Get Involved With NAR’s Federal Political Coordinator Program

By: Victoria Givens, REALTOR® Mobilization Programs Manager, NAR

While the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) boasts a membership of 1.3 million members, the face and voice of the real estate industry before the United States Congress boils down to 535 members who volunteer as Federal Political Coordinators (FPCs). Nominated by their state presidents and appointed by the President of NAR, they advocate policy initiatives which support a fundamentally sound and dynamic U.S. real estate market. FPCs are chosen because of their relationships with Members of Congress, their high caliber political work and activities within their Congressional District, or their professional background in issues of importance to the district.

In a nutshell, each FPC serves as an educator to their Member of Congress with respect to vital issues in the real estate industry. In addition to regular contact with the assigned Member of Congress, there are several specific tasks that are required to fulfill the role. To that end, FPCs sign a pledge at the beginning of each term (2 years) to perform the following duties:

1. Respond to all NAR Calls for Action
2. Advocate on behalf of all REALTORS® and the REALTOR® Party
3. Contact their assigned Member of Congress at least once per quarter and submit a field report each time
4. Participate in training as required
5. Utilize and deliver all RPAC contributions in a timely manner
6. Attend each annual NAR May Meeting/Hill Visits
7. Develop a contact team
8. Sign and return the FPC Pledge Form

If you are politically active or have a relationship with a Member of Congress and are interested in becoming a Federal Political Coordinator, please reach out to your State Association. The more commercial practitioners we have in the fold, the better represented your issues will be. While a strong lobbying group in Washington is important, the real power of any industry resides in the grassroots organization and activism of its individual members. FPCs are a testament to this fact, helping define NAR as an extremely powerful force in the nation’s capital.

Do you have a relationship or are you active with a particular member of Congress who currently has an FPC? Ask to be included on that REALTOR®’s team. When an FPC can no longer carry out their duties, the state often looks to the team to fill that role. If you want to be more involved in a meaningful way and have commercial interests represented at the highest levels, consider applying to become an FPC.

More Information

Access the FPC Handbook and learn more:

1. Explore the FPC website.
2. Download the FPC Handbook.
3. Download the FPC Team Toolkit.
4. Contact Victoria Givens with your questions and concerns at vgivens@realtors.org or 202-383-1021