The Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) is celebrating its president and CEO Bob Hale’s 50-year tenure with the association. In 1973, the HAR board of directors hired Hale as legal counsel, and in 1988, he was tapped as president and CEO.
Hale is credited with making the 46,000 member HAR one of the most innovative real estate associations in the United States and a household brand throughout Greater Houston. He spearheaded the 1997 launch of HAR.com, which draws an estimated 8 million visitors each month. As an example of the regard that Hale has earned in the industry, at a recent national conference, he was referred to as the “godfather” of real estate.
Hale has received countless real estate and communication industry honors over the years. In 2003 and 2006, Hale was named by the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) REALTOR® magazine “25 Most Influential People in the American Real Estate Industry.” In 2010, Hale won the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)-Houston Communication Leadership Award and in 2011, he was honored by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)-Houston as CEO Communicator of the Year. RISMedia honored Hale in its Hall of Fame category of Real Estate Newsmakers in 2020.
“Bob is recognized and respected as an industry visionary and thought leader and we are fortunate to be the benefactors of his incredible talents in the Houston market,” said HAR Chair Cathy Treviño. “Under Bob’s leadership, HAR became the largest trade association in Houston and the second largest local Realtor association in the U.S. He championed the creation of HAR.com and demanded transparency that led to the most innovative online tools available to real estate consumers today. These are monumental achievements.”
Hale has been lauded as the driving force behind the use of multiple marketing communications platforms, including an online advertising campaign promoting the value of a REALTOR®, HAR’s use of social media, its HAR-TV video production service that has produced thousands of programs posted on YouTube, and the HAR.com Consumer Research Panel – made up of more than 11,000 home buyers, sellers, owners and renters who regularly share their experiences and opinions about the real estate industry. He also took HAR.com statewide by entering into agreements with the largest franchises in the country and with other Texas MLSs.
Hale successfully pushed for the establishment of a five-star agent rating system that enables consumers to evaluate a REALTOR®’s performance after each transaction. He also spearheaded the creation of the Next Generation REALTOR® Group (NRG), which fosters professional development among Houston-area REALTORS® age 40 and younger—or young at heart. During the pandemic, Hale converted HAR into a hybrid workforce that delivered virtual member services, training and technology tools. In early 2021, he guided the in-house development and launch of ShowingSmartTM, a property showing service with a staffed call center for HAR MLS subscribers—at no additional cost.
In a recent interview, Hale said, “My main goal has been to make HAR the most innovative and member-valued association. I want the members to see HAR as the greatest thing that ever happened to them. The best value, the best price and the best services. In my opinion, that’s what makes us stand out.
For more information, visit https://www.har.com/.
