When it comes to chamber outreach and education, Greater Los Angeles REALTORS® CEO Wyndi Austin, RCE, CAE, says the lesson is this: Don’t just market the brand—demonstrate the value.
Wyndi, you stepped into your role just before January’s deadly wildfires. Any lessons learned in terms of community outreach?
The key lesson: Preparedness matters. Build trust and response systems before disaster strikes so your outreach is swift, empathetic and effective. We had a true team effort across all our departments—which even involved a last-minute pivot in our annual installation, where President Anne Russell along with staff led a group of volunteers in distributing the unused food from the canceled event to local fire departments.
How do you share the key message of what members do for their clients?
We focus on storytelling—highlighting how agents who are REALTORS® protect, advocate and guide. Through campaigns, panels and partnerships, we humanize the profession. Consumers connect with people, not just logos. Honesty is also key—we make it a point to share real insights and actionable information with the public so that they know the right questions to ask and what to expect from an agent when they start the buying or selling process.
We also leverage local community events. Having our members out in the public helps to change perceptions. Los Angeles is more than the luxury listings shown on television. The professionalism of our members is helping people achieve their dreams of homeownership and creating and protecting generational wealth—especially in communities of color.
Can you describe the winning strategy behind a recent policy win?
Here’s one: GLAR helped stop a rushed city policy that would have reduced housing access and worked with the county Board of Supervisors to allow housing providers direct financial assistance for tenants who lost jobs due to the wildfires. We mobilized early, educating elected officials, empowering members, leveraging our advocacy partners and amplifying resident voices.
The lesson? Relationships plus data plus community alignment equals success. Advocacy is most powerful when everyone sees their stake. The key is that we work collaboratively and have honest and open dialogues with our elected officials, even when we are not in full alignment.
Our association partners with organizations that share our goal of increasing housing opportunities in Los Angeles County and works through or around any differences we may have on policy matters so that we can continue the important work on the ground.
How does GLAR educate the public about financial literacy, homeownership and rentals, and even the profession as a career?
Rather than reinvent the wheel, we are partnering with community groups who are already doing the work. We’ve hosted free workshops, pop-ups and youth programs, among other initiatives, alongside our community partners. Meeting people where they are—in language, location and tone— has been most impactful.
What do you think consumers want most from their REALTOR® association?
Transparency, trust and real-world impact. Consumers want to know we’re working for them, not just in real estate, and that our members share in that vision. It’s important that we show up—at city halls, in schools, at housing fairs—with tools, education and advocacy that centers on their experience.