#HomeForAll Podcast: What Happens When a REALTOR Becomes an Elected Official

#HomeForAll Podcast, Season 10 Episode 1

Season 10 of the #HomeForAll Podcast is here, and it landed right in the middle of ACAR’s Advocacy Week with two REALTORS who took their industry skills straight into public office.

VP of Advocacy Jamie McMillen sits down with Erica Nikolic, Mayor of Oakwood Village, and Justin Costanzo, Seven Hills City Councilman, to talk about what happens when a REALTOR runs for office and wins.

Both guests are licensed REALTORS as well as elected officials, and they didn’t leave their real estate skills at the door. Listening, negotiating, managing emotions, and finding compromise, the same tools that close a deal are the tools that pass a budget or move a development project forward.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why local government is where REALTORS can make the most immediate impact
• How zoning, infrastructure, and long-term planning shape property values and quality of life
• The real story behind Seven Hills’ Rockside Road development, 35 years in the making
• Why affordability and inventory remain the top housing challenges across Cuyahoga, Summit, and Portage counties
• Straight talk on property tax reform and what’s at stake for residents and services
• Practical advice for any REALTOR thinking about running for office or joining a planning commission or task force

Mayor Nikolic and Councilman Costanzo also get real about what people misunderstand about local government, and why patience, transparency, and relationships matter more than a title.

This episode sets the tone for Advocacy Week: REALTORS aren’t just in the room, they’re often leading it.

Listen now and check out the full lineup of Advocacy Week events here.

Podcast link here.