Preparing for NAR Washington Meeting!

Real Estate Education Training:

DC Hill Visits are very effective!

Start making contact with your Members of the House and Senate for some "face time" at the NAR Washington DC meeting!   It seems like just yesterday that we were in Washington DC meeting with our elected officials and requesting support for a number of National Association of Realtors (NAR) housing related issues.  It reminds me of the old Superman series voice over " for truth, justice and the American way!"   We have our various State Association of Realtors meetings across the country with varying frequencies, however, the grand daddy of them all is the NAR Washington DC meeting.  Washington DC is truly the most effective meeting place for our Realtor leadership from across the country.  Working together with our elected representatives, staff and volunteers to protect the rights of home ownership is always a learning experience.  Congressman Ken Calvert, R-CA has always been a true friend to our industry and has worked to help us keep the benefits of homeownership in tact.  He and other elected representatives are true friends.

The NAR meetings in DC are always filled with valuable Real Estate information.  The committee meetings and forums offer new and updated information regarding the state of our industry.  Our NAR Research Staff  lead by Dr. Lawrence Yun is superb!  The briefings are always well attended.  The Research staff reports are shared with major news media and Realtor members across the country.  This helps keep the public and Realtor members informed on housing trends. Data from our Research Staff and Committee is used to shape the discourse on the local, state and national levels.  Special thanks to all our dedicated committee staff and volunteer members for making our meetings informative and worth every effort made to attend. 

One of the best places to review the new technological advances and Real Estate related products for our industry is at the Expo.  Exhibitors from across the country set up booths with everything from computers to business attire.  It is always a treat to see the exhibitors demonstrate the software designed specifically for Realtors. I am drawn to several "regulars" like Top Producer and our  Realtor Store.  There are so many vendors with an array of products designed to help us better serve our clients. It takes several hours just to navigate the Expo and it is well worth it!

One of my all time favorite DC meetings included the Realtor Rally.  Thousands of Realtor members wearing the Realtor Blue T Shirts gathered on the mall to hear presentations by our NAR President Moe Veissi, Realtor friendly Elected Officials and other industry leaders.  NAREB President Julius Cartwright commented that "the Realtor Leadership very graciously allowed me and other industry spokesmen the opportunity to participate".  Realtor Tom Salamone did an excellent job as Master of Ceremony.  We were very proud to have made our presence known in a very positive demonstration of Realtor Pride.  That was a special event of enormous magnitude and it will be remembered for many years to come!

Let's talk about some other great and fun reasons for going to the Washington DC meeting.  Monuments to our nations leaders abound!  One year we walked from the Wardman Park Marriott to Arlington National Cemetery.  It took the entire day but we made stops along the way at several very interesting places including Embassy Row, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Lincoln Monument and a few restaurants.  There are so many great eateries to visit and enjoy fantastic meals.  We always enjoy Adams Morgan, Georgetown and the majestic federal buildings around the city.  Walking is always a great way to see more detail but one can always opt to ride the very affordable Metro Trains.   Getting around DC in the Metro Train is often much quicker and always less expensive than cabbing through heavy traffic.  Several of my favorite restaurants are easily accessed by Metro including Maggianos, B. Smith's and Old Ebbitt Grill.

We truly appreciate all the effort that goes into making our DC meeting a must attend annual event.  State and National Staff members, as well as, Volunteers work diligently to provide beneficial activities for Realtor members from across the country and abroad.  Every Realtor should attend a DC meeting.  I believe that the experience will be one of the very best opportunities to learn and share.