RE/MAX Broker/Owner Larry Keating Named an Honoree of the NAR Distinguished Service Award

Larry Keating, Co-Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Jefferson City in Missouri, has continually made a positive impact on the real estate industry since 1983 when he first earned his license. In a tribute to his exemplary leadership over a nearly 40-year career, Keating is being recognized as a 2021 honoree of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Distinguished Service Award, making him the 99th person ever to win.

According to NAR, those who receive the Distinguished Service Award “have shown exceptionally meritorious service for at least 25 years and have been recognized as local leaders whose performance and involvement in political and community activities have been extraordiNARy.”

As one of just three winners of this accolade that have come from Missouri, Keating shares how meaningful it is to receive a very rare and prestigious honor. 

“My wife Sharon passed away in July. She was the Co-Owner and founder of the company alongside Richard Mendenhall and myself. She was more excited than I was when they announced I was picked as the 2021 recipient in May,” he says.

“It’s something to be proud of, and there are so few of us who have won and still participate in real estate,” Keating shares.

Keating has served on the Finance Committee of NAR for over 15 years. He initially became involved when he and his wife were just starting up with RE/MAX and on a pursuit to network and develop industry connections. Nowadays, he still enjoys meeting REALTORS® from all over the country, collaborating and bringing great ideas back to his RE/MAX business. 

Keating also prioritizes giving back, which he does for the real estate industry as a member of NAR and the Missouri Association of REALTORS.

In regard to his determination to stay involved with NAR, Keating says that, “Somebody has to do what needs to be done. It’s important [and] it’s very rewarding to have your ideas come to life on a national level and on the local level with Missouri Association of REALTORS.”

As a past President of the Missouri Association of REALTORS, Keating was asked to chair a committee to pass two Missouri constitutional amendments. The first was to ban transfer taxes in 2010 and the second was to ban taxes on services in 2016. Both were successful.

In his past career, Keating ran a construction company of 45 employees through large-scale restoration projects around the Midwest. Already real estate adjacent, he looked into franchise options to launch a new business.

“I became convinced that the vehicle that we needed to get us to where we wanted to be was RE/MAX,” he recalls. “After a lot of research, it was RE/MAX that checked all the boxes.”

He admires that being affiliated with both RE/MAX and NAR comes with the ability to impact the lives of others and act with ethical awareness when making decisions that could affect the industry as a whole.

“Real estate is tough on folks, but I do think it’s a great way to make a living,” Keating says. “I would tell any  person who is interested in a real estate career that  RE/MAX is the way to go.”

He continues, “I do plan to stay involved with  the NAR finance committee and the Missouri REALTORS finance and executive committees that I sit on, and continue to work with RE/MAX. I’m going to stay doing what I love to do for as long as I’m able to.”

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