Dear CAR Member,

Pat Zicarelli

Earlier this month, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued guidance on how fair housing laws apply to those with criminal records. Specifically, HUD stated that a landlord or property manager who imposes a blanket refusal to rent to any person with any criminal conviction record – no matter when the conviction occurred, what the underlying conduct entailed, or what the convicted person has done since then — may violate the Fair Housing Act. If you are a property manager or own rental property, I urge you to familiarize yourself with the guidelines found here.

It goes without saying that a landlord or property manager must treat everyone equally. Even if a screening policy involving criminal convictions is maintained, it can never be used as a pretext for unequal treatment. If a landlord or property manager refuses to rent to a person for certain convictions, then the landlord or property manager should not rent to anyone similarly convicted. View C.A.R.’s Realegal® on the HUD guidelines.

As a REALTOR®, one of the things I enjoy most is getting out in my community and giving back in any way I can. To that end, I’m pleased to announce that NAR has joined forces with Boys & Girls Clubs of America in an effort to strengthen communities and support the country’s youth. I’m asking you to join me in making a difference and working with your local Club to volunteer and offer resources. You could plan a clean-up day, sponsor a holiday-themed party, offer tutoring assistance or host a career day. Associations participating in the BGCA partnership may be able to meet either their “Community Involvement” or “Community Investment” requirements under NAR’s Organizational Alignment/Core Standards policy. REALTORS® can get more information about this initiative here, and local Associations can obtain more information here.

C.A.R’s Legislative Day 2016 will be upon us in less than two weeks. This year, C.A.R.’s annual Legislative Day is on Wednesday, April 27. Legislative Day is an excellent opportunity for REALTORS® from across California to meet with their state legislators to discuss the issues that impact the real estate industry the most. REALTORS® play a critical role in stopping bad legislation and promoting good bills. Attending Legislative Day is not only a great investment in your business, but also provides a chance to hear from the state’s most dynamic political leaders and the leadership of your state Association, and enjoy a fabulous reception.

This year Gov. Jerry Brown, who always draws a large crowd, has been confirmed to attend and will share his thoughts on the economy and the state budget. To register, please contact your local Association of REALTORS®. Local associations often plan events or luncheons to coincide with Legislative Day, and this is the best way to ensure you have signed up for everything.

Check out this short video of REALTOR® testimonials sharing how Legislative Day has impacted them. Get more information about Legislative Day here. To register for Legislative Day, contact your local association of REALTORS® and for more information, contact DeAnn Kerr at deannk@car.org.

The Midyear Luncheon is also fast-approaching and tickets are going quickly. Register today to secure your spot to hear C.A.R. CEO Joel Singer on Thursday, April 28, at the Sacramento Convention Center. Singer will address how competition is not only between REALTORS® but extends industrywide with new brokerage models, online portals such as Zillow, Trulia, and realtor.com, and with tech companies promising to automate the real estate process from top to bottom. Don’t miss out on hearing how these disruptors and pretenders are impacting the real estate industry, now and in the future. Get your tickets now and take advantage of early-bird ticket pricing of $60 while it lasts!

Hopefully by now you’ve seen one of the television ads from C.A.R.’s 2016 consumer advertising campaign, which launched earlier this month.  The campaign is a key member benefit C.A.R. provides, promoting the value REALTORS® provide not only to home buyers and sellers, but also to the community at large. Specifically, the campaign connects the dots between REALTORS® and local businesses.

C.A.R. has partnered with NBC, HGTV, Bravo, and iHeartRadio to bring you more than 1,200 television spots and 1,600 radio spots over 14 weeks. We’ll also have an online presence on REALTOR.com, Hulu, Google, and Curbed.com as well as websites of NBC affiliates in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento. One of the most exciting extensions of the campaign is a new real estate-centric emoji keyboard, which will be available for download from your smartphone’s app store beginning Monday, April 25. You’ll get access to digital stickers, which you can place over your digital photos to highlight new listings, pending sales, or simply a picture of you with the “Who’s Your REALTOR®?” tagline. We’ve also refreshed the content on the consumer website (http://championsofhome.com). For more information about the C.A.R. ad campaign.

I hope to see you at Legislative Day and the Midyear luncheon in Sacramento.

Sincerely,

Pat Zicarelli
Pat “Ziggy” Zicarelli
2016 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®