Earlier this year, during the brouhaha over NAR’s dues increase, we spent time looking at the long-term value of political advocacy. We sought to share stories about policy victories that had a direct impact on the bottom line for REALTORS® and real estate consumers.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed

A great example of that comes from Atlanta this week, where Mayor Kasim Reed is about to sign the final piece of a package of reforms to the building-permit process.

The ordinances include:

• Consolidating permitting functions within Atlanta’s Office of Buildings.
• Laying the groundwork for a fast-track process for interior tenant buildouts of up to 3,000 square feet, with higher thresholds to follow as more permit technicians are trained and certified.
• Providing financial incentives for employees to become certified as permit technicians or combination inspectors.
• Ensuring that permit fees will be used for improvements within the Office of Buildings rather than siphoned into the city’s general fund.

For Reed, the reforms fulfill a campaign pledge he made to streamline the permit process. The legislation also represents a long-sought victory for the association, which in 2009 supported Reed in a runoff election against a decidedly anti–real estate candidate, according to Robert Broome, governmental affairs director for the Atlanta Board of REALTORS® and the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS®.

John Ferguson, 2011 president, Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS®

“Reforming the building permit process in Atlanta is an important step toward making our city a more attractive location for companies wanting to expand or relocate their business here,” says John Ferguson, 2011 president of the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS® and executive managing director for the Southeast region of CB Richard Ellis Inc.

“We are proud to support this effort, ” Ferguson says, “because we know that it will mean better customer service and a reduction in costly delays for our clients on all sides of the transaction.”

Stacey Moncrieff

In March 2013, Stacey was named vice president of business-to-business communications for the National Association of REALTORS®. She has been with the NAR for more 20 years, starting as an associate editor with Real Estate Today magazine, where she covered sales and finance topics. In addition to overseeing REALTOR® Magazine and the quarterly REALTOR® Association Executive magazine, she manages a variety of e-communications for REALTORS® and REALTOR® association executives.

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