RPAC: Taking Care of Business and Working Overtime
By: Melissa McElroy
RPAC is a political action committee designed to protect property rights by being a voice of reason in the room when decisions about real estate laws and property are being made. The objective is to communicate any concerns from a REALTOR® mindset and act as a champion for REALTORS®.
Charles Chadwick, an RPAC advocate, said that RPAC doesn’t have a left-wing or right-wing agenda. It’s a pro-REALTOR® agenda. RPAC has supported candidates on both sides of the aisle and down the middle of the aisle: Democrat, Republican, and Independent. He added, “You might not be into politics, but politics play a key role in real estate. The ‘P’ in RPAC should stand for ‘protection,’ because the committee is there to protect your business.”
There is a formal vetting process to determine if a candidate is pro-business and pro-REALTOR® where candidates are asked a series of questions before RPAC will contribute to their campaign. An RPAC investment can be as low as $25. There are multiple investment tiers, such as a $99 club, up to being a $1000 major investor, and up. You can split your contribution up into a series of monthly payments. Chadwick views it as an important investment and urges people to make 2023 the year they step up their tier. With a recession and rising inflation, representation is needed more now than ever.
According to Chadwick, it is an ongoing battle to keep detrimental bills from being passed. Everything from property tax rate changes, to charging a service fee for REALTORS® could wreak havoc on the real estate industry. He said that the decisions of politicians have a direct, potentially devastating impact on business, which is why you want to have an advocate there. Or to put it in his words, “You want to have a seat at the table and have a voice in that, because everything they (politicians) do, can put you out of business. You either have a seat at the table or you might be on the menu.”
Perre Neilan, a Public Policy and RPAC advocate with more than 27 years of involvement in government affairs, described RPAC as an “outstanding tool for REALTORS® to help REALTOR®-friendly candidates get elected.” He added, “It’s a collection of individuals exercising their right to be heard.” Cultivating positive working relationships with pro- REALTOR® political candidates allows RPAC the opportunity to provide insider advice on critical real estate and property matters to people in power.
“If real estate is your profession, politics better be your business,” the political professional explained. Business is directly affected by those in government at all levels: city, state, and nationally. Neilan said that you need funds to elect the right people to protect business interests. In other words, you need to have skin in the game. He hopes to educate REALTORS® on the important role RPAC plays and how it plays a direct role in your bottom line. He would like to see even more REALTORS® contribute. If you already contribute, he wants you to consider going to the next tier. “We’re always playing defense because there are no shortage of bad ideas in politics.” RPAC aims to run interference to the bad political ideas, to intercept the pass. This requires all real estate professionals to step up their game.
Click here to learn more about RPAC!