 When most people think of REALTORS®, the first thought that comes to mind is a person who helps you buy and sell properties. But real estate is tied closely to so many other aspects of our lives than just the buildings where we live and work. And Texas REALTORS® get involved.
The REALTOR® Code of Ethics says as much, beginning with this grand statement: Under all is the land. Taken out of context, this sentence sounds wide-ranging to the point of meaninglessness. But take a minute to consider those five words. They are true, and they make the point that real estate is integral to so many things.
Think about some of the most important concerns facing Texans today and you’re likely to find a real estate component. Consider, for example, transportation issues. The highways, railways, and utility rights-of-way that get built (or not) for the Trans-Texas Corridor will influence property values, future residential and business development, and eminent-domain acquisitions. Smaller-scale projects, like where new subdivisions pop up, affect traffic patterns, toll-road decisions, and school enrollments.
Energy matters often get intertwined with real estate, as well. Just ask the people in the Barnett Shale area around Fort Worth, where drilling for natural gas has created questions and concerns about the location of rigs and pipeline rights-of-way.
How about water? Any future legislation about the rights of landowners to capture the water on or under their property will certainly have a bearing on property values and uses for many homeowners and businesses.
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Knowing the large scope of topics that relate to real estate, Texas REALTORS® study the issues and get involved in shaping public policy. In fact, Texas REALTORS® take time away from their businesses to sit on committees and task forces that consider these important subjects.
The people comprising these committees and task forces spend time to research the issues, ask experts in various fields to share their opinions, hold town-hall meetings to gather input, and come up with recommendations that they feel will benefit Texas property owners and communities. These recommendations often form the basis for the legislative positions Texas REALTORS® fight for at the Capitol.
Texas REALTORS® take this role seriously, as the authors of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics instructed in the document they wrote in 1913. Here is the continuation of the beginning of the Code of Ethics, picking up after that first sentence (Under all is the land): Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. REALTORS® should recognize that the interests of the nation and its citizens require the highest and best use of the land and the widest distribution of land ownership.
Yes, Texas REALTORS® represent buyers and sellers in real estate transactions. But, for many, they take on responsibilities that have far-reaching outcomes beyond real estate, too.
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