Charlie Oppler, the 2021 President of the National Association of REALTORS®, confirmed the 2021 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings will be all virtual mainly due to rising cases of COVID-19 in Washington, as well as around the country. You can find a full video from Charlie, complete with a transcript here. The official news release can be found here, where Oppler confirmed what went into this difficult decision.

“After careful consideration, the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo will be held virtually again this year,” NAR President Charlie Oppler, a Realtor® from Franklin Lakes, N.J., and the CEO of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, said in a video to NAR members on Friday afternoon. “Although this was a difficult decision – and one that we did not take lightly or without soliciting feedback from numerous members – our choice, in the end, was clear.”

For our readers who may not be familiar with this annual event, these Legislative Meetings are for NAR members who are involved in the governance of the association and who volunteer on association committees. According to NAR’s website, Federal Political Coordinators and other politically active members who visit Congressional members on Capitol Hill will also attend this event. Also, the REALTORS® Trade Expo is open to local members in the DC area. Members with a valid NRDS ID can attend free of charge.

The decision to take this series of meetings virtual this year is paramount to the core value NAR proudly represents of “Members First”. With the District banning indoor gatherings of more than 10 people and restaurants not serving anyone indoors, this would certainly make any large indoor events a challenge. Additionally, the Capitol is currently closed to visitors which means members will not be able to meet with their elected officials. The success of last year’s virtual meetings gives hope that 2021 will bring the opportunity to improve on NAR’s ability to bring you engaging speakers, productive sessions and meetings, and a virtual expo.

If you’re interested in attending this year’s meetings, registration opens on February 24th. Bookmark this page to stay in the know on all updates related to the event. Unsure on if this event is for you? NAR has compiled videos of some of the 2020 virtual sessions on their YouTube channel. You can find hours of video content to get a feel of what to expect. Descriptions of some of the speakers and the topics they focused on last year is available here.

One of the resources listed from the 2020 meetings is the Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness, a resource designed to help you with financial planning. From budgeting tools and retirement planning to investing in real estate, this tool is an excellent resource provided for NAR members. There are other resources listed from the 2020 meetings on NAR’s website, and we can expect new resources to be added following the 2021 meeting series as well.

Networking is a key aspect of in-person conferences and expos and typically raises questions when it comes to holding these events virtually. This is addressed under the FAQ section on NAR’s website. On May 11th, there will be a Networking section added to the site that will allow you to fill out a profile with individual preferences. This landing page can then match you with like-minded meeting participants whom you might want to connect with via video chat, text, or a phone call during the conference.

We know that nothing beats the opportunity to connect with professionals and elected officials in person, but we encourage all NAR members to participate. As a proud member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR), the Ulster County Board of REALTORS® is comprised of residential and commercial REALTORS® who subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. We invite you to join us on our mission to promote home ownership and encourage investment in real estate. We’ll see you at this year’s virtual meetings!