Message from C.A.R. President, Jared Martin

Thank you to all of you who attended C.A.R.’s Legislative Day in Sacramento last week. Your attendance made it a great success! Nearly 2,500 of you turned out to hear Gov. Gavin Newsom address us in the morning. Following this year’s theme, “Homeownership Matters,” Newsom spoke about the state’s housing shortage, calling it a “crisis moment.” With California ranking 49 out of 50 states in housing units per capita, he noted that the California dream is in legitimate peril and that we need to do more to address housing demand. Newsom vowed to build 300,000-400,000 new housing units and continue efforts to work on affordability, healthcare and education. He also thanked C.A.R. members for their passion and efforts. Following the governor’s address, we headed over to the Capitol to discuss with our state legislators the issues of importance to the real estate industry.

While we were in Sacramento, C.A.R.’s Center for California Real Estate (CCRE) held two events that focused on housing. The first, titled “Are Californians Saying ‘YIMBY’ to ADUs,” focused on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and how increasing construction of ADUs can help address California’s housing shortage. Moderated by Los Angeles Times Reporter Liam Dillon, the panel of experts that spanned academia, policymakers and developers discussed how the state can better empower homeowners to champion new development in their own backyard and leverage innovative housing solutions to help resolve the homelessness crisis.

The second event, titled “Building a California for All – Meeting the State’s Demand for Housing,” brought together key state legislators who shared unique perspectives on how California can address its historically low homeownership rate, housing affordability, and supply crisis. Assemblymembers David Chiu, Kevin McCarty, Tyler Diep and Jacqui Irwin joined C.A.R. Past President Robert Bailey, who moderated the panel, to discuss policy to reform the state’s approach to housing creation and affordability. If you weren’t able to make it, you can view videos of both events here.

It may only be May, but it’s never too early to start thinking about REimagine!, C.A.R.’s annual conference, held September 24-26. For the first time ever, we’re taking over Los Angeles. REimagine! will be in the heart of downtown at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with L.A. Live, the epicenter of entertainment, as our backyard for the week. REimagine! will be packed with content to help you transform your business, networking inside and outside the conference doors, and can’t-miss experiences. Registration opens June 19 at reimagine.car.org.

Lastly, C.A.R. is looking for the next generation of leading agents who are making an impact in the industry to be a Rising Star Award recipient. The Rising Star Award is a C.A.R. initiative that recognizes up-and-coming agents in the brokerage community. The award highlights the elite, new talent entering the industry and helps boost their growing careers while promoting both the REALTOR® and the firm. If you know a great candidate, view the nomination rules and criteria here. All nominations are due by May 29, so act fast.

Sincerely,

Jared Martin
C.A.R. President