| March 2016 | |
| Tom Salomone 2016 NAR President |
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| Dale A. Stinton Chief Executive Officer |
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| Corporate Ally Program Investors | |
| • | Center for Specialized REALTOR® Education |
| • | SentriLock, LLC |
| • | REALTOR® Information Network |
| • | California Regional MLS |
| • | MRIS, Inc. (MD) |
| • | NAR Business Activities Corp |
| • | Second Century Ventures |
| • | TREND MLS (PA) |
| • | Houston MLS (TX) |
| • | Arizona Regional MLS |
| • | Midwest Real Estate Data MLS (IL) |
| • | My Florida Regional MLS |
| • | Clareity Consultants (AZ) |
| • | Move Inc. |
| • | Northwest MLS (WA) |
| • | RMLS (OR) |
| • | Wasatch Front Regional MLS (UT) |
| • | REColorado MLS (CO) |
| • | Northstar MLS (MN) |
| • | MLSListings, Inc. (CA) |
| • | MLS Property Information Network MLS (MA) |
| • | Multiple Listing Service of Long Island (NY) |
| • | Mid America Regional Information Services (MO) |
| • | New Jersey MLS (NJ) |
| • | Metrolist Services, Inc. (CA) |
| • | Council of Residential Specialists |
| • | Institute of Real Estate Management |
| • | IRES LLC MLS (CO) |
| • | MLS of Greater Northwest Indiana (IN) |
| • | Rhode Island State-Wide MLS (RI) |
| • | Society of Industrial & Office REALTORS® |
| • | Tucson AOR MLS (AZ) |
| • | Women's Council of REALTORS® |
| • | Gulf South R.E. Information Network (LA) |
| • | Metro MLS (WI) |
| • | West Penn Multi-List, Inc. (PA) |
| • | Metropolitan Indianapolis MLS (IN) |
| • | Carolina MLS (NC) |
| • | NW Ohio Real Estate Info System (OH) |
| • | Certified Commercial Investment Member |
| • | Intermountain MLS (ID) |
| • | Henderson Audubon BOR MLS (KY) |
| • | Brunswick County AOR MLS (NC) |
| • | Central Wisconsin MLS (WI) |
| • | Gallatin AOR MLS (MT) |
| • | Greater La Crosse MLS Corp (WI) |
| • | Midlands MLS Inc. (NE) |
| • | Northwest Louisiana MLS |
| • | Northwestern Wisconsin MLS |
| • | South Central WI MLS Inc. |
| • | West Memphis BOR MLS (AR) |
| • | MLS Hilton Head Island (SC) |
| • | Northern Kentucky MLS |
| • | MLS of Wilmington Regional AOR (NC) |
| • | Heartland MLS (KS) |
| • | Greater Baton Rouge MLS (LA) |
| • | Northern Nevada Regional MLS |
| • | REALTOR® Land Institute |
| • | Northeast Oklahoma RE Service MLS |
| • | Metro Search, Inc. MLS (KY) |
| • | MLSOK (OK) |
| • | Maine Listings MLS (ME) |
| • | Cooperative Arkansas REALTOR® MLS (AR) |
| • | Santa Cruz County MLS (AZ) |
| • | MLS of Greater Northwest Indiana (IN) |
| • | REALTOR®Assoc. of S. Kentucky MLS (KY) |
| • | Jefferson City MLS (MO) |
| • | Northwest Oklahoma AOR MLS (OK) |
| • | Door County MLS (WI) |
| • | Great Plains MLS (NE) |
| • | Savannah Multi-List Corp (GA) |
| • | Cape Cod & Islands (MA) |
| • | Greater Greenville AOR MLS (SC) |
| • | Kings County BOR MLS (CA) |
| • | Fort Smith BOR MLS (AR) |
| Corporate Investor Council Members | |
| • | Marbury Little, Chair |
| • | Jim Imhoff, Vice Chair |
| • | Shadrick Bogany |
| • | Christopher Carrillo |
| • | David Charron |
| • | Sherry Chris |
| • | Matthew Consalvo |
| • | Merri Jo Cowen |
| • | J. Nicholas D'Ambrosia |
| • | Ann Defries |
| • | Daniel Elsea |
| • | J.P. Endres Fein |
| • | Kathy Fowler |
| • | Helen Hanna Casey |
| • | Jim Harrison |
| • | Rebecca Jensen |
| • | Geoffrey Lewis |
| • | Vince Malta |
| • | Reinaldo Mesa |
| • | Judy Moore |
| • | Norman Morris |
| • | Ronald Peltier |
| • | Alexander Perriello |
| • | Gary Reggish |
| • | J. Lennox Scott |
| • | Randal Smith |
| • | Lisa Stephenson |
| • | Philip Tedesco |
| • | Mark Woodroof |
CORPORATE ALLY PROGRAM UPDATE
Message from the ChairIn 2016, we welcomed a new group of fundraisers to the Corporate Ally Program (CAP). NAR President Tom Salomone has appointed one dynamic individual from each of NAR’s 13 regions. The CAP 13 Regional Representatives met in Chicago with 2016 Corporate Investor Council Vice Chair Jim Imhoff, key NAR staff and me for an intense CAP training workshop and to set out their scope of work for 2016. The representatives’ initial fundraising focus will be on MLSs nationwide. With a 2016 fundraising goal of $700,000 for MLSs alone, the 13 Regional Representatives are charged to draw the circle wider by encouraging more MLSs to invest in the Corporate Ally Program in 2016.
| Region 1: Larry Rideout (MA) Region 2: Allan "Dutch" Dechert (NJ) Region 3: Kit Hale (VA) Region 4: Sandra O'Connor (NC) Region 5: Cynthia Shelton (FL) Region 6: Teri Spiro (MI) Region 7: Jeff Gregory (IL) |
Region 8: Mike Hunstad (MN) Region 9: Caroleen Ferrell (MO) Region 10: Beth Cristina (LA) Region 11: Chris Mygatt (CO) Region 12: Mike Schoonover (WA) Region 13: Judy Zeigler (CA) |
Also new in 2016 is the Corporate Ally Program Soft Dollar Campaign for Real Estate Brokerages. This initiative will be spearheaded by Jim Imhoff and will target approximately 15 of the nation’s largest brokerages. It is expected to launch around the end of March.
Thank you for your continued support of the Corporate Ally Program.
Signed,
Marbury Little, DSA
2015-2016 Chairman
Corporate Investor Council
Email: Marbury@aol.com
Phone: 504-782-3361
Corporate Ally Dollars at Work
Scott Reiter, Vice President, RPAC Disbursements and Political ProgramsThe Corporate Ally Program is a vital funding source for not only state and local REALTOR® advocacy efforts, but is equally important for federal advocacy efforts as well. Investors have their choice of whether their funds go towards advancing issues only or actually helping elect the candidates necessary to advance those issues.
For those choosing issues, those funds are deposited into our Public Advocacy Advisory Group’s (PAAG) budget where they complement REALTOR® Party funds. Together, they account for more than $3 million dollars a year, with plans to surpass $5 million a year in the near future. Here’s an example of how Corporate Ally Program funds are used to implement effective tools to advance our legislative efforts on Capitol Hill:
- Online video communications to targeted voters in the districts of key congressmen and senators. These messages may thank the legislator for his recent support of an issue important to REALTORS® or urge him to take action on one of our issues if he has not done so yet.
- Advertisements in DC publications utilizing similar strategies.
In the 2014 election cycle, the NAR Congressional Fund supported independent expenditures for 13 REALTOR® Champions at a total cost of more than $9 million dollars. Three races occurred in primaries and ten in the general election. Nine of the candidates were congressmen and four were U.S. Senators. All 13 faced very competitive elections, but through savvy decision-making by the RPAC Disbursement Trustees, eleven of the 13 candidates chosen for support emerged victorious on Election Day.
In 2016, NAR plans to spend more than $10 million dollars on federal independent expenditures for a similar number of candidates. Since the Citizens United Supreme Court decision loosening the rules of independent expenditure spending, there has been an explosion in the costs of campaigns at the federal level. That is why your investment in the Corporation Ally Program is critical to NAR’s impactful support of candidates who support REALTORS®.
Whether your investment is dedicated to issue advocacy, independent expenditures, or divided among both, an investment in the Corporate Ally Program is an investment in successful programs that help advance a pro-Real Estate agenda in Congress.
The View from Washington
Jerry Giovaniello, Senior Vice President, Government AffairsThe second session of the 114th Congress has begun and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) continues its work to promote and protect the interests of its more than one million members. As the largest professional trade association in the United States, NAR advocates policy initiatives that promote and protect a fundamentally sound and dynamic U.S. real estate market fostering vibrant communities. In 2016, NAR will be focused on the public policy initiatives listed in the four general categories below. These issues represent a fraction of the policies initiatives being monitored in Washington, D.C. Issues for the policy agenda are identified through extensive member polling, consultation with other real estate industry groups and through our NAR public policy committees.
HOMEOWNERSHIP & REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TAX POLICIES
The growing federal debt, weak economic recovery and continued growth of tax complexity have kept tax reform near the top of the national agenda. Members of Congress from both Houses and both parties have expressed a high level of interest in reforming the tax system, and President Obama has also expressed qualified support, especially for corporate or business tax reform. This ongoing debate places a variety of tax laws, including those affecting commercial and residential real estate, under increased scrutiny.
- State and Local Tax Deductions
- Mortgage Interest Deduction
- Mortgage Debt Cancellation Tax Relief
- Capital Gains
Overly stringent lending standards have continued to limit the availability of affordable mortgage financing for credit worthy consumers. Federal policymakers are weighing a number of proposals aimed at creating healthier housing and mortgage markets. Additionally Congress must reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program to avoid the potential loss of 40,000 home sales each month according to NAR research.
- Credit Availability
- GSE (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac) Restructuring, Liquidity and Lending
- FHA Lifetime Mortgage Insurance Premiums
- FHA Condominium Requirements & Financing
- National Flood Insurance Reauthorization
Protecting the business operations of members is always a priority for NAR. There are a number of issues before Congress and the Federal Regulatory Agencies that could have a significant impact on the business operations of real estate firms.
- Dodd-Frank Act Regulations (TRID Implementation)
- Technology Issues (Patent Reform, Net Neutrality, Data Privacy & Security)
- Appraiser Independence Regulations
More than $1.2 trillion in commercial real estate loans will come due over the next few years, and many of these deals will have trouble getting financing. NAR supports consideration of legislation and regulations to protect and enhance the flow of capital to commercial real estate.
NUMBERS AND CENTS |
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| $119K | 82.3% | 469 |
| Average cost of a statewide independent expenditure campaign | Number of REALTORS® currently registered to vote or 1.02 million members. | Number of U.S. House of Representative and Senate elections in 2016. |
Corporate Ally Updates
New Data Technology Enables Laser-like Targeting Capabilities in ElectionsDrew Brighton of TargetSmart, NAR’s campaign services consultant, discusses some of the latest voter targeting technology that will be used this election year by Republicans and Democrats to persuade and influence voters, and what that means for the REALTOR® Party.
State & Local Independent Expenditure Program Average (2012-15)
How much does the average independent expenditure campaign cost?
Paula Martino Named New Director for Corporate Fundraising
NAR is happy to welcome Paula Martino to the Community & Political Affairs staff. Paula is the new Director of Corporate Fundraising. In this role, Paula directs the soft dollar fundraising program, Corporate Ally Program and is the staff executive for the Corporate Investor Council. Paula brings vast experience and knowledge to the position, as she served four years as a REALTOR® Party Consultant in addition to owning her own political and government consulting firm (including REALTOR® Association clients). Paula holds a B.S. in Marketing and a M.A. in Art History from the University of Maryland. Paula Martino can be reached at 202-383-1156. Please join me in welcoming Paula to NAR!
Corporate Ally Program Event Requests
Interested in learning more about the Corporate Ally Program? Have a Corporate Investment Council member speak at your next event. Use the REALTOR® Party Director & Liaison Request Form and select the Corporate Ally Program under type of event.