Soon to be a million members strong, the politically powerful National Association of Realtors gave itself a huge legislative "pat on the back" last week at its annual convention in San Francisco.

"It's been a very active and successful year," Gary Weaver, NAR's managing director of public policy said in opening the group's federal issues forum. "We've made noteworthy and significant accomplishments benefitting Realtors nationwide."

It's not unusual for trade groups to take full credit for favorable legislative and regulatory initiatives, even when other organizations also had a hand in their outcome. But in at least one particular case, NAR's chest-thumping is well deserved.

Almost single-handedly, the Realtor machine has managed to stop efforts by national banks and their financial holding company subsidiaries to enter the real estate, leasing and management business.

"It ain't over yet," said George Griffin, a manager in NAR's government affairs division. "But we have been really successful."

In what Griffin described as "a clear statement not to go forward," the House has adopted language in its 2004 funding measure that prohibits the Treasury Department from finalizing a proposed rule that NAR argues gives banks the power to compete unfairly with its members.

The rider isn't part of the Senate appropriations bills, but Griffin said the group anticipates "it will hold in conference."

The influential trade association also is "anticipating a major victory" with the impending passage of the President's American Dream Downpayment Fund. The House already has approved the assistance program, which would provide $200 million in grants to help some 40,000 families with downpayments and closing costs. A similar bill is expected to be considered soon by the Senate.

Another big win claimed by NAR is the Federal Communication Commission's decision to withdraw its highly controversial do-not-fax rule, which would have wiped away the long-standing exemption for existing business relationships.

Calling the proposal "very troubling," lobbyist Jeanne Delgado said the FCC's attempt at curtailing facsimile spam, coming on top of the Federal Trade Commission's efforts to stop unwanted telemarketing efforts, "is like, ‘What else can you do to make our lives miserable?'"

However, since there is no guarantee that the stay of execution won't expire on Jan. 1, 2005, Delgado advised realty agents and brokers to obtain written permission to send faxes from would-be buyers who attended open houses.

NAR also flexed its muscles with the Comptroller of the Treasury, which has proposed a rule pre-empting national banks and their operating subsidiaries from state and local predatory lending laws.

The Realtors, which are worried primarily that other professionals might be exempt from licensing requirements under the directive, submitted a 12-page comment letter on the proposal. After all, said lobbyist Lynn King, "Realtors have licensing standards that should be conveyed to others in the real estate transaction."

The NAR's submission was one of 2,500 received by the OCC. That's 2,400 more than the agency expected, said King, who also noted that three-out-of-every-four were sent by members of the Realtor community.

"We woke them up," the lobbyist proclaimed in pointing out that "only" 38 banks and banking associations weighed in with opinions on the proposal.

Published: November 12, 2003

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When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated. He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year. Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972. The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country. He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others. Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.