Southeast Kansas Association of REALTORS® to Merge with KCRAR

The Kansas City Regional Association of REALTORS® (KCRAR) Board of Directors voted last month to ratify the merger of the Southeast Kansas Association of REALTORS® (SEKAR) with KCRAR. The SEKAR Board of Directors and general membership casted a similar vote earlier this year. SEKAR will be dissolved and become the Southeast Kansas Chapter of KCRAR effective Jan. 1.

This merger will bring over 170 new members to KCRAR across Elk, Neosho, Chautauqua, Montgomery, Allen, Anderson, Coffey, Woodson, Labette, and Wilson Counties, as well as the city of McCune in Crawford County.

Southeast Kansas Chapter members will have access to benefits and resources through KCRAR that were not previously offered through their local association. The president of SEKAR, Thomas Darbro, will serve a one-year appointment on the KCRAR Board of Directors for 2024. Likewise, Crystal Wonser will serve a one-year appointment on the Heartland MLS Board of Directors.

“We are very excited to welcome Southeast Kansas as a new chapter of KCRAR and will be providing live classes and events regularly to make sure they retain their identity and community engagement,” KCRAR & HMLS CEO Kipp Cooper said. “We believe that the merger benefits both Associations by coming together to serve more members in the two states with even more offerings in education, advocacy, community engagement, professional standards and MLS services.”

KCRAR has added Melissa Smith, former SEKAR Association Executive, to its staff to assist through this transition and serve as broker liaison and trainer for the Southern chapters of KCRAR.

“We have many members who currently cover that area in their business practices, now they won’t need to belong to an additional association,” KCRAR President Sydney West said. “For the new members joining us we are proud to offer them many new services that we enjoy including free education and Supra lockboxes and showing services to name a few.”

This merger will bring KCRAR’s jurisdiction to a total of 46 counties across Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri, consisting not only of the new Southeast Kansas Chapter, but also of the Pittsburg Chapter, the Five County Chapter, the Midwest Missouri Chapter, the St. Joseph Chapter and the Northwest Missouri Chapter.