The Spokane Association of Realtors has launched a national search for the eventual successor to its executive officer, Rob Higgins, who plans to retire.

“Rob has been a fixture of this community for the better part of four decades,” says Darin Watkins, government affairs director of Spokane Association of Realtors. “It won’t be an easy role to fill.”

The SAR board of directors has hired the Chicago-based professional search firm, Martin & Downs, which focuses on national searches for executives, managers, and leaders, and has experience serving the real estate industry. Martins & Downs principal Ginger Downs was controller for the Spokane association at the time Higgins was hired.

Watkins says candidates will be interviewed and screened throughout the summer months and a successor most likely will be named next September. 

Higgins will stay on during a transition period to help with guidance and support, Watkins says.

He adds that the position requires someone with knowledge of real estate but also associations and leadership. Higgins serves a membership of close to 2,500 Realtors in and tracks a constantly changing Spokane-area real estate market data.

“With the housing crisis that we are in, finding the right person is such an important issue,” says Watkins.

The successor will have to manage and lead members dealing with a shrinking inventory of housing, says Watkins. Last month, there were only 200 listed homes for sale among the association’s membership, he adds.

SAR has 11 employees, and its office is located at 1924 N. Ash, in the North Central neighborhood.

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