National Association of REALTORS® Policy Advocacy 2024 - 2025 Wins Legislative • Reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) – NAR successfully pressed Congressional leaders to successfully extend NFIP through September 30, 2025. NAR estimates that 1,300 real estate transactions are affected each day of an extended NFIP lapse. • Eliminating the Use of Annoying and Predatory Trigger Leads – NAR and its coalition partners worked with Reps. John Rose (R-TN) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) to pass the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act of 2025, a bill that would heavily restrict the use of mortgage trigger leads. Trigger leads occur when a consumer applies for a mortgage loan and a lender makes a credit inquiry with a credit reporting agency (CRA). CRAs are then allowed to sell to competing lenders or mortgage brokers, without a consumer’s knowledge, information that a consumer has applied for a loan. Consumers may then be contacted by the other companies that have purchased the trigger leads, resulting in dozens or more sales emails, calls, or texts. Consumers then often blame real estate agents or lenders for selling their information when they have not. CRAs have until March 6, 2026 to comply with the law, and NAR will be monitoring the implementation to ensure the legislation’s intent is honored. • Protecting Veteran Home Loan Benefits – NAR successfully fought to protect veterans’ ability to have a REALTOR® assist them in purchasing a home through the VA Home Loan Benefit, following the announcement of the settlement agreement regarding buyer-broker compensation rules. NAR championed the VA Home Loan Reform Act (H.R. 1815), which was signed into law by President Trump in July after passing Congress unanimously. This legislation requires the VA to develop a permanent strategy to ensure veterans aren't disadvantaged when seeking real estate representation, addressing the longstanding issue that made VA loan users the only homebuyers banned from directly paying their agents. This victory built on NAR's earlier work with the Veterans Affairs Administration to secure a temporary policy allowing VA buyers to compensate their buyer brokers directly while Congress considered permanent legislation. Additionally, NAR supports the VA Housing Loan Forever Act which gives descendants of veterans with unused entitlements (who served between 1944 – 1977) the ability to use their VA Home Loan. Finally, NAR supports policies that keep veterans informed of their home loan benefit. NAR supported the introduction of the VA Home Loan Awareness Act which passed the Senate in July 2024. • ROAD to Housing Act Passes Senate Banking Committee – The Senate Banking Committee passed the bipartisan Renewing Opportunity In the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025 (ROAD to Housing Act, S. 2651), introduced by Chairman Tim Scott (RS.C.) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). This comprehensive, landmark legislation addresses a broad range of housing needs and opens more pathways to homeownership. The bill focuses on expanding housing supply and affordability, breaking down barriers to development, and preserving existing housing. NAR strongly supports the legislation, which includes many provisions NAR previously supported:
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