Advocacy
What is REALTOR® Advocacy?
KCRAR advocates on behalf of our region’s REALTORS® and property owners on policy initiatives that strengthen the ability of Americans to own, buy and sell property. We work as a part of the REALTOR®Party to advance public policies and candidates that build strong communities, protect property interests and promote a vibrant business environment.
- Partner with regional economic development organizations on economic development efforts
- Encourage REALTORS® to be more involved with local economic development (EDC) councils
- Engage in global initiatives to increase business recruitment and foreign direct investment in the Kansas City region
- Partner on inbound and outbound trade missions with countries who have potential for foreign direct investment
- Advocate for policies and regulations at the local and state levels that will support business growth and job creation in the region
- Seek grant funding opportunities to hold first-time homebuyer resource events in underserved areas of the region
- Partner with Habitat for Humanity and local cities on “REALTORS® Rock the Block”events to help improve the quality of local neighborhoods
- Partner with interested cities and seek grant funding opportunities to hold citywide open house events targeted at first-time homebuyers
- Advocate for policies that will reduce the regulatory burden on development and increase the supply of affordable owner-occupied and rental housing
- Support local law enforcement agencies in order to help increase the safety of our neighborhoods and communities
- Partner with local school districts on programs to update REALTORS on district programs and trends
- Advocate at both the local and state levels for responsible funding of local schools, higher education and vocational training
- Engage in efforts to provide political support to local school board candidates
- Partner with UMKC on leadership and real estate programs for current and prospective real estate professionals
- Partner with local school districts on financial literacy and property ownership materials and programs
- Advocate at both the local and state levels for more funding for all transportation networks, including roads, air, rail and trails
- Encourage participation of REALTORS® on local transportation and planning boards, committees and task forces
- Utilize placemaking grants to help local governments plan for infrastructure improvements to accommodate new development
- Advocate at both the local and state level for more funding for maintenance, repair and expansion of water and sewer infrastructure
KCRAR Public Policy Manual
The Kansas City Regional Association of REALTORS® represents over 13,000 real estate professionals in the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Our association and its members believe that REALTORS® have a role to play in every community faced with the challenges of growth and quality of life issues that are important to creating and supporting vibrant, developing areas. We believe that homeownership positively impacts neighborhoods, communities and the economic stability of the Kansas City Region.
Having pledged to abide by our REALTOR® Code of Ethics, we offer the benefits of our knowledge of real estate experience and technical facilities to the public in general and government in particular. The Association and its REALTOR® members are dedicated to working with our elected officials to create better communities by supporting quality growth, seeking sustainable economies and providing housing opportunities that embrace the environmental qualities we value, while protecting the rights of private property owners.
REALTORS® subscribe to the policy of fair housing. We believe equal opportunity in housing can best be achieved through observance of the law, education, and mutual cooperation of the real estate industry and the public in a free and open housing market. We believe in the equal rights of all individuals to own real property and to exercise and enjoy the benefits of this ownership without undue encroachment or intrusion by government, groups or individuals.
RPAC
Funds Raised this Year
34%
Each year, KCRAR sets a Missouri and a Kansas goal for raising funds for the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC). The graphic above shows our progress at this point in the year for our collective goal.
Current Priorities
Kansas Legislative Priorities: KCRAR joins efforts with the Kansas Association of REALTORS® to support homeowner and property issues at the state level. Priorities include registration for home inspectors, empowering KREC to enforce unlicensed activity, increasing access to homeownership and more.
Major Investors
RPAC Major Investors Hall of Fame $100,000+ Lifetime Investment
T. David Rogers
Hall of Fame $50,000+ Lifetime Investment
Jim Gamble
Dan O’Neill
Mike McGrew
Hall of Fame $25,000+ Lifetime Investment
Larry Apple
Scottie Broderick
Jeff Carson
Linda Cone
Kipp Cooper
Dennis Curtin
Rob Curtis
Jeff Hill
Bobbi Howe
Jennifer Langston-Justus
Steve LaRue
Andrew Mall
Judy Miller
Kathy Minden
Brenda Oliver
Dan Sight
Brent Sledd
Pat Tholen
President’s Circle $2,000+ Directly to Candidates
Jeff Carson
Kipp Cooper
Cindy Cunningham
Katy Forrest
Jim Gamble
Alex Goering
Jeff Hill
Bobbi Howe
Thomas Howe
Jennifer Langston-Justus
Steve LaRue
Mike McGrew
Andrew Mall
Kathy Minden
Brenda Oliver
Dan O’Neill
Ed Rippee
T David Rogers
Thomas Shaw
Andrea Sheridan
Brent Sledd
Lin Van Meter
Sydney West
Platinum “R” Investors $10,000+ Annual Investment
Jennifer Langston-Justus
Mike McGrew
T. David Rogers
Golden “R” Investors $5,000+ Annual Investment
Jeff Carson
Kipp Cooper
Katy Forrest
Jim Gamble
Alex Goering
Jeff Hill
Bobbi Howe
Steve LaRue
KCRAR
Andrew Mall
Kathy Minden
Brenda Oliver
Dan O’Neill
Ed Rippee
Thomas Shaw
Brent Sledd
Sydney West
Crystal “R” Investors $2,500+ Annual Investment
Monica Angeles
Tony Conant
Craig Conant
Gayle Houser
Steve Johns
Thomas Howe
Brian Jones
Catherine LaBrie
Lin Van Meter
Sterling “R” Investors $1,000+ Annual Investment
Larry Apple
Christian Barnes
Kristina Belshe
Shelee Brim
Bob Bucher
Jodi Carey
Katherine Casey
Kathryn Clark
Marian Coast
Chris Collins
Linda Cone
Marcia Cull
Cindy Cunningham
Dennis Curtin
Rob Curtis
Gregg Davidson
Joanna Eibes
Mark Emerick
Kris Fabrizius
Kristi Soligo Fleshman
Majid Ghavami
Melody Ghavami
Terri Gilgour
Yogendra Gupta
Mary Harris
Dan Hartman
Judy Johns
Kris Johnson
Erik Juergensen
John Ketchum
Brad Korn
Alina Kryshchendyuk
Angela Lofton
Sandy Maag
Megan Mackey
Michael McReynolds
Wally Melte
Steven Meyer
Steve Moyer
Mark Neighbors
David Nichols
Kyle Niemann
Mike Nixon
Chris Ojeda
Andi Pawlowski
Derek Ramsay
Andrea Sheridan
Amanda Beach Starcher
Kathy Stevens
Cory Stewart
Jim Stewart
Julie Stewart
Crystal Swearingen
Jessica Thomas
Amy Voltz