REALTORS® interested in helping to shape public policy in their city or state by winning elective office won’t have to jump in with little or no preparation if their state or local association is participating in the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) Candidate Training Academy. The program is a part of NAR’s My Realtor Party® initiative, which launched last year.

The candidate training has been in the works for several months, and several associations have either joined in as training partners with NAR or expressed an interest in doing so since a demonstration of the program was completed earlier this year. That number could pick up now that the program has an online home on NAR’s advocacy Web site, www.REALTORActionCenter.com/candidate.

REALTORS® have long been active in politics at the state and local levels. Today, many REALTORS® sit on city councils and county commissions, and serve as legislators in their state legislature. A number of REALTORS® or former REALTORS® are active in national politics as well. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) is one of several members of Congress who come from a real estate background.

With the NAR Candidate Training Academy, participating state and local associations of REALTORS® can help make the road to electoral success a little easier for their members who are interested in running for office by sponsoring an NAR-developed training curriculum, either alone or in partnership with other nearby associations. NAR supplies the trainers, too, unless the state or local association has campaign specialists of their own they want to bring in. There are no limits to the number of associations that can sponsor the training, but the number of programs that use NAR-provided trainers is limited to 20 a year.  

Associations have flexibility in structuring their training. The curriculum is organized into seven instruction modules, which are intended to help participants clarify their thinking on why they’re running and how to articulate their reason concisely; how to plan and budget for the race; what research would be helpful and how to get it done; how to raise money and what rules are in place governing what you can collect and how you can collect it; how to ensure you have sufficient time and opportunity to get out there and make contact with voters; leveraging social media;  and how to get out the vote on election day.

Other modules, on working with volunteers and engaging grassroots activism, can be added to the curriculum.

Success in state and local electoral politics, says NAR, “means better protection of real estate issues, individual property rights, brokerages, and the real estate profession for years to come. In addition to building relationships, opportu­nities exist to educate and inform local elected and appointed officials on issues that affect REALTOR® members, home owners, and real property.”

With the Candidate Training Academy now underway, REALTORS® across the country can hope to see more of their colleagues helping to shape public policy in their areas.

Learn more at the REALTOR® Action Center Web site.

- REALTOR® Magazine News