Lansing Board of REALTORS

The organization was incorporated in 1917 under the name of the Lansing Real Estate Board. Four years later, the name was changed to the Lansing REALTORS® Association. To broaden the scope of the organization, in 1933, the Members adopted the name of the Lansing Real Estate and Property Owners Association. It was not until November of 1941 that the present organizational setup became effective. A new constitution and set of bylaws were passed, and the name of the Lansing Board of REALTORS® was adopted. The name then remained the same until 1974 when it was changed to the Greater Lansing Board of REALTORS® to more accurately reflect the increase in the Board's jurisdictional area. The current name, the Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS®, was chosen in 1995 to highlight the fact that we are a membership association as opposed to a licensing board. The Association's first attempt at a Multiple Listing Service in 1921 lasted but a year. The natural persistence of REALTORS® resulted in the successful reintroduction of the MLS in 1938, and it has been flourishing in Lansing ever since.

In its first years of operation, the Association occupied donated office space. A fire in 1920 destroyed all previous records and the building, forcing the Association to move to a new location. It was not until 1942 that the Association purchased its first permanent headquarters at 326 Townsend. Just four years later, the Association sold that building and moved next door to the old Jacob Stahl house at 332 Townsend, designed by Darius Moon, a famous local architect. The Association spent $30,000 updating the structure, and in 1974, the interior was remodeled and landscaping rejuvenated. In 1979, the Association purchased a 15,000 square foot former elementary school at 3350 North Grand River Avenue. The building was extensively renovated and subsequently occupied on Christmas Eve in 1980. The building, with on-site parking for 200 cars, contained a Library and two committee meeting rooms, a large auditorium (which could seat up to 300 people) and office space for the Staff. In 1985, the building was renovated again with some additions to increase the total square footage to 17,611. In 1994, the eighth Member of the Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® served as President of the Michigan Association of REALTORS® when Dennis Goff, CRB, took the helm. In 2002, David Ledebuhr served as MAR’s President; and with Gil White serving as 2004 MAR President, our total number is now ten! Those who served in the past were: Bert Baker, 1924; Edward G. Hacker, 1929; Albert L. Ehinger, 1932; Clifford W. McKibbin, 1933; Maurice B. Allen, 1952; Harold M. Davis, 1963; and Roland J. Ledebuhr, 1976. Edward G. Hacker also served as Vice President of the National Association of REALTORS® in 1957.

The Lansing Association of REALTORS® received the Gold Star Banner Award from the National Association of Real Estate Boards for having increased their membership growth in excess of 10% during each of the following years: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1968, 1969, and 1970. In 1983, the Association took first place for Private Property Week from the National Association of REALTORS®. Also in 1983, the Michigan Association of REALTORS® awarded the Association with first place in large Association category for Private Property Week. In 1991, the Association received a first place award from the Michigan Association of REALTORS® for their Public Relations Committee scrapbook, which highlighted the Association's community service projects. In 1992, the Association received a National first-place award in the large Board category of the 1992 REALTOR® Association Publication Contest held by the National Association of REALTORS® for their monthly publication, Real Estate REVIEW. In 1997, David S. Ledebuhr, CCIM, CRS, GRI was honored as the GLAR REALTOR® of the Year. Following a State-level competition, Ledebuhr was awarded the Michigan Association of REALTORS® REALTOR®-of-the-Year honor as was Dennis Goff!

In 1988, one of our Members, Roland Ledebuhr, received the National Association of REALTORS® most prestigious award, the Distinguished Service Award, an honor awarded to two of 1,300,000 REALTORS® each year, who have served with great distinction for years at local, state, and national levels.

The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® often leads the industry by instituting new programs, which keep REALTOR® Members on the cutting edge of their profession. In 1983, the Association was the first in the country to purchase computer systems and make access to computerized MLS information available in every Office. In 1991, an electronic Key Box system was introduced providing added security to the homes of Sellers throughout the greater Lansing area. In 1993, the Greater Lansing Real Estate Weekly, the official advertising publication of the Association became available at distribution points around the area. The MLS Software was upgraded in 1994 to include color photos of homes online. Some Agents can now show Buyers properties in their homes by pulling up multiple color views of some available homes with the use of laptop computers. The Association put the current listing information -- including photos, on the Internet in 1994. World Wide Web users are able to search for homes of interest to them and contact the Listing Agent by E-mail or phone for more information. The Association's URL is http://www.lansing-realestate.com.

The Association also created, in 1990, a means by which Sellers and Buyers can mediate disputes over real estate transactions. The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® and is the only local Association in Michigan, which handles these types of disputes at economically feasible rates through mediation. Local community involvement has also been a concern of the Association over the years. This involvement ranges from a parking study done for the City of Lansing at great cost more than 20 years ago to some of the more recent activities in the area, such as the defeat of rent control (more than once) in East Lansing and the endorsement of local political candidates. The Association has contributed regularly to the Council Against Domestic Assault (now Eve's House), is an Institutional Member of the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition, and has many Members who participate in Habitat for Humanity. The Association built a Habitat House in 2001. The Association Staff established a "Dress Down for Charity" program in 1995, which allows them to "dress down" on Fridays with a $2 donation to a charity. A new charity is chosen by one Staff Member each month. This program raises over $1,200-$1,500 annually for various charities. The Association has also been heavily involved in the development of several books promoting the Greater Lansing area and sponsored a video to showcase Lansing Schools and neighborhoods.

The Association is a member of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and has been very active in the Capital Choice program since its inception.

The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® is also an acknowledged leader in the field of Equal Housing Opportunity. In the early 1960s when virtually no Association in the country had formulated a policy of nondiscrimination, the Lansing Association of REALTORS® created a statement of policy forbidding members from discriminating on the basis of race or creed in the housing market. The position statement was subsequently adopted by the Michigan Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®. This policy statement ultimately became the basis for the Voluntary Affirmative Marketing Agreement with HUD. In 1984, the Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® was the first Board in Michigan to complete Equal Opportunity Training for 100% of its membership.

The Association became the International Partner of the Netherlands in 1998 and has been building this international relationship ever since. In 2001, the Association instituted a mandatory course completion of the NAR Code of Ethics training course for each REALTOR® Member. Many Members of the Association have achieved a professional designation. These designations represent the commitment made by these Members to continually educate themselves in the most current issues of specialty real estate issues.

Out of 1,800 Members, 220 Members hold one or more of these designations. The Association regularly holds professional development classes.

The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® is proud of its 100-year history.