Stacy Hamilton excited to give back to Realtors

July 22-28, 2024

By Jay Edwards

Last year, when Elizabeth “Libby” Sheard informed her board of directors at the Little Rock Realtors Association that she would be stepping down as association executive in 2024, a position she’d held for two decades, the leadership looked to one of their own to succeed her, and Realtor Stacy Hamilton agreed to take on the task. 

On her Facebook page in January, Hamilton made the announcement, saying, “My professional life has always been about serving my clients, at the same time, improving the industry overall was part and parcel of that mission. “For more than a decade, I learned and contributed (as a volunteer) what I could as past President of the LRRA and serving on many other industry-related boards and committees, dedicated to helping agents and brokers be safer, more knowledgeable, and effective. I have worked hard on my own time to protect this industry and ensure it remains strong for others to have the same joyful opportunities I have benefited from.”

“Now it’s time to step back from my individual clients and focus full-time on improving the industry for agents, brokers, and of course our clients!”

Hamilton grew up in Texarkana, Texas and attended Texas State in San Marcos. After graduation, she moved to Little Rock to work at the capitol for Governor Mike Huckabee. 

“My parents were close friends with a  woman who worked in the scheduling office for the governor and told me about a job opening there,” Hamilton said. “I liked the idea and got the job. And it was fantastic.

I started in January of 2005 and stayed until his administration ended in December of 2006.” 

After that, she became the executive assistant to Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, where she stayed two years before deciding to try her hand at real estate. 

“Oh yes,” she said tongue in cheek, “2008 was a great time to get into real estate.”

“Both of my parents were in sales, mom in the medical field and dad sold horticulture equipment. I had enjoyed government, but I just had a longing at that time to get into sales. And kind of try my hand. Real estate seemed the best fit for me. And I was able to do it part time. I was single and 25, so I had nights and weekends wide open and thought I’d see if I could work at real estate part time while working a full time job.”

Hamilton said the woman who got her the job with Mike Huckabee was also an influence in her real estate career. “Her name is Trudy Walker. Her husband, Lloyd, was the CFO for Rector Phillips Morse, and Trudy and I used to spend a lot of our free time talking about the industry. Trudy and Lloyd inspired me so much and after I was licensed I thought I would work for RPM but they weren’t hiring part-time agents and so I went to work for John Selva at Pulaski Heights Realty, where I stayed for ten years.” 

“I think it was a natural progression for me over the last decade, and I feel incredibly fortunate. I first joined the LRRA board randomly. In fact, when I was sitting next to Maurice Taylor one evening at an event, I began complaining about something. Maurice looked at me and said, ‘Well, if you’ve got so much to say, maybe you should get on the board.’ I didn’t think anything of it at the time. And then six months later, I got a phone call telling me I’d been nominated to be on the board. Maurice was president then so go figure. I joined the board in 2013 and I don’t think I’ve been off of it until I resigned to take this position.”

Hamilton says another mentor was her predecessor, Libby Sheard. 

“Over the years she has become one of my best friends. I really sank my teeth into the association and all it’s about. Government was always my background in school. I have a Master’s in Public Administration, so this type of work is really what I thought I’d be doing. I just kind of fell into real estate, but I had an amazing career and I loved it. However, I never let go of my desire to be involved in government regulation and I really enjoy this type of work.”

“So when Libby told me a few years back she was thinking of retiring, it started my brain thinking this might be something I’d really want to do. I love the association work and everything we’ve accomplished over the years. Near the end of my real estate career, I’d come to a point where I liked talking to the Realtors more than my clients. I would spend so much time on the phone with the agent on the other side. The Realtors have become my dear friends and pivoting to work for them is an incredible opportunity that I’m grateful to have.”

Hamilton comes into her new role at a time when major changes seem inevitable, and she feels like the time is just right for associations across the country to support their members.

“My job is to serve my members, and to know what my members need and to find the tools and resources for them to have successful businesses,” she says.

She feels the best way to serve those needs begins with education, and that her experience as a Realtor gives her an advantage as to what the members need. 

“It’s absolutely education,” she says, “and professional development. And that’s where I feel like I’m so strong because I was a Realtor for 15 years. I remember wanting this extra class or this additional skill. And now I have this great opportunity to go out and find the educators and the coaches that I can bring into my membership.”

“As one example, next month we have a national instructor that we’re bringing in who is teaching specifically how to represent buyers now after the settlement. She’ll give them the tools they need to feel confident in going out and learning new ways of doing business. It’s very exciting.”

The president of the LRRA is Matty Ross of the Charlotte John Company.

“One of Matty’s goals as president was for us to partner with a nonprofit at every one of our general meetings, and get our members to support them in some way. The first meeting in April, we partnered with Our Kids Read and we had our members make donations and bring books for the kids. And then for our June meeting we partnered on the cereal drive with Arkansas Food Bank. In October we’ll partner with The Van. I love us being able to support these local nonprofits and I think our members are really enjoying it.”

“I hope every year a president brings in something that’s exciting and new, like Matty has.”

Another thing Hamilton is proud of is Hearts & Homes of Arkansas, Inc., the 501(c)(3) charitable organization that was established in 2009 to assist Arkansans who are struggling with housing-related necessities due to a natural disaster or catastrophic illness. 

“If a tornado hits in Arkansas,” she says, “like the one in 2023, Hearts & Homes goes out and hands out gift cards or cash to the victims so they can get immediate help if they need to go get food or water or clothes. The Realtor Relief Foundation is the national part of that, which has just exploded in the last five years In fact I would say that Realtor Relief is the number one responder when a national disaster happens.. We brought in $1.7 million in Little Rock last year after the tornado from Realtors. Every victim that applied got a check for $2,000 within a couple of weeks after the damage was done, to use for whatever they need.”

Then when northwest Arkansas just got hit we brought in another $2 million. So the National Association of REALTORS has brought in almost $4 million to our state in two years. We can set up command centers within a couple of hours of a tornado hitting. We’ve become a well-oiled machine in disaster relief.” “It’s so cool to watch.” 

It’s also pretty cool that a former Little Rock Realtor is so eager to give back to an industry, and its members, who give so much. We look forward to watching her in her new career.  

Photo Cutlines:

2. (l to r) LRRA Board President Matty Ross, Stacy Hamilton and her predecessor Libby Sheard.

3. Stacy Hamilton with her son, Calvin and daughter, Ellis.