By Joe Olivieri January 01, 2026

The 2026 Texas REALTORS® chairman has learned a lot since her days teaching middle school. She explains the roles that shaped her real estate career and encourages you to tell everyone how you’re making a difference.

The public and media depictions Jennifer Wauhob hears about the real estate industry often do not match the stories she’s told by the agents and brokers helping clients every day.

Recently, one of her agents learned her client was going to try to move out of his home all by himself. “She went over to the house with her son and husband and helped him move.

“I’ve seen how much we pour into our communities,” she continues. “These wonderful acts aren’t in anyone’s job descriptions. They make a big difference in people’s lives, though. And we are just being portrayed in a completely different way.”

The 2026 Texas REALTORS® chairman has a solution: REALTORS® need to get better at telling our own stories. You can change the conversation by sharing all the incredible work you are doing. Not by bragging, but by presenting the details about how you go beyond the basics. Texas REALTORS® is helping, too, with a dedicated public relations program and an ad campaign highlighting the difference REALTORS® make and the tremendous value they bring to clients.

“Every member can talk about not just helping clients close transactions but helping them overcome obstacles along the way,” she says. “Texas REALTORS® are helping clients achieve things they never thought were possible.”

As her former teaching career taught her, delivering the lesson once is not enough. You need to reinforce it again and again through personal and professional conversations, social media, and even serving as a source on real estate topics to news outlets.

Doing so will build your brand as a dedicated professional. If members statewide work on telling their stories, Texans will have a better idea of what REALTORS® are all about.

From the classroom to the closing

There was never a grand plan to become Texas REALTORS® chairman, Wauhob says. One opportunity just led to the next.

The Lubbock native worked as a middle school choir director for six years before beginning her real estate career. She and her husband moved to Houston after the birth of their first child. Wauhob was staying home with her daughter and trying to figure out what to do next after teaching.

“I was really intrigued by the whole process and the things our agent did when we were buying our house,” Wauhob says. “It was something in the back of my mind.”

In hindsight, it might not have been the best timing for a career change, she jokes. “I decided to go into real estate while I was five months pregnant with my second child and living in a new city. I got my license toward the end of my pregnancy. The day before I was due to deliver, I got a call about a listing. I said I can’t come over tomorrow, but I can come over a few days later. Two days after I left the hospital, I got the listing.”

She didn’t end up selling that home, but she did meet a buyer at the open house; her first official real estate transaction was helping that client buy another house.

The first years of her real estate career were difficult as she slowly worked to grow her business. “I didn’t know anybody or have a sphere of influence,” she says. “It was a lot of hard work in the beginning trying to meet people.”

She spent eight years as a sales agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene. Along the way, she was recognized as a 2017 REALTOR® to Watch by Texas REALTORS® and a Top 20 Under 40 Rising Star in Real Estate by the Houston Association of REALTORS®.

Wauhob helped her clients the same way she used to help her students: by listening, fostering understanding, and helping them achieve their goals.

As her business started growing, she saw an opportunity to grow with it. She started a real estate team about six years ago. Now she leads five agents and four support staff working as The Jennifer Wauhob Team with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene, selling residential property in and around Houston.

Gaining perspective through leadership roles

As Wauhob was building her business, she sought inspiration from the top producers around her. Many of them raved about the Texas REALTORS® Leadership Program. She applied and was accepted.

“I had no idea about all of the things the association is doing behind the scenes to support businesses and protect our industry,” she says. “Once I was exposed to that, I wanted to be a part of it.”

Wauhob got involved with the state association, volunteering on committees such as TREPAC, Strategic Planning, YPN, and Public Policy.

“I encourage everyone to sign up for committees. That’s where a lot of decisions are made—whether you’re there or not. Once I knew that was happening, I wanted to have a say. There are also a lot of conversations behind the scenes that were a learning opportunity.”

In 2023, she had the unique experience of being a leader at all three levels of the REALTOR® organization. She was serving as immediate past president of the Houston Association of REALTORS® and Texas REALTORS® secretary/treasurer-elect. Wauhob was already on the NAR Board of Directors as well but was asked to fill a sudden vacancy as NAR vice president of association affairs.

“Typically, you know a few years ahead of time that you’re going to serve, and by the time it’s your year, you’re ready,” she says. “I didn’t have any of that. I was learning everything on the fly. That helped me grow a lot as a leader. Serving in that role wasn’t on my radar at all. It just happened and I took a leap of faith.”

She learned that the issues are completely different at each level of the organization. “It was eye-opening. They are focused on different things. But they all work together.”

Learning how to make a difference beyond real estate

As she got more involved in the association, Wauhob started to learn more about the political side of real estate. She participated in the Political Affairs Delegate Program, Grassroots Political Network, Public Policy and Business Issues Committee, and the Legislative Management Team.

She never really paid attention to politics before getting involved. She assumed from reading the headlines that all politicians ever do is fight—that nothing good ever comes out of politics. Through her experience with the Texas REALTORS® Leadership Program, though, she learned how productive conversations turned into meaningful changes.

“I saw that this was important work, but you just don’t hear about it through all the noise,” she says. “Once I realized that we can really affect things and good things can happen, a light bulb went off. I follow what affects our industry and clients.”

Wauhob says that while the association plays an important role, it’s also essential for agents and brokers to make their voices heard through advocacy. “Your lived experience and expertise can make the difference in explaining how that proposed change will affect you,” she says.

A lifelong learner’s approach to leadership

Wauhob describes herself as a collaborative leader. “If you always think you know it all, you probably shouldn’t be the one leading. I’m open to hearing everybody’s feedback. I want to listen to views from all sides. Then, as the leader, you set the path to go forward. But if you’re thoughtful about feedback and hear it, people will follow you.”

Decisions in the REALTOR® organization aren’t made in a vacuum, she explains. They’re made by leaders after consulting with members and discussions with knowledgeable committees. “If I could emphasize one thing, it’s how much influence every REALTOR® can have by getting involved.”

She describes herself as a lifelong learner, continually reading business books and listening to podcasts to grow her skills. “This is a job where you are always learning and tackling new challenges. Recently I got a question I’ve never had to deal with before. After 15 years and hundreds of transactions, you can never know it all.”

She recommends earning certifications to develop your skills. One of the most useful ones she took was on negotiation training. “It helped me to understand the basic psychology of how most people think, and it’s led to better conversations to get my point across to the other side.” Wauhob says that what she learned has even been helpful outside of real estate, using what she learned with everyone, including her husband and children.

As you learn new skills, practice them, she advises. She and her team review the same metrics each week and work on ways to improve the numbers. “Do the basics every week. There’s nothing fancy about it.”

That’s how she built her real estate business: learning as much as she could and hustling to grow her network.

What Wauhob expects from the year ahead…and you

In her latest role, Wauhob will lead more than 145,000 REALTORS® statewide through an ever-changing market. She is excited about opportunities in 2026 and is particularly enthusiastic about association efforts directed toward brokers. “We’re making sure we’re providing brokers with the tools and resources they find valuable. We’re communicating and listening. A stronger partnership with brokers is sure to trickle down to providing more value to agents as well.

“Texas REALTORS® is focused on giving our members what they need, being the best resource for them, and being ready to deal with whatever changes come our way,” she says. “We want to be a constant source of information and support.”

Wauhob wants Texans to know they can count on their local REALTOR® to help. Where the story goes next is up to you.

Joe Olivieri is content specialist for Texas REALTORS®.