Dear CAR member,
It’s hard to believe that our spring business meetings are just a few weeks away, and that means C.A.R.’s 50th Legislative Day and Block Party are fast approaching. Please join us in Sacramento on May 3 for Legislative Day and come in a day early to enjoy our first-ever Block Party the evening prior.
Legislative Day brings California REALTORS® together to meet with their elected officials, hear from the state’s top political leaders, learn how legislation may impact real estate, enjoy great entertainment and network with REALTORS® from across the state. I’m thrilled to inform you that the President Pro Tem of the State Senate, Toni Atkins, will be headlining the event, and Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, a fellow REALTOR®, will also be speaking.
This year, C.A.R. will also be holding its first-ever Block Party the evening of May 2 to promote NAR’s “Riding with the Brand” initiative, which celebrates the REALTOR® brand and being together again. We’re literally taking over a block in downtown Sacramento and filling it with food trucks and bars, games, a D.J. and lots of “Riding with the Brand” photo opportunities.
Legislative Day and the Block Party are free for all California REALTORS®, but members must register with their local associations to attend. Learn more about Legislative Day here. To attend, sign up with your local association of REALTORS® or contact us at legislativeday@car.org if you have questions.
Last month, I shared that C.A.R. is holding its second annual Fair Housing Day in person at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles next Tuesday, April 11. Fair Housing Day is a FREE event that will be packed with sessions from innovators, researchers, advocates and policy experts discussing hot fair housing topics including appraisal bias, discrimination in rental housing and inclusive advertising and more.
Along with Fair Housing Day, C.A.R. has issued a Fair Housing Challenge asking everyone involved in C.A.R. leadership to take three fair housing and diversity courses before September 1. By taking these courses, California REALTORS® can show their professionalism and commitment to homeownership for all. Get the day’s agenda, speaker information and register here for the FREE Fair Housing Day event, and learn more about the Fair Housing Challenge here.
Local governments and communities can coexist in a unique relationship, that when healthy, can lead to successful partnerships and projects. However, it’s not always easy to understand how local government works, where the funding comes from, what the major issues are, and how you, as a community member, can get involved. Learn more about local government and how to get involved in politics at the local level in this dynamic, six-week online professional certificate program. In partnership with Pepperdine University’s Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership, C.A.R.’s Center for California Real Estate (CCRE) is presenting Local Government and Community. This free, virtual workshop will guide you through a deep dive into local government basics, funding, the relationship between community and local government, hot button issues, and ways to get involved in your local government & community. The workshop runs every Tuesday, beginning May 9-June 13, 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Register here.
To keep you on top of pressing industry issues, C.A.R.’s Center for California Real Estate is also sponsoring a free virtual session in conjunction with UC Center Sacramento on May 2, noon to 1 p.m. Professor Ajay Garde, Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy at UC Irvine, will address the regulatory barriers that contribute to housing shortages and changes in land use policies that facilitate multifamily and higher-density development to address the problem. He’ll focus on cities in the five-county Southern California region that have a shortage of housing for all income groups and a severe shortage of low-income housing. Register for the free virtual session here.
Lastly, I’m excited to share that our WomanUP!® Retreat this year is at the SeaBird Resort in Oceanside, California, June 13-14. The IAmWomanUP team is mixing it up this year, focusing more on community building and connecting with the goals we set for ourselves for the future. This year’s retreat is a more intimate gathering where you can build deeper connections with colleagues from across the country. The two-day event will include poolside yoga and meditation, collaborative sessions, mentor mingling, networking and wine tasting. Learn more and register here.
I hope to see you next week at Fair Housing Day as well as at Legislative Day.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Branchini
2023 C.A.R. President