By Connie Johnson
Have you heard the saying, “if you are in real estate, you are in politics?”
No other statement has ever been more true. I believe in the last few years, more and more REALTORS® are starting to see the importance of legislative issues and decisions in our business, whether it be local, state or federal. 2020 was a difficult year for all of us, but it was also a great opportunity to demonstrate the value of being a REALTOR®. Because of our relationship with the legislators in Tallahassee and Washington D.C., we were able to show our profession is essential. That did not just happen by accident. I say this because it is important to know where the money you donate to the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) goes.
As unprecedented as 2020 was, I could never have a greater sense of accomplishment for our members. Even without having fundraising initiatives that support private property rights, we were able to raise a historical amount of dollars for RPAC — nearly $300,000. Greater Tampa REALTORS® 2020 REALTOR® Party Committee made it a priority to raise RPAC awareness and educate members on why they should contribute.
In addition to establishing ourselves as essential, we made sure our legislators knew that the financing industries needed to be protected as well. These are not things that would be possible without your contributions to RPAC to help elect real estate-friendly legislators and build these relationships. These are just two successes RPAC has helped achieve and many more that go unnoticed. With this said, I urge you to invest in your profession and preserve the American dream of homeownership.
Connie Johnson (Coldwell Banker Realty) is a 2021 Board of Director.
