September 29, 2009 — Austin

At the Texas REALTORS®’ annual convention in September, CEO Benny McMahan announced his retirement from the association. Active in real estate since 1961 as a broker and serving in his current role since 1990, McMahan has had a long and lasting impact on Texas real estate. He will continue to serve as CEO until a replacement is identified by a TAR committee established to search for candidates.

“I’ve dedicated the majority of my life to Texas real estate and to the Realtor family, every minute of which has been an honor,” said McMahan. “I believe homeownership is a thread that holds us together as communities and I look forward to seeing what the next generation of Texas Realtor leadership will do to continue to strengthen it.”

McMahan began his career in Dallas, founding a residential real estate firm while playing an active role with the Greater Dallas Association of Realtors. In 1976, McMahan served as president of the association and, in 1977, was selected Dallas Realtor of the Year. In 1981, he was elected president of the Texas REALTORS® and named the Texas Realtor of the Year in 1984.

In 1982, McMahan became the executive vice president of the Greater Dallas Association of Realtors. His achievements at the Dallas association earned him the honor of outstanding local association executive in the state and he was presented with the Texas REALTORS® Tom D. Morton award.

He left Dallas for Austin in 1990 to accept the state association’s top staff position, president/CEO. During his term as CEO, the Texas REALTORS® membership base grew from 35,000 to more than 90,000 members statewide. In that time, McMahan helped spur growth of the Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee into the largest PAC in Texas and established the Issues Mobilization Fund to aid local Realtor associations in addressing local and statewide public policy concerns.

McMahan is also active in the National Association of Realtors, serving as regional vice president for Texas and Louisiana in 1982 and in various capacities since. In 2007, he was selected as the winner of the William R. Magel Award of Excellence. This prestigious nationwide award is presented annually to an individual who has truly excelled in their role as an association executive of a local or state association of Realtors.