RISMEDIA, April 27, 2011—More than 8,000 REALTORS® and guests from across the country will convene in Washington, D.C., next month to address today’s critical home ownership, mortgage finance and real estate investment challenges during the REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo, May 9-14. During the week, REALTORS® will actively engage policymakers to help continue and sustain a real estate and economic recovery and ensure that anyone who is able and willing to assume the responsibilities of owning a home has the opportunity to pursue that dream, now and into the future.
WHEN: May 9-14, 2011
WHERE: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, DC
Members of the media may register onsite in the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Atrium on Monday, May 9, noon-5 p.m.; Tuesday, May 10 through Thursday, May 12, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Friday, May 13, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Press can also register by contacting Yolanda Byrd, 202-383-7515, ybyrd@realtors.org. Registration is free for credentialed media and is required to attend the meetings.
On Tuesday, May 10, REALTORS® will join industry experts and government officials in a special symposium on mortgage liquidity, Ensuring Mortgage Availability for Creditworthy Homebuyers. CNBC Real Estate Reporter Diana Olick will moderate a panel discussion among representatives from the financial, government and consumer sectors about continued government involvement in the secondary mortgage market and FHA’s commitment to help working class families build wealth through home ownership. The symposium will take place from 2-4 p.m. in the Marriott Ballroom, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.
Earlier that day, leading Members of Congress will share their insights on the 112th Congress, its agenda and the likely impact on the housing and real estate industry at the Legislative and Political Forum on Tuesday, May 10, 8-10 a.m., Marriott Ballroom, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.
Also on Tuesday, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun joins representatives from the mortgage insurance industry, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and the Independent Community Bankers Association at the Regulatory Issues Forum: The Future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from
9:30-11 a.m., Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Thurgood Marshall Ballroom NE.
The panelists will present arguments for and against current proposals for reforming the secondary mortgage market, including the options suggested by the Obama administration and other prominent proposals in Congress.
NAR leadership will close the day with a member-director forum from 4:15-5:15 p.m. in the Marriott Ballroom.
At the Federal Priority Issues Briefing on Wednesday, May 11, 7-8 a.m., Jerry Giovaniello, NAR government affairs senior vice president and chief lobbyist, will update REALTORS® on important real estate issues and policy matters as they prepare to meet with members of Congress. This briefing will take place in the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Marriott Ballroom Salon 1.
NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun will share the latest outlook for residential real estate during the Economic Issues and Residential Real Estate Business Trends Forum on Thursday, May 12, 8-10 a.m. in the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Marriott Ballroom Salon 2. Later on Thursday from 1-3 p.m., Yun will provide an overview of the national commercial market and forecast future market conditions at the Economic Issues & Commercial Business Trends Forum at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Ambassador Room.
Other media highlights include:
The Impact of Renewable Energy Projects on Property Values: Land Use, Property Rights and Environment Forum Tuesday, May 10, 9-10:30 a.m., Omni Shoreham Hotel, Blue Room. Participants will discuss how renewable energy projects such as wind, solar, hydropower and geothermal impact the value of adjacent property, and share how land use and environment issues are affecting specific states and local communities.
Real Estate Services Forum—The Impact of Dodd-Frank on Real Estate Thursday, May 12, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Marriott Wardman Park, Marriott Ballroom Salon 3. In this Forum, the impact of the Dodd-Frank rule and its implementation on mortgage markets and the real estate industry will be discussed.
Board of Directors
Saturday, May 14, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Marriott Wardman Park, Maryland Ballroom. Realtors® convene to render decisions regarding key issues and committee reports.
Trade Expo
Wednesday, May 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, May 12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, May 13, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Marriott Wardman Park. More than 120 vendors of the latest real estate products and services convene under one roof. See the latest real estate industry innovations and how these are transforming the way Realtors® do business. Learn about mobile office devices, lead generation systems, Internet prospecting solutions, Multiple Listing Service providers, virtual tour technology, financial services, 360-degree virtual tours, and much more.
For more information about the REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo, visit www.realtor.org/midyear.nsf/pages/homepage.
To schedule advance interviews with NAR leadership and conference speakers, contact Stephanie Singer, 202/383-1050, ssinger@realtors.org. NAR’s Media Team also will be onsite to arrange and coordinate interviews during the conference. Members of the media can follow updates from the conference on NAR’s Conference Live website pages on Realtor.org and on Twitter, http://twitter.com/NARMidyear.