REALTOR® Party Leaders Plan for 2019, By The Numbers, Success Stories, and More View e-mail in browser December 13, 2018 REALTOR® Party Leaders Plan for 2019 Nearly 600 REALTOR® Party leaders gathered in in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the 2019 REALTOR® Party Training Conference for REALTORS® to Participate Advocate and Celebrate! This conference kicked off the 50th anniversary of the REALTORS® Political Action Committee, laid the foundation for advocacy outreach efforts in each state and region throughout 2019, and previewed the federal policy priorities. READ MORE By The Numbers 6 The number of top federal policy priorities from the 2018 NAR Member Survey. Among them were infrastructure, federal taxation, access to credit, health insurance, flood insurance, and technology. Released at the 2019 REALTOR® Party Training Conference, the priorities were developed following a process that also included feedback from the NAR Public Policy Coordinating Committee. READ MORE 12/21 The new funding deadline for the National Flood Insurance Program. On Dec. 6, The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed a two-week program extension to avoid a funding lapse. By extending flood insurance as part of the continuing resolution, NAR analysts say, the next extension could be part of a long-term funding agreement, potentially running through September of next year. READ MORE 20 The number of years between the landmark Supreme Court case Shelley v. Kramer and the Fair Housing Act. The Shelley House in St. Louis, Missouri, was the property at the center of the case. In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, St. Louis REALTORS® engaged into local projects benefiting underserved communities with grants from the REALTOR® Party and Missouri REALTORS®. READ MORE The REALTOR® Party At Work Highlighted here are a few of the many REALTOR® Party success stories across the nation. These and others are cataloged in the Success Stories section on REALTORParty.realtor. Greensboro REALTORS® Tackle Additions to City Zoning Code When a fatal apartment fire triggered a knee-jerk reaction from the City Council to amend the municipal zoning code, the Greensboro Regional Association of REALTORS® used the REALTOR® Party’s Land Use Initiative to commission a thorough analysis of the changes. The report informed significant changes to the language, and the REALTORS® continue to work with the lawmakers to refine and improve it READ More Hawai’i REALTORS® Improve Public Education without Property Tax Surcharges Hawai’i REALTORS® want high quality public education throughout their state, which suffers from extremely high teacher-turnover. This fall, they led the charge against a ballot measure that would allow for the creation of a property tax surcharge on residential investment properties to fund the Department of Education. And then they redoubled their focus on affordable housing. READ More South Carolina REALTORS® Commission Analysis of Questionable Proposed Legislation In South Carolina’s 2018 legislative session, three separate pieces of legislation raised red flags to the South Carolina REALTORS® as matters requiring close scrutiny. With the REALTOR® Party’s Land Use Initiative program, the REALTORS® requested an analysis of all three, and got the answers they needed to act and plan for the future. READ More Resources & Opportunities REALTORS® Are Generous with Their Time, Money According to New CARE Report Eighty-two percent of REALTORS® donate money to charitable causes every year, compared to the national average of 56.6 percent of Americans who do so, according to a new report from NAR. The Community Aid and Real Estate Report, known as the CARE Report, provides insight on the monetary and volunteer contributions that general members at-large, broker-owners and Association Executives of Multiple Listing Services give to society. LEARN MORE New Short-Term Rental Resources Some state and local governments have started adopting regulations designed to “rein in” short-term rentals and address their perceived impacts on residential neighborhoods. This regulation has a significant impact on property owners’ rights. Review these Advocacy Tips to Protect the Right to Rent in case this issue comes up in your community, and compare state regulations and tax rates for short-term rentals. LEARN MORE Real Estate Sign Regulations after Reed: Analysis and Strategic Guidance Paper Signs are critical to the real estate industry. The display of real estate signs is subject to the requirements of local governments that can change the rules. This new Guidance Paper will help you (i) understand the extent to which local governments can control or restrict real estate signs and (ii) how to work with local governments to be Reed-compliant while allowing for real estate signage. LEARN MORE Introducing NAR’s Commitment to Excellence Program NAR’s Commitment to Excellence empowers REALTORS® to evaluate, enhance, and showcase the highest levels of professionalism. Taking self-assessment tests to measure proficiency in each of the elements of professionalism, the platform will generate customized learning paths, recommend experiences, and provide tools and resources to increase knowledge and enhance skillsets. WATCH 2018 REALTOR® Party Resource Guide Check out the 2019 REALTOR® Party Association Resource Guide to learn about resources for community outreach, candidate and issue campaigns, RPAC and political fundraising, member and consumer mobilization, and much more. Also, review the programs and resources that qualify for the new Vote, Act, and Invest Core Standards’ requirements. DOWNLOAD Join the REALTOR® Party Online Are you posting, liking, tweeting or pinning?  So is the REALTOR® Party.  Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube to get the latest news, information and resources.

Send us examples of how your association put NAR’s REALTOR® Party resources to work to implement a successful advocacy or community outreach program. Email your stories to: realtorparty@realtors.org. See more than 300 stories documenting how REALTOR® associations around the country put REALTOR® Party Resources to work at the REALTOR® Party Success Stories page. This newsletter replaces the NAR Weekly Report for this week and the second week of every month. The REALTOR® Party News will publish next on January 10, 2019. If you missed a previous edition check out the REALTOR® Party News Archive. Headquarters: 430 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 DC Office: 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001-2020 | 1-800-874-6500