Dear Fellow REALTORS®,

I think I can say with certainty that this year was not what any of us had in mind. When I was installed as President last year, my vision for AAR in 2020 did not include a worldwide pandemic, the economy shutting down, working from home for weeks on end, and masks becoming an everyday wardrobe essential. If I could go back in time and offer 2019 me a piece of advice? Invest in hand sanitizer. 

However, I think it’s important to note the silver linings, the good that came from the bad. For me personally, I was forced to slow down and focus on my family. We took a family trip in an RV, something we had always wanted to do, but could never “find the time.” The quarantine allowed us to grow closer and spend quality time together, something I will always cherish. Between homeschooling, fielding business calls in an RV, and closing transactions via Zoom, the quarantine ingrained in me a new appreciation for things I previously took for granted (like teachers!). 

As REALTORS®, we found new, innovative ways to conduct business. From virtual showings to remote notarization, the real estate industry has become more efficient and productive. We were forced to adopt new technology, and we took it in stride so we could continue to service our clients - especially considering the historic low mortgage rates that have led to a housing boom no one expected, but our businesses are loving. In the wake of it all, we got creative in order to keep our businesses afloat and our clients happy, and it paid off.

A lot of that is in thanks to our Association - from the national, state, and local levels. Each tier was instrumental in the continued operations of our business during the shutdown, advocating on your behalf and providing answers to complex and evolving state and federal orders during a time when everything was unknown and each day brought a new challenge. The value of being a member of an organization that is capable of providing such critical guidance and protection should not go unrecognized. 

Thank you to our front-line workers who continue to risk their lives in the battle against COVID-19 day in and day out. Thank you to our Association for your deep commitment to advocate, protect, and enhance REALTOR® interests and the real estate industry in Alabama – even in the face of a global pandemic. And, thank you to my fellow REALTORS® for your faith in me to lead this great Association. I now hand the reigns over to your 2021 President Slade McElroy. Slade, best of luck, brother. May your year have one less pandemic and much more toilet paper!

To wrap up, no this year was not at all what we expected. But I have never been more proud of us. We made it through and we are stronger because of it. That is, after all, how Iron Sharpens Iron. 

Morgan Ashurst, 2020 President