The New York Times has published another investigative feature on the National Association of Realtors (NAR), this time focusing on the political donations of its nonprofit affiliate, the American Property Owners Alliance.
Unlike NAR’s political action committee that divides its financial support between Democrats and Republicans, the Times found that the NAR-funded American Property Owners Alliance allocated $12.8 million in grants after its creation in 2020, with nearly $10 million going to “Republican-aligned super PACs and groups with conservative agendas.” However, only one grant recipient — the Republican-aligned Americans for Tax Reform, which received $25,000 — cited housing or property rights issues as part of its goals.
To date, the biggest recipient of funds from the Alliance was One Nation, a nonprofit that received $7 million in grants. The Times identified One Nation as being “aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican. A so-called dark money group, which uses dollars to influence elections, One Nation is a key contributor to the Senate Leadership Fund, the largest super PAC for Senate Republicans.” The article also cited how one nonprofit, the National Black Empowerment Council, received a $40,000 grant that it never sought from the Alliance.
The Times’ article quoted Tony Mancuso, the immediate past president of the Washington DC Association of Realtors, who claimed there was an absence of transparency about the funds’ distribution by American Property Owners Alliance.
The American Property Owners Alliance responded in a statement that it “has acted in a manner consistent with that of a section 501(c) (4) advocacy organization,” referring to the Internal Revenue Service code for social welfare nonprofits. The Alliance added the grants are designed to advance its agenda and the “interest of property owners and their rights.”
While NAR did not offer a response to the Times’ requests for input, it alerted its membership prior to the article’s publication with the warning that the Times was preparing a “false claim that NAR is a partisan organization with a right-leaning agenda.”
Donating to McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund is not donating to right leaning anything. It’s a donation to the corrupt uniparty of Washington. The fact that American Property Owners Alliance even exists is yet another reason we don’t NAR. Defund NAR!
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A Billion percent right . NAR sold independent Realtors out with their roll over and die attitude accepting the out come of the ridiculous law suit regarding commission structure ,. This leads the way for a Zillow Black Rock take over of the industry .Murder of independent Realtors along the way .
I can’t believe they had that much money to donate. Lower the dues instead. What they did was a crime. Did the Realtors have a say in where the money went??? I’ll bet not!!!
Donating money is not a singular experience by one party. Both parties have the same experience if equally investigated.
Dude, the article is about NAR, the Realtors Association, written in a real estate focused newsletter. Political parties are not the point. 🤦
Dude! Political parties ARE the point!
“False claim that NAR is a partisan organization with a right-leaning agenda.” I have parted ways with them too! I think that it is a conspiracy with listing agent(s) and seller(s). The seller can pay up to zero for buyer’s professional representation for the closed transaction. The listing agent(s) is paid from the equity for the closed transaction.
I think if you look at the voting records they support people that support private property rights. I’ve been a realtor for 30 years and I’ve seen them support both sides. The author of this should look at the voting record not what “side” they are on.
I belong RACI. On our yearly dues statement is a “Dues Disclaimer”. In it you can state you don’t want $25.00 (Per member) contributed to the Political Action Committee and instead have it retained for issues of advocacy rather than to support candidates. We have a choice to opt out.
The Times identified One Nation as being “aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican. A so-called dark money group, which uses dollars to influence elections, One Nation is a key contributor to the Senate Leadership Fund, the largest super PAC for Senate Republicans.” McConnell is a living (sort of) example of the need for term limits – but aside from that, here we have yet another reason to eliminate NAR. Besides the corrupt leadership and smoke and mirrors PAC $ contributions, along with the worst settlement in real estate history and a legacy of anti trust mandatory membership, NAR deserves not just to be disbanded but to have its name stricken from the records of history (sort of like the way the Roman Emperors treated each other).
I think NAR has outlived it’s usefulness. They have become a tail wagging the dog. Local and state groups should assess their value and eliminate or drastically cut back the based on actual value.