WAV Group has been engaged to lead the recruitment process for four CEO roles currently open in the industry. In the process, we learned about an executive that was fired because of a social media thing. The firing seemed petty and uncalled for, but the issue stuck with me. I had to rationalize the event, and doing so required me to rethink a few things.
Here is what I learned, and thanks to my friend for helping me understand.
Serving as an executive, employee, or volunteer leader in a REALTOR Association or an MLS comes with responsibilities that reach beyond meetings, committees, and governance documents. The minute you accept the role, you accept a higher standard. Members, consumers, and community partners see you as an extension of the organization, and that means your public behavior becomes part of the institution’s credibility. In real estate, our organizations are explicitly bipartisan.
That includes social media!
Political expression is a personal right, but leadership inside REALTOR organizations demands neutrality in public forums. The industry relies on cooperation among people with widely different views. The REALTOR Association and MLS exist so competitors can work together. These organizations thrive when members trust that their leaders represent the entire membership, not a political slice of it. When a leader appears partisan online, that trust erodes.
Political posts can also be misunderstood or taken out of context. A casual comment can look like an endorsement. A joke can look like a policy stance. A shared link can look like organizational alignment. Once that impression is created, it is almost impossible to undo. Members start to question whether leadership decisions are being influenced by personal politics. Stakeholders wonder whether the association or MLS is favoring one side or another. Staff and volunteers feel pressure to respond. The organization is pulled into debates it never intended to join.
Being bipartisan does not mean being silent. It means being mindful of your role. When you speak in public, you speak with the weight of your office. That requires discipline, restraint, and a commitment to protecting the reputation of the organization you serve.
The goal is simple: keep the institution focused on professionalism, cooperation, and service to the market.
Model the behavior that helps members trust each other. Create space for every viewpoint without signaling alignment with any single one. Your neutrality is not about avoiding politics. It is about protecting the integrity of the office you hold.
Two industry executives I know have retired in the past five years. One of them is very Republican, the other is very much a Democrat. They were close industry friends when they held their posts. Now they bitterly collide on Facebook. Despite working closely with the two of them for years, politics never came up and I never knew their positions. They exemplify the understanding that I hope this article will convey.
If you are looking for a CEO job, please reach out to Marilyn Wilson to see if there is a fit.
