Illinois REALTOR® and  Federal Political Coordinator John Kmiecik talks with Local Government Affairs Director Tom Joseph after a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.

Illinois REALTORS® are in Washington, D.C, this week for business meetings, a trade expo and a series of visits to congressional representatives on Capitol Hill.

The annual Midyear Meetings and Expo ends Saturday with a meeting of NAR’s Board of Directors.

More than 200 association members are in the nation’s capital for the event. Among highlights: A reception at the newly-opened Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and calls on virtually every one of the state’s federally-elected officials.

The legislative meetings, most of which are on Wednesday, give REALTORS® a chance to talk about issues such as flood insurance and the impact of federal policy on the real estate industry. In preparation, the association’s Federal Political Coordinators met in several meetings on Tuesday to go over the issues they will discuss.