Anne Meczywor

I wear my Realtor pin a lot. With that little “R,” people recognize that I am a market expert, and they will often stop me to ask, “How’s the market?” Real estate is an interesting and timely topic, a natural conversation–starter. People like to talk about it. But my Realtor “R” pin represents more than my day–to–day job. Something that many of my clients and neighbors don’t know is that it also stands for “Realtor Advocate.”  

The type of advocacy that my fellow Realtors and I do goes beyond what’s expected in a transaction. It’s the work we do on behalf of homeowners and private property rights at all levels of government, from every one of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, to Beacon Hill in Boston, and all the way to Washington D.C.  

We take a lot of pride in what we do and the impact we have. We are the only organization advocating on behalf of homeowners, carefully watching out for their best interests in the complex world of regulation and legislation, but most people don’t ever know about all we do.  

Advocacy for Homeowners 

Let’s take a look at an overview of our recent advocacy efforts in the third quarter and what they mean to both Realtors and property owners.  

During the third quarter Realtors testified on Beacon Hill on seven bills, supporting five of them and opposing two. We also testified on two sets of short-term rental regulations.  

In July, we testified in support of the GreenWorks bill, a proposal from House Speaker Robert DeLeo, that would fund climate resiliency programs through bond proceeds rather than transfer taxes. This was the third time we testified in support of the bill, which unanimously passed in the House later that month. During the fourth quarter, we anticipate that the Senate will propose a bill to address this same issue. We are monitoring this closely to see what the bill includes and how it will be funded.  

We testified twice in support of first-time homebuyer assistance. In late July, we spoke in favor of bills promoting first-time homebuyer savings accounts before the Joint Committee on Revenue. Two months later, we submitted written comments to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. This written testimony supported a supplemental budget proposal containing increased funding for first-time homebuyer assistance programs.  

First-time homebuyers face some incredible challenges including record high home prices and record high levels of student debt. We are proud to support programs that can help Massachusetts residents achieve the goal of homeownership.    

Our testimony on the supplemental budget expressed support for two other important measures in the proposal; increased funding for state infrastructure and affordable housing.  

What’s Coming this Quarter? 

In late summer, we testified in strong opposition to bills containing transfer taxes. Transfer taxes cause harm to the housing market by making homes in Massachusetts, already some of the most expensive in the country, even more unaffordable. Transfer taxes also force a small group of residents to pay for a community-wide benefit when those costs should be shared by everyone in the community.  

We remain engaged on short-term rentals. In the third quarter we provided comments to both the Department of Revenue and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development on proposed short-term rental regulations. We will continue to advocate on this issue throughout the regulation drafting process and beyond.  

The fourth quarter will be busy. We are watching closely for a Senate climate resiliency proposal, and movement on the Housing Choices bill. If passed, the Housing Choices bill would promote community supported development by reducing the municipal voting threshold for certain zoning changes from a two-thirds majority to simple majority. This could facilitate the creation of desperately needed housing throughout the commonwealth.   

These are just a few of our current efforts. No one understands better the impact of regulation and legislation on housing and homeowners than the people who work with homeowners every single day on every single street in every single town. We share accurate information and data, and we deliver an impactful message to those who are making the rules. Realtors do a lot more than sell houses. Advocacy is a major part of what we do and who we are.  

 Anne Meczywor is the 2019 president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and a broker/associate with Roberts & Assoc. Realty, Inc., in Lenox.