By Lisa May, Government Affairs Manager                             

NV/RPAC. You may have heard the name or read about it in this magazine, but you never knew what it meant, or why it should matter to you.
 
In reality, NV/RPAC is one of the most important words in a Realtor’s® language. It is your protection and your political insurance against policies that could devastate your ability to make a living as a real estate agent. Better yet,  it provides this protection for literally pennies a day. You can’t afford NOT to know about NV/RPAC. This is a guide to the best insurance you will ever buy.
 
What is NV/RPAC?
NV/RPAC is the Northern Virginia/REALTORS&®Political Action Committee. It is the advocate for Northern Virginia REALTORS® and their issues.
 
How is my NV/RPAC investment used?
Each investment is split between our local NV/RPAC, RPAC of Virginia (VAR) and the National RPAC (NAR). It will be used to support candidates for Congress, the Virginia General Assembly and local offices, including Fairfax County, Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. It can also be used to support or oppose a particular issue, such as urging the public to support additional transportation funding.
 
Who decides how NV/RPAC funds will be spent?
Whether at the federal, state or local level, all funding decisions are made by REALTORS®. NV/RPAC funding is approved by an 11-member board of Trustees appointed by the NVAR Chairman of the Board. These REALTORS® may identify themselves as Republicans, Democrats or Independents, yet they put personal affiliations aside to represent the best interests of the entire membership and the real estate industry.
 
Why does NV/RPAC contribute to a certain candidate?
Candidates receive funding based on their support of REALTOR® issues only - not on social or political issues.  The NV/RPAC Trustees evaluate candidates through questionnaires, interviews and voting records. By doing this, NV/RPAC supports only those that will be open to our issues, regardless of political party.
 
What are the REALTOR® issues?
The key issues used to evaluate federal candidates include affordable health insurance for REALTORS®, keeping banks out of real estate, preserving tax deductions for homeownership and preventing predatory lending. On the    state and local levels, issues include transportation funding, promotion of affordable housing, reasonable growth policies, low real estate transaction costs and maintaining industry standards.
 
Do we really need a REALTORS® PAC?
Absolutely. 
 
NV/RPAC is your protection from legislation that would harm your real estate business. No other group or industry will be your advocate before the legislature and regulators. 
 
For example, the following have been proposed in various states and localities:

• additional taxes on commissions paid in real estate transactions
• holding REALTORS® responsible for a seller’s zoning or building code violations
• building moratoria that decrease the housing stock available to homebuyers
• loosening federal standards to allow large, federally-insured megabanks to enter the real estate brokerage business.

Consider how you would fight these proposals alone. Then, consider how the power of 13,000 Northern Virginia REALTORS®, 39,000 Virginia REALTORS® and 1.3 million REALTORS® nationwide can protect you and your business.
 
Just $40 per year - just 10 cents per day - is all it takes. Have you invested in your political insurance yet?

Ready to Invest in Your Business?
 
To learn more about NV/RPAC, visit us online at:  www.nvar.com. You will find a list of our investors and a PDF form that can be mailed or faxed with your NV/RPAC investment.
      
Still uncertain of the benefits of NV/RPAC? Do you have  a question that isn’t covered here? We are happy to answer any of your questions over the phone or, if you’d prefer, you can request an NV/RPAC presentation     during your next office meeting. For more information, contact the NVAR  Government Affairs Department at 703/207-3201.