The 600-member Billings Association of REALTORSĀ® (BAR) has a long-held belief that REALTORSĀ® do much more than sell houses ā they build communities. And, their actions prove it. Launched 10 years ago, BARās Quality of Life Program raises nearly $40,000 for local charities like Dress for Success, YMCA, and Boys and Girls Club. Their two annual fundraising events ā a run and a casino night -- are coordinated through a web site they created using the Convio/REALTORĀ® Party Grassroots System. While nearly 270 REALTORĀ® associations around the country use the Convio system, most use it for advocacy and RPAC. BAR...
Oregon REALTORSĀ® Win Fight to Preserve Mortgage Interest Deduction
A proposed state sales tax on real estate services would have added $1,500 to the cost of buying and selling a $250,000 home, and the 17,000-member Minnesota Association of REALTORS (MNAR) was determined not to let that happen. Political strategists at NAR helped the state association use an Issues Mobilization Grant to craft a five-month, multi-phase campaign using a dedicated website, newspaper and online advertising, an online petition, patch-through phone calls, direct-mail and emails to homeowners. When the Governor dropped the tax on services from his proposal ā thanks, in part, to the unrelenting pressure of MNARās campaign ā the...
Wisconsinās Commercial REALTORSĀ® Partner With State & Local Governments to Make Smart Growth
Wisconsin's 575-member Commercial REALTORĀ® Association (CARW) walks the walk when it comes to its commitment to economic development and wise use of the land. In 2012, CARW put a NAR Smart Growth Grant to work in providing research and input to Wisconsinās Economic Development Corporation. CARWās participation helped to develop a new strategic plan for economic growth, job creation, and related matters including transportation, land use, and the environment. Then, last year, CARW used a second Smart Growth Grant to work with the City of Milwaukee in creating a plan to rebuild or renovate an aging sports arena in the...
Kansas REALTORSĀ® Get Stateās 99-year-old Real Estate Transfer Tax Repealed
The real estate transfer tax had been on the books in Kansas for nearly a century, and it was showing no signs of budging. But the 7,600-member Kansas Association of REALTORSĀ® decided enough was enough and set off on a mission to educate state legislators about the discriminatory nature of the tax. It affected only those taking out a mortgage, and placed an unfair burden on Kansas families, farmers and small businesses. With an Issues Mobilization Grant from NAR, combined with funds of its own and the support of the banking industry they ran a successful campaign. On the last...
No Buyerās Remorse with the REALTORSĀ® Political Action Committee (RPAC)
āThe morning after I wrote my first check to RPAC I called the state association to ask for it back,ā admits Sara Lipnitz, a Birmingham, Mich. REALTORĀ®. REALTORSĀ® understand buyerās remorse when it comes to clients, but you do not expect to hear this from a Womenās Council member who is a Golden R, RPAC Presidentās Circle member and now serves as the WCR REALTORĀ® Party Liaison. So what turned Sara around and allowed her state association to keep her check? āAccepting an invitation to spend a day at the state capitol with the association CEO and lobbyists was all...
Land Use Initiative Q2 Report
The Land Use Initiative providesĀ expert analysis and guidance of the legal, planning, economic and environmental issues surrounding legislative and regulatory land-use proposals to state and local REALTORĀ® Associations upon request. Below are the key highlights from second quarter of 2018. Key Highlights: A total of fourteen requests were processed during the months of April through June.Ā There were a mix of proposed ordinance issue areas: short-term rentals, vacant properties, comprehensive plans, to name a few. Three jurisdictions proposed short-term rental regulations (Indian Harbour Beach, Florida; Columbus, Ohio; State of Massachusetts). Two jurisdictions proposed vacant property type ordinances (Oakland, California and Cleveland...
GADs Give Back in Record Way
This year the GADs chose to support Project Connect, part of the Cincinnati School System, in order to thank and give back to the community that hosted us for the 2019 GAD Institute. Project Connect is the only program in the Greater Cincinnati area exclusively serving children experiencing homelessness. It provides advocacy paired with specialized education services and lifestyle enrichment opportunities throughout the year for children who have neither a voice, nor a choice, in being homeless. Through a collection of stuffed hygiene bags and a GoFundMe page, the GADs collected hundreds of needed hygiene products and raised $10,500, enabling...
State Key Contact Grant
Purpose: The State Key Contact Grant will provide resources and consultant expertise to help states create, grow or revise a REALTORĀ® grasstops advocacy program much like the Federal Political Coordinator program.
Contact Us
National Association of REALTORSĀ® Advocacy Group 500 New Jersey Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20001-2020 If you are a REALTORĀ®Ā and need help with REALTORĀ®Ā membership programs, please contact a CustomerĀ Support Specialist at 1-800-874-6500 (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time: Monday – Friday). If you are a state or local association and need assistance with Advocacy Everywhere, please email action@nar.realtorĀ or call 202-383-1000. If you are state or local association staff and need help with REALTORĀ® Party, Government Affairs or policyĀ and/or member and consumer mobilization related issues, please contact us at 202-383-1000.