La Paz, BCS, Mexico - The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) stages two major events each year. Each November the larger one, called "Conference and Expo," is held in various cities such as Anaheim, New Orleans and Orlando. In 2017 it will be in Chicago. In May REALTORS from the U.S. Canada and other parts of the globe assemble in Washington D.C. That session is called, "REALTORS® Legislative Meetings and Expo."

The words, "...Legislative Meetings..." are key. For Many years the May gathering in Washington was called "The Mid-Year Meetings." Under the new scheme more emphasis has been placed on "Visits to the Hill." Individual REALTORS® and association's representatives meet with members of the Congress and Senate, to lobby for such items as property rights and tax deductions for mortgage payments as well as changes need to lending practices on Wall Street... For example the Florida Association met with Senator Marco Rubio. State associations have a "caucus" and some hold elections during the week.

Below I have listed some of the major events:

CIPS Advisory Board - The main point of discussion was a move to eliminate exams in order to become a Certified International Specialist (CIPS). The move was overwhelmingly rejected. As one member said, "It would lower the prestige for the CIPS Designation." Another commented, "What if an Attorney did not have to pass an examination to be called to the bar?" Another discussion was about the "shrinkage" of membership in this group. Each year about 200 Designees are "pinned." But, the total number of Designees remains stagnant. It was announced that a new staff member is being hired to help provide marketing materials for us by Designees.

Global Business and Alliances Committee - It is always a pleasure to attend this meeting and see the back drop the flags of the 80 countries that are affiliated with NAR.

This year more than 120 "International Members" from 19 countries participated. Two new countries (Belarus and Guatemala) signed a "Bilateral Agreement." Mexico renewed its agreement. The country has had the agreement since 1982. Unlike recent years, the agreement does not include a clause stating that a portion of member's fees will go to NAR so that AMPI members will automatically become "International Members" and be able to use the word REALTOR® and the "R" logo.

Presentations were made on the realtor.org listing system, on "The Anatomy of a Trade Mission," and one by NAR's Chief Economist, Dr. Lawrence Yun, PhD. He presented a paper, "The Impact of Immigration on the U.S. Housing Market." Scott Turlock, Executive Director for China and Mongolia at the U.S. Department of Commerce, delivered a paper on "China and U.S. trade."

America under President Trump: A View from Washington - Chris Wallace, the host of Fox News Sunday Morning, was the speaker. As a journalist he draws on his experience and uses insights based on years of experience covering laws that have been enacted and responses of citizens. He provided his up-to-the-minute perspectives on the Trump Administration's first 117 days.

Monuments by Moonlight Tour - As is the case every year, the tour was a sellout. It visits all of the major monuments in the capital as a guided tour.

Receptions - It is not all work and no play. Various associations, Expo sponsors and NAR all host receptions. One example was the gathering of the mid Atlantic Section of the International Real Estate Federation. (FIABCI) They took over a local restaurant to hold their event.

I attended three receptions: The International VIP Reception presented an opportunity to meet and greet shoulders with successful REALTORS® from around the globe. The Global/CIPS Networking Reception at the Omni Hotel was an occasion to see 319 new CIPS Designees receive their pins and certificates, renew acquaintances with international REALTORS®, and make new friends. It was the largest of the three I attend. The Virginia Association of Realtors hosted our 135 member Associated Realty of the Americas group.

Women's Council of Realtors - The 11,000 member WCR runs a parallel event during NAR's two major Conferences. Following is an outline of its purpose:

"We are a network of successful REALTORS®, advancing women as professionals and leaders in business, the industry and the communities we serve."

In Washington, WCR staged educational and social events. The new President was also installed. She is Sheri Souza from Livermore, California.

REALTOR® University Graduates 4th Class
Posted in 2017 Legislative Meetings, by Erica Ramus on May 21, 2017

The 2017 REALTOR® University graduating class celebrated their commencement on May 19 in Washington, DC at the Legislative Meetings. This was the fourth class to graduate, and brings the total number to 48 graduates of the MRE program (Masters of Real Estate).

The afternoon ceremony was streamed live on Facebook so that family and friends of the graduates could "attend" online if they couldn't make the presentation ceremony in person. You can watch the roughly 40-minute ceremony HERE.

Congratulations to the graduates! And you want more information about this unique program, check out REALTOR® University's webpage. REALTORS® with a bachelor's degree may be eligible for our MRE program. It's 100% online and most of the graduates have made it through the program juggling families, careers in real estate, and other obligations. You can do it too! There are scholarships available for qualified candidates. Check it out.

NAR Board Approves Nationwide Listing Data Entry System
Daily Real Estate News | Monday, May 18, 2015

The NAR Board of Directors has voted to approve a partnership to create an online system for all listing data posted by real estate brokerages, creating a single back-end entry point for distributing listings to MLSs, brokerage websites, Realtor.com® and other sites chosen by the broker.

The arrangement will bring together NAR and its wholly owned REALTORS Property Resource® (RPR) subsidiary with UpStream RE, LLC, a company formed by a coalition of brokerages, networks and national franchises. The organizations will work together to develop a system based on the RPR® Advanced Multi-list Platform (AMP™) that will allow brokerages to use one application to input data for multiple platforms, including Realtor.com, local MLS's and broker's websites.

The initiative, approved by the Board on May 16 at the 2015 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo in Washington, will be funded using NAR operating reserves.

Speaking before the Board voted, RPR CEO Dale Ross said the company has been successful in its mission of providing property information to REALTORS® on the web and via a popular mobile app and needs to act resolutely to keep pace as technology evolves. "The train has left the station," he said, referring to the real estate industry's desire to develop a unified data-entry tool. "Technology moves fast."

NAR CEO Dale Stinton added that the partnership is a key strategic move for NAR and reflects the organization's tradition of making forward-looking investments in the real estate industry.

NAR's Trademark Advocates Score Global Win:

NAR General Counsel Katherine Johnson and Associate Counsel Chloe Hecht of The World Trademark Review, an international source of news for trademark professionals, has named the National Association of REALTORS®' Legal Affairs department as its not-for-profit legal team of the year.

NAR works extremely hard to protect the REALTOR brand worldwide to ensure that our members, both domestic and international who are members of NAR, are viewed as professionals that adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and work for the best interest of their clients and communities.