Share
SAN FRANCISCO (November 11, 2019) – Kit Hale, a Realtor® from Roanoke, Virginia, received the National Association of Realtors®’ 2019 Distinguished Service Award. The honor is presented yearly to no more than two of NAR's 1.4 million members. Winners were recognized at the REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Francisco.
NAR established the award in 1979 to honor Realtors® who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and who serve as leaders in their local communities. It is considered the highest honor an NAR member can receive; recipients must be active at the local, state and national association levels, but must not have served as NAR president.
“Kit’s long-time service to the association at every level and dedication to his fellow Virginians make him truly deserving of this award,” said NAR President John Smaby, a second-generation Realtor® from Edina, Minnesota. “The impact that Kit has made on his community and the real estate industry cannot be overstated. I am honored to recognize his efforts with this award.”
Hale has been a Realtor® for 28 years and is currently the Principal Broker and Managing Partner of MKB, REALTORS®, a 195 associate, locally owned independent real estate firm.
“Receiving the Distinguished Service Award is a tremendous honor and I’m humbled to be selected,” Hale said. “I’m grateful for the opportunities to serve and have benefited from the knowledge gained and relationships formed. We’re fortunate to work in an industry that provides robust opportunities to be involved in our community and organization in such meaningful ways. None of this would be possible without the sincere and quality mentorship of many respected Realtor® members.”
Kit has chaired several committees and served on multiple Presidential Advisory Groups, one of which he chaired in 2016 to focus on election guidelines for national leadership. In 2008, Kit was appointed by NAR’s president to serve as a Liaison to the Housing and Diversity committees and, in 2015, he oversaw NAR’s RPAC and President’s Circle fundraising as Realtor® Party Fundraising Liaison. A long-time member of NAR’s Board of Directors, Kit served as 2011 Region 3 Vice President, which includes Delaware, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. He currently serves on NAR’s Executive Committee.
In 2009, Kit was appointed by Virginia’s governor to serve on the Virginia Housing Development Authority’s Board of Commissioners and served two terms as Chairman of the Board. His term ended in June of 2019 after spending 11 years as a VHDA Commissioner. Additionally, he is the longtime chair of Housing Virginia, a statewide organization that believes all Virginians should have access to quality, affordable housing.
Kit is active in his local community, currently serving on Roanoke City’s Planning Commission, and served for 10 years on the Roanoke City Board of Zoning Appeals. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Renovation
Alliance (formerly Rebuilding Together, Roanoke) and the Board of Directors for the Council of Community Services, a local nonprofit that primarily focuses on planning for health and human services while linking people with community resources.
The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
# # #