From Isolated Departments to One Unifed Leadership Team

Columbus REALTORS® is the professional trade association for realtors in greater Central Ohio, with 9,500 members.

As CEO, Brent Swander’s priorities are clear. Educate members. Advocate for members and consumers. Innovate as the industry changes.

At leadership level, Brent was focused on building a senior team that trusted and challenged each other, while working as one. He had seen what could happen when senior roles were filled through standard job posting routes. Some hires looked good on paper but didn’t work out in practice.

The organization was investing real effort in finding the right people, but the searches lacked a deeper understanding of culture and working style.

The Challenge

Brent needed leaders who knew how to show up inside the leadership team, and understood the ripple effects this would have on culture, collaboration, and retention. He wanted leaders who would pushback when it mattered.

“I don’t want yes people. I want people who will challenge, but that we all still work together as a team.”

This matters even more in an association environment, where leaders work across internal teams while serving a large and diverse membership base. Communication, credibility, and trust show up quickly both inside and outside the organization.

What Success Looked Like

Regardless of function, across communications, finance, technology, and government affairs, Brent’s brief came down to a few consistent requirements:

Functional credibility
Each hire needed to bring clear expertise in their discipline.

Team fit and leadership style
Each leader needed the confidence to challenge and the maturity to collaborate.

Trust and clarity with stakeholders
Leaders needed to communicate clearly, build trust quickly, and represent the organization well.

The Approach

1) Start with the leadership team, not the job ad

Before any role went to market, Paramount worked with Brent to understand the existing senior leadership team.

Brent asked his senior directors to complete personality assessments. At that point, Jess had not met anyone on the team.

Jess and Brent then sat down together to review the assessment data. Based purely on the profiles, Jess described how each individual showed up day to day, highlighting strengths, blind spots, and how they interacted with others.

The accuracy surprised Brent. In one case, Jess described a team member as a “mama bear” figure within the organization, a phrase the team themselves used internally.

That moment showed how the assessment process could surface realities interviews often miss, and it gave Brent confidence that the search would be grounded in evidence rather than assumptions.

2) Use evidence to separate “strong" from “right”

Across the searches, Brent saw a common pattern.

Candidates could interview well, do their homework and look very strong on paper.

But as he put it:

       “There were some great candidates and highly qualified, but they may not have fit into the team           or the culture.”

Personality assessment data and structured evaluation gave Brent and his team a clearer way to judge how someone would respond under pressure, handle disagreement, and contribute to the senior team dynamic.

In several cases, this also supported a broader approach to sector background. Some of the hires came from outside the association world, including finance leadership from healthcare and insurance. What mattered most was whether someone was strong in their discipline and would work well inside the team.

As Brent said:

"Although they may not have been part of the association world prior, they are an expert and a professional in their area." _{Brent Swander, CEO, Columbus Realtors}

3) Stay involved, but don’t push the decision

Throughout the process, Paramount supported candidate vetting, interviews, and interpretation of assessment insights. Brent also valued their candor, especially when candidates tried to bypass the process by contacting the client directly.

But the defining feature was autonomy.

"I have never felt pressured to hire a single candidate." - Brent Swander

In some instances, Paramount stepped out to allow the leadership team to decide collaboratively.

That combination of structure, evidence, and restraint meant that when Brent said yes, it was with confidence.

Results and Impact

Each senior appointment has strengthened the organization in a different way.

Communications: a foundation hire that enabled scale

The Senior Director of Communications was one of the first roles filled, and it became a foundation hire for the organization.

At the time of appointment, the role had one direct report. With the right leadership in place, that function expanded steadily. Over time, it grew into a team of seven, covering communications, marketing, events, and community engagement.

Getting this hire right early created stability and set a clear standard for how senior leaders would build and lead their teams. It also improved collaboration across functions that had previously operated more independently.

Technology: turning ambition into delivery

The Senior Director of Technology role was created to build technology capability to support both internal teams and the membership base.

Following the hire, the organization rebuilt its internal infrastructure, launched a new website, and rolled out three new products for members.

The role bridged technical and non-technical stakeholders and helped the organization move forward in an environment that is always changing.

Finance and operations: clarity at leadership level

The new Senior Director of Finance and Operations brought a different perspective, coming from outside the association world.

The most visible impact from this hire is in how financial information is shared. Financials are clearer, more transparent, and easier to articulate. Changing how data is understood and communicated has improved leadership and board-level discussions.

Government affairs: trust, autonomy, and external impact

In the search for a new Government Affairs Director, the emphasis was on trust.

The role required someone who could operate externally, build relationships, and represent the organization without constant oversight.

That trust profile was built into the hiring discussion from the start. With the right person in place, government affairs activity has expanded across Central Ohio.

What Changed Over Time

The senior leadership team moved away from siloed departments and built a culture where teams support each other to better serve members.

In 2025, Columbus REALTORS® recorded zero staff turnover.

As Brent put it:

“No one that Jess has hired has left.” - Brent Swander

Why Columbus REALTORS® continues to work with Paramount

Over time, Columbus REALTORS® has made Paramount part of how senior hiring decisions are made. They understand the organization and the leadership team, and that understanding carries through each search.

As senior roles have been filled, trust has increased and teams are working more closely together. And this culture is a core component of what makes Columbus REALTORS® unique.

“Paramount helped us get the right people into the right seats for the right reasons. They understood our team and our culture from the start, and I never once felt pressured to hire anyone. They’ve become a trusted advisor to me, and I’d recommend them to any organization hiring at senior level.” _{Brent Swander, CEO, Columbus Realtors}

Leadership hires affect culture, pace, and confidence across an organization. If you’re planning a senior hire and want to reduce risk, a confidential conversation is a good place to start.

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