguished opportunity has a unique mission to cultivate leaders from all segments of the local community (Realtors®, lenders, escrow officers, home inspectors, and other real-estate related vendors / affiliate members) and encourages participants to undertake leadership roles that will help them make a difference in their respective professional, personal, and civic areas of interest.
It is not for the faint of heart. The program is structured over the course of a year, and requires both financial and time commitments in order to graduate. If you are a career-minded professional dedicated to service excellence, and you are interested in finding a pathway toward improving your real-estate-related profession at an industry level, this may be the avenue you've been seeking.
The program is inspirational in unexpected ways. There are various challenges participants encounter on an individual basis, a group basis, and for the 'greater good' (legacy challenge). And even though the coursework is in common, TRLP manages to touch participants uniquely… Each individual's experience, without fail, prompts them to higher pursuits that seem to be only discovered by completing this program! 
How TRLP Affected Me
To begin, I must confess that I was one of the first participants to claim that my plate was full, and that there was nothing more I could possibly take on outside of 'participating' in the program.
And, just as a first-time mother learns that she can stretch her activities to encompass everything she did prior to motherhood in addition to caring for Baby #1… and then Baby #2… AND THEN Baby #3… I grew with each class.
My first AMAZING experience came by the way of the 'Diversity Walk'. Out of this experience, my team and I decided to form a letter writing group, aimed at extending support, encouragement, and inspiration to individuals in the local community who encountered a separation from society via illness, incarceration, work, or age. The relationships we have made have been heartbreaking, and priceless. There is zero monetary reward, zero business benefit, and a humanitarian blessing that is enough to fill our hearts for generations to come.
My second MINDBLOWING experience came by the unbreakable bonds of friendship and business alliances with my classmates. In his book, "The Power of Who", Bob Beaudine proposes that we already know everyone we need to know to achieve our destiny. While that may be true, you may still be waiting for the personal introduction to that familiar face who crosses your regular business path… the familiar stranger who is already in your network, but your synergies still await alignment. If for NO OTHER REASON, this is the motive that should drive you toward TRLP. While you can be a team of one, or you can be a team of many -- the 2nd path will be far more pleasurable, rewarding, profitable and expedient.
My third REVOLUTIONARY experience came by way of joining the MLS Committee at CCAR. I never needed TRLP to be able to volunteer for committee service through my local association -- but until TRLP, I never knew (or believed) I was needed. Our local associations provide more than just MLS access in trade for dues. They are at the very heart of our businesses, and work to guide the standards of practice and service delivery that too many of us take for granted. Committee service is extremely rewarding and beneficial, as it provides a channel for direct input and empowers volunteers to shape the future in the direction that the consumers demand, instead of some 3rd party vendor's idea of what it should be.
My most recent BOUNDARY SHATTERING experience is actually derived from my most personally challenging TRLP class… the Spokesperson Training Session. Truth be told, I am a firm believer of 'aces in their places', and have never much concerned myself with weaknesses. Instead, by focusing on personal strengths, I simply know I can naturally accomplish 10x more than I could ever achieve by improving any of my weaknesses 1000 times!
This one area, however, was different. ***Yup, I totally suck at public speaking, and hate being on camera. No doubt about it. But this is one area where I feel that even the slightest improvement might help make a difference (because I am REALLY THAT BAD :-).***
And so, with the support of one of our preferred lender partners (also a participant in my TRLP class), Andy Tuttle of Oak Mortgage Group -- and Providence Group Realty's own Distinguished Realtor®, David Whiteman, we formed a Toastmasters Club through CCAR, with the mission of building up and empowering others to be all that they can be in the area of interpersonal communication and public speaking.
TRLP is a game changer, and if you are 'somebody' in the field of real estate or relating to real estate, politics, education, civic leadership, or government, it is where you want to be.
CCAR TRLP Class VIII, Completion May 2014
If you live in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex or surrounding communities, and you are interested in applying for the 2014-2015 TRLP Program, click here for access to CCAR's application form and to see a schedule of Class ix meeting dates and locations. Deadline for submitting interest is August 31, 2014.
Providence Group Realty fully supports this initiative, and is offering 1 additional scholarship opportunity, eligible for either an affiliate CCAR member or any licensed agent who joins our team after July 1, 2014 and before August 31, 2014. Interested parties should contact Amanda Thomas (Broker, Providence Group Realty) at 469.298.9706.
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