Summer Greene, the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) 2014 Realtor Party Fundraising Liaison, through Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Brokers/Owners raised $30,000 in pledges for the Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC) at their May 2014 Owners Retreat hosted at the Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, CA.
Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, who attended the Owners’ Retreat, became an RPAC Major Investor at the Sterling R level.
Said Wilkins, “All of the BHG Broker/Owners really stepped to the plate when Summer told us about the great things that RPAC does for the real estate industry and for the American dream of home ownership.”
RPAC’s Major Investor Program consists of an elite and passionate group of Realtor contributors who partner with NAR to shape the political future for the real estate industry. Members of the Major Investor Program are eligible to participate in the NAR Recognition Program, with specific benefits and accolades that acknowledge their support of RPAC. The program commits the owner/broker to a minimum annual investment at either the Sterling R, Crystal R, or the Golden R level. NAR affiliates and state and local Realtor Associations that make a corporate contribution to RPAC will also be recognized at these various contributor levels.
Wilkins is a member of the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS.
Summer Greene, is the Regional Manager for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Florida 1st has multiple locations with several hundred Realtors.
Greene has 26 years’ experience in the real estate profession and recently served as President of the Florida Realtors, an association with more than 120,000 members.
The Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC) gives Realtors a powerful voice on issues that affect real property ownership, investment and private property rights. RPAC identifies and invests in candidates who understand and support local issues. In short, RPAC supports Realtor Party candidates for public office.
Wilkins, the first Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Broker for Realogy who licenses the name from the Meredith Corporation, owner of the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, recently celebrated his company’s 25th year in business (2013).
Said Greene, “Pennsylvania and in particular the Pocono Mountains is no exception to being a part of and utilizing RPAC funds. Pennsylvania recently passed legislation prohibiting a private transfer tax that would have benefited an unrelated third party each time the property sold putting a significant burden on the current home seller. Nationally, RPAC helped make Flood Insurance affordable again by repealing costly increases in flood insurance premiums.
Wilkins, while being a Republican, agreed that RPAC doesn’t acknowledge Republicans or Democrats, but instead addresses issues important to Pennsylvanian consumers and property owners.
“In Pennsylvania, for example, RPAC along with NAR and the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors and in cooperation with our State and local legislators are fighting hard to reduce property taxes. That’s why I couldn’t say no when Summer asked me to become a part of the Major Investor Program.” said Wilkins.
Greene, who is the NAR/RPAC 2014 Realtor Party Fundraising Liaison, put it best when she said, “I give because I get something incredible in return.”
The Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS support House Bill 76, an act providing for an increase in the sales tax and proposes a plan to eliminate and replace school property taxes by raising certain sales tax. The bill was crafted in part by the Property Tax Independence Act, and by members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in full collaboration with the 83 member groups of the non-partisan grass roots Pennsylvania Coalition of Tax Payer Associations. To learn more, contact the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS.
Photo: Thomas R Wilkins (L) Summer Greene (R)
