In This Issue…
Dates & Deadlines
May 29 Webinar: What Will It Look Like? Tips to Help You Reopen Your Association
Please join us Friday, May 29 at 12:00 ET for the next in the AEI Year-Round Webinar Sessions, “What Will It Look Like? Tips to Help You Reopen Your Association.” As the country slowly begins to reopen, what should you consider in your association reopening plan to ensure the well-being of your staff and your members? Join us to confirm that your reopening checklist is complete and you’re ready to slowly and safely resume working in your office environment. Register here.
Facilitator: John Sebree, RCE, CEO, Missouri REALTORS®; Panelists: Katie Johnson, General Counsel and Chief Member Experience Officer, NAR; Donna Garcia, RCE, SPHR, Director, Compensation, Benefits, and Strategic Association Management, NAR; Steve Francks, RCE, CEO, Washington REALTORS®; Lauren Hansen, CEO, IRES MLS, Loveland, CO
June 1 Deadline: Take the State Issues Tracker Survey
NAR needs your feedback by June 1 on our advocacy resources. Take the quick survey online.
June 2 Webinar: Housing Need in Rural America
As part of the Rural Outreach Initiative program, Community Outreach will conduct a webinar on Tuesday, June 2, 2:00 PM ET about the challenges and opportunities of housing in rural areas with a focus on affordability, lack of funding to build new units; zoning that restricts housing supply; limited access to credit; a dearth of rental options; and now impact of COVID-19. Expert speakers include staff from the Housing Assistance Council, NAR SMEs and two local Realtor® Associations. For more information and to register for the webinar, contact Holly Moskerintz at 202-383-1157.
June 10 Webinar: RPAC Fundraising Resources You Can Use Now!
Did you know NAR has resources available to help raise funds and educate your members about RPAC without relying on traditional in-person events? The Fundraising Partnership Grant Program and Online Fundraising Program are available to help! Join Peter Kelly, Director of RPAC Technology and Online Fundraising, and Liz Best-Bradford, RPAC Fundraising Representative, on June 10 at 3:00 PM ET to review resources you can take advantage of now, best practices, and new ideas for the current environment. Register now! For more information, contact Liz Demorest at 202-383-1061.
Advocacy Resources & News
2020 GAD Institute Virtual: GAD Nation
SAVE THE DATE: Virtual Institute is coming to you (FREE) with two weeks of exciting sessions, speakers, and content! Week 1 starts July 14, and will run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (July 14-16). Week 2 launches July 21 and will also run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (21-23). Each segment will run 2-3 hours and will alternate between a lecture followed by Q&A or a panel discussion with subject matter experts. Registration will open soon.
Issues Mobilization Program Notice
As states begin to reopen, state and local public policy activity is sure to follow. The Issues Mobilization Program continues to operate and is available to help you prepare for upcoming legislative activity and ballot measures. For any assistance you anticipate in the second half of 2020, now is a good time to connect with us. The earlier you reach out, the better able we are to provide the assistance that you need. For more information, contact Joe Maheady at 202-383-1006 or John Winston at 202-383-1235.
Federal Coronavirus Resource List
Use this quick reference guide to easily find NAR’s Coronavirus content on nar.realtor.
Remote Online Notarization
With the surge in emergency executive orders surrounding remote online notarization (RON) during COVID-19, NAR, in coordination with Notarize, ALTA, and the MBA, has developed a model order. NAR is tracking RON orders and keeps an updated list of orders related to COVID-19 on the REALTOR Party website. If you have questions, contact Amy Bos, NAR Technology Policy Representative.
New Protect Your Investment Brochure NOW AVAILABLE in Spanish!
REALTORS® and associations have access to a new resource to share with homeowners who are struggling to meet their loan obligations due to COVID-19. The Protect Your Investment brochure, which encourages homeowners to work with REALTORS® and housing counselors and offers guidance on options provided by lenders, is now available in Spanish. Associations and REALTORS® may add their logo to the cover for a customized look. For more information, contact Wendy Penn at 202-383-7504.
Read the Latest on Common Ground: Retooling Communities in the Age of COVID-19
The latest On Common Ground covers the impacts of COVID on both our personal space and our shared public space, including ways localities are helping people to keep their housing, changes to public and private spaces, and strategies for small businesses to keep the doors open. An online version is available via the OCG APP (Apple) (Google Play) and online via. More than 35,000 copies were distributed to state and local associations and elected officials. Are you on the list? If not, contact Catherine Mesick or contact Hugh Morris at 202-383-1278.
Need a speaker for your virtual or in-person association meeting? The 2020 REALTOR Party Travel Team is Open for business!
Travel Team members are available to give a quick 5- to 10-minute overview on topics such as GOTV (Get Out the Vote), Voter Registration, Legislative Updates, Community Outreach programs, and other REALTOR® Party programs and services. To schedule, please complete the REALTOR® Party Request Form. If you have questions, please contact Vanessa Lopez at 202-383-7509.
Taking the Lead on COVID-19 Transition and Recovery with Community Outreach Grants
Leverage REALTOR® Party Community Outreach grants to help your association address changes to help reestablish communities in response to COVD-19.
- If your community is considering changing the public infrastructure to be more accessible to accommodate social distancing, a Placemaking Grant can help build walking trails and bike lanes or a Smart Growth Grant can support creation of policies to expand access to public space for recreation and transportation.
- Are your members interested in housing resources to help clients in need? Conduct a virtual event to raise awareness about critical resources for those struggling to meet their loan obligations using a Housing Opportunity grant.
Schedule a 30-minute one-on-one virtual session with Community Outreach staff if you are interested in brainstorming ideas. Access these On Common Ground: Reinventing How Communities Work and Urban Roundtable: Evolving Communities in the Age of COVID-19 and event recording for additional inspiration. For more information, contact Christine Windle at 202-383-1135.
RPAC Update
2020 President’s Circle Deadline
Round 3 of President’s Circle launched on May 11. We highly encourage President’s Circle members to make their first $500 investment toward President’s Circle by May 31. However, if you have members who cannot complete their first $500 investment given the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact NAR RPAC Staff.
Maintaining RPAC Goals and Awards
At this time the RPAC Trustees Fundraising Committee and NAR RPAC volunteer leaders agreed to maintain the existing 2020 RPAC goals for NAR awards. They will continue to evaluate the situation through the remainder of the year. Track your Triple Crown status and President’s Cup status online. For additional information, contact Lauren Colicelli at 202-383-1080.
Reminder: Online Fundraising Resources Available
Need help updating your RPAC fundraising strategy for 2020? The Online Fundraising Program provides resources and solutions for creating and executing online campaigns, phone banks, investment forms and more. Contact Peter Kelly at 202-383-7599 for more information.
NAR’S Economic Outlook
| ★ | 5 Housing Market Trends as of April 2020 NAR’s April 2020 Realtors® Confidence Index (RCI) Survey shows the effect of coronavirus social distancing measures on the housing market. Here are five trends based on the data. |
| ★ | April 2020 Foot Traffic Report Home viewings data from SentriLock®, LLC, a lockbox company, indicates a continued downward trend in home buyer traffic in April 2020 with respect to the prior month and one year ago in the wake of coronavirus social distancing measures, stay-at-home orders and the unprecedented rise in unemployment. |
| ★ | Tracking Jobless Claims by State: Week Ending May 16 Most of the companies hiring additional employees to meet increased demand are included in the following industries: health care, food and grocery stores, delivery, and telecommunications. |
| ★ | Unemployment Continues to Show Signs of Slowing Millions of small businesses were able to benefit from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and rehire their furloughed employees. |
| ★ | 2020 Sustainability Snapshot NAR reported on the growth of sustainability efforts in the real estate industry. This post highlights REALTOR® feedback on sustainable issues. |
For more information on NAR’s Economic Outlook, contact Meredith Dunn at 202-383-1207.
Message from the GAD Chair
Julia Parenteau
GAD Chair
Texas REALTORS®
One of my favorite books is Einstein’s Dreams (by Alan Lightman), which describes the different ways time can move relative to one’s perception. The weeks (months) since we all Went Home™ have gone so quickly… but the minutes and hours have often been agonizingly slow.
We have moved from crisis mode to management mode, and that might be one of the reasons things feel slower, giving us a little time to look back and contemplate how we got here. Maybe you have a bit of a routine down now and while it’s not like the Before Times, hopefully it feels more settled than before.
I have said it before, but it merits saying again: look how much you have accomplished and learned! You might be feelin’ a bit Sisyphus right now, but you’re lookin’ pretty Hercules.
Speaking of Herculean effort, can we pause for a minute and give props to our Pennsylvania family? Way to go the distance, y’all. Congratulations on all your hard work finally paying off.
And if we are talking about things getting done: your Advisory Group has jumped, with enthusiasm and without hesitation, into the task of revamping the GAD Institute into programming that makes sense for our current environment. They are working swiftly to develop interesting and engaging sessions that will be of value to you now and throughout your career. I am so grateful for their competence and openness. And I’m really excited about the Institute they’re creating for GAD Nation.
And none of that could be done without the support of NAR staff, especially Christina, Jim, and Gerry, who have so graciously absorbed everything I’ve thrown at them with more patience than I might deserve. We are lucky to have them holding space for us.
It feels strange to lift our heads up and eye the future when we remain so uncertain what the coming days will bring. But it is just about summer: the days are brighter, and the weather is warmer. However, it might be accomplished, it is time to look ahead. I’m looking forward to seeing what you do next.
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