Bob Hale has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) since 1988. Through Bob's leadership, HAR has grown to become the largest trade association in Houston and the second largest local REALTOR® association in the country, with more than 24,000 members. Thanks to his vision and drive, HAR.com is a household brand in the greater Houston area and the most frequently visited website for Houston real estate.

Inman News honored Bob with its 2008 Innovator of the Year Award, considered one of the most prestigious and coveted recognitions in the real estate industry. He has also earned recognition from the National Association of REALTORS®'s (NAR) REALTOR® Magazine, as one of the 25 Most Influential People in the American real estate industry in both 2003 and 2006 (the last two times the list has been published). REALTOR® Magazine stated, "Our influencers aren't just those with the latest gizmo or hot idea; they're also thought leaders who are reshaping how the real estate industry functions. Each has a profound impact on the present and future of real estate." According to REALTOR® Magazine, "Hale is widely regarded as a visionary and a leader who puts his members' business needs first."

He was also recognized by Inman News as one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate People in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Inman News stated, "People on the list embody words like leadership, innovation, ingenuity, power and persistence."

As a thought leader for the real estate industry, Bob has been interviewed and quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Houston Chronicle, Houston Business Journal as well as countless real estate trade publications. Reflective of this strong commitment to communicating the REALTOR® story, he was honored by the IABC/Houston with its 2010 Communication Leadership Award. Previous recipients of this prestigious honor have included the CEO of Shell Oil, CEO of Imperial Sugar, President of the United Way of Texas Gulf Coast and others. After receiving the award, REALTOR® magazine also wrote on its blog about Bob's tremendous influence on the real estate industry. You may read that blog entry and watch a video HERE.

In 2010, Bob and HAR hosted leaders from across the country for the Real Estate Information Symposium (REIS), with speakers from Zillow, Google, REALTOR®.com, REALTOR® Property Resource, First American CoreLogic, SoCal MLS, MRIS, as well as industry-leading attorneys, consultants and  National Association of REALTORS® CEO Dale Stinton.

Bob also received the 2011 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Houston CEO Communicator of the Year Award in June 2011.

Read More >>