After nearly three years of diminished opportunities for face-to-face connection, REALTOR® leaders are kicking off a nationwide motor coach tour to engage with members in every state and emphasize their opportunities to strengthen market conditions for consumers.
The initiative, dubbed “Riding with the Brand,” involves coordinated stops or affiliated events in each of the 50 states over the next year. The tour launches Nov. 29 in Philadelphia, and its first stop will be in Atlantic City, N.J. “NAR’s membership numbers remain at an all-time high, but COVID-19 and the increase in virtual communication have diminished face-to-face interaction between NAR and REALTORS® around the country,” says Kenny Parcell, 2023 president of the National Association of REALTORS®. “We wanted to reconnect with the members in every U.S. ZIP code and remind them of how important it is that we continue to engage policymakers in support of American consumers.”
The tour, featuring Parcell and members of his leadership team, is designed to help REALTORS® understand the power of their collective voice at the local, state and national levels. Especially given current market conditions, REALTORS® now more than ever must push lawmakers for solutions to inventory and other issues holding would-be buyers back. “Our country is experiencing a 6-million-unit housing shortage, pushing homeownership out of reach for too many Americans,” Parcell says. “Consumers are counting on REALTORS® to advocate on their behalf and to help ensure the American dream of home and property ownership remains available to as many people as possible.”
Throughout the year, REALTOR® Magazine will be following the Riding with the Brand tour. See the stories in your weekly Member’s Edge newsletter beginning in December. A list of event dates and locations, as well as additional information about the tour’s goals, can be found at nar.realtor/riding.