New Candidate School Prepares Members for Public Office

Members interested in helping to shape public policy in their city or state by winning elective office can now participate in the new NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ Candidate Training Academy. The program is a part of NAR’s My REALTOR® Party initiative, which launched last year. 

With the NAR Candidate Training Academy, participating state and local associations of REALTORS® can help make the road to electoral success a little easier for their members who are interested in running for office by sponsoring an NAR-developed training curriculum, either alone or in partnership with other nearby associations. NAR supplies the trainers, too, unless the state or local association has campaign specialists of their own they want to bring in. There are no limits to the number of associations that can sponsor the training, but the number of programs that use NAR-provided trainers is limited to 20 a year.

Associations have flexibility in structuring their training. The curriculum is organized into seven instruction modules, which are intended to help participants clarify their thinking on why they’re running and how to articulate their reason concisely; how to plan and budget for the race; what research would be helpful and how to get it done; how to raise money and what rules are in place governing what you can collect and how you can collect it; how to ensure you have sufficient time and opportunity to get out there and make contact with voters; leveraging social media;  and how to get out the vote on election day.

Other modules, on working with volunteers and engaging grassroots activism, can be added to the curriculum. For more, visit www.REALTORActionCenter.com/candidate.