Members from the Vermont Association of Realtor® (VAR) descended on our nation’s capital this week for the 2019 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. One of the most valuable and important things we can do as real estate professionals is to continue making our strong, collective voice heard in D.C.

While many of us can see how our local politics directly influences our day-to-day business operations, we must also pay attention to how our U.S. Senators and Representatives influence not only our daily real estate operations, but also our clients.

While in D.C., Vermont Realtor® members met with Vermont Representative Peter Welch, and with staffers from the offices of Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator Bernie Sanders to discuss issues important to Vermont’s real estate industry.

“During our hill visits, we thanked Rep. Welch for voting to extend the National Insurance Program (NFIP), which passed the U.S. House on Tuesday, May 14,” said VAR Government Affairs Director Nancy Lynch. “We also encouraged Representatives Leahy and Sanders to vote to support responsible long-term re-authorization of the NFIP, and to work towards meaningful reforms that would strengthen the program’s solvency.” The NFIP, which is critical to many Vermont homeowners, was extended to Sept. 20, 2019. Read

VAR members also discussed the Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program, which has great potential to spur real estate development and investment by creating economic opportunities in QOZ designated communities. Read more about QOZ here.

“The day-to-day business dealings of Realtors® are directly impacted by the decisions made by our policymakers and regulators, making it vitally important for leaders on Capitol Hill to hear from our members about the issues shaping their businesses, communities and clients,” said NAR President John Smaby. “Supporting home and property owners through smart legislation and regulatory initiatives is essential to advancing our nation’s and local economies, which is why Realtors® are in Washington to advocate on behalf of homeowners and fight to keep Congress’s focus on the issues that affect real estate.”