THE GADFLY June 2017   In This Issue... Dates & Deadlines GAD Resources & Updates RPAC News NAR’s Economic Outlook     Dates & Deadlines    July 11-14: Preparing for 2017 GAD Institute We are looking forward to seeing all GADs at next week’s Institute!  If you missed the online registration, fear not, NAR staffers can register you on site ($550 registration fee – payable by credit card or check made out to NAR). Just check with NAR staff at the registration desk.  For those who did register online, please check your receipt to see if you pre-registered for a class on the morning of Tuesday, July 11. We are excited to offer these hands-on workshops! If you find you can no longer attend, please contact Kyle Lambert London so that we can allow those on waitlists to attend the workshops. Registration opens on Monday at 3:30pm this year, prior to the conference kick off, as well as each day throughout the Institute. Check the online draft agenda for complete programming information. Lastly, we want you to be comfortable in the South Florida heat and humidity, so all of the evening receptions are dress casual. The dress for the conference is business casual.     GAD Resources & Updates    NAR Joins Coalition to Preserve Net Neutrality NAR has joined a coalition of businesses and public interest groups working to preserve Open Internet rules—also known as network neutrality. NAR together with tech companies like Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon and main street companies like Walmart have joined together to advocate for preserving net neutrality. The coalition will work at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in the courts and on Capitol Hill to ensure that internet remains an open and level playing field, an issue critical to our business success. Net neutrality is shorthand for the concept that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. More specifically, net neutrality requires that broadband networks be free of restrictions on content, sites or platforms. Networks should not restrict the equipment that may be attached to them, nor the modes of communication allowed on them. Finally, networks should ensure that communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams. Net neutrality is important to small, main street businesses like REALTORS® who depend on open Internet access every day to run their businesses and serve their customers. NAR supports net neutrality and urges Congress to oppose legislation that would threaten the current FCC Open Internet Rule and rollback the important protections put in place by the FCC in 2015. If you have any questions, please contact Melanie Wyne at 202-383-1234.    Mark Your Calendars AND Your 2018 Budget Now! The 2018 GAD Institute will be held in Portland, Oregon July 17 – 20 at the downtown Hilton Portland and Executive Tower. The NAR negotiated room rate is $249/night. Please mark your calendars and budget for next year’s biggest professional development extravaganza for GADs. We hope to see you there! For more information, contact Kyle Lambert London at 202-383-1203.    REALTOR® Party State Legislative Monitor Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law a bill that will ensure homeowners’ associations (HOA) charge reasonable estoppel certificate fees. Estoppel certificate fees are charges by an HOA to process a seller’s request to provide a buyer with proper documentation of possible assessments or fees associated with the HOA. The approved legislation will cap estoppel fees charged by HOAs. And this legislation will require an HOA to respond to estoppel certificate requests within 10 business days, instead of 15 days. This is a big victory for the Florida Association of REALTORS®. For more information, contact Adriann Murawski at 202-383-1068.    Easy Solution to Your New Member Orientation Would you would like your newest members to know the importance of the REALTOR® Party and RPAC? Check out this easy-to-use, 2-minute video and Power Point combo.  The REALTOR® Party New Member Orientation supplements the existing NAR Orientation Toolkit for associations, but focuses solely on the importance of the REALTOR® Party for members and the real estate industry. Just press “play” and leave the story telling to us! For more information, contact Kyle Lambert London at 202-383-1203.    Registration for Upcoming GAD Training Opens Soon! Registration will be available on the website and is opening soon for the REALTOR® Party New GAD and AE Orientation (September 21 - 22). The REALTOR® Party New GAD and AE Orientation is for GADs and AEs without GADs who have been in their role for 18 months or less and would like to learn the basics of the REALTOR® Party, including the tools, services and program details. For course details, please visit the website.  For more information, contact Kyle Lambert London at 202-383-1203.     RPAC & Political Fundraising News    REALTOR® Party Corporate Ally Program Congratulates Minnesota REALTORS® on Big Issues Win! During the 2017 legislative session, Minnesota REALTORS® used Corporate Ally Program investments from Minnesota to help wage a successful issues advocacy campaign to enact a first-time home buyers savings program.  Christine Berger, Vice President, Political Affairs for Minnesota REALTORS® shares why CAP investments matter: "Issue campaigns and independent expenditures create power and relevance for REALTORS®. The demand for money for both these types of campaigns will only grow. Corporate Ally is an important soft dollar fundraising campaign that recognizes this trend and sets us up financially for success.  Thanks to CAP investors from Minnesota like Northstar MLS and Edina Realty, the Corporate Ally Program reduced the share of funds Minnesota REALTORS® needed for the skin in the game requirement for our successful First Time Home Buyer campaign.  It is a win-win." For more information on how the Corporate Ally Program can help your issue advocacy campaigns, contact Paula Martino, Director of Corporate Fundraising, at 202-383-1156.    New: RPAC Major Investor Benefit RPAC Major Investors can now show off their RPAC support on social media with a profile photo overlay! Major Investors will receive access to the online platform when they are recognized by NAR. We ask that associations not publicly promote this exclusive RPAC Major Investor benefit. Click here to view the current NAR RPAC Major Investor benefits. For more information, contact Jackie Zaporowski.     NAR’s Economic Outlook   Pending Home Sales Fall in May – The supply shortages that are boosting home prices in many metro areas caused pending home sales in May to slump for the third consecutive month. June 2017 Business Creation Index – Fifty-three percent of respondents said they had seen an increase in businesses opening in June of 2017, slightly down from 55 percent in April and May. HOME Survey – New consumer findings offer hope that the growing number of homeowners who think now is a good time to sell will eventually lead to more listings. HOME Survey Infographic – Check out the highlights from the latest HOME Survey in this short infographic. State Job Growth Comparisons: May – How is your state doing?  See how your state measures up in this interactive map.  For more information on NAR’s Economic Outlook, contact Meredith Dunn at 202-383-1207

Message from the GAD Chair Mark J. Quarry GAD Chair Cincinnati Area Board OF REALTORS® Summer & GAD Institute Greetings! The Fourth of July holiday is behind us.  Our attention turns to another yearly tradition—the GAD Institute—held this year in beautiful West Palm Beach, Florida! As we’ve shared previously, the GAD Advisory Group has worked hard to deliver an agenda filled with dynamic sessions to aid in your professional development and understanding of politics, policy, REALTOR® Party services, RPAC and community initiatives.  The agenda was also based on your evaluations and feedback from last year’s Institute in Nashville.  So get ready for another outstanding four days! It will be beautiful next week in West Palm Beach, but it will also be hot.  “Business Casual” is the dress code.  We want everyone to be comfortable, but we ask you to dress in a way that is representative of the professionals that embody GAD Nation.  Along those lines, if you are participating in the Walkable Communities Field Trip on Tuesday, make sure you wear clothing and shoes that are comfortable for walking. Also coming from last year’s evaluations and comments, we have added new elements in the agenda so newer GADs and attendees will feel as welcome as possible. Therefore, please bring a number of business cards with you.  A contest will take place (and prizes given) to see which new GADs and which seasoned GADs can collect the most business cards. This is my final time as GAD Chair to write to you.  Thank you for the honor and privilege to serve in this position.  I have seen first-hand the mighty work all of us deliver each day at local, state and national levels.  NAR, state and local associations, the REALTOR® Party and our REALTOR® members nationwide are represented by the most talented and hard-working government affairs colleagues anyone could ever find. Safe travels and see you next week in West Palm Beach, Florida! Follow the REALTOR® Action Center! GAD Directory  SAVE THE DATE 2017 GAD Institute West Palm Beach, Florida July 11-14, 2017 New GAD & AE Orientation September 21-22, 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo Chicago, Illinois November 3-6, 2017