In this address, the speaker responds to recent media scrutiny of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and urges members to remain engaged. They highlight NAR’s century‑long history and its 1.5 million‑strong, diverse membership—including agents, paralegals, investors, and new‑home specialists—united by a focus on real estate as both an investment and a housing tool. The speaker emphasizes NAR’s unique bipartisan political clout, noting it is the only top‑20 political action committee with an even split between parties, which enables the association to advocate effectively for policies such as the 30‑year fixed‑rate mortgage and the 1031 tax‑deferred exchange. While acknowledging room for improvement and expressing personal ideas for change, the speaker calls on members not to abandon the association out of frustration, but to stay in the room and continue fighting for real‑estate interests.
Chapters
In the wake of the articles and the scrutiny that is upon the National Association of REALTORS®, we have a lot of members who are asking whether or not this is something they should belong to. So let's look at the National Association of REALTORS® that's been around for over 100 years. And what's it done in that time? Oh my gracious. I mean, look what it's done. The National Association of REALTORS® is so unique because it's made up of, yes, 1.5 million members, Not all of them sell every day, 'cause not all of them intend to. We have paralegals, we have new home agents, we have people that got their license and they're investors on their own. We have people that are doing all kinds of things in and around real estate. But what we have in common is a focus on real estate as an investment and a housing tool for people. The power of us at the National Association is really unique. We're the only one of the top 20 political action committees that has a 50/50 split on both sides of the aisle. Because we understand that we need to have friends in both parties, because we want people to look at real estate not as a partisan trench fighting warfare machine, but to look at real estate as what it is. It is something that impacts every angle of our communities. It impacts every neighbor in every zip code. And we want to make sure that we're providing opportunities to everybody so that if they choose to chase this path, it's available to them. We, have expertise in housing. We have expertise in commercial property ownership. We have expertise in all those pieces of the tax code through our very amazing professional staff. So we have to be in the room. If we're not in the room, who will speak up for the 30-year fixed mortgage? Who will speak up for the 1031 tax deferred exchange? It's doing that work. When the National Association of Realtors goes to talk to elected, and it's a voice that represents 1.5 million people, that's a much louder voice at the table. So that's just one thing. And it's a big thing. Now, could we do it better? Of course. Do I have ideas that I wish everybody would listen to? Of course I do. I'm just going to remind you, in the words of my friend Kimberly Allard from Massachusetts, there is no National Association of Homeowners. There's just us. So if you're throwing in the towel because you're aggravated, I understand that emotion. But I'm going to ask you to fight that emotion instead of getting out of the room.
