New AE/GAD Orientation: March 31 & April 1
Twice a year, NAR holds a two-day orientation at our DC office for new AEs and GADs. This training highlights opportunities for state and local REALTOR® associations to engage in community and consumer outreach, legislative and political advocacy, RPAC, campaign services, and research. It also provides valuable information on creating successful REALTOR® Party advocacy and outreach efforts for your association. Registration is now open and limited to 35 attendees on a first come, first served basis. Questions? Contact Jim MacGregor.
Federal Resources
White House Creates Guide to Help States & Localities Access Infrastructure Resources
The White House recently created a website that features a guidebook with program-by-program information to help state and local officials access financial resources available to communities under the bipartisan infrastructure law. The site also includes a data file that allows applicants to search available programs by name, funding amount, geographic area, agency, or other fields.
Homeowners Assistance Fund
The American Rescue Plan, passed in March 2021, included a $9.96 billion fund to support homeowners struggling due to a pandemic-related hardship such as a job loss, decline in income, or caring for an ill family member. The Treasury Department allocated funds to each state to distribute to distressed homeowners. The National Council of State Housing Agencies created a website that links to all of the of current and developing state programs. This is an excellent resource to share with anyone who may need assistance. Questions? Contact Ken Fears.
Upcoming Meetings
Join REALTOR Party at AEI!
During the upcoming AE Institute in Atlanta (March 11-14), please join your peers and NAR staff for interactive discussions on how to leverage REALTOR® Party resources to meet your association’s advocacy goals. From panel discussions on issues mobilization and community outreach grants to networking roundtables, a REALTOR® Party lunch, and a Core Standards workshop, you will get expert advice and ideas to take home to your members. You can also stop by the REALTOR® Party resource table that will be staffed throughout the Institute to get your questions answered. Questions? Contact Joe Maheady at 202-383-1006 or Christine Windle at 202-383-1135.
REALTOR Legislative Meeting and Trade Expo Registration Opens This Week
Registration for the 2022 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo (RLMTE) opened on Wednesday, February 16. Held the week of May 1-6, the majority of the conference will take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center. There will be no housing lottery for the headquarters hotel this year, so only a handful of members will be guaranteed rooms at the Gaylord. As of now, all RLMTE programming and committee meetings will be in-person, and NAR will abide by all local COVID protocols. For additional questions or information, please visit the RLMTE website.
RLMTE FPC Specifics
NAR is asking all FPCs to schedule their Capitol Hill visits for Tuesday, May 3, whether in-person or virtually (if requested by their respective congressional office). At present, in accordance with Capitol Hill protocols, only the FPC and four additional REALTORS/association staff will be permitted to attend in-person Hill meetings (five total participants max). We are leaving it up to the states to determine who will attend the in-person meeting. Despite this year’s conference coinciding with a congressional district work period, during which many House Members will not be in DC (the Senate will be in session), FPCs should proceed with scheduling meetings on Capitol Hill, even if meeting with legislative staff in lieu of their Member of Congress.
Please Note: The FPC room block will be at The Capitol Hilton this year. These rooms will be available exclusively to FPCs who register and confirm their hotel between February 16 and February 26. After February 26, room requests will be assigned to available hotels.
For additional questions specific to FPC activity, contact Victoria Givens at 202-383-1021. More information has also been shared on the GAD Community of The HUB.
FPC Meritorious Service Award Application Now Open
Submit an application to nominate one of your FPCs to receive the 2022 FPC Meritorious Service Award! The deadline for nominations is Friday, April 1. Each year, we recognize two FPCs whose outstanding work has contributed to creating a sound and dynamic U.S. real estate market, fostering vibrant communities, and advancing our policy objectives in Washington. These FPCs are selected through a rigorous process that includes the states and national leadership. They are awarded the Meritorious Service Award (MSA) during the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in May. For more information, contact Victoria Givens at 202-383-1021.
Consumer Advocacy Outreach
Consumer Voices Make Your Advocacy Efforts Stronger
With a Consumer Advocacy Outreach grant, your association can apply for up to $25,000 to engage with a powerful collective of consumers in your community and advocate for public policy issues that impact homeownership and property rights. Grants are reviewed by the Consumer Advocacy Outreach Advisory Board on the first Tuesday of each month. The requesting association is required to present for five minutes. Contact Erin Murphy at 202-383-1079 to chat about what you’re working on or start filling out the application.
Community Outreach
Fair Housing Month is Around the Corner
Make plans to leverage Fair Housing Grants to support fair housing month, fair housing education, and partnerships with local organizations that further the mission of fair housing – plus satisfy the Core Standards fair housing requirement. Need ideas and inspiration? Access resources or search “Fair Housing” in REALTOR® Party success stories. Questions? Contact Catherine Mesick at 202-383-7512.
Create More Livable Communities
Apply for a Smart Growth grant up to $10,000 to plan and advocate for policies and strategies that advance mixed-use development, higher densities, improved affordability, walkability, and access to transit. Visit REALTOR® Party Success Stories and search “Smart Growth” for examples or contact Hugh Morris at 202-383-1278.
Plan a Placemaking Project for REALTORS are Good Neighbors Volunteer Days
Apply for a Placemaking Grant to help build a community gathering spot within a downtown, community garden, or dog park as a way to participate in REALTORS are Good Neighbors Volunteer Days (June 4-12). View the Placemaking Toolkit or Spaces to Places Blog for inspiration on how to bolster REALTOR® pride and benefit your members by creating attractive, publicly accessible community assets. Questions? Contact Catherine Mesick at 202-383-7512.
Engage in Housing Affordability Initiatives
Lay the groundwork for housing affordability initiatives in your region through NAR’s Housing Opportunity Grant program. View the Expanding Housing Opportunity Toolkit for success stories, State and Local Policy Strategies to Advance Affordability for policy solutions, and On Common Ground: Addressing the Housing Shortage for more on how all levels of government and the private sector are responding to the housing shortage. Questions? Contact Christine Windle at 202-383-1135.
Take Action with Help from a Community Outreach Grant
Community Outreach grants fund initiatives and projects that lay the groundwork for advocacy success. Host a stakeholder meeting, schedule a policy forum, conduct a class, or support a study that advances your association’s housing affordability, growth and development, fair housing and/or rural issue priorities. View the video or schedule a 30-minute session to learn more about how these grants can help. Questions? Contact Christine Windle at 202-383-1135.
REALTOR® Party Success Stories – February 2022
Each month, stories highlighting state and local associations that achieved an advocacy “win” with a REALTOR® Party grant or resource are highlighted and cataloged in the REALTOR Party Success Stories. Success stories created in February include:
- REALTORS Lead Effort to Create a Healing Garden in More Than One Way in Akron
- REALTORS® Association of South Central Wisconsin Leverages Issues Mobilization and Advocacy Everywhere to Increase Development of Multifamily Housing
- With a Timely Call For Action, REALTOR® Associations of Washington State and Kittitas County Dissuade Lawmakers from Doubling Real Estate Excise Tax
- Advocacy Everywhere Helps Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS® Protect Rights of Coastal Homeowners
RPAC Fundraising
Training Webinar: Corporate Ally Program
Do you know how the Corporate Ally Program works to benefit your association and the real estate industry? Join us on Tuesday, March 15 at 3:00pm Eastern to learn about the benefits of the Corporate Ally Program, recruitment strategies, and how the program can help you meet your fundraising goals. Click here to register or contact Liz Demorest at 202-383-1061.
2022 President’s Circle
The 2022 President’s Circle program launched its first round on January 11, which consisted of the four National Party Committees and the opportunity for FPCs to invest $500 to the re-election campaign for their Member of Congress. The RPAC President’s Circle Conference takes place this month, February 24-27. For more information on President’s Circle, contact Avery Walker at 202-383-1268.
RPAC Major Investor Recognition Deadlines
Make sure you and your members are recognized as RPAC Major Investors by the April, October, and December deadlines! Click here for all dates and important details. These are HARD deadlines to submit RPAC investments to the NAR Finance Office. For questions about RPAC transmittal deadlines, contact Jackie Zaporowski at 202-383-1029 or Debbie Frey at 312-329-8565.
NAR Research and Press Releases
Commercial Weekly: Record Industrial Leasing in 2021
Supply chain disruptions have led firms to lease additional industrial space to use as storage in an attempt to reduce reliance on supplier inventory.
By: Brandon Hardin
Monthly State Retail Sales: January 2019 to October 2021
Search for monthly retail data by month, year, retail type, and state from January 2019 through October 2021.
By: Brandon Hardin
Commercial Weekly: Sunbelt and Mountain Metro Areas Undergoing the Most Intense Apartment Construction Activity as of 2021 Q4
A strong and sustained job recovery, years of net domestic in-migration even during the pandemic, and the relative affordability of rental housing in these markets compared to other markets are drawing workers, businesses, and retirees.
By: Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton
Young Adults Are Returning to their Family’s Homes, but for How Long?
In 2020, the share of young adults aged 25 to 34 living at home grew to the highest share recorded since 1960. Regardless of the reason, living with family may provide a benefit to potential first-time home buyers.
By: Jessica Lautz
More Consumers Are Optimistic About Their Income Outlook
Take a look at the latest trends on the perception of ability to obtain credit, income growth and moving expectations from the Federal Reserve Board of New York’s Survey of Consumer Expectations.
By: Michael Hyman
Key Dates
May 1–6, 2022
REALTORS® Legislative Meetings
Brad Ward
GAD Chair
Michigan REALTORS®
This one is for the new and seasoned GADs.
The GAD Advisory Group is in the thick of planning this Summer’s Philly institute and I’m excited about all the great content that we have coming your way. The AG took your survey responses to heart and while the institute will look similar, we hope that you notice and appreciate some of the changes in the programing. And I’m not just talking about delivering on my campaign promise of snacks.
One important change – identifying learning objectives for each session to make sure they deliver relevant content for both newer and seasoned GADs. It’s a difficult sweet spot to hit given the breadth of knowledge and expertise in GAD Nation. We hope that everyone leaves the institute this summer feeling that their time was well spent.
In the spirit of catering to the rookies, I’m pleased to announce the March New GAD Orientation. This Spring’s session will be held in Washington, D.C. from March 31 – April 1st and registration is now open. Please reach out to your new colleagues and encourage them to attend. This is invaluable training to those just joining the REALTOR® family.
For veteran GADs, one of the challenges facing GAD Nation is maintaining updated data on who is a GAD. There are many different job titles out there, and no way to signify “GAD” in the M1 membership database, so our contact list is one that relies heavily on self-editing. I’m asking those GADs in senior roles within their association to take a moment to review the information for their state or association and help clean up our mailing and contact list. This means adding missing names and subtracting names of those no longer with your association – this can be done right on the GAD directory. If you are having trouble or have questions about the GAD Directory, please email Jim MacGregor.
GAD Nation grows stronger when we work together.
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