ness and independent landlords who are hit with the majority of this burden. They don’t have a national organization to help, or a political action committee to lobby on their behalf. Let’s face it. Some of us became landlords by accident, and we depend on rent to pay the mortgage. We are not against tenants, and in fact, are sympa- thetic to those who struggle to pay the rent. But landlord advocacy is sorely missing as a counterbalance to intense tenant advocacy. We must shift the con- versation and help legislators and policy makers understand the cost of their actions to all involved, and work to create legislation where everyone wins. What is needed is a rally for change, to reshape the lens through which our landlord community is viewed. We created a local meetup group as a nonprofit landlord advocacy group. It grew organically as people learned of its mission: Proactively empower small business and independent landlords to avoid pitfalls and costly mistakes, and to be a professional steward to the rental community. It brings a collective voice to STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: A COLLECTIVE VOICE
the diaspora of landlords who feel their voice won’t be heard. Influential voices are calling for it to grow nationally. We are proud to work with Think Realty to announce our launch of the National Association of Independent Landlords (www.NAIL411.org). To be a true force for change, we need the participation of every landlord and property manager—because all land- lords and property managers have a vested interest in landlord advocacy. Our first lobby effort is scheduled for May, when we will be spending a day on Capitol Hill and meeting with U.S. con- gressional representatives and regulators. You can help in three ways: 1 Help us show strength in mem- ber numbers: Sign up for free at www.NAIL411.org. 2 Invite your constituents to join, especially if you are an organizer of a REIA or meetup group. 3 Volunteer your special skills. Con- tact me on the www.NAIL411.org meetup member page. By building our membership, we can show strength in numbers and a constit-
uency across state borders. As a member, voice your concerns with a quick survey, and tell us your story. We’ll collate the information and be a collective voice for the small business and independent landlord. We’ll take it to the Hill! By virtue of inaction, we are left with the aftermath of legislation and policies that we can only react to. Let’s work together to create an environment that is fair and in the best interest of all parties involved. •
Brian Wojcik is CEO and founder of diyRealty, a resource for do-it-yourself landlords. He also currently serves as President-elect of the National
Association of Residential Property Managers, Baltimore Chapter, and is a vocal advocate for landlords and property managers nationwide. Wojcik brings more than two decades of experience in engineering, executive management and real estate to diyRealty and Rent Court Manager. A highly trained and experienced operational consultant, he specializes in business process re-engineering. After a successful career as an engineer and top corporate executive, he has successfully transitioned into the real estate market, both as an investor and property manager. Wojcik earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Management from Clarkson University and his Master of Science degree in Real Estate from The Johns Hopkins University. Contact him at brian@diyrealty.co.
thinkrealty . com | 49
Made with FlippingBook Online document