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Although his grandmother and father were REALTOR® volunteer leaders, Justin Landon, RCE, AHWD, CEO of Bluegrass REALTORS®, says a career in real estate was never part of his plan. But after 10 years working on the Hill, joining a REALTOR® association gave him the opportunity to make a more local impact. “It felt like coming home,” he says. Here, Landon talks about what still inspires him, his team and his members every day.
Q: What do you love most about being an association executive?
Real estate has put food on my family’s table for three generations. It is one of the truest meritocracies left in the world, and I’m proud to be a small part of ensuring the profession continues to be there for generations yet to come.
Q: How do you help create that same passion in your staff?
Association staff function best when everyone believes in what they’re doing. I spend a lot of time with my team on our members’ businesses and the industry we support. I want them to understand the profession—how our members help people reach the American dream and how they make a living.
Q: How are you helping your REALTOR® members contend with real estate market challenges?
Mostly with data. We spend a lot of time and resources helping our members understand the marketplace. Like the National Association of REALTORS®, we’ve made wellness a strategic focus for 2024, with programming around both financial and mental health. Limited inventory and buyers frustrated with rising interest rates have put tremendous pressure on our members, and we want to help anywhere we can.
Q: You were named an AE Leader of Tomorrow Young Professionals Award recipient in 2021. What’s your vision of what it takes to be a successful REALTOR® AE?
The most successful AEs have transitioned from being managers to being leaders. That’s not easy, because as an AE, you’re often leading from the back and expected to be ready to lead from the front if needed. We serve a lot of different personalities and business types. Acknowledge those differences, be vulnerable about the challenges and—like in fifth grade math class—always show your work.
Q: You’ve said you are an avid—but bad— golfer, love basketball and are always reading. We want to know more.
My best round was an 89—par for my 21 handicap! PGA, here I come … unless my Los Angeles Lakers sign me to a 10- day contract. I’m keeping my options open. In the meantime, I’m reading She Who Became the Sun, a novel set in 14th-century China, by Shelley Parker-Chan.
