REALTOR® & Government Day
2022 event recap
On February 9, 2022, the WRA held its annual REALTOR® & Government Day (RGD) event, back in Madison and in person after going totally virtual for the 2021 RGD due to the pandemic. REALTOR® & Government Day (RGD) event, back in Madison
and in person after going totally virtual for the 2021 RGD due to the pandemic.
And Wisconsin REALTORS® showed up in Madison in record numbers, ready to lobby their lawmakers for a healthy real estate climate in Wisconsin! Before
meeting face to face with lawmakers at the Capitol, Wisconsin REALTORS® listened to several speakers and learned about the current legislative issues in Wisconsin that affect real estate.
Event keynote speakers included WRA President
& CEO Michael Theo, 2022 WRA Chairman Brad Lois and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. In addition to the keynotes, the WRA lobbying team outlined four key legislative issues to discuss with lawmakers during the Capitol visits: workforce housing, homeowners
associations, access easements and foreclosure equity theft. At the Capitol, Wisconsin REALTORS® briefed more than 100 Wisconsin legislators on these four priorities.
- Workforce housing shortage: REALTORS® urged lawmakers to support a series of bills that are aimed at increasing Wisconsin’s workforce housing stock. These initiatives would reduce regulatory costs for new housing, update
older housing stock, provide financial assistance for building workforce housing and much more.
- 40-year expiration of access easements: Wisconsin REALTORS® stressed to legislators the need to completely eliminate the statutory expiration of access easements in Wisconsin. Instead, REALTORS® advocated for
the right to contract: the agreement of the parties is the ultimate deciding factor regarding the future of the easements — not the statutes.
- HOA transparency: REALTORS® explained to lawmakers how current Wisconsin law does not regulate homeowners associations (HOAs). The REALTORS® lobbied to better streamline and simplify HOAs so property owners and
purchasers better understand HOA rules and regulations.
- Foreclosure equity theft: REALTORS® told lawmakers to require counties to pay any net proceeds of non-homestead foreclosures back to the former owner of the property. Wisconsin is one of only 12 states that allows foreclosure
equity theft, and that fact needs to change.
After a productive afternoon of lobbying, REALTORS® enjoyed a free cocktail reception to conclude the day. Also at the cocktail reception, one of the RGD event sponsors handed out “Advocacy Ale” beer as well as Wisconsin-themed drink coasters
— the fun freebies were a hit!
2022 success
Because YOU attended RGD, three of the WRA's bills from RGD passed the Assembly and Senate just weeks after the event and were signed into law by Gov. Evers.
YOU made the difference.
See you next year
Thank you to the hundreds of Wisconsin REALTORS® who came together to make a positive difference for Wisconsin real estate. Your support is greatly appreciated, and we’ll see you in April 2023 for the 2023 Government Day!