Industry Updates
Keller Williams associates recently traveled to Washington, D.C., joining nearly 10,000 real estate professionals at the National Association of REALTORS® 2017 Legislative Meetings. During their time at the Capitol, they met with federal lawmakers and staff, learned about real estate’s top policy issues and connected with industry leaders.
Read on for highlights of their trip and the latest information on industry happenings!
POLICY UPDATES - HOUSING
Government leaders, including Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Deputy Associate Administrator for Insurance and Mitigation at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Roy Wright, were on hand to speak about the state of homeownership and proposed regulatory changes.
Secretary Carson noted that everyone should have the chance to become a homeowner. He also spoke in support of a proposed HUD rule regarding the approval process for condominium developments.
Wright’s comments provided insight into the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Wright emphasized the upcoming Sept. 30 deadline for Congressional reauthorization of NFIP and steps the agency is taking to improve and stabilize the program.
Midweek, KW agents joined fellow NAR colleagues on Capitol Hill for meetings with their respective members of Congress. REALTORS® focused on three legislative priorities – 1) tax reform, 2) flood insurance, and 3) protecting sustainable homeownership. Congressional leaders and staff were urged to support tax reform that preserves provisions tied to homeownership and real estate investment. They were also encouraged to reauthorize NFIP and responsibly reform the secondary mortgage market.
Learn how you can help protect home ownership here.
UPSTREAM
Since its announcement back in November 2015, Keller Williams has played an integral role in Upstream, an effort to create a centralized data repository of listing information.
Alex Lange, CEO of Upstream, was available throughout the week to share updates on the Upstream rollout and oversee live demonstrations of the platform. He also explained the platform’s expanded “broker input of choice” method to populate listings. This enhancement will allow brokers to enter data into their MLS(s), which will send it to Upstream. This solution affords brokers the ability to utilize Upstream more quickly, while simultaneously allowing the MLS community/MLS software providers to integrate Upstream into their development schedule.
The conference concluded with a meeting of the NAR Board of Directors, during which the board authorized NAR to fund $1.5 million for administrative costs through 2018, as well as up to $7.5 million to support deployment of the technology by Realtors Property Resource®, the NAR subsidiary that developed the technology.
KW INDUSTRY LEADERS
The KW Industry Leaders community – a group of agents serving in industry leadership roles at the local, state and/or national level – volunteer their time and talent in support of the real estate profession. These associates serve in a variety of roles, working to drive positive change throughout the industry. Engaging with real estate experts, colleagues and lawmakers at the NAR midyear meetings is one of many ways these leaders are helping to move the industry forward. While in D.C., KW Industry Leader community members were invited to attend a reception hosted by the KWRI Industry Development team at the Menkiti Group’s Capitol Hill market center. The reception included a Q&A session with Lange and an overview of the newly created Industry Development KWConnect page.
The real estate industry is changing at an increasingly rapid pace! Learn more about how Keller Williams is working to ensure that any changes that impact the industry keep our associates first.
Visit the KW Industry Development page on KWConnect for more information!
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