Bob Hale, longtime president and CEO of the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), announced his plans to retire in 2026.

Hale’s career with HAR began in 1973 when the association hired him as legal counsel. He was then named president and CEO in 1988 and has held that role ever since. During his tenure, he’s been named among the most influential people in real estate numerous times, most recently ranking No. 29 on the 2024 Swanepoel Power 200.

Hale is credited with expanding HAR’s use of social media and online campaigns, including HAR-TV and the HAR.com Consumer Research Panel, and bringing the association statewide by entering into partnerships with other Texas Multiple Listing Services. He also established the association’s Client Experience Rating and the HAR Young Professionals Network (YPN).

Immediately following Hale’s announcement, the HAR board of directors approved current Executive Vice President René Galvan to succeed him as president and CEO in January of 2026. Galvan has been a member of HAR’s management team since 1996, when he was hired as the director of business development. In 1999, Galvan served as CEO of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale, but returned to HAR two years later as executive vice president.

“This journey has been one that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Hale said in a press release. “I could not think of anyone more qualified and driven than René Galvan to lead HAR through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the real estate industry.”