By Amy Voltz, 2024 Heartland MLS President
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
What a year it has been! As 2024 draws to a close, and as I write my final letter to you as HMLS President, I can’t help but reflect on everything we have accomplished, the challenges we’ve overcome together, and where we go from here.
At the start of the year, like many of you, I set ambitious goals. None of us, however, could have anticipated the scale of change that lay ahead. In April, we faced a significant hurdle—a broad settlement enforcement mandate that arrived with minimal guidance and a tight four-month deadline for compliance. Yet, through the remarkable collaboration between our HMLS and KCRAR members and staff, we crafted a comprehensive solution and launched a wide-reaching plan to educate and inform everyone quickly.
Fast forward three months to now, and not only did we meet this challenge head-on, but I believe we thrived in ways I could hardly have imagined. Our brokers displayed exceptional leadership, taking the initiative to educate agents and staff in their offices. Volunteer educators at KCRAR & HMLS worked tirelessly, conducting numerous classes for members, while staff answered countless calls to guide members through the changes. Leadership members traveled across many counties to support our communities. Together, we made an impressive team.
I am incredibly proud of each of you, our HMLS and KCRAR teams, and the dedication you’ve shown to our profession. Over the past year, I’ve seen remarkable improvements: better communication by agents with customers and clients, enhanced form proficiency and compliance within brokerages, and improved agent-to-agent collaboration. As professionals, you took what initially seemed like a significant hurdle and turned it into an opportunity to grow and excel.
Looking ahead, we must sustain this momentum as REALTORS®. Transparency with clients is key, not only explaining the processes involved in a real estate transaction but also clearly demonstrating our value throughout it. There is a way to provide clients with a seamless experience while simultaneously sharing the extensive work and expertise required to achieve that outcome. HMLS is developing exciting new tools in the coming years to help us showcase our value in innovative ways, and I can’t wait to see how you make the most of them.
Many people have asked me what it’s like to serve as President during what has arguably been the most transformative year for MLS rules to date. It’s difficult to put my answer into words, but the strongest emotion I feel is gratitude. I am deeply grateful to my fellow board members, who consistently asked thoughtful questions, shared their opinions openly, and attended every extra meeting I called this year. I am thankful for our incredible staff, who carried the heaviest loads behind the scenes, and I am appreciative of our wonderful and diverse membership, who kept open minds and remained true professionals through it all.
I feel that I am leaving this position wiser and stronger thanks to each of you. It has been my greatest honor to represent and serve you!
JENNIFER HUFFMAN • November 25, 2024 at 7:58 am
Thank you for serving, Amy! You did a great job!