Hill Visits: A Look at Commercial Advocacy on Capitol Hill

“One of the best events that any commercial member can attend are the Legislative Meetings every May. The speakers NAR provides help sup-ply us with the latest information on national issues. We are able to obtain the attention of our national elected officials because of the large number of REALTORS® in D.C. for the conference and our ability to go speak directly with our Members of Congress is very effective.” –Mike Craddock
Congressman Mike Gallagher poses for a photo with members from Wisconsin Members of the Commercial Association of REALTORS® Wisconsin meet with Congressman Mike Gallagher

Congressman Sean Duffy meets with members from Wisconsin Speaker of the House Paul Ryan listens to a member from WisconsinDon Harris, Lynn Harris, Joanna Edwards, & PJ Doherty representing Cape Fear REALTORS® on Capitol Hill.
“I was pleased to advocate NAR support for ADA reforms to allow for a Notice and Cure provision prior to formal litigation over minor violations. Opportunistic plaintiffs and their attorneys have found a lucrative practice in shaking down real estate owners with frivolous lawsuits, then offering to settle for amounts that are less than the cost to defend the action.” –O. Randall Woodbury, CPM Illinois REALTORS® talk tax reform with Congressman Rodney Davis

Washington Association of REALTORS® in the office of Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Congressman Denny Heck meets with members of the Washington Association of REALTORS®Brenda L. Marchwicki & the Rhode Island Association of REALTORS® in the offices of Congressman David Cicilline “Our focus on the hill visit was getting face-time to convey to our congressman the importance of tax reform and to learn whether the focus was on 1031s or capital gains. Not knowing what might be touched or what tax options might go away is a huge problem. Without the help and support of NAR my association would not be able to make this connection or have a unified voice to tackle issues directly impacting my business.”  –Chad Gleason, CCIM

Miami REALTORS® advocating for preservation of the 1031 with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen “I was pleasantly surprised that the issues we were there to talk about, specifically 1031 exchanges and the EB5 program, were already on the radar of most of the legislators we met with in Washington. We were able to provide real world examples of why these programs are vital to our industry to further their importance.”  –Adam Williquette
: (L–R) Ed Patton, Congressman Hank Johnson, Alicia Barras, & Quinn Green. Georgia REALTORS® meet with Congressman Hank Johnson
REALTORS® from several California associations conference with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy

Miami Association of REALTORS® members strike a pose at the Capitol
“With thousands of REALTORS® at NAR Legislative walking  Capitol Hill this year, the Power of R is amazing! Our members are boots-on-the-ground constituents that know all about their communities and garner a deep  respect from our legislative leaders. So when REALTORS® talk, our elected officials listen.” –2016 Commercial Liaison Dan Wagner (L–R) John Dohm, Miami Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, & Ana Maria Rodriguez

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Create is a quarterly publication for commercial practitioners, members of the National Association of REALTORS® and commercial real estate industry leaders. Members can subscribe by updating your member profile information to include commercial interests in the "Field of Business" list.

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