REALTOR Party News – December 2020

REALTOR® Value Solidified in 2020

As the book closes on 2020 and we all hope for brighter days in 2021, I want to take a minute to reflect upon these past 12 months. Though we’ve been through so much here in America and around the world, there is reason to celebrate our resiliency, our progress, our success, and our optimism for the year ahead.
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5

Number of business policy issues to watch for in 2021 according to NAR’s Business Issues Policy Committee. The committee reviewed these issues — independent contractor status, anti-money-laundering efforts, real estate fraud, COVID-19 relief efforts, and fair housing — during their meeting at the virtual 2020 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.
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8

Episodes in NAR’s new series, First Time Buyer by the National Association of REALTORS®, which is streaming to over 40 million households on Roku. A new take on real estate TV, the program focuses on the relationship between REALTOR® and homebuyer to provide viewers with a genuine, up-close look at the home buying process and the critical role REALTORS® play in every transaction from beginning to end.
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2016

The last time homebuying activity has been this hot, according to NAR. This is the result of historically low-interest rates, shifting consumer trends in the face of the pandemic, and an increasingly favorable climate for homeownership in America. In October, existing-home sales jumped by 27% annually, while single-family housing starts also registered their highest production rates since 2007. Perhaps most notably, NAR economists project that more houses will be built as demand rises and with homebuilders able to borrow money at a cheaper rate to finance construction.
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3.5%

The projected growth of America’s Gross Domestic Product in 2021, according to roughly two dozen leading economists in a report released at NAR’s Real Estate Forecast Summit on December 10. The experts predicted that housing prices would climb 8.0% next year and 5.5% in 2022, with 30-year fixed mortgage rates hovering around 3.0% through 2021. Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Phoenix, Indianapolis and Des Moines join five other metropolitan areas in NAR’s top 10 real estate markets in the post-COVID-19 environment.
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Louisiana REALTORS® Use REALTOR® Party Mobile Alerts to Advocate for Keeping Eviction Records a Matter of Public Record

When a state Senate bill threatened to seal all eviction records this fall, the Louisiana REALTORS® issued a last-minute Call for Action via Advocacy Everywhere. Despite the timing, the global pandemic, and the heavy weather plaguing the state, members rallied and contacted their legislators. The response had the desired effect.
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California Association of REALTORS® Leads the Charge to Update State Property Tax Legislation

California’s Proposition 13, a property tax limit enacted in 1978, had become a golden handcuff for many senior homeowners, leaving them ‘stranded’ in a home whose tax basis was too good to relinquish.  On Election Day 2020, voters approved Proposition 19, revising the law to address modern-day realities.  The state REALTOR® association, with help from the REALTOR® Party and the California Professional Firefighters, made it happen.
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Nearly Nine Million Americans Have Moved Since the Pandemic Began

NAR’s research team recently published new findings about the migratory trends of Americans in 2020, with data on incoming and outgoing residents broken down by state. NAR tracked change-of-address data from the U.S. Postal Service from March to October to determine mobility changes since the pandemic began, showing a total of 8.93 million people who have relocated over that time.
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Engage Your Community. Build Coalitions. Advocate for Housing Affordability.

With home prices expected to continue rising in 2021 and 2022, NAR’s Housing Affordability Toolkit continues to provide valuable resources to help REALTORS® and state and local REALTOR® Associations address affordability challenges in the communities they serve. The toolkit is based on the successes of other associations and offers practical tips and examples for a range of activities, including housing fairs, buyer education classes, housing forums and more.
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Partnership with Buffini & Company Designed for New Agents

A new educational resource for real estate agents developed by Buffini & Company was unveiled at November’s 2020 REALTORS® Conference & Expo. A 14-week program designed primarily to help new and incoming agents build long-term success, 100 Days to Greatness® was created by North America’s largest training and coaching firm. Registration will be offered to NAR members at a discount through the association’s REALTOR Benefits® Program.
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On Common Ground: Recovering, Rebuilding, Rebalancing

The Fall 2020 edition of On Common Ground explores the ways in which our society is responding to the death of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic. These two seismic shifts demanded everyone’s attention, everyone’s thoughts, and everyone’s participation.
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The Search is Over! Be Found with a Top-level Domain

Set yourself apart and set your business up for exponential growth with a .realtor™ or .realestate domain that separates you from the pack and clearly positions your brand as a cut above the competition. Claim your name and up your game today at get.realtor!
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NAR, AARP Partner to Educate REALTORS® on Community Livability

REALTORS® will be offered access to resources that can help better serve older Americans, thanks to a new partnership between NAR and AARP. Data from AARP Livability Index, which offers vital insight into various community factors that impact property owners of all ages, will be integrated into the REALTORS Property Resource® website and mobile app. REALTORS® will also be able to access robust national data, broken down by ZIP code, and pass that information along to clients.
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Interactive REALTOR^® Party Resource Guide

Get the latest updates and information on advocacy grants, programs, resources, and educational opportunities with the Interactive REALTOR^® Party Resource Guide. A new design, dynamic search functions, and integrated Realtor Party Tracker data offer a complete view of the REALTOR^® Party at work in communities nationwide. Bookmark this invaluable online resource today.
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