| 1858 |
Founded as the Baltimore Board of Real Estate Brokers and Property Agents, William Warfield was President and Samuel Snowden was Secretary-Treasurer. There were eleven members. The purpose of the Board was to insure that brokers were ethical. In addition, it wanted to enhance the value of real estate.
|
| 1902 |
Re-organization took place.
|
| 1908 |
The Baltimore Board of Real Estate Brokers and Property Agents was among the founders of the National Association of Real Estate Exchange (now known as the National Association of REALTORS®, or NAR).
|
| 1909 |
Pamphlet published by the Real Estate Exchange of Baltimore noted the growth of the Baltimore Board. There were 44 members including two of the original eleven.
|
| 1913 |
NAR adopted a strict Code of Ethics. The Baltimore Board of Real Estate Brokers and Property Agents played a key role as the original concept was included in GBBR by-laws in 1958.
|
| 1914 |
The Board re-organized under the leadership of the late B. Howard Richards and leased office space at 15 E. Fayette Street, in Baltimore City.
|
| 1915 |
Name changed to Real Estate Board of Baltimore.
|
| 1916 |
A multiple list service, sponsored by Real Estate Board of Baltimore, was organized.
|
| WWI |
The Board opposed rent control and established a Fair Rent Committee. To honor World War I hero, George B. Redwood, the Board proposed and successfully endorsed the change of German Street to the name of Redwood Street in Baltimore City.
|
| 1918 |
The Board began a movement to bring all lines of business related to real estate under one organization.
|
| 1925 |
The Board formed a multiple listing bureau.
|
| 1920's through 1950's |
The Board supported or advocated construction projects such as:
-
Howard Street extension
-
Franklin Street Viaduct
-
Bay Bridge
-
Memorial Stadium
-
Civic Center
|
| 1938 |
Twenty-five real estate brokers from Baltimore City and several counties met to create an organization to lobby for enactment of real estate license laws. This organization was called Maryland Real Estate Association (now known as the Maryland Association of REALTORS® or MAR).
|
| 1942 |
The Board accepted Rent Control as a necessary evil during the World War II, and fought a constant battle against unjust laws until the Federal law was repealed.
|
| 1951 |
The Real Estate Board of Baltimore moved from 7 Saint Paul Street to 7 E. Lexington Street in Baltimore City.
|
| 1958 |
The Board supported an ordinance requiring tenants to give adequate notice before moving, clean up the property, and return all keys to the owner of the property.
|
| 1958 |
Encouraged by the Board, the Sunday edition of the Baltimore American and the Baltimore Sun began publishing separate real estate sections.
|
| 1965 |
During the Johnson administration, the Board initiated the procedure to extend non-discriminatory prohibition to all federally funded institutions.
|
| 1967 |
MAR moved to its own offices in Annapolis - until then the Baltimore Board maintained its activities and records.
|
| 1972 |
The Board moved to 1501 W. Mount Royal Avenue in Baltimore City. The Central Maryland Multiple List Service (MARIT) occupied part of the building.
|
| 1974 |
The Board changed its name from the Real Estate Board of Greater Baltimore to the Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS® -- this provided better identification with NAR and enforcement of the Code of Ethics.
|
| 1976 |
The Board was the first local organization to sign the "Equal Opportunity in Housing" with HUD.
|
| 1982 |
The Board allows all REALTORS® to maintain membership -- New salespersons as well as Brokers that meet REALTOR® requirements and can hold Board voting rights and be elected to Board office.
|
| 1996 |
GBBR opens a satellite office in Ellicott City, in Howard County.
|
| 1997 |
The Board moved to its current location in Baltimore County at 1306 Bellona Avenue, Lutherville, Maryland 21093. GBBR launches its first website, www.RealtorsBaltimore.com. |
| 1999 |
The Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS® Foundation, Inc. (The GBBR Foundation) is formed to support and engage in charitable, civic, educational and humanitarian activities and programs designed to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods within the Baltimore metropolitan area.
|
| 2001 |
GBBR earns national recognition in receiving the HOPE Award for its media/public awareness campaign "Know Housing Fraud When You See It." The campaign educated first-time homebuyers on how to avoid being victimized in fraudulent real estate transactions by encouraging the use of a REALTOR® Buyer's Agent to represent clients throughout the transaction. |
| 2003 |
GBBR teams with the Baltimore City government and private foundations to create the innovative SCOPE Project, (Selling City Owned Properties Efficiently), a streamlined and industry-friendly approach to marketing city owned, vacant properties to investors and homeowners alike. |
| 2004 |
GBBR expanded its efforts to support the Adopt-A-Classroom program by hosting a yearlong fundraising campaign which raised $13,000, far surpassing the original goal of $10,000. A total of 26 classrooms - 13 in Baltimore City, 13 in Baltimore County - were adopted for the 2004-05 school year, and each classroom received a $500 contribution for supplies and materials to supplement their classroom activities. the Adopt-A-Classroom program is a 501(c)(3) non-profit nationwide organization, working to enrich the local classroom experience and increase both teachers' and students' chances for success. Members are encouraged to visit http://www.adoptaclassroom.com/ to find out more about the program and how to participate! |
| 2005 |
Our Playground at Stadium Place is a community designed one-acre playground built between April and July 2005 on a portion of the former Memorial Stadium site in Baltimore City. The GBBR Foundation, Inc. mad e major pledge of dollars and in0kind support for the playground, which is the first of its kind developed in Baltimore City. The Foundation pledge is comprised of a $25,000 cash grant and a commitment to solicit in-kind donations of building materials and volunteer labor valued at $25,000, for a combined value of $50,000. |
| 2006 |
In response to continued rapid growth in membership, GBBR moved its headquarters to the second floor at 1306 Bellona Avenue. With membership reaching over 4,950 -- up more than 13 percent over the previous year and 33 percent above its 2004 level - larger quarters were needed to expand service offerings to members. The move allowed GBBR to double its office space, the number of classrooms and conference rooms, and to provide expanded space for its federal credit union. In addition, the office now hosts an updated computer lab and training room for Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc., the nation's largest multiple listing service and a major source of Maryland real estate information. GBBR was named the third largest trade association in the Baltimore metropolitan area by the Baltimore Business Journal in December 2006. |
