Seattle King County REALTORS® CEO Announces Retirement
September 4, 2026
Russell Hokanson, longtime CEO of King County’s foremost real estate trade association, recently announced his retirement at the end of 2026. Russ has led the organization for 20 years, representing nearly 6,000 residential real estate brokers throughout King and Kittitas counties. Among his most notable accomplishments are leading the association through the 2008 market crash and managing the association’s merger with the former Kittitas association in 2023.
“Russ’s leadership as CEO of Seattle King County REALTORS® has helped shape not only our association, but the real estate industry throughout Seattle, King County, and Washington State,” said Cheyenne Gillooly, a broker with Keller Williams Greater Seattle and the 2026 President of Seattle King County REALTORS®. “He has an incredible ability to understand the landscape in front of us, see around the corner, and find the path forward. He leaves our organization with a strong foundation and a respected voice.”
The Association is currently conducting a search for a new CEO with the assistance of Stephen Kowalchuk of Corporate Management Advisors Inc.
When Russ joined Seattle King County REALTORS® as association executive (AE) in late 2006, he brought with him experience in advocacy, customer service, and leadership that would serve him well in the role. After earning degrees in philosophy and English, he began his career on a political campaign that led to a full-time position as a legislative aide. He benefited from the guidance of mentors in Olympia, including Congressman Joel Pritchard, who taught him that “there’s no telling what you can accomplish if you don’t mind who gets the credit.” That philosophy became a hallmark of Russ’s leadership, as Presidents and Board members experienced his consistent attempt to push credit away from himself and elevate others.
Later, as an external affairs manager in the telecommunications industry, Russ embraced a customer-first approach that became a cornerstone of his leadership within the REALTOR® association, first at the Snohomish County Camano Association of REALTORS® and later at Seattle King County REALTORS®. Russ promoted customer service as the primary value proposition of the association, guiding program discussions and leadership decisions with the question, “How does this serve our members?”
Throughout his tenure as CEO, he remained committed to developing leaders and building consensus among the thousands of independent-minded professionals who make up the REALTOR® community. He hopes his legacy will not be measured by his personal achievements, but instead by the leaders he helped develop and the positive impact they will continue to have on the real estate industry.
“When thinking about the highlights of my tenure with Seattle King County REALTORS®, the answer is very simple: it’s the people,” said Russ. “REALTORS® are unique. They are dedicated professionals who help people realize their dreams of home ownership every day. Working with them through our organization has made my career incredibly rewarding.”
Seattle King County REALTORS® is a nonprofit professional trade association known for its housing advocacy efforts with cities and counties and its championing of “middle housing” development as a solution to meet the needs of the region’s workforce. The association provides innovative professional development opportunities to brokers and promotes ethical business practices. SKCR has 6,000 members and is a local board of the National Association of REALTORS®.