Spokane Association of Realtors names new CEO

The Spokane Association of Realtors has named Tiffany Claxton its new chief executive officer, effective Sept. 19, the organization announced Monday.

Claxton most recently served as CEO of the Kitsap County Association of Realtors, which has more than 700 members and is based in Silverdale.

“We are excited for her to start leading the association as CEO,” Eric Etzel, SAR’s 2022 president, said. “I don’t think there’s a better person out there that we could have chosen.”

Claxton succeeds Rob Higgins, who is retiring as executive vice president of the Spokane Association of Realtors after more than 37 years.

The Realtors association hired Chicago-based recruitment firm Martin & Downs to conduct an extensive national search for its new executive officer.

The board selected Claxton out of nearly two dozen applicants in part because of her real estate expertise and past experience leading a Realtors association, Etzel said.

Claxton holds a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. She also holds a graduate certificate in human resources management.

Prior to joining the Kitsap County Association of Realtors in 2019, Claxton was director of operations for the Williamson County Association of Realtors in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Claxton, who moved to Washington for its quality of life, was prompted to apply for SAR’s CEO position because of the opportunities and challenges in the Spokane market.

The association is at a pivotal point in meeting a growing need for housing in Spokane, she said.

“There is a lot of growth in Spokane and they have a great leadership team that was really appealing to me,” Claxton said of the Realtors association.

Claxton aims to implement new technology to keep up with the changing real estate market, in addition to enhancing the association’s value for its members.

Higgins’ last day with the association is Sept. 30, according to a news release.

In May, Higgins publicly announced plans to retire by the end of 2022.

“After 37 years, I think now is a good time for me to move on to something else,” Higgins told The Spokesman-Review in May.

“What is next for me is up in the air right now, but I’m looking at different opportunities.”

In addition to an established career in real estate, Higgins served as a member of the Spokane City Council, City Council president and was mayor pro-tem when mayor Jim Chase died in 1987.

Higgins longstanding tenure at the local Realtors association will be acknowledged at the Washington Realtors Fall Business Conference held next month in Spokane.

The Spokane Association of Realtors, founded as the Spokane Realty Board in 1911, has more than 2,600 members.