Message from the President

Political advocacy has always been one of the most important things the WRA does for our members, property owners and Wisconsin’s economy. The ability to buy, sell and own real estate does not exist in a vacuum. It is directly affected by decisions made at the state Capitol — decisions involving taxes, housing supply, land use, property rights, regulation and the rules governing real estate transactions.

Those decisions have real consequences. They can affect whether a family can afford to purchase their first home, whether a community can build enough housing to meet demand, whether property owners can reasonably use their property, and whether REALTORS® can effectively serve their clients. That is why the WRA works every day to help create a political, economic and regulatory environment in which real estate ownership can thrive.

Our political advocacy begins with a simple principle: issues come before politics.

Before the WRA endorses candidates, we do our homework. Our process includes researching candidates and their voting records, examining their positions on issues important to real estate, and conducting interviews to better understand how they approach property rights, homeownership, housing affordability, economic growth and the real estate industry. We also consider something especially important in public policy: whether a candidate has demonstrated a willingness to listen, understand our issues and work constructively with REALTORS®.

We then support candidates who have demonstrated — through their records, positions and conversations with us — that they understand and support REALTOR® issues.

That process does not begin with an “R” or a “D.” And it does not end

there either.

That is why we call our political advocacy effort the REALTOR® Party and why its color is purple — a combination of Republican red and Democratic blue. Our objective is not to advance a political party or ideology. It is to advance policies that protect private property rights, promote homeownership, increase housing opportunities and strengthen Wisconsin’s economy.

There is another important benefit to this approach. By developing strong relationships with policymakers on both sides of the aisle, we are able to build bipartisan coalitions around real estate issues. WRA-supported legislation routinely receives strong bipartisan — and often unanimous — legislative support.

A recent example is 2025 Wisconsin Act 69, important real estate practice legislation discussed in greater detail later in this magazine. Its success demonstrates something we have learned repeatedly over the years: good real estate policy does not have to be Republican or Democratic. Protecting consumers, strengthening property rights and improving the real estate marketplace can bring legislators together.

We followed this same process during the 2026 election cycle in preparation for the election on November 3. After researching the candidates, reviewing their records and positions, and conducting our candidate evaluation process, the WRA endorsed Republican Tom Tiffany for governor and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul for reelection. Both candidates have histories of working with and supporting REALTORS® on issues important to our industry.

Some may find endorsements of candidates from different political parties unusual. We view it differently. It demonstrates that our process is working exactly as intended.

The REALTOR® Party is about building relationships that extend beyond any single election. It is about making sure elected officials understand the importance of real estate to Wisconsin families, communities and our economy. Most importantly, it is about ensuring that REALTORS® have a strong voice when decisions affecting property ownership and our industry are being made.

That is the REALTOR® Party in action: not red, not blue, but REALTOR® purple — focused on issues, relationships and results.

Tom Larson

WRA President & CEO