Kevin Sears is a man unafraid of staring into the abyss and taking a big leap – he was a high-diver in college. Nowadays, he gets most of his thrills in the political arena, as president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. But the Springfield native has his eye on more than just local leadership, and a strong family bond – and business – backing him.
Kevin Sears
Title: 2010 President, Massachusetts Association of Realtors; Broker/Owner of Sears Real Estate in Springfield
Age: 39
Experience: 16 Years
How did you get into real estate?
I like to tell people that I’ve been in real estate for 38 years, [but] only licensed for the last 15 of ‘em. It’s a family business that I joined, my father started the company about 40 years ago.
How long have you been involved in the Massachusetts Association of Realtors?
Probably since about 2000. In ’94 I joined the board, I joined a couple of communities at the local level, and then within a couple of years I got involved at MAR in the government affairs committee. The thing about being involved in the family business, there are two things I wanted to do when I was growing up, I wanted to be involved in real estate, and I wanted to be a city councilor in the city of Springfield. I didn’t have a successful bid in 2003 when I ran, but I gave it a shot. Going back to MAR, probably about ’96 or ’97 was when I first started getting involved with the government affairs committee. I became more familiar with them, and right around 2000, I became an alternate director and then a full-time director.
You mentioned that you ran for city council in 2003. Would you consider doing that again?
My wife is very happy with the fact that I’m president of the state association. She likes to say that my political juices are being satisfied at the association. I’m involved with the National Association of Realtors as well, with the [Political Action Committee]. I enjoy participating in the political process, because I recognize how important it is, not only for my industry but for homeownership.
So you’re open to moving on to bigger and better things in the future? That’s fair to say?
We’ll see. We’ll see. It’s one of those things, when I ran in 2003 my wife said, “You can do it. You get one free chance.” So I just don’t know what it’s going to cost me in order to try again.
You said you always wanted to go into the family business. Is there any particular reason why? Sometimes when people grownup in a business, they get sick of it, and want to do something totally different.
I run the property management side of things, my brother is the manager of the sales office. When I was very young, I remember accompanying my father to collect rent at one of his apartment buildings in Holyoke. We’d knock on the door, the tenant would let us in, sit down, a cup of tea, she’d share with him whatever she had to share and I’d get a piece of candy. We did that over and over again… I figured, they’re paying us money and feeding us? That’s the business I want to be in.
You were always on the property management side. I would presume the majority of the MAR members are on the buy/sell side. Do you think being in property management gives you a different perspective?
Back when I was getting involved with my local association, the local executive at the time encouraged me to run for elected office at the local association, and I said, ‘Well, I don’t do sales everyday.’ And he said, ‘Kevin, the organization needs a different perspective. It needs to have that side of the business have their voice heard.’ So from the very beginning I recognized that the two parts of the business, while they’re under the same umbrella, are different. So I do some sales now, but I like to think that [being a property manager] does… help me be a key voice in the organization.
Is your dad still involved in the day-to-day running of the business?
He is. We let him sign the checks. I think he enjoys his freedom… he can do a little bit of everything, oversee it, and go on vacation if he wants and know it’s in capable hands.
Sears’ Top Five Reasons to Visit the Pioneer Valley:
- Basketball Hall of Fame
- Six Flags ("Back when it was Riverside I had a summer job in the high-diving show.")
- Springfield Museum and Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden ("My parents live on Mulberry St., the one he made famous in his story.")
- The Big E
- The fall foliage in the Connecticut River Valley.
