From the CEO: We Will Always Need a Strong Voice

The REALTOR® Associations of the Pacific Northwest are fortunate to have strong, supportive and forward-thinking brokerage firms in our midst. These leaders of our industry have long championed the advocacy work of the REALTOR® organization in promoting and improving the practice of real estate and the economic benefits it delivers to the region.

There is no better example of this than the cooperative effort of the NWMLS and the REALTOR® Association to restructure our Law of Agency to make buyer brokerage agreements a requirement, for the benefit of housing consumers and real estate brokers. Washington is a nationwide leader in this needed industry change.

Despite the current detractors of the National Association of REALTORS® and its recent anti-trust settlement agreement, the industry still needs a unified voice to speak on its behalf. NAR is not perfect. No organization is. But the advocacy work of the Association, at the local, state, and national levels, remains essential as our industry changes. Our industry opponents would like nothing more than to see us in disarray and disorganized. That won’t happen if history is any indicator. The industry and its Association have proven resilient through past challenges.

It's heartening to hear that same message from the CEO of a national real estate firm. Robert Reffkin’s voice echoes the same sentiments I have heard from many brokerage owners in the Northwest. We encourage you to read his column here.