Dear REALTOR,
Thank you to all of you who attended C.A.R.’s Legislative Day in Sacramento earlier this month. Your attendance made it a great success! An unprecedented 2,500 of you turned out to hear Gov. Jerry Brown address us in the morning. Brown spoke about the state’s economy being the engine that drives the U.S. economy by creating jobs, innovation, and creativity. He also spoke about California’s housing shortage, homelessness, and the need to create affordable housing. Following a photo opportunity in front of the State Capitol, we headed over to the Capitol to discuss with our state legislators the issues of importance to the real estate industry.
While we were in Sacramento, C.A.R.’s Center for California Real Estate (CCRE) held two events that focused on housing. The first focused on housing affordability in the Sacramento region. C.A.R. CEO Joel Singer and panelists covered topics including what local government is doing to address the current affordability situation, the effect of outbound migration from the San Francisco Bay Area, and emerging business opportunities in the region. Watch the archived video.
The second event brought together key state legislators who shared unique perspectives on how California can address its historically low homeownership rate, housing affordability, and supply crisis. Sen. Nancy Skinner, Asm. Marc Steinorth, Asm. Kevin McCarty, and Asm. Laura Friedman joined me to discuss creative solutions to resolving the housing crisis, including building accessory dwelling units, creating homeownership savings accounts, and incentivizing cities to build housing. View the discussion.
This year, we’re looking to change things up a bit and if you haven’t already heard, EXPO is out and REimagine! is in. That’s right, this October in Long Beach there will be a new, California REALTOR® event that’s all about connections and interactions. The conference will be packed with immersive experiences, meetups and networking parties, new styles of learning, and opportunities to interact with other real estate professionals. You’ll walk away with actionable ideas, empowered knowledge, and valuable connections. The Pre-Conference starts Tuesday, Oct. 9, and REimagine! is Weds. and Thurs., Oct. 10-11. Registration opens on June 20 at reimagine.car.org. I can’t wait to see you all there!
Lastly, continuing an important initiative that began last year, once again, C.A.R. is holding a two-day WomanUp® conference at the JW Marriott at LA Live in Los Angeles, June 28-29, devoted to giving powerful women bold tools to take their career to the next level. The goal of the event is to bring a community of mentors and leaders together to communicate, collaborate, and support one another. Both men and women are welcome to come learn from experienced brokerage owners and leaders. Don’t miss it! Register here.
Sincerely,
Steve White
2018 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®