COVER STORY
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
What this group does and why it matters for the entire REI industry The NewThink RealtyGovernment Relations Committee
BY EDITORIAL STAFF
He also pointed out that real estate investors are small business owners, a point Think Realty strives to be an advocate for and educator of across all channels. “As an industry of small businesses, we need to capital- ize our cumulative power to encourage government policy that supports and fosters creative solutions in the private sector,” Wojcik said. And that is what a Government Relations Committee sets out to do. WHAT ISAGRC? Texas-based real estate investor and industry advocate Chris Ragland with Ragland Realty and Management, LLC, signed on to be First Chair of the Think Realty Gov - ernment Relations Committee (TR-GRC). He is also heav- ily involved with the GRC of Think Realty’s sister company, The American Association of Private Lenders. “The Think Realty Government Relations Committee is an organized voice for the Think Realty membership base and beyond. Advocacy in the real estate space has long been a passion of mine. Having been the first chair for the American Association of Private Lenders sister
Earlier this year, Think Realty started its own Government Relations Committee (GRC) to help spur REI-friendly legislation in state legislatures and Congress.
THEWHYBEHIND THE MOVEMENT Tackling issues like these often starts with semantics. In Think Realty’s Realty Matters article series last year, contributor Brian Wojcik spoke about the need to change the derogatory term “landlord” to “housing provider.” His articles covered the why behind industry advocacy and offered solutions to problems like affordable housing. Wojcik writes: “As majority and primary suppliers for low-cost housing, independent investors can elevate the industry and add much-needed supply for low-cost affordable housing. The strength of your collective voice will serve as a catalyst to transform systemic causes of poverty and housing-cost burdens. Advocating for self, for renters, and for common sense supply-side policy for small-unit properties will propel change that is needed to improve the marketplace and provide added supply of low-cost rental units.”
14 | think realty magazine :: december 2021
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