Government Affairs

RASM Members Attend Great American Realtor® Days

By: Max Brandow, RASM Government Affairs Director

It’s been a busy season in government affairs as RASM members work hard to protect the issues that affect homeownership in our area.

GARD RECAP:

This past month, RASM members traveled to Tallahassee and visited with our local delegation to lobby for important real estate issues. Topics discussed ranged from fully funding our Affordable Housing Trust Funds, Reducing the Commercial Lease Tax, Water Quality, and protecting property owner’s rights to rent out their homes.

GARD attendees were treated to a special lunch with Governor Ron Desantis, who updated Realtors® on his priorities, and how they would move our industry forward in Florida. RASM and Realtor® members throughout the state volunteered their work week to attend this important event, we are so appreciative of our selfless volunteers for their commitment to fighting for our industry.

RASM members also met with Senator Joe Gruters; Rep. Tommy Gregory, Rep. James Buchanan, Rep. Margaret Good, and Rep. Will Robinson.

FLORIDA’S VACATION HOME RENTALS CONTRIBUTE $27.4B TO ECONOMY

The University of Central Florida in conjunction with Florida REALTORS® conducted an economic study on the impact of vacation rentals in Florida. They found that direct vacation rental spending was almost 20 percent of Florida’s tourism industry in 2017, and 1.6 percent of state GDP.

In Manatee and Sarasota County, vacation rentals accounted for $457 million of direct economic impact. Vacation renters in Manatee and Sarasota counties accounted for, on average, $1,093 per trip/per person in economic impact for our area. In 2018, more than one in 10 (11.2 percent) of tourists stayed in a vacation rental home. Industry direct spending supports 115k jobs and creates 13 jobs every hour.

“Floridians have long-known that the state’s vacation rental industry has a significant impact on our economy, but the numbers in this report are simply staggering. More than $27 billion a year is a substantial contribution to our economy, and the 115,000 jobs it supports are critical to the well-being of many of our communities,” said Florida REALTORS® President Barry Grooms, a Realtor® and co-owner of Sarabay Suncoast Realty Inc. in Bradenton.

This is why RASM and FR fight so hard for your client’s right to rent out their properties locally, the economic impact speaks for itself. If you want to take a look at the whole report head over to: https://stars. library.ucf.edu/dickpope-pubs/80/

UPCOMING DATES THIS BUSY ELECTION SEASON: Presidential Preference Primary: March 17 NAR Mid-Year Legislative Meetings: May 11-16 RASM Casino Night: June 2020 Primary Elections: August 18 Florida REALTORS® 2020 Convention: August 25-30 General Election: November 3 •

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