For those of us who work closely with the real estate community in Sacramento, we’re constantly impressed by the work the Sacramento Association of Realtors does to support their agents, empowering them to do a great job for home buyers and sellers. To recognize and thank them for their outstanding work, we’ve decided to highlight 20 facts about SAR:
- The Sacramento Association of Realtors was first founded more than a hundred years ago in 1908, when about 50 original members came together to form the Sacramento Realty Board
- By 1912, they’d reorganized under the name Real Estate Agents Association of Sacramento, and by 1918 were granted membership to the National Association of Real Estate Boards and Members, earning Sacramento’s real estate agents the designation of Realtors.
- By 1935, the Sacramento Association of Realtors had grown to 210 members, and it now serves more than 6,000 members, the vast majority of which are Realtors.
- These days, the Sacramento Association of Realtors embraces a mission to “enhance the ability of its Members to practice their profession ethically and effectively, to serve the community and to protect private property rights.”
- SAR’s official Vision is to “be recognized for elevating the standard of excellence in the real estate profession.”
- They do that in part by instituting Association bylaws and a Realtor Code of Ethics for all of their members to follow.
- By joining SAR, real estate agents not only unite with their local peers, but become member of the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
- However, membership in SAR does not include access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which is a separate entity. Instead, SAR teams up with MetroList Services Inc., an independent regional listing service.
- Some real area professionals don’t realize that non-realtors can also join SAR as affiliates. In fact, any company or individual that works in the real estate field, like title companies, home inspectors, and mortgage brokers, etc. can join. Whether they participate in SAR activities and meetings as company or individual affiliates, these professionals forge valuable relationships, gain recognition for their services, and garner new business through SAR.
- One of the pivotal roles of SAR is to promote education among its members, as staying up to date on the housing market, industry news, and new laws, regulations and procedures is critical to professional growth and success. For that reason, SAR offers 85 different classes to their members every year, with something for the newest agent all the way to veterans who want to become certified in a certain niche.
- SAR is also home to the distinguished Masters Club, recognizing the best of the best in the field of real estate sales in the Sacramento region every year and promoting professional standards among all realtor. For a complete list of Masters Club members, go to https://www.sacrealtor.org/documents/members/masters_club/2015_mc_members.pdf
- The Sacramento Association of Realtors is focused on serving local communities, and that means outreach and partnerships with other community organizations, agencies, committees, and groups. For that reason, SAR hosts three popular and dynamic committees, the Equal Opportunities/Cultural Diversity Committee, the Housing Opportunities Committee and the Volunteer Coordinating Committee. SAR members view participation in these committees not as a duty, but at an honor and a privilege.
- SAR embraces diversity and multiculturalism. Their members come from every race, religion, nationality and walk of life, so it’s no wonder SAR is so active in promoting their committee mission of to “embrace and empower Members through education, communication and leadership to achieve a better understanding of the multi–cultural diversity in our community.” SAR also regularly gets involved with Sacramento’s Asian Chamber, Black Chamber, and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, establishing both professional liaisons and lifelong friendships.
- If you’ve ever attended a Sacramento Association of Realtors meeting or event, it’s quickly apparent that the spirit of giving is contagious among its members. In fact, SAR promotes volunteerism in the local community, and their Volunteer Coordinating Committee is one of the most popular and active. Here’s a list of just some of the charities and volunteer events SAR members get involved with, and if you’re interested in giving back, too, please contact Tony Vicari at (916) 437–1205 or tvicari@sacrealtor.org
- Charities SAR Has Supported:
American River Natural History Association
Bishop Quinn Cottages
Capital Public Radio
Francis House of Sacramento
KVIE Public Television (Volunteering)
Loaves and Fishes
Moral Values Program
Mutual Assistance Network of Del Paso Heights
Omni Youth Programs
River Oak Center for Children
Sacramento Food Bank
Sacramento Self–Help Housing
Sacramento Housing Alliance
St. Patrick’s Children’s Home
Stanford Settlement
Volunteer Sacramento
WIND Youth Services
American River Parkway Foundation
Breaking Barriers
Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento
The Greenhouse
Lilliput Children’s Services
Mercy Foundation
Mustard Seed School
NeighborWorks
Rebuilding Together
Sacramento Crisis Nursery
Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps
Sacramento Tree Foundation
Salvation Army
St. John’s Shelter Program for Women and Children
Turkeys 4 America
Wellspring Women’s Center
Women’s Empowerment
- The Sacramento Association of Realtors calls the Mack Powell Events Center home, a 5,600 square foot facility conveniently located at 2003 Howe Avenue in Sacramento. Not only are regular meetings and classes held there, but also the center can be rented out for special events, business meetings, or even birthday parties or weddings!
- When visiting SAR at the Mack Powell Events Center, it’s fun to stop by their awesome gift shop, the Realty Supply Center. There, members, Realtors and affiliates can purchase industry supplies like signs and lockboxes, and also shirts, hats, gifts for clients and just about any other real estate related “swag” you can think of. For more information visit https://www.realtysupplycenter.com
- There’s no denying that SAR members have a lot of fun, playing just as hard as they work at mixers, networking events, dinners and happy hours, outdoor festivals, theme nights, and even at regular meetings!
- For a complete SAR calendar of events every month, including educational classes, meetings, and special events, go to https://www.sacrealtor.org/component/jevents/month.calendar
- To contact the Sacramento Association of Realtors, call (916) 922-7711, (916) 283-8812 or go to https://www.sacrealtor.org.
Or you can follow SAR via social media and the web at these links: