About two dozen political hopefuls sensitive to the needs of the real estate industry will have a leg up during the next election cycle after attending a candidate training academy hosted by the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors, Feb. 2.
The training academy, organized by the National Association of Realtors and offered once a year in each state, trains attendees how to plan, budget and execute a successful campaign for political office. Government affairs director Shane Johnson said the Wilmington Realtor association requested Wilmington as the location of the next training academy based on a recommendation in the 2014 economic development report prepared for city and county leaders by Atlanta-based consulting firm Garner Economics that advised the business community to recruit pro-business political candidates. The advice rang especially true for the real estate industry, he said, which is bound by federal, state and local regulations.
“From our perspective, real estate is the most regulated industry in America. A lot of people think banking is, but banking is generally regulated from the national level. Land and real estate are regulated nationally, statewide and on a local level, so it’s very important for us to make sure we have people who understand real estate in office,” Johnson said.
One way to ensure candidates running for office understand issues affecting real estate transactions is to encourage Realtors to throw their hats in the ring, Johnson said.
“We understand how much of our lives are impacted by public decisions made by lawmakers, and that we have to engage people. So we continually encourage our members to get out there and run for office, or sit on a board, or at least vote,” Johnson said.
Realtor and political hopeful Tom Gale, who ran for a seat on the New Hanover County Board of Education in the 2014 election, plans to attend. Still feeling burnt out from his most recent campaign, Gale said he might dedicate his energy to helping another well-suited candidate secure an office instead of running again himself. Attending the training academy could help him if he chooses to pursue either path, he said.
Like Johnson, Gale affirmed the importance of helping elect officials who understand the Realtors’ non-partisan, pro-homeownership agenda.
“As a group, we are just trying to stand for homeownership,” Gale said. “They’re not partisan issues. We just want people who are going to be pragmatic leaders.”
The political affiliation of Realtor association members is split pretty evenly, Johnson said, with approximately one-third Republicans, one-third Democrats and one-third unaffiliated voters.
“When you realize we have that kind of diversity in our organization, that puts us in a unique position in the community so we can be that median group that people can come to for help building bridges on diverse issues,” Johnson said. “That’s a role we enjoy playing, and one I think we play well.”
Participation in the training academy is by invitation only. Invitations were extended to officials, candidates and campaign staffers vetted and approved by members of the WRAR government affairs committee and board of directors.
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