Regulation Nation: Housing Edition

Advocacy Scoop Podcast

Buying or selling a home is one of the most highly regulated transactions in a person's life. In this episode, Shannon and Patrick unpack the complex world of real estate regulations - exploring what they mean for NAR members, how they affect consumers and the role NAR's advocacy team plays in shaping them. Wherever you practice real estate, chances are the National Association of REALTORS®, along with your state and local associations, has influenced how your state's real estate regulations are put into practice.

2025-09-05 30 min Transcript

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Transcript

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- Welcome to the advocacy scoop,
the podcast that takes you

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inside the advocacy work
of the National Association

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of Realtors connecting NAR members

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with their advocates in
Washington for a front row seat

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to the fight for public policy
that strengthens the ability

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of Americans to access property ownership.

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- Hello everybody and welcome
to the advocacy scoop.

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I'm Patrick Newton here,

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with's Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon

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McGahn. Hello Shannon.

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- Hello Patrick.
- And this,

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this episode we're really excited about.

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It sounds like one of those things

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that's gonna be super boring,

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but it's actually, I think, gonna be one

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of our best episodes, regulate

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- Regulators.

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- How much did you love that

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song, how you would listen to it? Like,

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- Can we do karaoke later?
And I'll tell you how much

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- I wore out that cassette tape.

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We're gonna take a little bit

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of a dive into real estate regulation

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and how sort of impactful
that is on the industry

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and all of our members and the, and,

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and the way they do business

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and how, you know, you tackle

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that from an advocacy standpoint, Shannon.

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But before we get into all of
that, I mean, happy September.

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We've just wrapped up August recess is

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what we call it here in dc
but no recess for the weary.

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- Oh, absolutely. No recess.

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August was incredibly busy

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and now we are trudging forward on

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to the end of the fiscal year.

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So happy end of fiscal year coming up,

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- Patrick. That's right. I know that

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- You celebrate that every year.

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- I know. I, I have, every month

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of the year is like
correlated to me for something

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that Congress has to get done.

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That's just how my brain thinks.

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But yeah, we go straight into making sure

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NFIP doesn't have elapse.

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- Exactly. Yeah. So September's
going to be quite busy,

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but we have plenty to
cover before we get there.

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- Do you go anywhere fun over August?

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- Not really. It's been very, most people,

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their kids start school in August.

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We don't go back until after Labor Day.

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So it's a lot of managing kids camps

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and dealing with the DC heat.

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- Well I'm, I'm very sad to tell you

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that I am now pulled
ahead of you in our race

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to visit all the Disney
parks in the world.

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- Oh, do tell.
- I went to Hong Kong Disney, Ugh.

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- I didn't even get to
go to a Disney in August,

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but I did go in late July, so

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- I didn't even realize that
there was a Disney World

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where we were in Hong Kong and it was a

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total spur of the moment.

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Like we woke up and was
like, we have one more day.

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What are we gonna do today?
And we just stumbled on it.

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- Well, it's a small world after all. So,

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- And we went on that ride

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and it's exactly like the one here.

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It's basically the same
ride. So, but it was fun.

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It was fun. Anyway, so
enough about August.

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We'll talk about that a little
bit later in the episode.

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'cause I know you do wanna talk
about a lot of the meetings

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that we have with members of
Congress and stuff over August.

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But let's get back into the
real estate regulations.

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And so pop quiz Shannon, the
Federal code of regulations,

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I think it's the Code of
Federal Regulations is what it's

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how it's stated, but
like it's a real thing.

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There is literally a
book of every regulation

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that exists in the
United States federally,

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and it's like a living, breathing document

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that you can't slay.

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It's like a dragon.

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- Well, I do recall as a young
staffer on Capitol Hill that

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before press conferences we
would print out the regulations

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and then bring them in
those cardboard boxes.

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And we thought that was going
to just make such a huge

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impact at a press conference.

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And it turns out we didn't
really make front page

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of any newspaper,

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but it at least helped
me work on my strength

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to carry those boxes down the hall.

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- Well, the, the, the, the code

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of federal regulations in the
seventies was 70,000 pages.

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So how many pages I looked it up,

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do you think? It's up to now

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- 70 million pages

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- Now you've deflated my,
my stat 180,000 pages.

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- 11 million. Is that a number

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- I always had.

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My old boss used to say like,
with these numbers are so big

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that nobody can really like
wrap their minds around 'em.

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When you say 11 billion cajillion dollars,

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like nobody can really
wrap their mind around

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how much money these things are.

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But like, so I broke it down a little bit.

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180,000 pages, that's a three
story building that's as tall

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as a Tyrannosaurus Rex
and it's like reading War

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and Peace 140 times.

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- Well, I didn't read it one time,

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but is there a podcast version of,

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- Is there a CliffNotes

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- Version, a CliffNotes podcast that

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I could, I could listen to?

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Well, what we're gonna do today is provide

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that CliffNotes podcast for
what is related to real estate

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and housing, and in particular
the, the consumer transaction

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that occurs in all of these regulations

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- And, and buying and selling property.

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It's not just the most expensive
transaction of your life

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and impactful, it's also the
most regulated transaction.

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I mean there's enormous
consequences not just for access to,

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to housing, but consumer protections

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and you know,

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just look at the closing
documents that you signed.

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- Oh, exactly. And every person listening

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to this is familiar with
what happens at closing

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and just for residential deals,

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we're looking at closing contracts

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that average a hundred pages,

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but they could be upwards of
300 pages depending on the

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state and local legal requirements

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and the terms of that
particular transaction.

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So in every deal you're
going to see 10 to 30 pages

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of a final purchase
agreement, a loan application,

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another dozen or so pages.

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Security instrument is
another two dozen pages.

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The notes is a few pages,
settlement statement,

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lender affidavits, all of
these things are adding up

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to close to a hundred if not more pages.

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And people are often like, oh, hey,

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well I'll just DocuSign those and see.

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But no, there's, with every single one

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of those pages is some sort
of regulation, some sort

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of government interaction,
some sort of contract law.

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And that is where the
realtor gets involved.

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- And that's the, the spread
of, you know, a hundred

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to maybe even 300 pages is

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because regulations can vary
widely from state to state,

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but also, you know,
whether there's mortgage

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requirements and things like that.

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But I mean like, don't even
get me started on commercial.

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'cause that can go up to what,

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- Oh, so commercial deals,

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those contracts are easily
triple, if not more,

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they can run up to a
thousand pages or more

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because you're looking at lease provisions

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and zoning, environmental
regulations and financing.

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And so these documents

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that are at the closing
table are a byproduct

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of some regulation that's
aimed at preventing fraud,

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protecting consumers and
ensuring that there is proper tax

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and legal compliance.

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And chances are that the
National Association of Realtors

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or one of the state

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and local associations
were involved in working

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with policymakers and other regulators

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and government officials on
how they are implemented,

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how they're working, how they may not be

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working and need to be changed.

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So it's a very important
job that we do here.

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- Yeah, and that's Brian
Green's team here, you know,

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on your, on your advocacy
team, he came over from hud,

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he was 20 years career at
HUD before coming to NAR.

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We're so lucky to have him,

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but I mean we have that A
to Z doc we're covering,

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we have all of this covered.

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I mean we have, you know,
two floors of policy analysts

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who are, who are on this stuff 24 7.

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- Oh, absolutely. So Brian,
I was the vice president

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of policy advocacy.

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A lot of folks are like, what do you mean

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by policy advocacy?

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Well, for each one of these issues,

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we have subject matter experts
over a dozen subject matter

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experts who work here in our DC office.

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And their job is to follow all
of these federal regulations

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and to work directly with the regulators.

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So things like the Truth

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and Lending Act, the Real Estate
Settlement Procedures Act,

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which we all know is RESPA

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and tila Dodd-Frank Act, which
really changed how, I mean,

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financing was working and,

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and what the, the housing market,

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how things were going to
proceed in the future.

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- We were both on the hill
when that, that passed. And you

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probably had a big hand in
that at financial services.

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- Oh, absolutely. So I
started on the hill, returned

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to the hill back when
that was being considered

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and being passed and, and
just seeing that over the,

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the decade plus of
years of, of work there,

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how much things like
qualified mortgage rule

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with their impact on who
is eligible for mortgage

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and who isn't the Fair Housing Act,

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the Fair Credit Reporting Act,

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anti-money laundering
regulations, these are all things

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that our team is working
on day in and day out.

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And in particular we
are hearing from folks

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around the country on, Hey, we see

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that this new document came out

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and it's not working well for our clients.

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Can you contact the regulator?

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And we will, we'll reach out

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and say, can you please
take a meeting and,

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and see that there are concerns here.

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And that's another way
that we can make sure

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that we're advocating directly.

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- And you know, real world
example of this crossed my inbox,

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literally today a member
approached someone, a member,

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someone from our leadership
with a question about a new reg

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having to do with the way
international transactions

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are done for housing.

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And Evan, our tax policy analyst,

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was like within 30 minutes
had the answer back to them

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and an analysis on it.
So it's like weird. That

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- Would be ferta.

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- Yeah. Right. Yeah. So I mean there's

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- An acronym for everything too.

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- And that literally came through
my inbox like an hour ago.

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So it's like this is a rolling constant

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thing that we monitor.

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- And Patrick, you mentioned
an important document

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that exists on our advocacy
resources and, and website,

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but the A to Z document,
so any issue under the sun

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that the advocacy team is
working on from the letters A

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through Z, we have a very
quick, easily digestible summary

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of what the issue is
and what our position is

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and what the latest actions
are that are happening.

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So please check that out.

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- And we are making sure
that's all updated right now

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because we, we constantly
monitor all those issue pages

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and make sure they're, they're updated. So

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- Along with our advocacy impact page,

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do you wanna tell our dear your

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listeners about that new? Oh

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- Yeah, just check out advocacy
impact realtor, a new sort

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of a vanity URL that's easier
to remember that has a lot of,

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00:09:43,170 --> 00:09:45,240
that chronicles a lot of our,
our work that we're doing

246
00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:46,073
and the impact that it's

247
00:09:46,073 --> 00:09:47,310
having on the industry and our members.

248
00:09:47,310 --> 00:09:48,660
So another way to keep track,

249
00:09:48,660 --> 00:09:49,660
- Right?

250
00:09:49,660 --> 00:09:53,070
- Yeah. - Well and we just this
past month hosted new state

251
00:09:53,070 --> 00:09:55,200
and local AEs and Gads

252
00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,720
and so for those of you who
are not liking the acronyms

253
00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,150
that we throw out there,
association executives

254
00:10:00,150 --> 00:10:02,040
and government affairs directors.

255
00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,170
And so those are folks who
are working at the state

256
00:10:04,170 --> 00:10:07,860
and local level and at the
state level there are many more

257
00:10:07,860 --> 00:10:11,550
regulations including those
regarding property taxes,

258
00:10:11,550 --> 00:10:15,030
local zoning ordinances,
environmental restrictions.

259
00:10:15,030 --> 00:10:18,240
There are many state
specific disclosure laws.

260
00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,670
So when you're working on
things like mold or lead paint

261
00:10:20,670 --> 00:10:23,460
or radon, there are federal
regulations and, and, and,

262
00:10:23,460 --> 00:10:27,540
and state ones, water rights,
easements, mineral rights,

263
00:10:27,540 --> 00:10:29,730
all things that our state
associations are involved with.

264
00:10:29,730 --> 00:10:31,140
And sometimes we can help.

265
00:10:31,140 --> 00:10:34,290
- Well, let's start at
the very beginning, state

266
00:10:34,290 --> 00:10:36,330
and local work our way back up to federal,

267
00:10:36,330 --> 00:10:38,010
because I'm glad you mentioned that we,

268
00:10:38,010 --> 00:10:40,920
when we're looking at state
regulations, that can vary sort

269
00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:45,900
of wildly, you know, some
states have more than others and

270
00:10:45,900 --> 00:10:48,120
and how, how does that
fit into the picture?

271
00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:50,520
- Which state do you think has
the most regulations when it

272
00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:51,520
- Comes to the crack?

273
00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:53,640
I mean, I could guess,
but I don't wanna like,

274
00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:54,870
I don't wanna throw shade.

275
00:10:55,980 --> 00:10:57,420
- Well, they can be good regulations.

276
00:10:57,420 --> 00:10:59,880
They're not, we're not judging
which ones are good or bad,

277
00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:02,130
but, and you're just the
pure quantity of those

278
00:11:02,130 --> 00:11:03,810
- Regulations and you're
a hundred percent crack.

279
00:11:03,810 --> 00:11:05,760
We're not dissing regulations.

280
00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,620
I I don't want it to sound
like that's what we're doing.

281
00:11:07,620 --> 00:11:09,870
We're we're talking about
the fine line that we walk

282
00:11:09,870 --> 00:11:12,210
between ensuring consumers are protected

283
00:11:12,210 --> 00:11:14,430
and not inhibiting access to housing.

284
00:11:14,430 --> 00:11:16,560
And the one good example is
this is the National Association

285
00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:19,980
of Home Builders actually
had a study recently

286
00:11:19,980 --> 00:11:22,380
that said 25% of the cost

287
00:11:22,380 --> 00:11:24,750
of building a home is regulations is

288
00:11:24,750 --> 00:11:25,920
compliant with regulations.

289
00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:27,990
- Yes. And we use that
number in that study

290
00:11:27,990 --> 00:11:29,940
and many of our communications materials.

291
00:11:29,940 --> 00:11:32,430
And then when it comes to multi-family

292
00:11:32,430 --> 00:11:35,490
and rental units, that
number goes up to a third

293
00:11:35,490 --> 00:11:37,140
of the costs in regulations.

294
00:11:37,140 --> 00:11:40,890
And so many times that is
increasing the price of housing

295
00:11:40,890 --> 00:11:43,140
because that has to be paid at some point.

296
00:11:43,140 --> 00:11:45,090
And so it is an important area to know

297
00:11:45,090 --> 00:11:47,310
where those regulations
are protecting the consumer

298
00:11:47,310 --> 00:11:49,800
or where they are
unnecessarily driving up costs.

299
00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:50,940
- Right, okay. So state

300
00:11:50,940 --> 00:11:54,490
and local ordinances, we
have this one stat in 2024,

301
00:11:54,490 --> 00:11:56,380
our policy team here
pulled these stats up,

302
00:11:56,380 --> 00:12:00,880
but like state houses
introduced 87,000 bills in 2024

303
00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,660
compared to just 20,000 in the
US Congress in the same year.

304
00:12:04,660 --> 00:12:06,820
So a lot's going on

305
00:12:06,820 --> 00:12:07,820
- Just
- 20,000.

306
00:12:07,820 --> 00:12:10,840
- Just 20,000. It's just, it's
a small number compared. So

307
00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:13,060
- I mean, but how many of
those are post office namings?

308
00:12:13,060 --> 00:12:15,940
- That's true. And
those are typically very

309
00:12:15,940 --> 00:12:17,620
bipartisan, very easy to pass,

310
00:12:17,620 --> 00:12:19,570
- But there's a lot to
monitor there on the ground.

311
00:12:19,570 --> 00:12:23,590
So I, my question to you is
like how do we keep apprised of,

312
00:12:23,590 --> 00:12:25,720
of what's happening
like on state and local?

313
00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,630
- Well that is one of the
most important aspects

314
00:12:28,630 --> 00:12:29,950
of the three-way agreement.

315
00:12:29,950 --> 00:12:32,680
And knowing that in every
zip code, every locality

316
00:12:32,680 --> 00:12:35,050
that we have an association that's working

317
00:12:35,050 --> 00:12:37,480
with their state association
that is also working

318
00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,970
with the national association to identify

319
00:12:39,970 --> 00:12:41,500
where these things are moving.

320
00:12:41,500 --> 00:12:44,770
Do we have policy that would
address this? Do we support it?

321
00:12:44,770 --> 00:12:46,450
Would we have opposition to it?

322
00:12:46,450 --> 00:12:47,725
And where can we ensure

323
00:12:47,725 --> 00:12:50,320
that we're putting the right
resources behind those issues?

324
00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:52,750
So when we have the, the
tracker that you mentioned,

325
00:12:52,750 --> 00:12:56,260
Patrick, and there are
many municipalities,

326
00:12:56,260 --> 00:13:01,030
I think there were over
150,000 proposed ordinances

327
00:13:01,030 --> 00:13:02,050
in 2024.

328
00:13:02,050 --> 00:13:04,780
So when we're looking at
our overall advocacy efforts

329
00:13:04,780 --> 00:13:08,140
and folks say, well that's
a a a lot of resources going

330
00:13:08,140 --> 00:13:11,260
to the national association,
we remind folks that our job is

331
00:13:11,260 --> 00:13:12,400
to make sure that the state

332
00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,950
and local associations are
getting that attention.

333
00:13:14,950 --> 00:13:19,480
And that's through things like
zoning and land use decisions

334
00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,370
and making sure that they
have the right studies

335
00:13:21,370 --> 00:13:24,640
and research and resources behind that.

336
00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:26,200
Looking at things like
their building codes

337
00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,050
and safety standards and
what are best practices,

338
00:13:29,050 --> 00:13:30,970
property taxes and assessments.

339
00:13:30,970 --> 00:13:32,950
That's an issue that's popping up more

340
00:13:32,950 --> 00:13:35,950
and more around the country
that property taxes are just

341
00:13:35,950 --> 00:13:37,090
becoming too punitive

342
00:13:37,090 --> 00:13:39,190
and it's difficult for
people to stay in their home

343
00:13:40,630 --> 00:13:44,980
rental ordinances and eviction
processes and just who

344
00:13:44,980 --> 00:13:46,780
and when can you evict?

345
00:13:46,780 --> 00:13:48,190
That's a very sensitive issue

346
00:13:48,190 --> 00:13:51,220
and one that we are working
on throughout the country

347
00:13:51,220 --> 00:13:53,740
to make sure that that
tenants are protected.

348
00:13:53,740 --> 00:13:55,300
But that we also have the ability

349
00:13:55,300 --> 00:13:57,400
for those housing providers to make sure

350
00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,010
that they can stay in business.

351
00:14:00,010 --> 00:14:02,590
Things like property managers and buyers

352
00:14:02,590 --> 00:14:04,120
and sellers who are
working in those fields.

353
00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,400
- And that affects everyone,
you know, property owners,

354
00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,350
developers, contractors,
builders, landlords,

355
00:14:08,350 --> 00:14:11,050
I mean buyer sellers, the
whole, the whole gamut there.

356
00:14:11,050 --> 00:14:13,690
But which you're talking
about local ordinances.

357
00:14:13,690 --> 00:14:18,220
So let's step up one level and
talk about state regulations.

358
00:14:18,220 --> 00:14:21,520
So like how does states regulate
real estate differently?

359
00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:22,960
- Well, and that's a,
a very important issue

360
00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:24,790
because when you're
looking at the licensing

361
00:14:24,790 --> 00:14:26,590
and professional conduct of agents

362
00:14:26,590 --> 00:14:31,150
and brokers, that is
regulated at the state level.

363
00:14:31,150 --> 00:14:32,380
Many of the disclosures

364
00:14:32,380 --> 00:14:35,320
and consumer protections
are also at the state level.

365
00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,200
Things like title practices and escrow

366
00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,420
and compliance with state tax rules,

367
00:14:40,420 --> 00:14:42,100
those are all handled at the state level.

368
00:14:42,100 --> 00:14:43,570
And that's why our, our team

369
00:14:43,570 --> 00:14:47,110
of state gads government affairs
directors work very closely

370
00:14:47,110 --> 00:14:49,180
with our subject matter experts

371
00:14:49,180 --> 00:14:50,770
and we're always prepared

372
00:14:50,770 --> 00:14:52,790
to see when these changes are happening.

373
00:14:52,790 --> 00:14:55,280
- So who falls under
state oversight other than

374
00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:56,630
agents and brokers?

375
00:14:56,630 --> 00:14:58,310
- Oh, and that's an important question

376
00:14:58,310 --> 00:14:59,630
because when you're looking at

377
00:14:59,630 --> 00:15:03,740
how expensive a transaction
is, what looking to to sell

378
00:15:03,740 --> 00:15:05,240
or purchase a property

379
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,840
and just the vast amount of
regulations that happen there,

380
00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,620
it's not just what is being
regulated but who, so agents

381
00:15:12,620 --> 00:15:16,640
and brokers, as you mentioned,
appraisers are also there.

382
00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,450
Title companies, mortgage
brokers and lenders.

383
00:15:20,450 --> 00:15:24,020
And then many of the attorneys
who are maybe required

384
00:15:24,020 --> 00:15:26,900
for closings also
regulated by the state bar.

385
00:15:26,900 --> 00:15:28,940
So pretty much everyone who is involved in

386
00:15:28,940 --> 00:15:31,130
that real estate transaction is under some

387
00:15:31,130 --> 00:15:32,570
sort of a state regulation.

388
00:15:32,570 --> 00:15:35,180
- Okay. And then, and then
taking a step, you know,

389
00:15:35,180 --> 00:15:37,760
up from there back to the
federal level, which is,

390
00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,460
I'm admittedly a little bit
more familiar with just being,

391
00:15:40,460 --> 00:15:42,380
you know, living and
working in DC for so long.

392
00:15:42,380 --> 00:15:45,740
But you know, what role does
the federal government play in

393
00:15:45,740 --> 00:15:47,000
regulating real estate?

394
00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,610
'cause it seems like transactionally, it's

395
00:15:49,610 --> 00:15:51,350
so focused on local,

396
00:15:51,350 --> 00:15:54,530
but the federal government
plays a big role as well.

397
00:15:54,530 --> 00:15:56,150
- Well, and it's interesting
because when you speak

398
00:15:56,150 --> 00:15:57,380
with federal officials

399
00:15:57,380 --> 00:15:59,330
and you talk about the
real estate transaction,

400
00:15:59,330 --> 00:16:00,590
they're very quick to say, well

401
00:16:00,590 --> 00:16:02,720
that's primarily done at the state level.

402
00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,000
And then we come back and say, well,

403
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,560
the federal government does have an

404
00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:08,270
important role to play here.

405
00:16:08,270 --> 00:16:09,860
That's everything from fair housing

406
00:16:09,860 --> 00:16:13,040
and anti-discrimination
enforcement that's happening at HUD

407
00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,130
or at DOJ mortgage financing
and disclosures and,

408
00:16:16,130 --> 00:16:18,290
and the servicing of those mortgages, EPA,

409
00:16:18,290 --> 00:16:22,160
environmental rules, fema,
flood zones, we're all familiar

410
00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:24,590
with that coming up soon.

411
00:16:24,590 --> 00:16:26,630
The National Flood
Insurance Program is set

412
00:16:26,630 --> 00:16:28,040
to expire at the end of September.

413
00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:30,890
So stay tuned for a potential
call for action there.

414
00:16:30,890 --> 00:16:32,510
And then, as we mentioned with Dodd-Frank,

415
00:16:32,510 --> 00:16:34,700
increasingly the consumer protections

416
00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:37,010
through the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau

417
00:16:37,010 --> 00:16:38,780
through RESPA as we mentioned earlier,

418
00:16:38,780 --> 00:16:40,400
another Dodd-Frank changes,

419
00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,200
and then also at a topic

420
00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,690
that we have been very
active on this summer

421
00:16:44,690 --> 00:16:47,240
as the tax treatment of properties

422
00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,900
and those transactions, such
things as the capital gains tax

423
00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:52,910
and IRS regulations. So

424
00:16:52,910 --> 00:16:54,165
- Yeah, and we talked
about that in the, in

425
00:16:54,165 --> 00:16:57,290
that last episode about what
comes next for real estate

426
00:16:57,290 --> 00:17:00,800
because, you know, once the
tax bill was passed, the IRS

427
00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,580
and, and the, the regulatory
site gets to work on that.

428
00:17:04,580 --> 00:17:06,770
So we, we got into, into
that a little bit last month.

429
00:17:06,770 --> 00:17:08,780
But you know, just to
underscore your point,

430
00:17:08,780 --> 00:17:09,800
you know I looked this up.

431
00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,670
So there's 50 titles in the
Code of Federal regulations.

432
00:17:13,670 --> 00:17:15,440
So basically like 50 chapters

433
00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,650
and about 10 of those deal
directly with real estate.

434
00:17:18,650 --> 00:17:20,930
And then of course that's directly

435
00:17:20,930 --> 00:17:23,515
and then it's also broached
in many other ways and forms

436
00:17:23,515 --> 00:17:25,460
and, and throughout the,
the code of regulation.

437
00:17:25,460 --> 00:17:27,200
So it's, it's baked in there.

438
00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,750
- And when we're looking at
the who, not just the, what

439
00:17:29,750 --> 00:17:31,280
that's regulated at the state level,

440
00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:32,930
the same thing happens
at the federal level.

441
00:17:32,930 --> 00:17:37,280
So lenders and mortgage RS
are regulated by the CFPB,

442
00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,740
the FDIC and HUD rules, banks

443
00:17:39,740 --> 00:17:42,170
and financial institutions
by federal lending

444
00:17:42,170 --> 00:17:44,690
and disclosure laws,
real estate professionals

445
00:17:44,690 --> 00:17:47,420
through Fair Housing Act
compliance developers

446
00:17:47,420 --> 00:17:48,620
and builders through many

447
00:17:48,620 --> 00:17:50,790
of the environmental compliance programs.

448
00:17:50,790 --> 00:17:52,080
And then of course buyers

449
00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:55,950
and sellers buy our favorite
IRS rules, capital gains,

450
00:17:55,950 --> 00:17:58,650
things like 10 31 exchanges.

451
00:17:58,650 --> 00:18:00,600
And also things like
lead paint disclosures

452
00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,180
that we hear from our folks all the time

453
00:18:03,180 --> 00:18:04,920
that those forms need to
be updated or changed.

454
00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,410
And those are exactly the kinds
of things that we work with.

455
00:18:07,410 --> 00:18:09,210
- So how does this work
on the federal level?

456
00:18:09,210 --> 00:18:11,850
Like they ask for a public comment

457
00:18:11,850 --> 00:18:14,460
or do we see regulations coming?

458
00:18:14,460 --> 00:18:15,720
Do we know they're coming or do,

459
00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:17,640
do we get blindsided by them?

460
00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:19,410
I mean, I mean tell me how it works.

461
00:18:19,410 --> 00:18:22,200
- We are, we are thankfully
not supposed to be blindsided

462
00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,260
by them that the way that
the regulatory law works and

463
00:18:25,260 --> 00:18:27,810
and the process works is
that there is a notice

464
00:18:27,810 --> 00:18:29,040
of proposed rulemaking

465
00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,740
and then we have the opportunity
for public commentary.

466
00:18:31,740 --> 00:18:32,940
So examples of that

467
00:18:32,940 --> 00:18:35,610
that have happened somewhat
recently are things like the

468
00:18:35,610 --> 00:18:38,430
Federal Housing Finance
Administration looking at ways

469
00:18:38,430 --> 00:18:41,790
to further regulate housing
providers in potentially

470
00:18:41,790 --> 00:18:44,070
charging them or restricting their ability

471
00:18:44,070 --> 00:18:45,300
to increase rents.

472
00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:47,880
And so we put out kind of a
call for action, if you will, on

473
00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:49,590
what that public
commentary could look like

474
00:18:49,590 --> 00:18:52,440
and how that might actually
have the opposite effect

475
00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:54,990
and increase the cost
of rent in many areas.

476
00:18:54,990 --> 00:18:58,380
And we were able to push back
on those rent control efforts.

477
00:18:58,380 --> 00:18:59,490
Those things happen all the time,

478
00:18:59,490 --> 00:19:03,330
but sometimes depending on
the agency you'll see, hey,

479
00:19:03,330 --> 00:19:05,250
we're just gonna abandon this now

480
00:19:05,250 --> 00:19:07,530
or we're just gonna go
ahead and push this through

481
00:19:07,530 --> 00:19:08,700
and then see what happens.

482
00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:12,690
And that's when we also
have to be extra cautious

483
00:19:12,690 --> 00:19:13,710
of those actions

484
00:19:13,710 --> 00:19:16,410
and involved very quickly so that team

485
00:19:16,410 --> 00:19:18,210
of subject matter experts who works day in

486
00:19:18,210 --> 00:19:20,430
and day out directly
with those regulators.

487
00:19:20,430 --> 00:19:21,690
And it's important to note, we work

488
00:19:21,690 --> 00:19:24,570
with Congress on the
oversight of those regulators.

489
00:19:24,570 --> 00:19:27,930
So each committee in Congress
actually has, is tasked

490
00:19:27,930 --> 00:19:30,210
with the job of looking
into those agencies

491
00:19:30,210 --> 00:19:32,400
and making sure that they
are following the law

492
00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,020
and that they're actually doing it

493
00:19:34,020 --> 00:19:35,040
the way that they're supposed to.

494
00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,530
So if we have a problem, we have recourse

495
00:19:37,530 --> 00:19:39,780
and going to Congress and
saying they're not following the

496
00:19:39,780 --> 00:19:42,480
rulemaking process, we don't
think that this is something

497
00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:44,550
that Congress gave them
the authority to do.

498
00:19:44,550 --> 00:19:47,550
What oversight can we do
or as a lawsuit needed.

499
00:19:47,550 --> 00:19:49,890
That was the eviction moratorium
lawsuit was one of those.

500
00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:52,920
- Yeah, and I'm glad you brought
this up the way it meshes

501
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,650
with Congress because there
was a Supreme Court case

502
00:19:55,650 --> 00:19:58,620
recently where they
broach federal regulations

503
00:19:58,620 --> 00:20:01,260
and it's something along
the lines of you can't have

504
00:20:01,260 --> 00:20:03,750
so much latitude in
interpreting federal regs.

505
00:20:03,750 --> 00:20:05,910
Congress needs to be a little
bit more specific when they

506
00:20:05,910 --> 00:20:07,140
pass these things.

507
00:20:07,140 --> 00:20:10,470
- Yes, Patrick, that was a
very big Supreme Court case,

508
00:20:10,470 --> 00:20:11,490
Loper versus Bright,

509
00:20:11,490 --> 00:20:15,360
which essentially ended the
Chevron deference, which meant

510
00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:18,030
that courts would give
agencies deference to say,

511
00:20:18,030 --> 00:20:20,100
you know this what you're
trying to do better.

512
00:20:20,100 --> 00:20:21,210
And so we're gonna go ahead

513
00:20:21,210 --> 00:20:24,510
and say what you did is
probably the right thing to do.

514
00:20:24,510 --> 00:20:25,920
Congress didn't like that so much

515
00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:27,930
because Congress wants
to say we are the ones

516
00:20:27,930 --> 00:20:30,150
who gave you the authority with this law

517
00:20:30,150 --> 00:20:32,250
and you need to apply
it the way that we say.

518
00:20:32,250 --> 00:20:34,860
So this way we at least know

519
00:20:34,860 --> 00:20:37,230
that those regulations
aren't always a final word

520
00:20:37,230 --> 00:20:39,540
and there is more ability
for Congress to get involved.

521
00:20:39,540 --> 00:20:40,860
- Regulators are gonna regulate.

522
00:20:42,150 --> 00:20:45,540
Alright, well thank you for
giving us this primer on

523
00:20:45,540 --> 00:20:47,860
how these work local, state and federal.

524
00:20:47,860 --> 00:20:50,590
But with all that said, I kind
of wanna just tick through,

525
00:20:50,590 --> 00:20:52,450
we're not gonna get too
in the weeds about this,

526
00:20:52,450 --> 00:20:55,000
but some examples

527
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,760
of the regulatory work you've
done perhaps in the past year.

528
00:20:57,760 --> 00:20:59,740
And I think that the one
that comes top of mind

529
00:20:59,740 --> 00:21:03,520
to me is the veterans
agent compensation issue

530
00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:05,290
that we pounced on.

531
00:21:05,290 --> 00:21:06,730
- Well that is a great one.

532
00:21:06,730 --> 00:21:08,320
And before I jump into that, all

533
00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,560
of these are available on
advocacy impact realtor

534
00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,020
and so you can see where
these wins occurred.

535
00:21:14,020 --> 00:21:17,020
But yes, very quickly

536
00:21:17,020 --> 00:21:19,930
after the settlement was
announced, there was a concern

537
00:21:19,930 --> 00:21:23,620
that veterans may not have the
same ability to have access

538
00:21:23,620 --> 00:21:25,240
to the use of a real estate professional

539
00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,310
because of not a rule that was made,

540
00:21:27,310 --> 00:21:30,010
but guidance that was in a handbook.

541
00:21:30,010 --> 00:21:32,830
That's not something that's
really con contemplated in Loper

542
00:21:32,830 --> 00:21:34,690
versus Bright and Chevron deference.

543
00:21:34,690 --> 00:21:37,330
And so we went to the VA

544
00:21:37,330 --> 00:21:38,620
and said, would you be able

545
00:21:38,620 --> 00:21:42,550
to change this handbook
reference in order to ensure

546
00:21:42,550 --> 00:21:44,380
that veterans have the ability

547
00:21:44,380 --> 00:21:46,600
to hire a real estate professional?

548
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,720
And they did. And then we were able to,

549
00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,150
through legislation win a permanent fix

550
00:21:52,150 --> 00:21:55,630
so veterans can directly
compensate agents.

551
00:21:55,630 --> 00:21:57,940
And so we're still working with
the VA to push to ease some

552
00:21:57,940 --> 00:22:00,220
of those loan rules like
fees and inspections

553
00:22:00,220 --> 00:22:02,350
and things that could
also hurt competitiveness.

554
00:22:02,350 --> 00:22:04,330
But that was a very quick

555
00:22:04,330 --> 00:22:08,285
and meaningful win that
resulted in congress. Well

556
00:22:08,285 --> 00:22:10,690
- You, you just said an
important word, guidance.

557
00:22:10,690 --> 00:22:12,820
So what is the difference

558
00:22:12,820 --> 00:22:17,680
between a regulation guidance
and like an executive order?

559
00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:19,990
I mean all on the same, I mean
they're coming from the top.

560
00:22:19,990 --> 00:22:21,460
- Well all of that's being litigated.

561
00:22:21,460 --> 00:22:23,650
So we're, we're learning the
difference between all of that

562
00:22:23,650 --> 00:22:25,930
but, but guidance is often something

563
00:22:25,930 --> 00:22:28,960
that is a softer version of
what that regulation would be

564
00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,180
and this is how the agency is interpreting

565
00:22:31,180 --> 00:22:33,520
and how they're directing their own staff

566
00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,620
to manage through that process.

567
00:22:35,620 --> 00:22:38,020
- But the way we respond to that is one

568
00:22:38,020 --> 00:22:40,000
and the same sort of, or is it,

569
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,710
- Well we, we, we honor that guidance

570
00:22:41,710 --> 00:22:44,020
and when you're working with
them, but at the same time you

571
00:22:44,020 --> 00:22:47,380
can push back on guidance a
lot better than you can on

572
00:22:47,380 --> 00:22:49,510
something that's gone through
that rulemaking process.

573
00:22:49,510 --> 00:22:52,000
So, and you can go to Congress, which is

574
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,300
what we successfully did is
going to key members of Congress

575
00:22:55,300 --> 00:22:58,390
and saying, this is guidance,
this guidance is not working,

576
00:22:58,390 --> 00:23:01,090
it's certainly not working
for the direct consumer,

577
00:23:01,090 --> 00:23:04,480
the VA borrower and how can
we get this changed quickly?

578
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:05,770
And that worked.

579
00:23:05,770 --> 00:23:08,050
- Okay. Well a few of the
other regulatory issues we've

580
00:23:08,050 --> 00:23:10,960
worked on, energy efficiency
is a big one, right?

581
00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,720
- Oh yeah. So our position
on these energy efficiency

582
00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:17,230
mandates is that we support
safe cost effective codes

583
00:23:17,230 --> 00:23:20,200
but oppose any type of
rigid federal mandates

584
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:21,340
that will raise costs

585
00:23:21,340 --> 00:23:22,630
and maybe not deliver the same

586
00:23:22,630 --> 00:23:24,550
results that they're expecting.

587
00:23:24,550 --> 00:23:27,010
So more voluntary and
incentive-based solutions.

588
00:23:27,010 --> 00:23:28,900
So we've been fighting for that.

589
00:23:28,900 --> 00:23:29,920
One of the big ones

590
00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,250
that we have been working on
over several congresses that

591
00:23:33,250 --> 00:23:35,380
for some reason doesn't get
a lot of media attention,

592
00:23:35,380 --> 00:23:38,590
but it's a very important
issue is protecting the

593
00:23:38,590 --> 00:23:40,480
independent contractor status.

594
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,570
Over 90% of realtors are
independent contractors,

595
00:23:43,570 --> 00:23:45,920
which is core to the business model.

596
00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,760
And when we pull members of
NAR, they say that is a feature,

597
00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:51,560
not a bug that they are in this profession

598
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,720
because they want to be
independent contractors.

599
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,300
So we had the Department of Labor working

600
00:23:56,300 --> 00:23:59,780
to provide some more clarity
and preserve this choice.

601
00:23:59,780 --> 00:24:02,000
It's been kind of up in the air

602
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,120
for the last several congresses
where it's been a priority

603
00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:07,190
to remove independent contractor status.

604
00:24:07,190 --> 00:24:09,800
And we were successful in
having legislation introduced

605
00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:11,450
that would preserve the ability

606
00:24:11,450 --> 00:24:13,250
for real estate agents in particular

607
00:24:13,250 --> 00:24:15,050
to still be independent contractors.

608
00:24:15,050 --> 00:24:16,790
But it's something that
comes up quite a bit at the

609
00:24:16,790 --> 00:24:17,930
state level as well.

610
00:24:17,930 --> 00:24:19,220
And we still have to keep an eye on.

611
00:24:19,220 --> 00:24:20,690
- Mm, we did a lot of work.

612
00:24:20,690 --> 00:24:22,550
I remember one of, when I first came here,

613
00:24:22,550 --> 00:24:24,440
this was I think one of the
first things that popped up,

614
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,710
but the condo rule FHA and

615
00:24:27,710 --> 00:24:32,480
- Yes, so the FHA has some
pretty strict rules on

616
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:35,690
how to determine lending for condos.

617
00:24:35,690 --> 00:24:38,840
And we worked to loosen
restrictions on the commercial space

618
00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,420
so we could have more
openings for owner occupancy

619
00:24:41,420 --> 00:24:43,970
and investor ownership
for many first time,

620
00:24:43,970 --> 00:24:45,440
first generation home buyers

621
00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:47,210
who are just entering the market.

622
00:24:47,210 --> 00:24:48,710
A condo is a great purchase for them.

623
00:24:48,710 --> 00:24:51,650
It's a way to get onto that
property ownership ladder

624
00:24:51,650 --> 00:24:54,080
and modernizing those outdated rules so

625
00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,450
that more condos will qualify for

626
00:24:56,450 --> 00:24:59,420
that first time homeowner at HA financing

627
00:24:59,420 --> 00:25:00,890
was another big victory.

628
00:25:00,890 --> 00:25:04,010
- And you know, multifamily as well.

629
00:25:04,010 --> 00:25:06,110
We do a lot of work on that regulatorily.

630
00:25:06,110 --> 00:25:09,140
- Oh, exactly. And in
particular on the environmental

631
00:25:09,140 --> 00:25:10,700
reviews and wage rules

632
00:25:10,700 --> 00:25:13,490
because as you mentioned
with the home builders there,

633
00:25:13,490 --> 00:25:15,620
there, there are stats
that that is increasing,

634
00:25:15,620 --> 00:25:18,650
these regulations are increasing
the cost by up to a third.

635
00:25:18,650 --> 00:25:20,960
So reforming some of the rules

636
00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:22,940
that could discourage new housing

637
00:25:22,940 --> 00:25:24,080
and close that pipeline

638
00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:25,760
for folks getting into
multifamily housing,

639
00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:27,170
that was another big issue.

640
00:25:27,170 --> 00:25:28,310
- And at Flyin realtor

641
00:25:28,310 --> 00:25:31,880
where we keep our federal
legislative priorities updated

642
00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:33,680
and, and obviously housing affordability

643
00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,400
and supply has been one for EV
for you know, multiple years.

644
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,120
But we do work on the supply

645
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:42,860
and affordability on the regulatory side.

646
00:25:42,860 --> 00:25:44,120
So what are some of the measures

647
00:25:44,120 --> 00:25:46,910
that you've taken there to address supply?

648
00:25:46,910 --> 00:25:48,710
- So inventory being the number one issue

649
00:25:48,710 --> 00:25:50,330
that's driving the lack of inventory

650
00:25:50,330 --> 00:25:52,070
that's driving up the cost of housing.

651
00:25:52,070 --> 00:25:55,340
And so we have been
supporting bipartisan reforms,

652
00:25:55,340 --> 00:25:57,740
things like the FHA loan
limits and tax credits

653
00:25:57,740 --> 00:26:01,730
and others to unlock supply
and to remove barriers

654
00:26:01,730 --> 00:26:04,280
and expand those
affordable housing options.

655
00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:07,190
And a great deal of that
happened at the state

656
00:26:07,190 --> 00:26:10,760
and local level, which is
why we were initial sponsors

657
00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,310
and continue to support the Housing Supply

658
00:26:13,310 --> 00:26:14,990
Accelerator playbook.

659
00:26:14,990 --> 00:26:17,540
We've talked about it on
this podcast several times,

660
00:26:17,540 --> 00:26:20,210
but please look it up if
you haven't seen it already.

661
00:26:20,210 --> 00:26:21,320
This is work that we've done

662
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:23,270
with the American Planning Association

663
00:26:23,270 --> 00:26:26,330
and the National League of
Cities to look at 40 policies

664
00:26:26,330 --> 00:26:27,470
that could happen at the state

665
00:26:27,470 --> 00:26:31,100
and local level to immediately
unleash that housing supply

666
00:26:31,100 --> 00:26:32,900
and help more people
get into home ownership.

667
00:26:32,900 --> 00:26:35,120
So that's another example
of where all three levels

668
00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:37,910
of the government are
needed to make that work.

669
00:26:37,910 --> 00:26:41,270
- Alright, well wrapping up
our thoughts on regulation.

670
00:26:41,270 --> 00:26:43,350
Shannon, what's your final,

671
00:26:43,350 --> 00:26:44,350
- Patrick?

672
00:26:44,350 --> 00:26:45,360
I couldn't agree with
what you said earlier.

673
00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:48,750
More that this is the most
expensive financial transaction,

674
00:26:48,750 --> 00:26:51,840
but it's also the most
heavily regulated financial

675
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,050
transaction that any
consumer is going to make.

676
00:26:55,050 --> 00:26:56,580
And it's important to have regulations

677
00:26:56,580 --> 00:27:00,240
that protect fairness,
transparency and consumer safety,

678
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,760
but also to balance
private property rights

679
00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:04,530
and the community impact.

680
00:27:04,530 --> 00:27:06,930
So the work that we're doing
here, I could not be more proud

681
00:27:06,930 --> 00:27:09,750
of and the team has really focused on

682
00:27:09,750 --> 00:27:11,280
where we can unleash inventory

683
00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,970
and make housing more affordable
by tackling regulations

684
00:27:14,970 --> 00:27:17,250
where needed but supporting
them where it works.

685
00:27:17,250 --> 00:27:19,710
- Alright, well it's closing time,

686
00:27:20,730 --> 00:27:24,270
which means you've gotta give
us some behind the scenes

687
00:27:24,270 --> 00:27:27,210
or story, maybe August recess related.

688
00:27:27,210 --> 00:27:29,820
I don't know, tell us something exciting.

689
00:27:29,820 --> 00:27:31,950
- All right, well we don't,
we don't have this on video

690
00:27:31,950 --> 00:27:34,710
so you miss me rolling my
eyes when Patrick says August

691
00:27:34,710 --> 00:27:38,700
recess because there is no
recess when it comes to advocacy.

692
00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:42,240
So in August alone, we had
hundreds of meetings occur

693
00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:43,290
around the country

694
00:27:43,290 --> 00:27:47,310
with our FPCs federal
political coordinators who meet

695
00:27:47,310 --> 00:27:49,560
with their member of
Congress in the district,

696
00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,930
or maybe they do a state event,

697
00:27:51,930 --> 00:27:55,200
maybe we can post some fun
pictures from the Iowa Fair.

698
00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:56,550
There was a lot of members there

699
00:27:56,550 --> 00:27:59,160
and our own president, Kevin
Sears made it out there.

700
00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:01,470
I'm sure it wasn't because
of the food options,

701
00:28:01,470 --> 00:28:03,450
but we'll let you be
the judge on that one.

702
00:28:03,450 --> 00:28:06,180
But there is no rest
in August when it comes

703
00:28:06,180 --> 00:28:07,230
to these efforts.

704
00:28:07,230 --> 00:28:09,150
And so those hundreds of meetings match up

705
00:28:09,150 --> 00:28:11,430
with the thousands that we
have had since the beginning

706
00:28:11,430 --> 00:28:14,760
of the year, including the
legislative meetings in June.

707
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,640
And then the big talking
points here in August have been

708
00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,940
to make sure that we fund
the federal government

709
00:28:20,940 --> 00:28:23,400
and we don't shut down the
flood insurance program at

710
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:24,420
the end of September.

711
00:28:24,420 --> 00:28:27,300
And that folks support
the capital gains relief,

712
00:28:27,300 --> 00:28:29,220
more homes on the market act

713
00:28:29,220 --> 00:28:31,920
that would double the
capital gains exemption

714
00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:33,900
for folks trying to sell
their home right now

715
00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:35,520
and provide great incentive

716
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:36,960
to bring more homes on the market.

717
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:40,590
And there are other measures
that have been introduced

718
00:28:40,590 --> 00:28:42,450
that would completely
eliminate capital gains.

719
00:28:42,450 --> 00:28:44,490
So it's going in the right direction.

720
00:28:44,490 --> 00:28:45,810
- Well I'm glad you
mentioned those meetings

721
00:28:45,810 --> 00:28:47,790
'cause I actually was chatting
in the hallway with a,

722
00:28:47,790 --> 00:28:50,310
a member of our lobby
team who said, you know,

723
00:28:50,310 --> 00:28:52,920
we had 5,000 meetings plus last year,

724
00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,820
but this one member of the
lobbying team had 700 meetings in

725
00:28:56,820 --> 00:28:58,290
the first quarter of this year.

726
00:28:58,290 --> 00:28:59,850
Just him,

727
00:28:59,850 --> 00:29:01,710
because we were obviously in the middle

728
00:29:01,710 --> 00:29:02,880
of tax reform at the time.

729
00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,060
So I think we're gonna top the
5,000 number this year that,

730
00:29:06,060 --> 00:29:06,960
- So that's his excuse for

731
00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:08,310
why I haven't seen him in the office.

732
00:29:08,310 --> 00:29:09,420
That's fine, that's fine.

733
00:29:09,420 --> 00:29:11,580
But it's, it's also important to note

734
00:29:11,580 --> 00:29:15,120
for our next scoop we can
probably share more information

735
00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:18,300
because one of the big asks
in the August recess meetings

736
00:29:18,300 --> 00:29:20,430
was, please join the Real Estate caucus.

737
00:29:20,430 --> 00:29:24,360
And we started with four
members back in May of 2024.

738
00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:26,250
So tune in next month to find out

739
00:29:26,250 --> 00:29:28,200
what the final number is looking like.

740
00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,650
- And we also have a big event
we're hosting here at the

741
00:29:31,650 --> 00:29:32,700
DC office.

742
00:29:32,700 --> 00:29:36,180
We're having all the chiefs
of staff on the hill. Yes.

743
00:29:36,180 --> 00:29:38,700
Come up for a little soiree

744
00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:41,020
- Chiefs of staff who also
do not get August recess.

745
00:29:41,020 --> 00:29:43,240
And I'm sure we're all back
in the district working.

746
00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,220
So this is a bipartisan event.

747
00:29:45,220 --> 00:29:48,850
There are very few organizations
in DC that do these kinds

748
00:29:48,850 --> 00:29:51,670
of things, but we have a widely
attended bipartisan event

749
00:29:51,670 --> 00:29:55,240
where we're expecting a great
turnout of chiefs of staff

750
00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,490
to welcome them back
with our beautiful views

751
00:29:57,490 --> 00:29:59,890
of Capitol Hill and talk about

752
00:29:59,890 --> 00:30:02,440
how we can move things
forward over the next month.

753
00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:03,940
- Well I would push back on that Shannon,

754
00:30:03,940 --> 00:30:08,620
and say there are organizations
in this town that would love

755
00:30:08,620 --> 00:30:09,730
to do an event like that,

756
00:30:09,730 --> 00:30:11,680
but they do not have
Shannon McGann on that. Oh

757
00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:12,910
- No, they don't have,

758
00:30:12,910 --> 00:30:14,860
they don't have Patrick
Newton. Oh, they don't have,

759
00:30:14,860 --> 00:30:16,810
- You're You're the one
that gets 'em all here

760
00:30:16,810 --> 00:30:18,280
and they love coming to our building.

761
00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:19,330
- They like to come here to talk about

762
00:30:19,330 --> 00:30:20,830
regulations. Yeah. And that's what

763
00:30:20,830 --> 00:30:21,830
- We're gonna be covering.

764
00:30:21,830 --> 00:30:24,370
You make it so fun. Alright,
well thank you Shannon.

765
00:30:24,370 --> 00:30:26,380
Thank you everyone for
tuning into this episode,

766
00:30:26,380 --> 00:30:27,430
the advocacy scoop.

767
00:30:27,430 --> 00:30:30,070
And we will see you back here hopefully

768
00:30:30,070 --> 00:30:32,440
next month without a government shutdown

769
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:33,440
- Hopefully.

770
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:34,540
Thanks for listening everyone.

771
00:30:34,540 --> 00:30:36,040
- So that's the scoop. Thank you

772
00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:38,050
to everyone listening to this podcast.

773
00:30:38,050 --> 00:30:39,280
Please be sure to subscribe

774
00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,590
and share wherever you get your podcast.

775
00:30:41,590 --> 00:30:44,560
And meet us right back here
for more advocacy scoop next

776
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:46,030
- Time.

777
00:30:46,030 --> 00:30:49,270
Realtors are members of
the National Association

778
00:30:49,270 --> 00:30:50,103
of Realtors.

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