Texas REALTORS® communicates constantly. The association is in ongoing dialogue with stakeholders to advance Texas real estate. Guiding that dialogue is the 10-member Communications and Marketing Department.

You probably know the department from the messages and materials it produces: Texas REALTOR® magazine, xlqx.net, graphics and videos, social media, newsletters, and advertising.  Did you know the department—nicknamed MarCom—also partners with companies to offer REALTORS® discounts and benefits? Or that the team helped launch the Texas REALTORS® online store?

“This is just a super-talented team that knows what it’s doing and wants you to succeed,” says Angela Brutsche, vice president of Communications and Marketing. “We collaborate with all of these different groups to be able to speak to many different audiences: members, brokers, executives, local leaders, the media, consumers, and staff! The entire team always has the best interests of our members at heart.”

Communications and Marketing works with every department and is involved in many of the association’s programs and initiatives. The department also serves as stewards of the new Texas REALTORS® brand, ensuring consistent and appropriate use while building public awareness.

Communications and Marketing was highly involved in this year’s centennial celebrations, from promotion and research to behind-the-scenes logistics. Art Director Joel Mathews even wrote and designed a commemorative history book about the association.

MarCom worked with other association departments to keep members informed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus FAQ pages on xlqx.net have garnered hundreds of thousands of pageviews. The department also spearheads the association’s public relations efforts. It would take $4.7 million to buy the kind of media exposure that Texas REALTORS® earned in 2020 through its PR efforts,, says Brutsche.

The Communications and Marketing Department is composed of Angela Brutsche, vice president; Marty Kramer, director/editor; Joel Mathews, art director; Ward Lowe, associate director; Michael Schrantz, digital marketing manager; Joe Olivieri, assistant editor; Valérie M. Horne, senior graphic designer; Josh Banks, senior graphic designer; Chris Nelson, graphic designer; and Shandra Norman, member benefits manager.