Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #98 Margaret Martin

Margaret Martin does a little bit of everything from event
planning to running an adult day care. After having worked in
dentistry, Margaret dove headfirst into association life and
inherited her executive position when her boss passed away. Tune
in to learn how Margaret adapts, writes a “prenup” with incoming
presidents, and talks her members off the “crazy ledge.”


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Time Stamped Show Notes:

01:08 – Margaret is in Dothan, Alabama and has a small board
of 260 realtors, 400 in her MLS

01:30 – Didn’t start out as an association executive, she was
in the dental field, got injured, and started working at the
association office for an interesting woman

02:50 – Her boss passed away in the office, she was always
smoking and made it a difficult working environment, but this is
how Margaret’s career began

03:20 – She is pinned the “black widow” by associates because
of how she inherited her job

04:08 – She’s been there for 14 years and enjoys her job –
she’s an event planner, travel broker, story listener, and is all
over the place

04:45 – She believes in her members and has a great
assistant, Emma

05:07 – The biggest surprise moving from dentistry to
association life

05:30 – You never want to mess with someone’s children or
money, but in dentistry you do both

06:15 – She said she was running an “adult daycare center”
and her 6-year-old repeated it so she had to backtrack

06:41 – Being a realtor has difficult times, a boss may have
never been a manager, you must be able to adapt

07:43 – You go to training and come back feeling refreshed
and with new ideas, but people don’t want change because it’s
hard

08:27 – Kiss babies, shake hands

09:11 – AE and incoming president program at Leadership
Summit that clearly defines the lines and purpose of each branch
of the association

10:11 – She writes up a “prenup” with incoming president to
clarify needs/wants/preferences and establish a relationship

10:35 – The AE must be very adaptable

10:53 – What’s the craziest thing an incoming leader has
done?

11:04 – For the first time, they made a profit off CE and a
committee chair wanted to use extra money to rent a condo for a
committee party

12:00 – She had to talk them off that “crazy ledge”

12:17 – Fundraising: Sometimes members must be reminded that
they are not a civic organization

13:36 – Strategic plan must align with fundraising efforts

14:13 – Benevolent fund for realtors in need

14:55 – Find Margaret Martin on her personal Facebook, the
Dothan Association of Realtors Facebook, or by email at
Margaret@dothanrealtors.com

3 Key Points You must be adaptable – change is hard if you
aren’t open to new ideas. Establish a relationship with leadership
to clarify expectations and management style. Fundraising efforts
and spending must align with the association’s overall strategic
plan. Credits

Audio Production by Chris Mottram

Show Notes provided by Melissa Valder