About Our Organization



Mission Statement:

We are a network of successful REALTORS® empowering women to exercise their potential as entrepreneurs and industry leaders. 


About the Ocala Chapter:

We´re an organization of Real Estate professionals. Our chapter formed June 13, 1994 with 35 charter members. Our Business Resource Meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month. At each meeting we have an educational program and a buffet lunch. Cost is $13. A sampling of our programs are Negotiating Strategies and Practice, Networking and Referrals, Organizational Performance Management, Personal Performance Management, and Cultural Differences in Buying and Selling.

We have Chapter Memberships Drives throughout the year and they are open to all Realtors and Affiliates looking to join our Chapter or wanting to find out more about what we do. This is a social function with  food, and libations. In November we have a luncheon usually in a members home where everyone brings a dish and a Chinese Auction item, a portion of the proceeds from this go to a charity. Realtors and Affiliates are encouraged to attend one of our luncheon meetings to see what we are about and have to offer. You are welcome to come to two meetings before joining.

If you would like more information or are interested in joining our Chapter please feel free to contact our Membership Chairman. If you would like to join click here for an application.












A History of the Women´s Council of Realtors®

In 1924, the California Real Estate Association formed a women´s division after members founded the idea on a train ride home from the National Association´s Convention in Washington, D.C. Little did they know their activities would lead the way to the formation of the Women´s Council of REALTORS®.

Fourteen years later, Joseph Catherine, 1938 president of the National Association of REALTORS®, (then called the National Association of Real Estate Boards) encouraged the formation of the Women´s Council of REALTORS® after being impressed by the California group and the immense potential of women in real estate.

At the time, NAR was already 30 years old and most decisions were still made at the local board levels. Unfortunately, most local boards were still resistant to women. However, the National Association was ready to recognize women in real estate and a positive vote resulted in the formation of a women´s division at the Annual Convention held in Milwaukee in November of 1938. Thirty-seven ambitious women represented nine states at the meeting and WCR´s inception.

Through the decades, Women's Council of REALTORS® membership growth has reflected the vast number of women choosing a career in real estate. Women began to recognize the immense benefits of careers in real estate combined with a WCR membership, including

  • Salaries equitable to men´s, since "commission is commission."
  • Flexible work schedules allowing REALTORS® the ability to raise a family and have a career instead of choosing one or the other.
  • A support system of women in the same field, garnering many friendships, networking capabilities and referrals.
  • Gaining confidence through association with other professional women REALTORS®
  • Recognition for their own achievements and success as well as inspiration and courage to strive for greater success. As more and more women have entered the field of real estate, the Women's Council of REALTORS® has continued to expand its mission, products and services to meet the needs of its' members.

In 1984, Women's Council of REALTORS® established the Leadership Training Graduate (LTG) designation. Courses covering communication, personal and professional power, group dynamics, meeting management, leadership, high performance and public speaking are part of the program, which fosters leadership and professionalism in career and personal life.

In 1989, Women's Council of REALTORS® recognized the potential of establishing a referral and relocation program. Today Women's Council of REALTORS® Referral and Relocation Certification (RRC) is the only REALTOR® referral and relocation certification program offered. The popular certification is achieved through successful completion of two - one-day courses on the practical skills necessary to develop a lucrative relocation business. In 1994, the Governing Board approved incorporating the RRC courses into the LTG program.

WCR publishes Connections and the Referral Roster. Connections is particularly unique, in that it offers articles on business and personal growth topics specifically targeted to real estate professionals, especially women. The Referral Roster is a critical resource for WCR members, which lists the entire membership and provides links for referrals.WCR has one of the most successful communication networks in the NAR family. Chapters include men and women who support the objectives of Women's Council of REALTORS® and who are interested in serving the industry, the community and fellow REALTORS®.

On local, state, regional and national levels, REALTOR®, REALTOR®-Associates and Affiliates across the United States have a network encouraging greater cooperation in day-to-day activities, programs for personal and career growth, as well as opportunities for increased productivity, financial security and leadership development. A progressive group, Women's Council of REALTORS® moves into 2002 just as committed to advancing both men and women in the field of real estate as it was in 1938.

Women´s Council Today
Today Women's Council is a nationwide community of 16,000 real estate professionals who include many of the best and brightest in the business. The backbone of WCR is its network of more than 300 local and state chapters with volunteer managers trained to position their groups as a business resource in their REALTOR® communities.

In 1998, WCR created an annual Leadership Academy for incoming local chapter presidents (adding state presidents-elect in 2006). With its in-depth chapter management training, the Academy was recognized with the prestigious Leadership Development Trophy in Chapter Relations from the American Society of Association Executives in its first year. With regular networking and educational programs delivered at the local chapter level, which are designed to keep members on top of an evolving market, it´s small wonder that WCR members collectively generate more than $100 million in commissions annually.

At WCR we are never standing still. That´s why in 2003 we launched an entirely new REALTOR® designation, the Performance Management Network. The first course in the new curriculum, Effective Negotiating for Real Estate Professionals, premiered with a record-breaking 330 students-the most highly attended initial offering of any WCR course to date. The designation program combines WCR´s thriving referral network with new courses that address the hot topics that are shaping real estate, like effective negotiating, conflict and change management, networking to generate referrals and more.

Today, WCR is the twelfth largest U.S. women's professional organization and has one of the most successful communication networks in the NAR family. Chapters include real estate professionals who support the objectives of WCR and are interested in serving the industry, the community and fellow REALTORS®.


Florida State Chapter History

 

The Florida Chapter of the Women´s Council of Realtors® was chartered in 1955, according to the National Association of Realtors® and National WCR. However, Kitty Collins, Executive Vice President of National WCR, has found an old roster which listed Pauline Eden as Chairman of Florida in 1948. And Anne Augello found the original charter of the Hollywood Chapter, dated December 8, 1953.

 

Ida Baum, of Hollywood, and Norma Tobin, of Miami Beach, traveled to all of the boards in the state trying to interest the men in a women´s council. Women were not active in the boards and they would first have to get the men interested before they could get permission to talk to the women. Ida was the first president of the Florida Chapter in 1955, and the Greater Miami Council was the original council.

 

Criteria for the membership was as follows:

 

A Women´s Council member must first be a member of a board of Realtors® or, if a saleswoman, must be employed by a member of a board of Realtors®.

 

All members of a local council must be members of State and credited with dues paid to State.

All Realtor® members must also be members of National. This is not mandatory for associates, but they may also join if desirous of receiving the benefits of National.

 

Members-at-Large: Women Realtors® who wish to belong to Women´s Council but are not within jurisdiction of a chapter. Membership may be acquired in State and National only under this condition and they must have membership in both.

 

DUES:  National - $10 per member

             State - $1.00 per member

             Local ? Set individually on a local basis

            (It was voted at the State meeting in Orlando, January 10, 1959 to raise the State

            Dues to $1.50 per member.

 

"WHAT WOMEN REALTORS ARE DOING" WAS PUBLISHED BY Women´s Council of the National Association of Real Estate Boards, and was the forerunner of the Communiqué Magazine then the Connections Magazine and now our online eConnect Newsletter as we know it today. In May, 1958, it mentions Florida chapters in Palm Beach County, Miami Beach, Greater Miami, Hollywood, Hialeah-Miami Springs, Boynton Beach, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Tampa, Fort Myers and Sarasota had their first meetings early in 1958.

 

In a letter written July 22, 1958 by Josephine Ferris, 1958 president of the Florida Chapter, she writes, "I find it pays to help in board activities and accept whatever job is detailed to do and stay completely feminine. Proof is in the number of Councils we now have in the State ? we have 11, with Jacksonville organized but not yet installed and four more in sight. The very best object in joining is friendship. I feel it a rare opportunity to make friends of women throughout the state who are practicing my own profession."

 

According to Norma Tobin, the 1957 president of the Florida Chapter of WCR, and who is still a member of the Miami-Dade North Chapter, they tried to take in at least one male member each year and Jack Justice from Miami Beach was the first male member. Jack was president of FAR in 1956 and of NAREB in 1966. He installed Betty Jane Boone as National president of WCR in 1966.

 

At the State meetings, Women´s Council members had breakfasts in restaurants and cafeterias near the FAR headquarters hotel, where they could find rooms large enough to accommodate the members. All business was conducted at this meeting, and then they had  round-table discussions covering such topics as "How to Close a Sale," "Procedure in Securing a Listing," "Don´t Argue ? Agree," "Qualifying a Prospect," and "Advertising." The members wanted to learn something that would help them professionally. Kay Mitchell, 1962 State president, credits Jim Buck, Cathy Whatley´s father and 1962 president of FAR, with arranging for WCR to have featured luncheons and places to have scheduled meetings.

 

A report from Women´s Council of NAREB in 1960 on local chapter projects showed the Daytona Beach Chapter sponsored a combined four-board meeting with Daytona Beach, Deland, New Smyrna Beach and Ormond Beach ? the first time such an event had ever been held with members from all four boards in attendance. The Fort Lauderdale Chapter acted as hostesses for the monthly meetings of their board and were in charge of the decorations for the board´s annual banquet. The Jacksonville Chapter members served on board committees and assisted in sponsoring Educational Caravans and other projects of the board. The Sarasota Chapter held an educational meeting for the entire board which was the highlight of the year showing films entitled, "Florida, Land of Action," "House Hunters," and a local banking film. Membership as of December 31, 1960 showed Florida had a186 members.

 

A memo from Kay McDermott, 1961 president of FAR Women´s Council, dated March 14, 1961, to all Chapter presidents and district vice presidents, showed 15 Florida Councils and nine district vice presidents. Betty Jan Boone was WCR regional vice president, NAREB; and Ida Baum and Carolyn Franklin were WCR governors NAREB. She gave the schedule to the Educational Round Table on Friday, April 7, 1961, immediately followed by the Governing Board Meeting in her room at the Robert Meyer Hotel in Jacksonville, and the business luncheon for the Women´s Council at noon on Saturday, April 8, at which time each president had to be prepared to give a two-minute verbal report of the activities of their respective councils.

 

A report from the 1967 Membership Committee, Women´s Council of NAREB, gave the slogan "Let´s Add On a Hundred Times Eleven by the End of ?67" and gave Florida´s membership as of October 16, 1966 at 429 members with a quota of 86 members to be gained in 1967.

These are our roots ? we are deeply indebted to the leadership of yesteryear. What will tomorrow bring? The answer lies in how we use today!