The REALTOR Party

A “Decline to Sign” campaign aimed at Montana voters helped to keep a proposed constitutional amendment off the ballot; though the initiative sought to exploit widespread public angst over residential property taxes, it would actually have replaced the state’s market-value based property tax system with an acquisition-value based system that would dis-incentivize listings and shift the tax burden to anyone buying property in Montana.

Twice in the past four years, Thousand Oaks, California has experienced devastating wildfires.  To mitigate the risk of future damage and loss, the local REALTOR® Association used polling and a Consumer Advocacy Grant from the REALTOR® Party to help convince officials that maintenance of the open space surrounding the city should be a priority. 

In 2016, the REALTOR® Party established a Smart Growth mindset in the City of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, by funding an in-depth walkability study that continues to inform local decision-makers on infrastructure improvements.  Improvements large and small undertaken by the local REALTORS® and the city have strengthened the partnership and leveraged additional outside support.  

When rent control was put on the ballot in Columbus, Ohio, the state REALTOR® association stepped in to tackle the issue before it became a home-rule free-for-all among local jurisdictions.  They used an Issues Mobilization Grant to have an expert draft the legislation, and spared the entire state from a policy that actually decreases much-needed housing.

Working with the Planning Department of the largest county in its Northern Virginia operating area, Greater Piedmont REALTORS® commissioned a State and Local Growth poll from the REALTOR® Party that helped to quantify local attitudes toward housing growth.  The resulting data will help decision-makers in their long-term planning, and the project strengthened the REALTORS®’ role as community partners.

Not disposing of nuclear waste in any region’s precious waterways would seem be a matter of common sense, but apparently, in Massachusetts, the corporation responsible for decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station wants to do just that.  To protect the environment, the economy, and the health of local communities, the South Shore REALTORS® have mobilized in opposition.

In collaboration with the Bitterroot Valley Board of REALTORS®, the Missoula Organization of REALTORS® is helping to educate homeowners, builders, and everyone involved with the real estate industry about the new rules governing residential property wastewater systems in Ravalli County, Montana.  Their campaign was supported by one of the REALTOR® Party’s new Rural Outreach Grants.

There was no question that the wastewater infrastructure of Yarmouth, Massachusetts was overdue to be replaced, but the local REALTORS took no chances when a major plan that was years in the making was put to a final vote.  A campaign supported by an Issues Mobilization grant from the REALTOR Party reminded voters how important the new system was to the environment, the residents, and to the peninsula’s tourist economy.                    

Passions were high, and the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association had been tipped-off by social media to expect protesters at the public meeting it was hosting. Duly warned, they hired security, but in fact, the REALTORS® welcomed the opposition: it meant a chance to reach people who were misunderstanding the data behind a recent economic report recommending higher-density development in the small central Florida city of Oviedo. The REALTORS® were sponsoring the meeting to clarify and defend the report and its recommendations prior to the City Council’s consideration of a new comprehensive plan. Thanks to the expertise and level-headed sensitivity of the team they brought in to face the music, the contentious affair became a highly productive community conversation. A savvy mayor supported the effort, and a Smart Growth Grant from the REALTOR® Party made it possible.

Median housing prices in Tennessee have increased over 22%, and newcomers are coming to the state in droves, so the values of fair housing and equal opportunity housing are more important than ever. To elevate and amplify conversations and advocacy promoting these principles, the leadership of Tennessee REALTORS® spearheaded an effort to have the state legislature pass a resolution making April Fair Housing Month at the state level.

Without a local internet use tax in place on sales from out-of-state vendors, the City of Columbia, Missouri and its surrounding county had been missing out on tens of millions of revenue dollars from the online shopping trend.  To help the municipality capture this income for essential services, the Columbia Board of REALTORS® used an Issues Mobilization Grant from the REALTOR® Party to convince voters to adopt the tax.  

Delaware has the highest Realty Transfer Tax in the nation, and research showed the state REALTOR® association that many consumers don’t understand the impact it has on buying and selling property.  A Consumer Advocacy Grant from the REALTOR® Party helped inform the public, the first step toward building an informed voter base in favor of lowering the tax and making homeownership more affordable.

NC REALTORS® asserted REALTOR® support of fair housing principles in a campaign they called ‘We Open Doors to Everyone,’ targeting North Carolina thought leaders, influencers, and stakeholder populations throughout April and May.   It was made possible by NC REALTORS® Issues Mobilization funds, and its reach was extended by a Consumer Advocacy Outreach Grant from the REALTOR® Party. 

A Consumer Advocacy Grant from the REALTOR® Party helped the South Bay Association of REALTORS®, the Pasadena-Foothills Association of REALTORS®, the Glendale Association of REALTORS®, the Greater LA Association of REALTORS®, the Greater Antelope Valley Association of REALTORS®, and the Southland Regional Association of REALTORS® educate consumers on two major new laws that boost homeowners’ rights, exemptions, and market feasibility.

An Issues Mobilization Grant helped the local REALTORS® rally a Tennessee community in opposition to a proposed moratorium on new developments that would have increased the price of housing and hurt the construction and trade industries.  Advocacy Everywhere got the message through to the County Commission.