Two Chances for Your Voice to be Heard

WE ALL KNOW THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, AND NC REALTORS® HAVE TWO OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMING WEEKS TO MAKE THEIR COLLECTIVE VOICES HEARD AT THE NATION’S CAPITAL AND THE STATE’S CAPITAL.

During next week’s NAR Midyear Meetings May 14­19 in Washington, D.C., REALTORS® will have the opportunity to meet with their Congressional representatives during Hill visits.

And for the first time in a long time, NAR is planning a “REALTOR® Rally to Protect the American Dream” to draw attention to housing issues. It’s set for Thursday the 17th from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Washington Monument on the National Mall.

This rally on Capitol Hill will show our elected officials that no one cares more about revitalizing the real estate market than REALTORS®. In order to plan the logistics, NAR is asking that each REALTOR® register as a REALTOR® Rally Day participant to let NAR know you are coming and to get more details. For more information, visit www2.realtoraction­

“More than 190 REALTORS® in North Carolina have registered to attend the Midyear Meetings, and we’re looking forward to our collective voices making a difference for issues impacting the real estate industry and homeowners in North Carolina and across the nation,” says Amy Hedgecock, 2012 NC REALTORS® Legislative Chair. “Together, we can explain to our Congressional delegation how their decisions impact our industry and our citizens.”

A second chance to inform, this time on the state level, will come June 4­6 in Raleigh at our annual NC REALTORS® Legislative Meetings. This is an important opportunity for REALTORS® across North Carolina to provide a unified voice for the real estate industry in the state’s capital.

Of note, the Legislative Committee will meet on Tuesday the 5th from 9 to 10 a.m., and the Legislative Reception will be held that evening from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences on Jones Street. The reception is always well attended and is a great opportunity to speak with your legislators in an informal setting.

Of course, the main event is REALTOR® Day on Wednesday the 6th as we walk the halls of the General Assembly and visit with our legislators in the comfort of their offices. There will be a legislative briefing, followed immediately by a press conference to officially announce that NC REALTORS® will award five $10,000 fellowships to high performing housing counseling agencies across North Carolina. The fellowships are paid for through an NAR Foreclosure Prevention and Response grant. Following the press conference, REALTORS® will visit their legislators’ offices.

We hope you will make your plans to attend. To help you, we’ve arranged with the Sheraton a block of rooms at a rate of $119 per night for both single and double occupancy. Be aware that the room cutoff date is fast approaching – it’s Sunday, May 13! To make reservations, contact the hotel at 800­325­3535 or 919­834­9900.

“Legislative Day in Raleigh is an important day as hundreds of REALTORS® make their presence known at the General Assembly and discuss issues important to the real estate industry directly with our legislators,” Hedgecock says. “This meeting and our D.C. meeting are our two most important meetings of the year.

“In Washington, D.C., and in Raleigh, REALTORS® can actually talk to the people who make laws that impact our industry,” she adds. “Your presence and your voice are important, especially as lawmakers look at ways to drive the economy in the right direction. We want to make sure that real estate and homeownership are at the top of this economic discussion at all levels of government. Join us and make your voices heard!” v