CONTRIBUTED BY LCAR
LEE COUNTY —
“Shocked and surprised — but overwhelmed with gratitude for being recognized,” is how Sherri McCollum described the moment she learned of her selection as 2022 Alabama Realtor of the Year at the Association’s 2022 annual convention.
“I was humbled because I believe no one is successful on their own,” McCollum said. “People are successful because others come alongside them and have poured into their lives.”
The Realtor of the Year Award recognizes an AAR member who demonstrates passion for community service and embodies the Realtor spirit through service at the local, state and national levels.
“I really think it’s important to give back to the organizations and the communities that help make you successful,” McCollum said.
A qualifying broker with RealtySouth Auburn–Lake Martin, McCollum is a longtime member of both Auburn and Opelika Chambers of Commerce. She also is a former board member for Haddie’s Home in Opelika — a home that was for girls removed due to neglect, abuse or the need for separation — that provides a nurturing environment in a family setting.
A member of First Baptist Church Opelika, McCollum has served as Sunday School director, taught Sunday school and led numerous other bible studies. For more than 20 years, she and her husband have been involved with Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras, which houses between 550 to 600 children ranging in age from newborn to young adults. They have visited the orphanage dozens of times.
McCollum began serving her professional association almost immediately after joining AAR in 1992. She led the Lee County Association of Realtors as president in 2002 and 2017, after serving as chair as most of the local association committees. Her key roles with AAR include state director, education trustee and several other key committee posts including chairing the Professional Standards Committee in 2021. Since 2021, she has served as an Alabama Realtors Political Action Committee trustee. McCollum also is a member AAR’s Leadership Class of 2005.
McCollum said she is not one to seek recognition and, instead, tries to live by this Zig Zeigler maxim: “You can get everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.”
“I’ve many times thought of my real estate career as a ministry opportunity,” she explained. “You help people meet a need — often at their happiest times but also at their most difficult times.”
