CR Magazine – Autumn 2018

FROM THE CEO
CAR leadership was everywhere — leading
panels, presenting sessions and more — at
NAR’s Leadership Summit in Chicago this August.
Leadership Summit is a time for REALTOR ®
Association Executives and incoming board presidents to come
together and prepare for the year ahead. Our own incoming
president, Tommy Choi, led a session with Maren Brisson-
Keuster from North Carolina REALTORS ® titled “Your Role as
Chief Storyteller,” where attendees from across the country were
encouraged to “tell their story” and learned tactics to become a
Chief Storyteller.
Through their session, one thing was emphasized: authenticity
— the importance of being yourself and being relatable. I think
that’s an important lesson for all of us in the industry. Real estate
is so personal and so important. You’re helping people make lifelong
decisions and bringing your authentic self to the transaction
makes it personal.
I was, of course, proud to see Tommy on stage, and bragged to
some fellow AE’s that my association president wasn’t with me
because he was presenting! But it wasn’t only pride that I walked
away with — it was a drive to ensure I told my story, and a calling
to share why this industry is important to me.
I didn’t grow up in a home we owned — homeownership came
much later in life for some of my family. I purchased my first home
when I turned 30, and it was a proud moment. It was important,
too, because it helped set me on the path to CAR.
Real estate is an integral part of our lives — something as simple
as having a place to live and a home to call your own is key to
the American dream. I want all of you, our members, to have a
place here at CAR and feel welcomed to tell your stories which are
integral to being successful in your careers.
MICHELLE MILLS CLEMENT, cae
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Association of REALTORS ®
6 Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine