Virginia REALTORS celebrates 100-Year Anniversary

Virginia REALTORS® is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this month. One of the largest trade associations in the Commonwealth, Virginia REALTORS® currently represents 35,000 members engaged in the residential and commercial real estate business. Virginia REALTORS® is comprised of 28 local REALTOR® associations, representing all regions of the Commonwealth.

Founded at a meeting in Richmond on October 22, 1920, Virginia REALTORS®—then the Virginia Real Estate Association—was established to standardize the real estate business, cultivate and enforce fair dealing, and encourage the business of owning, buying, selling, renting, and managing real estate in the Commonwealth. At that initial meeting, Paul T. Collins of Norfolk was elected to be the first President.

Over the past century, Virginia REALTORS® has provided industry advocacy, training, and professional resources to real estate agents, brokers, and property managers. The association aims to protect the private property rights of Virginians, advocating for the rights of real estate professionals as well as homebuyers, sellers, and renters. An ardent advocate of Fair Housing legislation, Virginia REALTORS® strives to create housing opportunities for all Virginians.

“Over the past one-hundred years, the REALTORS® of Virginia have become one of the greatest contributors to the state economy while also striving to help ensure that the American dream of homeownership and housing opportunities are available to all Virginians,” says Virginia REALTORS® 2020 President Kemper Funkhouser of Harrisonburg. “The fact that wars, depressions, recessions, and now even a global pandemic have not stopped the progress of our association is a testament to the strong foundation we have established.”

Three Past Presidents of Virginia REALTORS® have gone on to serve as President of the National Association of REALTORS®, including Dorcas Helfant-Browning who, in 1992, became the national association’s first female President.

For the health and safety of its members and staff, Virginia REALTORS® has postponed its centennial convention until the fall of 2021, when the membership will gather in Richmond, the site of the association’s founding.

About Virginia REALTORS®

For more information, visit www.virginiarealtors.org or follow Virginia REALTORS® on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

NOTE: The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.