Advocacy Everywhere

Why Advocacy?

ASHLEY JACKSON 2023 PRESIDENT

We have declared 2023 as our Year of Connection, but you can't have connection with your clients and community without advocacy as a tool in your toolbox. For your businesses and our real estate industry to thrive, it is imperative that your voices and the voices of your clients are heard at all levels of government. By advocating for public policies that uphold private property rights, real property ownership, and strong communities, we are safeguarding a prosperous future for our industry. Connection and advocacy are cornerstones of our association, and ABoR Advocacy ensures that our members are part of developing solutions for Central Texas and bring their experience and expertise to each policy discussion.

For nearly a century, the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) has supported expanding homeownership opportunities, protecting property owners’ rights, and advocating on behalf of consumers for issues like affordability, taxation, housing and more. Ultimately, we strengthen the opportunity to rent, own, buy, and sell real property, and it is easier for us to be successful when we have the collective voice and support of our membership.

What ABoR’s Advocating For

ABoR has been sounding the alarm on housing availability for years and has been advocating for our local elected officials to prioritize housing and take bold actions to help increase our region’s housing supply. We have consistently advocated for local elected officials, like the Austin City Council, to approve policy and process changes designed to help increase Central Texas’ housing capacity.

We must continue to advocate for solutions to increase the abundance and variety of housing needed to house our rapidly growing population and address our region’s housing affordability issues so that anyone who wants to buy a home in Central Texas can do so, and at price point they can afford.

How You Can Advocate

There are several ways that you can get involved in Advocacy, whether it’s at the local, state, or national level. Here are several upcoming events that you can attend to stay informed or start getting involved:

• Attend an exclusive meet-and-greet with District 5 Council Member Ryan Alter on Wednesday, March 8. Council Member Alter will be discussing his policy priorities and how REALTORS® can be engaged in helping to tackle the major challenges facing the district and community at large. Come chat with the Council Member and ABoR’s advocacy team and get an inside perspective on what is happening in the community you serve. Register online at ABoR.com/Events.

• REALTOR® Day at the Capitol on March 22 – Join me along with REALTORS® from across the state to meet with legislators to discuss issues affecting private property owners and the real estate industry. Register online at ABoR.com/Events.

• With plenty of time to plan ahead, I am a firm believer that every REALTOR® should attend NAR’s Legislative Meetings at least once during their career. This year, the 2023 REALTOR Legislative Meetings will take place from May 6-11, 2023 in Washington, DC. Registration opens on February 15 at www.legislative.realtor.

If you feel like you don’t have the time to get involved at the time, make sure to sign up for the Live from City Hall Newsletter. You can stay informed all year long with important local policies, events and more. Just email advocacy@abor.com to subscribe.

888-KB-HOMES | kbhome.com

Broker Cooperation Welcome. ©2023 KB Home (KBH). To receive 1% off the base purchase price, at least one buyer must be a full-time police officer or firefighter in the Austin area and show valid proof of employment, or be an active-duty military personnel member in the U.S. Armed Forces and provide a valid GREEN U.S. Armed Forces Identification Card (Form 1173); present flyer on or before date of signing purchase agreement; sign an owner-occupancy agreement at time of purchase; sign purchase agreement on a new KB home in the Austin area between 1/30/23 and 6/30/23; and close escrow in time required under contract. Offer is a reduction of base sales price only, and does not apply to lot/elevation premiums, options or lender charges. No substitutions; not transferable, redeemable or exchangeable for cash; cannot be combined with any other offers and supersedes previous offers. Offer will be credited when buyer has closed escrow. All public sector employees who are designated employees in their conflict of interest code should consult their agency attorney. KBH employees and their family members are not eligible for this offer. KBH reserves the right to extend, modify or discontinue offer at any time without prior notice. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. Payment of Broker Co-op requires broker or agent to call

Expand, Strengthen Your Real Estate Network

With the shifting trends in the current real estate market, it is now more important than ever to branch out your network. Even with the current shift, Williamson County and the Central Texas area are still growing at exponential rates. From east to west, north and south, our communities are seeing growth.

Every month, the Association shares real estate market data compiled by the Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR) and the Texas A&M Real Estate Center. The data is compiled by TAR and consists of data from each MLS across the state of Texas. From there, the Texas A&M Real Estate Center scrubs the date to remove duplicates to publish accurate and precise data. Finally, the numbers are analyzed by your local Association to be presented to the membership and the media.

Over the past seven months, the Association has seen a shift in the real estate data presented. New home sales have slowed, and months of inventory has nearly doubled, sometimes tripled in the Central Texas area. This is a huge change from what we’ve been seeing over the past few years, where we had less than a month’s inventory in most places.

This shift has changed the way that we do business and how our clients see the entire buying process, which might leave you with the question, “how can I continue to thrive in this market?”

Plugging in, expanding your network, and staying connected with your communities will help you continue to navigate the current market. Getting involved with your local Association gives you the tools necessary to continue to educate yourself to be the best REALTOR® that you

Our Williamson County Association of REALTORS® JENNIFER TUCKER-NEELY 2023 PRESIDENT can be. As REALTORS®, we have a commitment to serve the communities that we work in. Our clients trust us to be knowledgeable, informative and actively involved.

There are a number of networking and educational opportunities WCREALTORS has planned for its members this year. Three bus tours will take us to local communities still experiencing growth in new developments, along with five city updates so that you can hear from local officials, public safety officers and school districts. WCREALTORS.org/calendar has a full list of events.

As your local Association, we are here every step of the way, navigating this current market with you. If you ever need anything, please remember that we are just a phone call away.