In Lehman’s Terms

Sometimes I receive calls from people asking why we support certain candidates. Maybe the caller doesn’t agree with the candidate’s stance on an issue, or maybe it’s just because he's from a different political party.

Would you believe that I actually enjoy taking these calls?

They provide an ideal opportunity for me to explain how Texas REALTORS® select who will receive our support … and the answer is simple: We support those who support the Texas real estate industry.

There’s a process in place
Before a candidate receives our support, we want to know where he or she stands on private-property rights. Candidates at every level (locally and statewide) are thoroughly vetted by Texas REALTORS® through a questionnaire and interview process. Incumbents who are running are also vetted based on their voting record.

Because pro-real estate candidates span the political spectrum, it should be no surprise to learn that Texas REALTORS® are known for supporting people from both sides of the aisle. We like to say we belong to the REALTOR® Party.

We are always willing to have respectful discussion with people across party lines. In fact, a great example of this bipartisanship happened just a few days ago. 

What we did last week
During the 2016 Texas REALTORS® Conference in Galveston, we invited the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, Tom Mechler, and the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, Gilberto Hinojosa, to share their insights on a moderated panel.

They discussed their parties’ presidential candidates, voter turnout expectations, and down-ballot races, among other topics related to the November 8 election.

The panel was followed by our keynote speaker for the event: political consultant, media columnist, and TV producer Mark McKinnon. McKinnon has bipartisan experience advising both Democratic and Republican campaigns and is co-founder of No Labels, an organization dedicated to bipartisanship, political problem solving, and civil dialogue.

McKinnon offered a lesson in media literacy, helping Texas REALTORS® identify what makes political messages successful.

How does this benefit you?
Events like these are just one of the ways we help Texas REALTORS® enhance the services they provide to real estate consumers. I believe that part of our role as an association is to ensure Texas REALTORS® are plugged into the latest issues affecting real estate consumers.

In Lehman’s terms, I believe that more involved REALTORS® make for a better real estate industry. Give me a call if you ever have questions. I’ll be glad to talk about the great work Texas REALTORS® are doing for you.

Mark Lehman is vice president of Governmental Affairs for the Texas Association of REALTORS®. 

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