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HOUSTON — (January 30, 2024) — Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) President and CEO Bob Hale, regarded as a pioneer in the U.S. residential real estate industry, has announced plans to retire in 2026, which will end 52 years of service to HAR, 37 of them at the helm. 

 

Hale is credited with making HAR, with its more than 51,000 members, one of the most innovative real estate associations in the country and a household brand throughout Greater Houston. He spearheaded the 1997 launch of HAR.com, which draws an estimated 6 million visitors each month and keeps Houston as the only major city in the country where a national portal is not the most visited real estate site. 

 

In 1973, the HAR board of directors hired Hale as legal counsel, and in 1988, he was tapped as president and CEO – the position he continues to hold today. Along the way, Hale has received countless real estate and communication industry honors. This month, he was 29th on the prestigious 2024 Swanepoel Power 200 (SP 200), which ranks the most powerful and influential executives in the residential real estate brokerage industry. In 2003 and 2006, Hale was named by the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) REALTOR® magazine “25 Most Influential People in the American Real Estate Industry.” In 2008, Inman News named him “Innovator of the Year.” Since 2005, Hale has been designated by Inman News as being among the “100 Most Influential Real Estate People.” In 2010, Hale won the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)-Houston Communication Leadership Award and in 2011, he was honored by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)-Houston as CEO Communicator of the Year. 

 

Hale has been lauded as the driving force behind the use of multiple marketing communications platforms, including an online advertising campaign promoting the value of a Realtor, HAR’s use of social media, its HAR-TV video production service that has produced thousands of programs posted on YouTube, and the HAR.com Consumer Research Panel – comprised of more than 11,000 home buyers, sellers, owners and renters who regularly share their experiences and opinions about the real estate industry. He also took HAR.com statewide by entering into partnerships with the largest franchises in the country and with other Texas MLSs.

 

Hale successfully pushed for the establishment of the Client Experience Rating, which is a five-star agent rating system that enables consumers to evaluate a Realtor’s performance after each transaction. He also spearheaded the creation of the HAR Young Professionals Network (YPN), which fosters professional development among Houston-area Realtors aged 40 and younger—or young at heart. During the pandemic, Hale converted HAR into a hybrid workforce that delivered virtual member services, training and technology tools. In early 2021, he guided the in-house development and launch of ShowingSmartTM, a property showing service with a staffed call center for HAR MLS subscribers—at no additional cost.

 

Following Hale’s announcement, the HAR board of directors unanimously approved current HAR Executive Vice President René Galvan to succeed Hale as HAR president and CEO in 2026. Galvan has served as a critical member of HAR’s management team since 1996 when he was hired as Director of Business Development. In 1999, Galvan was recruited away as CEO of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale, but he returned to HAR as EVP two years later and has held that post ever since.

 

Asked about his accomplishments during his tenure at HAR, Galvan said, “I am most proud of building a team of incredible professionals, keeping focused on our mission of helping members achieve success, and working closely with staff and leadership to improve service to members while keeping a watchful eye on expenses resulting in no dues increase during the past 21 years.”

 

“This journey has been one that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” said Hale. “I could not think of anyone more qualified and driven than René Galvan to lead HAR through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the real estate industry.”

 

“This is a historic moment for HAR, and I am humbled to be serving in the company of a pioneering and respected leader and his successor, who has proven he has everything it takes and more to lead our organization into the future,” said HAR Chair Thomas Mouton. 

 

Galvan graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Accounting and earned the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation. His first job was as an operations auditor for Kraft USA. He then joined Whole Foods at its corporate office before beginning his career in association management at the Texas Society of Association Executives. “I have always focused on improving/innovating operations with technology and strategy,” Galvan said.

 

In addition to his HAR duties, Galvan currently serves on the Finance Committee at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Public Policy Taxation Committee at Texas Realtors (TR). He is a member of the Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee (TREPAC) 50K Hall of Fame and, in January 2024, was named on the prestigious Swanepoel 200 Watchlist. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

 

The official date for the leadership transition is January 31, 2026.

HAR Executive Vice President René Galvan (left) wins unanimous board support to succeed longtime HAR President & CEO Bob Hale (right) in 2026.

 

 

Founded in 1918, the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) is a 51,000-member organization of real estate professionals engaged in every aspect of the industry, including residential and commercial sales and leasing, appraisal, property management and counseling. It is the largest individual dues-paying membership trade association in Houston as well as the second largest local association/board of REALTORS® in the United States.