The Power of Individual Action

I had the pleasure recently of interviewing the award-winning entrepreneur Daymond John. You probably know him from ABC’s “Shark Tank” and for his lifestyle brand, FUBU. He told me that he remembers once, as a kid, watching in awe as a supersonic Concorde jet took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport. John’s mother, seeing his amazement, told him, “Daymond, everything around you started with one person who took one action. Why couldn’t it be you? ”Wise words.

Everything we do at the National Association of REALTORS® starts with individuals like you—pros who work in the real estate business and who are motivated to take actions that will benefit our industry. Like you, I am a member of NAR and a real estate business owner.

As the association’s 2021 president, I am committed to aligning our priorities with your business needs, and the best way we have to understand your needs is to hear from you. So we’re listening. Actively.

NAR’s director of commercial engagement, Johnny Noon, recently conducted a Zoom listening tour of 30 state and local associations and commercial overlay boards. Loud and clear, we heard that three key services top your must-have list: advocacy, research, and education. We’re delivering on all these fronts to drive business growth.

Advocacy

At the state and local level, REALTOR® associations are partnering with economic development councils to spur growth and opportunity for our commercial members. In Washington, we’re pulling out all the stops to educate the White House and Congress on how proposed tax policies will affect our industry. We can’t be too vigilant. Recent proposals to limit the amount of deferred gain from a 1031 like-kind exchange, double the maximum long-term capital gains tax rate, and tax unrealized gains on capital assets at death are counterproductive to our nation's and our industry's economic health.