The need to improve the housing supply shortage ranks as the top overall issue facing REALTORS® in the United States, NAR Vice President of Policy Advocacy Bryan Greene said Monday during an online conversation with Illinois REALTORS® President Sue Miller.

“The Future of Fair Housing: A national perspective,” was the first of several special events Illinois REALTORS® will host during its Advocacy Month programming.

Among the observations by Greene:

• increasing the number of available homes will prevent prices from rising above the means of a “large swath” of consumers,
• tax incentives for homeowners will help make home buying more attractive for buyers,
• NAR is advocating against any government actions that will hurt the real estate industry, such as raising real estate taxes or eliminating 1031 like-kind exchanges,
• NAR also is lobbying for the end of eviction moratoriums,
• Although average REALTORS® understand the importance of wealth building through homeownership, the general public does not, and
• More REALTORS® need to understand the long-term impact that segregation, redlining and other discriminatory policies have had on disadvantaged communities.

For more on Greene’s conversation, watch the video that follows. And don’t forget to register for April 12, April 19 and May 3 Lobby Days events.