More than 30 NEFAR members joined forces with REALTORS nationwide during the 2024 NAR Legislative meetings on May 3-10 in Washington D.C.
More than 8,000 REALTORS from throughout the United States gathered during the week-long conference where they met in committee meetings, lobbied their representatives on Capitol Hill, and cheered on RPAC successes.
During the legislative convention, NEFAR 2024 President Rory Dubin was the sole NEFAR member inducted this year into the RPAC Hall of Fame. Inducted at the $25k level, Rory’s name was also engraved on a plaque that will have permanent residence in a rooftop garden at NAR’s Washington headquarters, which resides in the shadow of the Capitol building on the Hill.
During its May 9 meeting, the NAR Board of Directors voted to keep its dues at $156 per member for 2025.
The Directors also approved three recommendations from the Professional Standards Committee – an amendment to Article 4 of the Code of Ethics and new Standards of Practice 4-1 and 4-2—designed to ensure the Code provides further clarity on conflicts of interest and protects buyers, sellers, lessors and lessees. The amendments will take effect on January 1, 2025, if they are approved by the NAR Delegate Body in November.
Via consent decree, directors elected the 2025 Regional Vice Presidents and the following 2025 Leadership Team members:
- Kevin Brown, Oakland, Calif., President-elect
- Christine Hansen, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., First Vice President
- Craig Sanford, Phoenix, Treasurer (2025-26)
NAR President Kevin Sears remains President in 2025. His 2025 vice president appointees are Jennifer Branchini, Pleasanton, Calif., Vice President of Association Affairs, and Sara Lipnitz, Birmingham, Mich., Vice President of Advocacy. At the meeting, the 2025 Liaisons were announced, along with the REALTOR® Party Director.
During the conference, a large group of NEFAR members attended an ice cream social in support of Hansen, a former Florida Realtors® president.
Also at the conference, the NAR 2024 Distinguished Service Award honorees were announced. They included Jim Imhoff, chair emeritus of First Weber Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, Colleen Badagliacco, a broker-associate with Legacy Real Estate and Associates, Morgan Hill, California.
Christina Pappas, Michelle Mills Clement, and Gayle Bobo, tri-chairs of the Culture Transformation Commission, reported on the progress of the commission in recommending organizational changes that will ensure NAR can maintain a welcoming and positive work environment while focusing on its mission. Members and association staff with input on culture issues can email culture@nar.realtor.
Brenda Small of Washington, D.C., 2024 NAR REALTOR® Party Director, reported on REALTORS® Political Action Committee fundraising. And Michael McGrew of Lawrence, Kan., president of the REALTORS® Relief Foundation, reported on the work of the foundation. McGrew asked directors to dig deep to help fund the foundation, which provides housing-related assistance to disaster-impacted communities. McGrew’s fundraising goal during the meeting was $15,000. By the end of the meeting, directors had contributed $32,995.
The REALTORS® meeting in Washington, D.C., marked a new era. Due to changes adopted by the Board of Directors in 2021, the NAR Executive Committee can approve committee recommendations and policy positions. Early in the conference, the Executive Committee approved the establishment of a Member Accountability Committee, as well as a Federal Technology Policy Committee motion about the use of artificial intelligence in real estate. In some circumstances, committee recommendations and policy positions will continue to go to the NAR Board of Directors.
