Fayette Realtors Swap Open Houses for School Buses in District Tour Program

About 40 Fayette County realtors gathered for a kickoff event — not to drop off a kid, but to get a firsthand look at the schools their clients keep asking about. The Fayette County Board of REALTORS, in partnership with Fayette County Public Schools, launched the 'Ticket to Ride: Express REALTOR® Tour,' a multi-month program sending agents through the district's five high schools, middle schools, and feeder elementary schools.

The program kicked off with an October 11 event at the school system's transportation center, where roughly 40 realtors heard presentations and learned what the tours would involve. Tours then began in late October and are scheduled to run through February 2019, according to newnanceo.com.

The premise is straightforward: many realtors working in Fayette County have no personal connection to the public school system and struggle to answer the questions homebuyers — especially families relocating to the area — ask most. The tours put agents inside the buildings, led by student ambassadors, so they can speak from experience rather than guesswork.

Our students and staffs are excited to host the Realtors and showcase what it is that makes their schools special. This opportunity is a great way for our local realtors to get a first-hand look inside of our schools and what each has to offer so that they can confidently talk about the schools when working with clients.— Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, Fayette County Public Schools spokesperson

The five high schools are split across two tour dates. All participants must travel with the group by school bus for the entire tour — no driving separately, meeting the group mid-route, or traveling between schools in a personal vehicle, according to fayetterealtors.com. Each tour date is capped at 50 participants. The first tour, on October 23, features Sandy Creek High, Flat Rock Middle, and Robert J. Burch Elementary schools, and had nearly 20 registrants as of the kickoff event.

The school bus requirement is deliberate: riding the bus gives realtors additional information to share about the county's transportation system — another topic homebuying families frequently raise.

The kickoff event went beyond school tours. Realtors also heard a presentation on school safety from Mike Sanders, assistant superintendent of operations, and learned about the district's CARE (Children at Risk in Education) program from CARE coordinator Karen Spangler. Many agents said their clients regularly ask about safety protocols, making that session particularly useful.

The tours themselves are free, but the Board of REALTORS is asking participants to bring personal hygiene items to donate to the CARE program. The association also plans to support CARE's Angel Tree program, which provides gifts to students and families in need during the holidays — a philanthropy commitment the group adopted after learning about the program at the kickoff.

Our community building goals are to be more visible as the REALTOR leaders in our community on issues that affect the real estate industry, including housing, education, smart growth, diversity, and fair housing through increased partnerships and collaborations with local stakeholders. We welcome the opportunity provided for our Realtor members by the Fayette County Board of Education to tour the schools, and to learn what each one has to offer its students. We will continue to be strong advocates for education in this community.— Vickie Butler, President, Fayette County Board of REALTORS

Realtors interested in registering can do so at fayetterealtors.com. Tours depart from the LaFayette Educational Center at 9:00 a.m. on each tour date; early arrival for check-in and boarding is required.

Why it matters — For families choosing a home in Fayette County partly based on schools, a realtor who has actually walked the halls and ridden the bus can offer something a website can't — and this program is designed to create exactly that.

Reported by fayetterealtors.com, newnanceo.com, fcboe.org