Johnny Khamis joins the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® as Public Relations Consultant

The Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® (SCCAOR) has hired Johnny Khamis as a Public Relations Consultant. In this role, Khamis will write housing related content and develop strategies to help SCCAOR expand its reach with the general public.

“I am so excited to help SCCAOR build on their goals to increase home ownership opportunities in Santa Clara County and beyond,” Khamis said. “I want to help create possibilities for people to build their nest egg and participate in the American Dream.”

Khamis brings with him extensive experience as a Santa Clara County homeowner, housing provider, and small business owner. He recently finished his second term on the San Jose City Council, where he represented District 10.

“SCCAOR has always endorsed Johnny during his time on the city council and we are happy to get a chance to work with him to help spread our message,” said Association President Doug Goss.

Throughout his time as a San Jose Councilmember, Johnny fought for policies aimed at expanding housing while also reducing bureaucracy. He supported the simplification of the laws and procedures for residents to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on their property. He also helped dramatically reduce the permitting fees for ADUs and home additions. Additionally, he supported many low-income housing projects and introduced new strategies to invest in workforce housing.

“Over the last 8 years of working as a Councilmember I got a deep understanding of the housing issues that we face in this area,” Khamis said. “At the end of the day, we are simply not building enough housing to keep up with the demand.”

Neil Collins, SCCAOR’s CEO, said that his Association works hard to support housing opportunities and protect private property rights in the community.

“We haven’t always been the best at telling our story. With his housing policy background and years of public service, Johnny will be a tremendous help on improving our public outreach,” Collins said.

Khamis immigrated to the United States from war-torn Beirut, Lebanon in 1976. For many years he and his family struggled to make ends meet. Even during turbulent times, he always aspired to become a homeowner. Like many other immigrants, this American Dream became a reality.

“That is why I’ve decided to lend my voice to the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors,” he said. “I want to work on issues that can make the American Dream more achievable locally.”