The Realtors’ big bet on the ‘Year of Housing’

Plus Walsh ascends to GOP chair

Editor’s Note: This is part of our occasional series looking back at the winners and losers of this year’s session of the Washington Legislature.

Winning the high-stakes poker games that play out in the Legislature often boils down to taking advantage of a good run of cards. The Washington Association of Realtors made the most of a favorable table this year.

For years, local governments have held a winning hand whenever housing reforms of any stripe percolate in Olympia. Think middle housing, land use laws, etc. Local governments are often heavily influenced by homeowners in their communities, and lawmakers are frequently sympathetic ex-local government officials. Time and again in years past, the Realtors surrendered most of their chips to the Association of Washington Cities, the powerful local-government lobbying group. That all changed this past session between a variety of new players at the table in the form of new lawmakers hot for middle housing and a wealth of ad dollars devoted to the promise of a dream home for every Washingtonian.

Realtors make their money on transactions of real estate. The more supply, the more transactions. (Image by Shutterstock)