Dear Alabama REALTORS®,

I hope this letter finds you off to a great start in 2023! It is an honor to serve as your president this year. On behalf of the Alabama Association of REALTORS® (AAR), I am writing to provide you with several updates as we begin the year.

• REALTOR® Day at the Capitol is coming soon on March 14^th and we hope you will take time to attend this year. This is always a fun opportunity to network with fellow REALTORS® and political leaders while advocating for REALTOR® issues. There’s still time to register for REALTOR® day activities and the At Home with Diversity® course that will be held on Wednesday, March 15^th. To see the full schedule and register, click here.  
• AAR launched a statewide market statistics report titled the Alabama Economic and Real Estate Report last month which included a 2022 Annual Report and a December 2022 Monthly Report. These reports include data about statewide real estate trends and how inflation and higher mortgages rates have impacted the Alabama housing market. AAR will continue to provide this economic analysis of statewide real estate trends each month. To see key takeaways and fast stats from the most recent reports, click here.
• AAR is hard at work in preparation for the 2023 Legislative Session and new four-year quadrennial session. AAR’s Public Policy team will advance legislation that is REALTOR® friendly and oppose legislation that may be harmful to our members and their businesses. This is one of the most important functions the state association plays each year on behalf of our members and requires an all-hands-on-deck approach from AAR’s leadership and staff whenever the legislature is in session. 
• AAR’s new 2023 Statewide Legal Forms launched earlier this year. These statewide forms were crafted by our team of attorneys using real feedback from brokers and agents from across the state. The forms are up-to-date, legally sound, and can be used in any real estate market in Alabama. Plus, we have added four new forms to the library!  You can review the 2023 Legal Forms here and a webinar update on significant changes to the forms can be found here. The Legal Forms Review Task Force meets year-round to review and update the forms. If you have any feedback, recommendations, comments or concerns about any of the existing forms or request for new forms, please send those to legalforms@alabamarealtors.com.
• AAR’s Elections and Governance PAG has continued to meet and review AAR’s elections processes and related governance structures to be sure we’re getting the most qualified leaders to serve and the most efficient governance structure to provide services to brokers and members. Thank you to all of you who have participated in member surveys sent by the PAG, your valuable feedback is integral to their work. The PAG’s work is ongoing and will hopefully come to completion later this year and be in a position to advance issues to the membership for consideration. Please be on the lookout for future member surveys on these issues! 
• AAR’s annual elections for 2024 Leadership positions will be held later this fall. Approximately 25 positions for AAR’s Officers, Regional Vice Presidents, Board of Directors, and National Directors will be elected. The election will be held electronically prior to AAR’s Annual Conference. More information will be published later this summer including applications for elected office approximately 60 days prior to August 1, 2023. To ensure the greatest fairness to all candidates and maintain stability and consistency to allow the Elections PAG to conduct its work, pursuant to authority conferred in the Association’s Bylaws, the Executive Committee has voted to maintain the fall qualifying deadline of August 1, 2023. More background and information can be here.  

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if we can be of assistance to you or answer any questions you may have about any of this information. Thank you for everything you do for our Association and in your communities. God bless you and your families.

Warm regards, 

RaJane Johnson
2023 President
Alabama Association of REALTORS®