NAR Realtor Party

Congratulations to the South Carolina Association of REALTORS on this legislative win to elevate professionalism, enhance consumer protections, and standardize practices in the real estate industry.

The Federal Reserve's revised Basel III proposal is a win for the housing market, REALTORS®, and consumers. By making it easier for banks to support low down payment loans, these changes should ensure continued access to affordable home financing.

NAR Welcomes Fed's Basel III Revisions The Federal Reserve has announced significant improvements to how banks would handle low down payment mortgages.

ICYMI: National Association of REALTORS® Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn spoke on a panel about what the future holds for industry associations at RISMedia's CEO & Leadership Exchange last week.

New Advocacy Scoop podcast out now: It's election season, and this is the first of three episodes where Shannon and Patrick explore all the ways NAR and the REALTOR® Party is involved in elections. From the Advocacy Everywhere grassroots program to state and local independent expenditures, NAR is helping elect REALTOR® Party champions in Washington, D.C. and in statehouses and city councils across the country.

Listen here or where you get your podcasts: bit.ly/3ZbMX3Q

The housing affordability crisis supersedes political, generational and geographical divides. There’s no question of the importance this issue holds for this year’s elections.

Read about how the is mobilizing to make housing affordability a central theme leading up to November and beyond.

2024 Political Rallying Cry: ‘It’s the Housing, Stupid’ NAR is mobilizing to make home affordability, a top concern for voters, a central theme in the general election.

Congratulations to Alaska Realtors on this major advocacy win to ensure a strong future for property ownership throughout the state.

Governor Dunleavy Signs SB179 into Law, Protecting Alaska Property Owners

We are thrilled to announce Governor Mike Dunleavy has signed SB179 into law, a landmark piece of legislation that prohibits the imposition of a tax or fee on the sale or transfer of real property in Alaska. This critical bill safeguards property owners across the state, ensuring Alaskans retain more of their hard-earned money when buying or selling real estate.

We extend our sincere thanks to Representative Coulombe and Senator Bjorkman for their instrumental roles in getting this legislation passed. The dedication and hard work of these affordable housing champions have made a lasting impact on the future of property ownership in Alaska.

Enhance your knowledge, strengthen your relationships with appraisers, and better educate clients by attending the Ask an Appraiser webinar on September 10. You can have your questions answered about all aspects of the appraisal process. Register at the link in our bio.

Enhance your knowledge, strengthen your relationships with appraisers, and better educate clients by attending the Ask an Appraiser webinar on September 10. You can have your questions answered about all aspects of the appraisal process. Register here: bit.ly/4dEwl9p

A Placemaking project by the East Tennessee Realtors brought a group of local students' vision to life and is providing an interactive learning experience for the community. Read more about how they put grants to work to bring together history, art, and nature through Townie the Turtle.

Young Visionaries: Unveiling Townie the Turtle REALTORS® and local students in Tennessee collaborate to develop a whimsical public art project in a local park.

Sara Lipnitz, NAR’s 2025 Vice President of Advocacy, interviewed Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn and Vice President of Policy Advocacy Bryan Greene about the latest REALTOR® advocacy wins, priorities, and programs today at .

Placemaking in action! Great work, GMAR. Read more about Placemaking grants here: bit.ly/4dPYMkR

NAR is partnering with POLITICO to bring conversations on top housing issues to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, as we did at last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Elected officials from all levels of government joined us for today’s panel discussions on making housing more accessible and affordable, including an executive discussion led by NAR CEO Nykia Wright, which you can watch here: https://bit.ly/3SZylR0

NAR President Kevin Sears is also on the ground in our association’s hometown, meeting with members of Congress and sharing our nonpartisan policy priorities.

Congratulations to the Hawaii Association of REALTORS® on achieving a top priority for the state's 2024 legislative session, providing clarity on the prices of goods and services, including rental housing, during a state of emergency.

One of the top issues for Hawai‘i REALTORS® this past legislative session was price freezing during a state of emergency. House Bill 1902 ─ which clarified the governor’s and mayors’ emergency management powers and shortened the duration of price control periods ─ was passed and signed into law (Act 206) in July.

Hawai‘i REALTORS® collaborated with the broader business community to clarify pricing regulations for goods and services, including rental housing, whenever the Governor or Mayor makes an emergency proclamation. Given the increasing frequency of emergency proclamations, both consumers and businesses often face confusion regarding when price freezing will occur. This measure mandates that within 72 hours of declaring an emergency proclamation, the Governor or Mayor must specify whether price freezes will be implemented and on which goods and services.

🙏🏼 Mahalo to our hard-working Government Affairs Committee (GAC) comprised of REALTOR® volunteers and staff who often met more than weekly during the fast-paced legislative session. They tracked hundreds of bills and worked countless hours on our priority issues and real estate-related bills.

ICYMI: View the 2024 Legislative Recap on hawaiirealtors.com to see which bills impact REALTORS® and the real estate industry. We are actively and continuously working on behalf of all REALTORS® to ensure that your voices are heard on the issues most important to our communities.

📷: (Left to right) 2024 Hawai‘i REALTORS® President Julie Meier, Governor Josh Green, Hawai‘i REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee Chair Kasandra Shriver and Hawai‘i REALTORS® Director of Advocacy Lyndsey Garcia

Thank you, Congressman Paul D. Tonko, for hosting this important roundtable discussion on housing affordability and availability and exploring a variety of solutions to help first-time and first-generation homebuyers enter the market.

: Read how Land of the Sky Association of Realtors (LOTSAR) used a Consumer Advocacy Outreach Grant to help guide local efforts to close the broadband gaps in their rural region of western North Carolina.

LOTSAR's Matt Allen says, "Now, more than ever, we are adding real value for our members and their communities by helping to ensure everyone has adequate access to the Internet.”

Land of Sky Association of REALTORS® Helps Buncombe County, North Carolina Identify Households Underserved by Broadband Connectivity Using a Consumer Advocacy Outreach Grant from the REALTOR® Party, Land of Sky Association of REALTORS® created a campaign to help find weak spots in the county’s broadband infrastructure. Once identified and mapped, these areas will become priorities as Buncombe County expands access to this now...

NAR Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn joins Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered Podcast to talk about the association's advocacy wins for both members and consumers, and responds to the question: "What has advocacy done for me lately?" Listen here: bit.ly/4fzWrLX

NEW EPISODE! 🎙️ Shannon McGahn is back to discuss NAR's crucial role in advocating for the real estate industry. Learn about their recent wins, including the VA loan policy change and the fight against the eviction moratorium.

linktr.ee/realestateinsidersunfiltered


National Association of REALTORS®

Great op-ed in The Daily Sentinel out of Grand Junction, Colorado, about how the Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook, which NAR partnered on alongside the National League of Cities, American Planning Association, and other stakeholders, provides collaborative strategies to boost local housing supply.

Author Diane Schwenke writes, "As we gather around our televisions to watch Team USA at the Olympics in the next couple of weeks, perhaps it is also time to reflect on how we can develop a more inclusive [team] to address the most pressing need of many of our citizens, housing."

Meeting housing needs is a team sport By DIANE SCHWENKE

Out now: This month’s podcast dives into commercial real estate advocacy, from protecting 1031 like-kind exchanges to promoting opportunity zones. Listeners will learn about our fight against the “Ugly 11” tax measures and how we're preserving property conversions. Listen at the link below or where you get your podcasts.

Red is for Commercial Shannon and Patrick delve into NAR’s advocacy work specific to commercial real estate, including 1031 like-kind exchange, opportunity zones, conversion, and the status of the “Ugly 11” — a series of harmful tax measures that were the focus of NAR’s advocacy efforts during the past several ...

It's August, which means we've updated our talking points and resources on NAR's legislative priorities for the August congressional district/state work period. The latest info is live at FlyIn.realtor — visit to learn more about the solutions NAR is advocating for to increase access to homeownership, expand housing supply, and ensure access to professional representation.

NAR Legislative Priorities Owning real estate is a foundational bridge to financial security that should be open to all. Here’s how we help the millions of Americans who aspire to join the nation's 85 million property owners.

Did you know NAR is a founding member of the Housing Solutions Coalition? Read more about the group's recent congressional testimony on advancing housing affordability and opposing misguided rent control measures.

HSC Statement on the House Financial Services Committee Hearing - Housing Solutions Coalition The Housing Solutions Coalition (HSC), a broad coalition of housing groups, today issued a statement regarding President Biden’s proposed 5% corporate rent cap.

Today NAR and a coalition of housing provider industry partners wrote to the White House and Congress expressing strong opposition to the President’s announced rent cap proposal and outlining the many ways it would make the affordable housing shortage worse.

Instead of focusing on this failed policy solution, which is not expected to get any traction in the 118th Congress, the administration should support federal programs that encourage investment in housing supply and remove barriers to new development.

NAR has resources for state and local associations facing rent control proposals in their communities. Read more in our latest Washington Report ⬇️

NAR Opposes Rent Cap Proposal The administration's proposal—which requires congressional action—would take away the accelerated depreciation tax provision from housing providers with 50 or more units who raise rents by more than 5% per year.

: A plan by the Iowa Association of REALTORS to launch a Call for Action was enough to convince legislators to drop a rent control proposal. “We let them know that REALTORS® are all in favor of making housing affordable – but that rent control is not the avenue to do so,” said Government Affairs Director Greta Haas. "We’ve been working hard to identify bills that will increase inventory and lower costs, and we’ll continue to oppose any that challenge affordability."

Iowa REALTORS® Almost Use Advocacy Everywhere to Oppose Rent Control Measure… but Legislators Saw Reason, Rendering the Effort Unnecessary The state association representing Iowa’s REALTORS® knew that the negative effects of a proposed rent control bill could far outweigh the benefits. It opposed the legislation through strategic advocacy, ultimately succeeding when, on the brink of a Call For Action, the state legislature cried ‘...

NAR is partnering with POLITICO to bring conversations on top housing issues to both political conventions this summer. Today’s program at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee featured multiple panels of government and industry leaders sharing their perspectives on how to address the nation’s housing challenges. NAR Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn led an executive discussion on the bipartisan solutions REALTORS® are advancing to make housing more accessible and affordable. Watch here: bit.ly/4bM0jX5

NAR First Vice President Kevin Brown opened the 2024 Government Affairs Directors’ (GAD) Institute today with an update on recent advocacy wins and initiatives at all levels of government. He also highlighted the national focus on housing issues in this election year and thanked the packed room for their dedication to advancing REALTOR® priorities in communities across the country.

Rent control is a rare instance where the research is fairly conclusive: It doesn’t work. Price controls may seem appealing, but they have backfired on local governments and harmed the people we need to help the most.

NAR advocates for federal legislation and policies, such as the YIMBY Act and the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, to help eliminate discriminatory land use policies and remove barriers to housing production. The only way to keep cities affordable for working-class families is to focus on housing supply.

Read more: bit.ly/4cYK61C

ICYMI: The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) recently announced changes to their 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program. NAR has long advocated for modernizing this program to ensure it remains consistent with market trends and is more accessible and streamlined for home buyers. Read more in NAR's Washington Report ⬇️

FHA Changes 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program Learn more about the changes announced by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to their 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program.

: Read how the Mark Twain Association of Realtors used a Placemaking Grant to help transform an unused corner of Canton, Missouri, into a veterans memorial park. It has become an important gathering place for school and history groups, brought additional development to the area, and turned the site into a vibrant community destination.

Community Collaboration for Veteran Recognition The Mark Twain Association of REALTORS® was recognized in the community for partnering to build a memorial garden.

Congratulations to St. Louis Realtors on this win that will help revive local communities.