Richard (Dick) Gaylord, of Long Beach, California, served as president of the National Association of REALTORS® during the Association’s centennial year, 2008.
Gaylord’s theme for 2008, We’re In This All Together, set the course for the Association and its members during a period of dramatic economic uncertainty. With teamwork as the driving force during Gaylord’s presidency, notable accomplishments that year included innovative achievements such as the launch of the first of a series of Second Century Initiatives, the Surround Sound Campaign for public awareness, REALTOR® TV, the Green Designation, the CommercialSource.com online tradeshow, the Commercial Services Accreditation Program, Real Estate Transaction Standards (RETS), and the Employer-Assisted Housing Conference; advocacy efforts such as support of the FHA Secure program and the HOPE for Homeowners program, the first-time homebuyer tax credit, and higher FHA loan limits; and, lastly, the celebratory milestone of the Association’s 100th anniversary. One accomplishment, several years in the making with perhaps the greatest impact of all, was the Department of Justice settlement of the Internet listing display policy. The DOJ settlement to this day preserves the multiple listing service as a means for broker-to-broker cooperation.
Service to the REALTOR® organization has been the cornerstone of Dick Gaylord’s career. He has served on NAR’s Executive Committee since 2001, and on the NAR Board of Directors since 1995. Prior to serving as president of the National Association of REALTORS®, Gaylord acted as regional vice president for Region XIII serving California, Hawaii and Guam in 2003. He has served on and chaired various other committees at the national level over the past several decades as well.
At the state and local levels, Gaylord has been – and continues to be – extremely active. He served as president of the California Association of REALTORS® and was named state REALTOR® of the Year in 2000. Gaylord also served as president of the Long Beach District Board of REALTORS® in 1987 and 1992, and was named REALTOR® of the Year by local peers in 1986. He has served on committees at all levels of the REALTOR® organization, and is an RPAC Life Member and member of the RPAC Hall of Fame.
Dick Gaylord’s commitment to service extends to his community as well. He is a member and past chairman of the Personnel Commission at Long Beach City College. He has served as a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Mary Medical Center. A teacher at heart, Gaylord has served as an instructor of real estate at California State University and is a published real estate author.
Dick Gaylord earned his business degree from the College of Steubenville (now Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH) in the 1960s, and in 1970 he relocated west and taught real estate college courses in Nevada. In 1972 he had an opportunity to visit southern California and made Long Beach his home shortly thereafter. Gaylord continues to live and work in Long Beach, California, to this day.
Learn more about Dick Gaylord:
Dick Gaylord: The Year You'll Get Involved (REALTOR® Magazine, Jan. 2008)
We're in This 'All Together' (REALTOR® Magazine, Jan. 2008)
Oh, What a Year We've Had! (REALTOR® Magazine, Nov. 2008)