Jessica Coates is the Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Association of REALTORS®.  SAR has a membership of over 8,600 REALTORS®, and 30 staff members. Only six months in this new role and she’s poised to build strategic relationships throughout the real estate industry, prepare the association to remain an indispensable partner for its members and community, increase member engagement and services, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the association and the greater real estate community, among other high-level duties.

Coates is the former CEO of the Howard County Association of REALTORS® and was responsible for the strategic direction, vision, growth, and performance of the HCAR brand. At HCAR, she worked directly with the Board of Directors and oversaw all facets of the association. Among her accomplishments with HCAR, are her expansion of and focus on DEI initiatives, successful guidance of the association through a global pandemic, and growth of the HCAR team, among others.

With over 15 years’ experience in association management and government relations, Coates has proven her ability to drive brand growth, maximize operational excellence, and exceed financial performance standards.

Before being named HCAR’s CEO in 2018, Coates was the first woman to have served as the Vice President of Government and Community Affairs for the Birmingham Association of REALTORS®, where she served as its principal liaison to elected officials at all levels. With a Political Science and campaign management background, Coates stumbled into the realm of real estate and has since been recognized by her real estate community in several media outlets for her work, including The Business Journal, National Association of REALTORS® Magazine, Columbia Lifestyle, Executive Leaders Radio, and recently featured on Sacramento KCRA 3.

Coates is passionate about community relations and implementing strategies to enable growth through networking and building lasting partnerships. She currently serves as the 2023 Chair of the National Association of REALTORS® Association Executives Committee. Coates doesn’t stop there, she is a mom of two beautiful children, loves to travel the world with her husband LJ, and experience new cultures and places.

Circling back to today, Jessica continues to break down barriers by becoming the first black woman CEO to SAR, a company founded in 1908. Coates also appeared in KCRA3 News, with an exclusive interview because of her significant contributions to real estate and her communities.