Approximately 400 members of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, from Pittsfield to Provincetown, overflowed the State House Grand Hall for the 31st annual Margaret C. Carlson Realtor Day on Beacon Hill this morning.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito gave the keynote address before the crowd dispersed to speak with their respective legislators about pending legislation.

Polito, a Realtor herself, said she understood the complexities of the job and commended the group for advocating on housing issues.

“It’s important to take responsibility as a Realtor and strengthen the system,” she said. “Your time is well spent here. Share your stories, the personal stories about why a bill matters. It makes a difference. We need to be a competitive state in which to do business.”

MAR has endorsed a bill that would exempt homeowners from having to pay taxes on forgiven mortgage debt (H3770) and a bill that seeks to eliminate the theft of scrap metals like copper from homes (H3806).

MAR opposes a bill that creates a new real estate transfer tax (H3300); a new room occupancy tax (H2645); mandatory energy scoring included on listing sheets (S1761); a bill requiring real estate agents to disclose if part of a property contains wetlands (H150); and a bill that would allow municipalities to impose development impact fees for new developments (S2311).