Lakeland Board Of Realtors
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About Us

The Voice of Real Estate in Lakeland, FL for 100 Years!

Lakeland REALTORS® is a professional trade organization chartered by the National Association of REALTORS®. We have been serving our members and community for 100 years and continue to fight for private property rights, low taxes, keeping utility fees to a minimum and affordable housing opportunities in our area.

Mission Statement
Our leadership objectives are to unite those engaged in the recognized branches of the real estate profession for the purpose of exerting a beneficial influence upon the profession and related interests. To promote and maintain high standards of conduct in the real estate profession as expressed in the Code of Ethics of the National Association of REALTORS®.

A History of the Lakeland Association of REALTORS® / dba. Lakeland REALTORS®
The Lakeland Association of REALTORS ® was organized in 1923. The association was organized as the Lakeland Real Estate Board. The Real Estate Board consisted of six charter members: Mr. John F. Cox, President, Mr. William Steitz, Mr. L.R. Abbott, Mr. E.J. Kaufmann, Mr. J. J. Haldeman, Mr. Henry J. Lewis.

The second President of the Lakeland Real Estate Board was Mr. J.J. Haldeman in 1924. He was followed by Mr. William Steitz in 1925, Mr. Henry J. Lewis in 1926, and Mr. F.A. Howard in 1927.

In 1926 the Board reached a membership of 107 REALTOR® members, seven Associate members and three Affiliate Members. Dues at the time were a $50 initiation fee with $100 annual dues per REALTOR®. In 1926 the Lakeland Board also employed an Assistant Secretary, Mr. G.F. Bayliss at an annual salary of $1,800.

In 1928 the membership of the Lakeland Real Estate Board dropped to approximately ten members. From 1929 to 1936, the number of members averaged approximately six to ten. During this period of time, meetings were held approximately once every four to six months. Presidents from this period of time to the present date included:

1923 John F. Cox
1924 J.J Haldeman
1925 William Steitz
1926 Henry Lewis
1927 F.A. Howard
1929 Paul Fisher
1930 Glen Lassiter
1931 J.C. Lay
1932 J. Boyd McLean
1933 A.F. Pickard
1935 H.M. Sanborn
1936 L.R. Abbott
1937 John Wright
1938 Ray Clements
1945 Joe A. Lewis
1946 Levie Smith Sr.
1947 Levie Smith Sr.
1948 Earle Willis
1949 Tom Marler
1950 Tom Marler
1951 Jack Darracott
1952 Tom Marler
1953 William Fusselle
1954 Robert Ridgely
1955 Paul Bellew
1956 Agnes Morrow
1957 William Wheeler
1958 Levie Smith Jr.
1959 Dick Barnes
1960 T.R. Tucker
1961 T.R. Tucker
1962 John Brennan

1963 John Brennan
1964 Galen Hauger
1965 Galen Hauger
1966 Leonard Rabin
1967 Roy Stille
1968 J.C. Byrd
1969 Ed Halloway
1970 A.M Pickard
1971 Joe Maxwell
1972 William Cheek
1973 Cecil Rosenblum
1974 David Bunch
1975 D.K. Harwell, SR
1976 Gene Engle
1977 Joseph Napoletan
1978 William Loftin
1979 Morris Rister
1980 Betty Woodward
1981 Al Wendel
1982 Ann Stein
1983 Bill Sammons
1984 Stan Reed
1985 Henry Tucker
1986 John B. Brennan
1987 Gary Ralston
1988 Gene Engle
1989 Mark Misiaszek
1990 Julie Rogers
1992 Tom Elliott
1993 Ed Collins
1994 Betty Woodward
1995 John Tubb

1996 Ken Honeycutt
1997 Tom McGlamory
1998 Peggy Daley
1999 Raoul Weinstein
2000 Betsy Martin
2001 Joe Lorio
2002 Joyce Tubb
2003 Jay Reardon
2004 Don Pickard
2005 Vera Tungate
2006 Matt Ruthven
2007 Matt Ruthven
2008 Arthur Mattson
2009 Sylvia Miller
2010 Richard Dempsey
2011 Debbie Ward-Terry
2012 Macara Parker
2013 Aaron Chandler
2014 Trevor Puskar
2015 Debbie Miller
2016 Jim Steinbauer
2017 Dawna Stone
2018 Kyle Vreeland
2019 Lisa Ruiz Castanet
2020 Richard Dempsey
2021 Christie McSwain
2022 Shannon Cornell

A charter was issued by the National Association of Real Estate Boards to the Lakeland Board of REALTORS® on May 1, 1941.

In the early to mid-1940s, our Association changed from a group meeting once or twice a year, with few members, to an active organization, meeting on a monthly basis. Attendance at monthly REALTOR® meetings has reached an all-time high in recent years with the inclusion of meals in the annual dues. Since this practice was adopted in the early 1960s, attendance has averaged from 50 to 80 REALTORS® and Associates per meeting. Prior to this, attendance averaged fifteen to twenty per meeting.

The early 1960s also featured the formation of an active Associate Division in our Association. At this time, the Associates began meeting once a month with regular planned programs and educational activities.

In 1989 the Lakeland Board of REALTORS® changed its name to the Lakeland Association of REALTORS®. The Board of Director’s thinking behind the name change was that the public concept of the Lakeland Board of REALTORS® perhaps reflected its Board of Director’s logic, while the name Lakeland Association of REALTORS® clearly includes all participants such as Brokers, Associates, the Board of Directors and all persons related.

The foregoing history has been compiled from miscellaneous records and from the memories and recollections of many of our long-standing members. Any errors or omissions are entirely accidental. REV 6/24/08