Advocating for the Realtor ® Party

BY NICK MANIS

No matter your political party affiliation, there’s one belief we all have in common—our industry needs protection here in New Jersey and across the nation. That’s where the Realtor® Party comes into play.

The Realtor® Party is the alliance between Realtors® and Realtor® associations to work to protect Realtor® businesses, private property rights, and homeownership. Their work began in the 1970s when the National Association of Realtors® hired its first lobbyist to help advance policy in the best interest of the industry and make connections with lawmakers. Since then, the Realtor® Party has expanded its efforts to the state and local associations.

At New Jersey Realtors®, here’s how we’re advocating for you on the state and local levels:

• A government affairs team that is constantly helping to progress the industry and protect our businesses

• A group of individuals, the Federal Political Coordinators, which you’ll read about later in this issue, who are making connections with changemakers to progress pro-Realtor® legislation

• A state branch of the Realtors® Political Action Committee

• The Issues Mobilization Fund—made up of a group of trustees that help determine issues to support, research to conduct, and develop awareness campaigns

• A committee dedicated to progressing legislation and voting on what we need to take action on

But none of this is possible without the continued support of New Jersey Realtors® members. We need your input and advocacy to keep the real estate voice heard in New Jersey.

Here’s how you can help:

• Vote: In the 2022 election, only 60.3% of New Jersey Realtors® members voted. We can do better—visit nj.gov/vote to register to vote, find your polling location and more.

• Invest: Support the future of the industry and help Realtor®-friendly candidates get elected into office and invest in RPAC at njrealtor.com/goto/rpac/

• Stay Up to Date on Industry Issues: Read New Jersey Realtors® Weekly and follow us on social media for the latest industry information.