Presidential Transition

As a new administration and Congress prepare to take office in January, Realtors® are gearing up to engage incoming legislators and regulators to take quick action to stabilize the housing market and strengthen nation's economy. During the Regulatory Issues Forum today at the 2008 REALTORS® Conference & Expo, Realtors® heard from political, financial and housing experts gaining insights into how administrative and congressional priorities are shaped during the presidential administration transition process.

“As the leading advocate for housing issues, the National Association of Realtors® will continue to hold the current administration and Congress accountable for moving us toward a stabilized economy and out of the housing crisis,” said NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists, Long Beach, Calif. “However, we must also focus on the transition to the new administration and the new Congress to see that policies are in place to help American families recover and to ensure we don’t ever find ourselves in this situation again.”

Early policy planning and key political and presidential appointments will impact many of the issues important to Realtors® and the customers and clients they serve, and the upcoming transition will shape how the housing and economic recovery is handled, moving forward.

To ensure that issues important to the real estate industry remain a priority on the nation’s public policy agenda, NAR recently launched a Presidential Appointments Project. This project encourages Realtors® to seek appointments to federal boards and commissions, or even executive branch appointments.

Dr. Paul C. Light, a professor at New York University, author and expert on presidential transitions, explained how the transition process can affect real estate and mortgage financing and industry regulation.

“Obama must narrow his priorities to a precious few,” said Light. “There will be no New Deal or Great Society next year. This may be the most difficult transition since Abraham Lincoln. Roosevelt faced difficult decisions, but Obama is inheriting two wars, rising unemployment, and a housing market and economy in turmoil. Obama can use some of these calamities to create a sense of urgency for mortgage relief and economic stimulus.”

2009 will likely see increased focus on financial regulation and additional federal programs to deal with the recent economic crisis. Leading mortgage and financial service industry consultant Howard Glaser, a veteran of the Clinton Administration, and David Horne, chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, shared their insights into how the new administration might shift strategies related to these issues.

Glaser talked about the “larger external forces” that can affect a new administration’s transition planning and its early days. Horne talked about the regulatory challenges that will have to be addressed over the coming year. Both talked about the importance of citizens and Realtors® engaging during the transition process, as well as ongoing advocacy with the administration and Congress.

NAR congratulated President-elect Barack Obama and lawmakers on their successful election and encouraged them to take bold, decisive actions to address the continuing problems in the housing industry and the ongoing economic crisis, and to keep that a high priority as the transition team begins its task.

“Our members see firsthand the impact that an unstable housing market is having on communities all across this great country,” said Gaylord. “Our newly elected president and the incoming Congress need to get to work immediately to put housing back on the right track and help America’s families protect their homes, savings and futures.”