The 2024 Texas REALTORS® Shaping Texas Conference in Grapevine brought together more than 2,000 REALTORS® from all over Texas to discuss the latest real estate issues, connect with colleagues, and conduct association business. The event equipped members with actionable insights and tools to better showcase their value as real estate professionals.

Keynote Kicked Off (pun intended) the Conference 

NFL Hall of Famer and Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith took attendees in the standing-room-only Opening Session through his journey, on and off the football field. He delivered a powerful message of leadership and overcoming adversity. “Change is scary if you’re not willing to adjust,” said Smith. “We have a lot of changes in this industry, and we have to be open and ready.” 

Immediately following, attendees enjoyed a fun evening at the ‘80s-themed Welcome Reception featuring the cover band, the Spazmatics. Thank you to the local Boards/Associations in North Texas that sponsored the event.

Education Takeaways

An assortment of educational sessions, panels, and forums were offered to drive personal and professional growth.

At the “Farm & Ranch 101 for Residential Agents” session, instructor Megan Turnipseed led an overflow room through the differences between residential and land transactions. Turnipseed focused on the logistics of farm and ranch properties and also walked attendees through redlines of upcoming changes to farm and ranch forms.  

During the “Where Have All the Houses Gone?” session, former Texas REALTORS® Chairman Shad Bogany discussed the factors affecting affordability in Texas: inflation, high demand, rising property taxes, and local regulation. “NIMBYs are also a huge threat to housing affordability,” said Bogany. “Everyone wants shops and restaurants in their neighborhoods—those jobs don’t pay much. Where are the workers supposed to live?” 

Craig Grant, CEO of RETI (Real Estate and Technology Institute), provided an overview of artificial intelligence and AI tools during “Working Smarter With AI.” Grant also gave tips on using AI tools in your real estate business, as well as its pros and cons. “AI tools use existing content to create new content without providing any sources, accreditation, or compensation to the creator of the original source of content. That can cause legal problems.”  

Instructor John Young, REALTOR® with RE/MAX Excellence Realty in Greater Washington DC Metro area, talked about different types of disabilities and interacting with clients with disabilities at “The Do’s and Don’ts of Serving Clients with Disabilities” session. Young’s worldview has been greatly informed by his 15-year-old autistic daughter. “There is not one set of rules, one book, one set of tips for working with disabled people. Every disabled person is different,” said Young. “One thing to remember is to always speak to disabled people the same you would talk to anyone else.”

During “Is This Listing Real or Not?”, instructor and Texas REALTORS® member Candy Cooke talked about seller-impersonation scams, how to spot them, and what to do if you or your clients become a target. “These scams are effective because they exploit the trust that buyers have in sellers, create urgency to force quick decisions without due diligence, and exploit fear of losing a deal,” Cooke said. 

Instructor and Texas REALTORS® member Alisha Austin stressed during “Value is not a Four-Letter Word” how to show your value to clients and the public. She said to figure out your “why” and let people see your authenticity. “Stop talking about how many sales and how much money you’ve made. People want to know what you’re going to do for them, not other clients,” said Austin. “Share what you’re doing when you are not making money—things that you’re doing to improve yourself.”

Barney Schwartz, Risk Manager/Insurance Broker of Assured Partners, offered advice on how to avoid having a claim filed against you and ways to protect yourself from cyberattacks at the “That Suit Doesn’t Look Good on You” Risk Reduction Forum. He discussed the importance of documentation for every scenario, understanding the seller’s disclosure, responsible tenant screening, password safety, and he voiced enabling multi-factor authentication on all your accounts. “If you take nothing else away from this session today, I want you to know about the importance of multi-factor authentication.”

During the Governmental Affairs Forum, “Forward to the Future: A Sneak Peek into the 2024 Election,” keynote speaker David Wasserman, Senior Editor and Elections Analyst for “The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,” provided an insightful analysis of the upcoming presidential election, saying it was too close to call a clear advantage for either candidate. He then analyzed key state races across the U.S. and a detailed breakdown of key Texas House and Senate races with tight margins and possible underdogs. Tray Bates, Texas REALTORS Vice President of Government Affairs, recounted wins from the 88th Texas Legislature and shared the strategic plan “Rising to the Challenge: Ensuring Texas REALTORS®’ Continued Influence” to prepare the association for the future. 

During the Public Policy Forum, Luis Saenz, former Chief of Staff to Gov. Greg Abbott; Logan Spence, former Chief of Staff to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick; and Gavin Massingill, former Chief of Staff to Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen, shared stories about the work, stress, and collaboration needed among these offices and with legislators from both parties. When asked about the most critical issues facing the state, Spence said, “We are growing so fast here in Texas, we see water, electricity, and highways as big needs. We need to make sure the Texas economy continues to thrive as it has done for so many years.” All three speakers emphasized that Republicans and Democrats working together through tough challenges on bills that affect Texans was key in the continued success of the state.

Public Policy Positions

This year, the policy committees have been hard at work, holding 29 meetings and dedicating approximately 75 hours of committee time, totaling an impressive 1,850 volunteer hours. The committees reviewed and reaffirmed 32 policy positions, addressing longstanding issues such as property taxes, infrastructure projects, land use, and transactional concerns like title insurance and HOAs. Notably, new policy positions were introduced this year, including approaches to tackle squatters, deed or lease fraud, rising insurance rates, and fair housing protections.

In a survey conducted over two weeks in July and August, 1,408 members responded, showing strong support for our efforts. A remarkable 73% agreed that Texas REALTORS® is doing a good job, a 2% increase from last year. Every policy statement received overwhelming endorsement, with the new policy on squatters receiving the highest support at 99%, even surpassing the 96% support for our stance against taxing real estate services. Clearly, the issue of squatters is a top concern for our members.

Texas REALTORS®/REACH Labs Innovation Showcase: Battle of the Best Pitch

This annual event featured a pitch battle, “Shark Tank”-style, among four innovative real estate tech startups: Curb Hero, Jointly, KeyPleaz, and Pitch59.  The CEO of each business made a five-minute pitch followed by Q&A. The winner, chosen by audience members, was Pitch59. 

Congratulations to the 5 Winners of the Shaping Texas Challenge! 

Over 500 attendees played the Shaping Texas Challenge game in the conference app. Congratulations to the five prize winners:  

  • 1st prize (football signed by Emmitt Smith): Melissa Esau, Fort Hood 
  • 2nd prize ($100 Amazon gift card): Donna Bocanegra, Wichita Falls 
  • 3rd prize ($100 Amazon gift card): Sara Cullen, MetroTex 
  • 4th prize (Texas REALTORS tote bag and goodies): Kim Holson, Longview 
  • 5th prize (Texas REALTORS tote bag and goodies): Mary Margaret Davis, Greater Fort Worth 

Installation Gala

Gold standard was the theme of the Texas REALTORS® Installation Gala, which was reflected in attendees’ attire and the décor of the event. After entertainment by acclaimed singer-songwriter Kelly Willis, 2025 association leaders were installed by emcee and installing officer Cindi Bulla, 2020 chair of Texas REALTORS®:  Tony Lloyd as Secretary/Treasurer, Jennifer Wauhob as Chairman-elect, Jef Conn as Immediate past chairman, and Christy Gessler-Whetsel as Chairman.

In her remarks, Gessler-Whetsel spoke of the Japanese practice of Kintsugi, the art of repairing chips and cracks in fine China by gluing them back together with gold. She explained that family and friends, mentors, and other REALTORS® on her leadership journey are the gold that puts her back together after challenging times. She also thanked Texas REALTORS® President and CEO Travis Kessler and his wife, Shelley, for decades of service to the REALTOR® family. Kessler will retire at the end of March 2025 after more than 40 years working for the REALTOR® association.  

The following 2025 Regional Vice Presidents were installed for a two-year term beginning December 1, 2024: Region 2 –Jamie Dalzell, Abilene; Region 3 – Alberto Vazquez, Arlington, and Brenda Taylor, Greater Lewisville; Region 4 – Amanda Phillips, Greater Texoma, and Bill Cox, Collin County; Region 5 – Kelly Raulston, Greater Tyler; Region 6 – Wayne Dunson, Odessa; Region 7 – Stephanie Besett Ryan, Four Rivers; Region 8 – Kandi Luensmann, Fort Hood, and Sarah Norman, Bryan College Station; Region 9 – Angie Williams, Lufkin; Region 12 (MetroTex) – Johnny Mowad, Ginger Gill, Hanne Sagalowsky, Franceanna Campagna, Kendra Norwood, Michael (Kevin) Caskey, and Richard Gregory; Region 13 (San Antonio) – Will Curtis and Cortney Gill; Region 14 (Houston) – Michica Guillory, Deborah Spangler, Jo Ann Stevens, Michael Wong, Shae Cottar, Thomas Mouton, Karishma Asrani, Tina Wilcher; and Region 15 (Austin) – Job Hammond and Teresa Scott-Tibbs.

The 2025 Executive Board Appointees included Janna Burton, Bryan-College Station; Leah Cox, Waco; Christine Molis, Greater McAllen; Jemila Winsey, Houston. The Commercial Appointee included Daphne Zollinger, Greater Denton Wise County.

Institute Societies and Council Actions

Christy Gessler-Whetsel installed the 2025 board for REALTORS® Land Institute, Texas Chapter: Chip Bubela as President, Chandra Stout as President-Elect, Loni Jones as Secretary, Clayton Pilgrim as Treasurer, Megan Turnipseed as Past President, Carroll Bobo as Director, Jodie Rapp as Director, Kasey Mock as Director, Clay McCullar as Director, Clay McCullar as Director, Lani Rust as Director, Doyle Spenser as Director, and Denise O’Brien as Chapter Administrator.

At the Texas Women’s Council of REALTORS® awards luncheon, State President Cathy Heshmat celebrated industry leaders. Awards were presented to Shadrya Patton, Fort Bend, Member of the Year; Sharon Eddings, Conroe, for Entrepreneur of the Year; and Texas REALTORS® President and CEO Travis Kessler, who received the Affiliate of the Year award.

The Texas Residential Real Estate Council (RRC), joined by Tricia Nekota, National RRC President, Hawaii, participated in a roundtable discussion focusing on business development, marketing, advocacy, and networking.

Global Partnerships

The Global Reception, a conference highlight, celebrated the ongoing partnership between Texas REALTORS® and AMPI. This event included a gift exchange and a presentation that honored the commitment of both organizations to strengthen cross-border real estate collaboration. The reception underscored the importance of our partnership and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by Emilio Rojas Cobian, AMPI President and Gabriela Hernandez Chargoy, International Director. The MOU sets forth the understanding of the parties related to connecting and establishing a mutually beneficial relationship for its respective association members.

The AMPI delegation also attended the VIP Dinner and the Installation Gala, which provided additional networking opportunities with key figures in the real estate industry. These gatherings celebrated leadership and the installation of new officers, further cementing the collaborative spirit between Texas REALTORS® and AMPI.

Board of Directors Meeting

The Texas REALTORS® Board of Directors met on the final day of the conference to conduct the business of the association and hear important updates.  

  • Texas Real Estate Commission Chairman Scott Kesner and Executive Director Chelsea Buchholtz encouraged REALTORS® to seek innovation, ensuring members that TREC wants to support REALTORS® while upholding its mission to protect consumers. They spoke of proposed forms changes, improved timelines for enforcement activities, and a new rule allowing more time for broker succession after the death of a designated broker of a business entity.
  • NAR 2026 First Vice President candidate Colin Mullane, a broker from Oregon, assured members that “we do our best work when stuff gets hard.” He also promoted the value of the three-tiered agreement of national, state, and local associations.
  • NAR Region 10 Vice President Marvin Jolly encouraged members to continue to check facts.realtor for the latest updates related to the settlement. He also shared that NAR has come out against a proposal for rent caps, saying it would actually make housing less affordable.
  • Texas REALTORS® General Counsel Lori Levy provided an update on how the NAR settlement affects REALTORS® in Texas and explained several form changes. She pointed out that the changes increase the choices for how brokers and their clients conduct business.
  • Kenzie Honey, Finance Director of the Abilene Association of REALTORS®, was honored for earning the REALTOR® Association Certified Executive (RCE) designation.
  • Michael DeHart was recognized for his upcoming retirement after 14 years leading the Fort Hood Area Association of REALTORS® as its association executive.
  • Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer Wauhob provided an update on the financials of the association, presenting a balanced budget that includes annual dues of $117 per year (unchanged since 2012). Directors approved an Issues Mobilization/Political Advocacy Fund assessment of $30 per year and a Legal Fund Assessment of $10 per year, an increase from $5 previously.
  • Directors received updates from all association committees on recent activities. The board also approved the association’s 2025-2026 Strategic Plan.

Look for a full recap with photos in the upcoming September/October Texas REALTOR® magazine. See y’all next August in Houston.