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Nineteen members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) completed the 2021 SILVAR Leadership Academy on Sept. 23. The SILVAR Leadership Academy is a six-month training and development program structured to help participants develop their leadership knowledge and abilities and encourage them to get actively involved at SILVAR and eventually assume a leadership role. Candidates were asked to complete an application that included questions on issues and topics that impact the business of real estate, their civic involvement and leadership aspirations. Attendees were required to complete all sessions in order to graduate with their class.

The sessions touched on a variety of topics, including the REALTOR® Association Structure at the Local, State and National Level, How Organized Real Estate Helps You and Your Business, Communicating & Conducting Meetings Effectively, Resolving Conflict Situations & Building Consensus, Local, State and National Legislative Actions That Affect Your Business, and Fair Housing and Implicit Bias in Real Estate. The guest speakers from local, state and national organizations involved in real estate included U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo, 2020 California Association of REALTORS® President Jeanne Radsick, 2005 C.A.R. President and SILVAR National Association of REALTORS® Director Jim Hamilton, NAR Director of Governmental Advocacy Sydney Barron, C.A.R. Senior VP for Governmental Affairs and Chief Lobbyist Sanjay Wagle, C.A.R. Manager of Public Policy John Scribner, and attorney for Californians for Homeownership Matthew Gelfand.

Two sessions were devoted to the new NAR L.E.A.D Vision Course. L.E.A.D. stands for Lead, Elevate, Accelerate and Deliver. The course focused on creating a vision, team building, leadership styles, active listening, and other topics. It was the first time the course was taught to members of a local/state association. Steve Francks, CEO of the Washington Association of REALTORS®, and Suzanne Yost, chair of SILVAR’s Leadership Academy Committee, taught the eight-hour course.

The last session focused on “A Leader’s Role in Fair Housing, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.” Guest speakers included Farrah Wilder, Vice President & Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at C.A.R.; Allen Okamoto, Broker, T. Okamoto & Co., Founding Director & Director Emeritus at the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) and NAR Board Director, and Matt Difanis, Broker, Champagne, Illinois and NAR Board Director.

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