One of the most effective ways to ensure real estate issues are at the forefront of key policymakers’ minds is to create multiple opportunities for REALTORS® to advocate policy priorities face to face. A key role of the HAR Governmental Affairs team is to create and organize these opportunities. As a local association, we can meet with our local elected officials like the Mayor and County Judge on a consistent basis in various ways such as hosting receptions, attending city council and commissioner court meetings, and seeing them in the community. However, meeting with our state and federal elected officials amid a legislative session proves to be a bit trickier. By partnering with our colleagues at Texas REALTORS® (TR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the HAR Governmental and Political teams have provided HAR members with several key opportunities to meet with their state and federal elected officials:

  • In March, more than 3,500 Texas REALTORS® visited the Texas Capitol to advocate for state issues impacting real estate. HAR members made up ten percent of those who attended.
  • Last month, we also hosted a Congressional Luncheon at the Houston Country Club with the Houston Congressional Delegation to ensure our members of Congress were aware of our top federal priorities before the May Hill Visits.
  • And later this month, thousands of REALTORS® from all over the United States will fly-in to Washington, D.C. to meet with Congressional Representatives and Senators and discuss bills in the 118th Congress.

It is exciting to see NAR’s 2023 Policy Priorities directly correlate with HAR’s Governmental Affairs and Advocacy agenda for 2023. Since 2019, Housing Inventory, Housing Attainability, Housing Affordability and Fair Housing issues have been a primary focus. For example, in October 2022, HAR hosted a housing symposium with industry experts to discuss these issues which was recently highlighted by NAR as a success story.

2023 NAR Policy Priorities:

  • Housing Inventory, Supply and Affordability
  • Fair Housing: Ensure Fair Housing for All

To read the talking points for these priorities, click HERE.

Thank you to our 2023 Federal Political Coordinators (FPCs)

HAR has a wonderful team of Federal Political Coordinators, or FPCs as we call them, who are the primary liaison between the local association and Congress. (Photos below.) They work hard to educate members of Congress on important issues impacting the real estate industry. Thank you for your service to the real estate industry.