Carolyn Sims with OKCMAR

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

STORY BY DAVE DANIELSON | PHOTOS BY NESTED TOURS

Strength in Numbers and Shared Purpose

Some of the most constructive and important elements in the industry were created out of necessity and they continue out of value.

That’s definitely the case with the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® (OKCMAR).

That dedication to making a difference is personified by the group’s membership, including President Carolyn Sims. 

During her leadership of the group, Carolyn follows a platform she calls DICEY, which stands for Diversity, Inclusion, Collaboration, Empowerment and You (for members and the public). 

Substantial Results

The group’s outreach efforts have been substantial, involving five different sub-organizations with the National Association of REALTORS®, including NAHREP, NAREB, ARIA, the Alliance for LGBTQ+ and YPN.

“Many of these organizations represent underserved communities,” Carolyn points out. “We have helped those groups with funding and we are getting ready to do some leadership training to help them to be self-sustaining within the organization.”

The group advocates for property rights as part of more than 30 municipalities in its jurisdiction.  

“We have collaborated well with the OKC government. We have had two REALTOR® days at City Hall where we attend a city council meeting and have a session afterwards to meet with city staff to better understand issues such as zoning,” Carolyn says. 

“We were the second-largest contributor to the Oklahoma City school bond issue, as our buyers are interested in school districts. We currently have place-making grants to work on a community garden in the Ten Penn area. Our goal is to be a resource to partner with these various municipalities. We are collaborating with other REALTOR® boards around us. We have started a homeless initiative and we were highlighted at the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) for our efforts and we’re working with the city, mental health and several other organizations.”

Empowerment

The level of empowerment in the group is impressive. The group hired a new CEO in 2022 who Carolyn credits with reorganizing the organization.

“We have more participation in our committees than we have had for many years. Our homeless task force has over 40 members,” Carolyn says. 

“We are also encouraging our members to be involved with the state and national associations, as well as our community. It meant a lot to see that our efforts were highlighted at the NAR meeting this year, too.” 

Tangible Impact

Today the OKCMAR membership stands at a remarkable total of nearly 5,000. The strength of the organization lies in many areas. In addition to the outreach that comes as a natural extension of that membership size, the organization has a tangible impact in the community. 

“I’m a policy nerd. The fact that we can influence decisions having to do with property rights and how we will be developing for the future is something I am very proud of,” Carolyn points out.

“We participated in the conversations about zoning, because we will need more housing for workers. Part of our homeless problem is that we need more affordable housing. The fact that we can sit down with our officials and help them figure out the course for the future and talk with them about smart growth is vital. We can’t just keep building large houses, because people can’t afford them. If we are going to attract new business to the state, we have to have places for the workers to live.”

There is definitely room for you and your efforts as part of the OKCMAR team.

“Volunteerism is key. Our REALTOR® members tend to volunteer a lot of hours. I like the fact that we are part of volunteering for various organizations. We have been able to give financial support to various non-profits,” she says. 

“REALTORS® are out in the community every day seeing the issues and hearing about those from the public. We are the boots on the ground. So, I encourage others to come collaborate with us. Together, we’re doing things that will affect the next generation.”

Contact Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of REALTORS (OKCMAR) Today!

Phone: 405-840-1493

Email: TellthePresident@OKCMAR.org