With more than 350,000 affiliated agents and six leading real estate brands at Anywhere, our collective voice is powerful and far-reaching. Together, we can make a difference when it comes to the policies and processes affecting real estate to build a better future for our industry and all those we serve.
How do we do it? By harnessing our voice and influence where it matters. Representing Anywhere in Washington, D.C. and among our industry peers and organizations are Becky Tallent, vice president and head of government relations, and Caitlin McCrory, vice president of industry relations. Through their expertise and networks, they lead the charge to drive positive change for the real estate industry, supporting our affiliated agents and brokers in their work and empowering home buyers and sellers to make informed decisions.
We sat down with Becky and Caitlin to learn about their roles and how they’re advancing our mission of empowering everyone’s next move.
What does a typical day at Anywhere look like for you?
BT: To be honest, one of the things I like best about my job is that every day is different and you never know what might happen next. Some days I spend my time meeting with members of Congress and their staff, talking to them about the policy issues that mean the most to Anywhere, our brands, and our clients. Other days I’m working with our trade associations on regulations coming out of the Administration on things like franchising rules, labor guidelines or artificial intelligence. I also love the times that I get to engage with agents at our brand conferences, hearing directly from them about the policy issues that impact their lives and businesses.
CM: Every day is a little bit different, which is part of what makes my job so challenging and exciting. I spend a lot of time reading and researching what direction initiatives are taking in the industry and how best to position and represent ourselves where it counts. I connect with other folks in the industry to advocate for the things we care about. But one my favorite tasks is to connect with folks out in the field and help resolve or offer guidance and resources on any industry questions they may have. I can’t do my job effectively without hearing from our agents and brokers.
What value can agents bring to advancing pro-housing policies?
BT: Agents bring so much to the table when it comes to advancing our policy agenda with elected officials. There is nothing more powerful than a message delivered from a constituent to a legislator and elected officials value the word of agents even more because they’re so plugged in to their communities. If we can, we also want to help agents do this outreach. I hope agents keep an eye out for more information about our Anywhere Advocacy work and join our campaigns when we have a policy issue that they think their political leaders need to weigh in on.
Can you tell us about the policies you’re focused on right now?
BT: There are so many things happening at the federal, state and local level, it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. At the federal level, we’re working hard to get the National Flood Insurance Plan reauthorized before it’s set to expire in February. We’re also working with our trade associations on new policies impacting franchises including the Federal Trade Commission’s work on updating the rules that govern franchising operations. We’re also tracking the Department of Labor’s pending rule on independent contractors and a number of tax and financial institution policies that are ready to go into effect. So that is just a sampling of some of the things we’re working on. We’re definitely staying busy!
CM: My sweet spot right now is definitely on MLS policy. There is a lot going on and I am focused on ensuring that policies reflect our agent’s ability to better accommodate consumer choice and transparency. As agents know, every client has different needs and requests and expectations, and we want to advocate for policies that fortify agent’s abilities to best assist their clients.
How do our partnerships with industry organizations impact our consumers?
CM: It is important to us to not only have a seat at the table when it comes to other industry organizations but to also have an active voice. We know how hard our agents work to help and support their clients, and having relationships with other folks in the industry helps us to not only consistently convey that message but to also be sought after for our leadership on the topic.
What matters most to agents and brokers today from a Government Relations perspective?
BT: At the end of the day, agents and brokers want to be able to serve their clients and do business without distractions. So, one of our top priorities is championing policies that make life easier for our agents and brokers and makes buying and selling properties easier for clients. One example is our work on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reauthorized. If that program lapses, it will be significantly harder to do business in flood prone regions. This is especially important to our agents in places like Florida. Just this year I’ve met with over 100 Congressional offices and in almost every meeting I press them for a long term reauthorization of the program and to work in a bipartisan fashion to make targeted, needed updates to NFIP. This is just one example of a policy that will have a significant impact on our industry and why it’s so important that we have a seat at the table in Washington DC.
What matters most to agents and brokers today from an Industry Relations perspective?
CM: There is so much going on in the industry right now, you can get whiplash trying to keep up with all of the news articles and headlines. Even with so many things happening, I find there is still a constant theme with what matters most to agents and brokers, and that’s having support and advocacy where it counts to promote the immense value in what they do. When policies or initiatives come up, we are looking at how this impacts the agent’s day to day and how they service their clients. I say it all the time, but nobody can speak to the agent/consumer relationship quite like we can, and it makes my job easier to promote something I so strongly believe in.
How can an agent affiliated with one of our Anywhere brands get involved?
BT: Hearing from our agents is so incredibly important for our work. The agents are the real experts and know the policies and regulations that impact them the most. So please reach out at any time with questions or suggestions of things that we should be focusing on. You can always reach us at governmentaffairs@anywhere.re.
CM: We love to hear from folks out in the field! I encourage anyone who wants to get involved or who has questions to reach out to industry@anywhere.re.
