ROBERT N. AUTHIER
Returning to MAR

Robert N. Authier is coming home.
The Massachusetts Association of Realtors board of directors on Friday agreed to hire Authier as the group’s new chief executive. Authier, a native of Massachusetts, has served as the chief executive officer of 32,000-member of the Virginia Association of Realtors since 1993.

The hiring represents Authier’s third stint with the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Authier began his career with MAR in 1977 as public affairs director, a position he held for six years. He then moved on to serve as the executive vice president of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, only to return as MAR’s executive vice president from July 1988 to October 1993. That is the same title he will hold when he begins his new job later this year.

“I have such a strong affection for MAR, which is a good thing since this is the third time I’m here,” said Authier. “I’ve been away for 11 years, but this is my home. All the time I was away I haven’t forgotten that it’s a great organization Â… and it feels great to be back. It really does.”

Authier replaces John Fridlington, who left his post as MAR’s executive vice president last month for a similar position at the Florida Association of Realtors. MAR appointed a seven-person Search Committee in early December to seek a replacement for Fridlington, who had been with the association for four years.

The committee received many inquiries and reviewed several resumes of candidates from across the country, eventually selecting Authier as the candidate to present to the MAR board at its meeting on Friday, according to association President Maggie Tomkiewicz.

“It was a unanimous decision made with the Search Committee and the board of directors,” said Tomkiewicz. “Rob has been an executive vice president of a Realtor association for 20 years, so he’s certainly got the experience. He also has a tremendous amount of respect coming from the national level at the National Association of Realtors and demonstrated great skills at the Virginia association, which were both very important to us.”

Authier is not set to begin his position until April, he said, though when he does begin he plans to “spend time talking to people, not only staff, but key stakeholders, top brokers and agents and some of the past presidents.”

Of the future of MAR under Authier’s leadership, executives and members are “absolutely optimistic,” said Tomkiewicz. “We gained momentum over the last four years with John [Fridlington] and we are confident that Rob will take MAR to the next level.”

Authier joins MAR, the state’s largest professional trade group with more than 20,000 members, at a time when new legislation affecting the way real estate brokers and agents interact with consumers goes into effect.

The Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons is currently crafting regulations for the so-called agency legislation that was passed last year. A hearing on the regulations is scheduled to take place Jan. 31.

MAR is planning to offer training on the new regulations this year.