Texas real estate agents gather at the Capitol to lobby for priorities
One of the biggest items on brokers’ agendas is affordability support.
Austin, Texas –
Texas REALTORS will be in the Capitol Wednesday to lobby legislators and community leaders on their priorities.
Thousands of real estate agents from across the state will gather at the Capitol to meet with policymakers on property tax breaks, infrastructure, protecting private property rights and anything that might help homeowners. The brokers plan to arrive on the South Lawn of the Capitol by 10 a.m have scheduled meetings with their respective lawmakers throughout the day to discuss priorities.
According to a press release, Texas REALTORS is the state’s largest professional organization with 150,000 members.
Marcus Phipps, CEO of Texas REALTORS, said it’s important to speak to lawmakers because many of the decisions and laws they make affect property and ownership rights.
One of the biggest items on brokers’ agendas is affordability support.
“If you think specifically about the rising cost of property taxes in the state of Texas, which is one of our key issues that we work on every legislative session, it’s one of those things that honestly, sometimes people can force their homes,” Phipps said. “They can no longer afford to pay their property taxes. That’s what we’re fighting for.”
Other real estate agent goals include facilitating development and figuring out how to create affordable housing.
Phipps said advocacy from property owners can also trickle down and help renters.
“I mean, if you think about it, someone who rents pays someone else’s mortgage and someone else’s property tax bill. And say you’re paying someone’s property tax bill and you’re paying someone’s mortgage, whether it’s yours or theirs,” Phipps said.
He said there are exemptions for homesteads from property taxes, but not for commercial properties and rental properties.
When the real estate agents show up at the Capitol, they wear purple because they say their problems are about property, not politics.
https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/texas-legislature/texas-realtors-property-tax-relief-owners-rights-rally/269-1ffcdce8-81fe-49a5-bee7-e881adedb1fc Texas real estate agents gather at the Capitol to lobby for priorities
