Meet the President & CEO

As President and CEO of the Houston Association of REALTORS® since 1988, Bob’s vision and drive have made HAR.com a household brand in the Greater Houston area and the most frequently visited website for Houston real estate. HAR has grown to become the largest trade association in Houston and the second largest local REALTOR® association in the country with more than 48,000 members. HAR.com covers the entire state of Texas, which provides even more exposure for member listings.

The following numbers speak to HAR.com’s successful market exposure:

• 7.1 million: the number of visitor sessions to the website or mobile app each month.
• 17 million: the number of visitor sessions on HAR.com each month.
• 25: HAR.com is the only local site that is regularly listed among the 25 most frequently visited real estate websites in the country, according to comScore Media Metrix.
• 40 million: the number of times member listings are viewed on HAR.com each month.
• 1: the rank of the HAR.com app within the Apple App Store for Houston.

The Houston Association of REALTORS® is NOT a traditional trade association, it is so much more. It is also a cutting-edge MLS, a Commercial Division hosting Commercial Gateway, an NAR-award-winning International Section, a REALTOR® Supercenter and a Technology Department which has developed not only hundreds of REALTOR® member tools, but also HAR.com. In the top 100 markets across the country, Zillow is the No. 1 real estate site in 99 of these, with the exception of Houston due to the success of HAR.com with Houston-area consumers.

At the helm of HAR, Bob strives to fulfill its mission that its members achieve ongoing success by adopting and implementing a market-driven, member-centric business plan, recruiting and retaining a professional staff, re-engineering its governance, constantly surveying Houston-area real estate consumers, and becoming a cutting-edge, technologically advanced association. Bob strongly believes in providing “high-tech” member services in a “high-touch” manner. He

Bob is the Chief HAR/HRIS strategist and visionary. He provides coordination and collaboration between the Board of Directors, Executive Committee and staff to ensure that HAR objectives are aligned with leadership opportunities. He led HAR during the COVID-19 pandemic, turning HAR into a virtual workforce and delivering virtual members services, training and technology tools.

Industry Achievements & Recognitions

• 2024, Houston Business Journal’s Lifetime Achievement of Real Estate Award recipient
• 2023, Ranked on the 2023 Inman Power Players
• 2021, Appointed to Pacaso Advisory Board
• 202o, RISMedia Newsmaker Hall of Fame inductee
• 2018, Most Admired CEO Award honoree, Houston Business Journal
• 2016, appointed to RPR Board of Directors
• 2014, RISMedia & RE/MAX “On the Shoulders of Giants” Award presented at the Power Broker dinner VIDEO
• 2014-2024, Recognized in the Swanepoel Power 200 Most Powerful People in Residential Real Estate (ranked #29 in 2024)
• 2013, Recognized for 25 years of achievement by Houston Realtors, national industry leaders and political figures VIDEO
• 2013, “Bob Hale Day”, proclaimed by Houston Mayor Annise Parker
• 2005-2015, One of the 100 Most Influential People, Inman News
• 2011, Houston CEO Communicator of the Year Award, Public Relations Society of America VIDEO
• 2010, Communication Leadership Award, International Association of Business Communicators/Houston VIDEO
• 2008, Innovator of the Year Award, Inman News, which stated, “People on the list embody words like leadership, innovation, ingenuity, power and persistence.”
• 2008, Inductee, NAR Bud Smith Leadership Society
• 2008, “Bob Hale Day”, proclaimed by Houston Mayor Bill White
• 2007 and 2012, Inductee, REALTOR® Political Action Committee Hall of Fame for investing more than $50,000
• 2006, One of the 25 Most Influential People in the American real estate industry, National Association of Realtors, REALTOR® Magazine
• 2003, One of the 25 Most Influential People in the American real estate industry, National Association of Realtors, REALTOR® Magazine

“Our influencers aren’t just those with the latest gizmo or hot idea; they’re also thought leaders who are reshaping how the real estate industry functions. Each has a profound impact on the present and future of real estate. Hale is widely regarded as a visionary and a leader who puts his members’ business needs first.”
-NAR REALTOR® Magazine

Bob strongly supports HAR’s award-winning efforts:

• HAR’s cutting-edge MLS serves 31,000 subscribers across eight counties.
• HAR.com generates approximately $30 million annually in leads and referral value to members.
• HAR was named the Most Innovative MLS/Trade Association by Inman News in 2014 for its efforts to take HAR.com statewide and received the Most Innovative Web Service in 2010.
• The HAR Consumer Research Panel regularly surveys 7,000 Houston real estate consumers about topics that help provide insight for HAR members to enhance their business.
• The HAR Client Experience Rating program (agent ratings) has 4,600 agents voluntarily participating, resulting in nearly 100,000 completed client surveys and ratings.
• Nextgen REALTOR® Group (NRG) was YPN chapter of the year by NAR.
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android devices; more than half of HAR.com’s traffic is now on mobile devices.
• Transaction Management offered at no cost to HAR member brokers.
• Online advertising revenue from HAR.com totals about $2 million per year.
• HAR TREPAC that raised more than $500,000 in 2013 is coupled with HAR’s effective Governmental Affairs program.
• Commercial Gateway is one of the most successful commercial information exchanges in the country.
• TR-award-winning Professional Development (education) program.
• World-class public relations efforts to promote REALTOR® value to Houston-area consumers using public relations and advertising.
• Special events like The BIG e.

On behalf of HAR, Bob has developed strong relationships with industry leaders and CEOs:

• NAR
• National Franchises
• Large MLSs and Associations
• Real Estate Portals
• Elected Officials
• Members of the Media

How does HAR compare to others?

• Salaries and Benefits as percent of their annual budget:
• Similar-sized associations across the country spend 46%
• HAR spends 30%

• Average local REALTOR® association annual dues are $161 compared to HAR dues of $132.
• Average monthly agent MLS fees are $45 compared to HAR’s MLS fees of $20.
• HAR has an annual budget of $25 million and operates a central location plus three branch offices.

• How have agent dues and fees changed since 1997?
• HAR – down 5%
• TR – up 74%
• NAR – up 142%

Bob served as Chairman of the Texas Society of Association Executives from 1997-1998, and as President of the Houston Society of Association Executives in 1993.

Bob is a native Texan and a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in International Business, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence. Upon graduation from UT Law School, Bob served as the Director of Governmental Affairs for the Texas Association of REALTORS® in Austin.

He began representing the Houston Association of REALTORS® in 1973 as legal and legislative counsel, with an emphasis on association and anti-trust law. In 1988, he assumed the role of President & CEO. He is married to Susie Hale.