Quality of Life Overview

REALTORS® are taking the lead in developing policy proposals that reflect our Quality of Life Principles, and are offering a number of recommendations for preserving our environment for our children, ensuring economic vitality, providing housing opportunities, and building better communities with good schools and safe neighborhoods.

LAND USE RESTRICTIONS THREATEN
REALTORS® ABILITY TO SELL PROPERTY

The interests of REALTOR® clients to buy property is influenced by their ability to use and enjoy that property, in addition to the quality of the surrounding neighborhood and community. Those interested in purchasing property are looking for a quality home or business in a safe neighborhood, with good schools, efficient transportation options that provide access to jobs and services, with parks and recreational opportunities nearby. Growth management and land use controls determine property owners' ability to use their property, and therefore, the marketability of their property. As land use controls (such as zoning codes and development regulations) become more restrictive, property owners lose their ability to use - and sell -their property.

Land use controls are based on the planning goals and policies established in each community's comprehensive plan. By getting involved in the process and influencing these goals and policies, REALTORS® can help determine the zoning and development regulations for which the use of property will be based - and hence, the property owners' ability to use and market their land. Further, REALTORS® have the opportunity to affect the quality of life, and ultimately, the marketability of real estate in each community.

PRO-ACTIVE CAMPAIGN ADDRESSING
QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES

Recognizing the need to sustain and enhance the quality of life enjoyed by Washington's citizens, the Washington Association of REALTORS® has launched the "Quality of Life" program to promote quality commercial and residential growth and encourage economic development throughout the state. This initiative provides guidance on dealing with growth issues for local associations and advocates.

REALTORS® ADOPT "QUALITY OF LIFE" PRINCIPLES
TO GUIDE PLANNING DECISIONS

Recognizing the need to sustain and enhance the quality of life enjoyed by Washington's citizens, REALTORS® have adopted a series of "Quality of Life" principles. Our goal is to build better communities by supporting quality growth that seeks sustainable economies and housing opportunities that embrace cherished environmental qualities, while protecting property owners' ability to own, use and transfer their property.

BLUE-PRINT FOR ACTION

To implement this program, we compiled a Scope-of-Work including proposed tasks, timelines, and budget estimates. The broad support we've received underscores the REALTORS® understanding of the need to address Quality of Life issues, and frame these issues to resonate with policy makers and the public in order to adopt appropriate policies.

REALTORS® RALLY AROUND CANDIDATES
PLEDGING SUPPORT FOR QUALITY OF LIFE

REALTORS®® developed the Quality of Life Pledge to tie our legislative and political agendas together by urging REALTOR endorsed candidates to sign our pledge to support sustainable residential and commercial growth. W.A.R. provided assistance to more than 60 REALTOR-endorsed candidates who joined our legislative coalition by signing the pledge with mailings and promotional materials promoting the candidate's commitment to Quality of Life issues such as protecting property rights, ensuring economic vitality, providing housing opportunities, protecting our environment, and building better communities. The mailings were followed by newspaper advertisements, phone contacts, press releases and opinion-editorials to drive home our Quality of Life issues. REALTORS® contacted nearly one million voters with our Quality of Life message through independent expenditures and issue advocacy. Our efforts paid off with the election of more than 85% of our endorsed candidates - including 75% success rate in swing districts and 100% in targeted districts.

POLITICAL SUCCESS TRANSLATES INTO LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT

We have done an excellent job of raising awareness of Quality of Life issues through the testimony of several REALTORS® during committee hearings in the House and Senate -- as well as the strong voice of REALTORS® at home, actively contacting their legislators. We are having a tremendous impact on the legislative process, as was seen when REALTORS® introduced our Economic Vitality/Housing Legislation. Co-sponsors of the REALTOR® legislation include 66 members in the House, and 43 members in the Senate, indicating broad, bi-partisan support for our common-sense approach to ensuring that communities plan for economic vitality and housing. This unprecedented support from legislators is credited to the REALTORS® Quality of Life Pledge, raising candidates' awareness of our priority legislative issues, and from strong grassroots involvement from our members contacting their legislators regarding our issues.

RESEARCH PROVIDES INFORMATION
ON COSTS AND BENEFITS OF GROWTH

REALTORS® know the issue isn't growth versus no-growth, but how we should grow in a state where quality of life and environmental integrity are strongly held values. To enhance community wisdom on all aspects of growth management, REALTORS® created an expansive research program on growth management and related issues, case studies, and in-depth analysis of growth management initiatives. This includes an annotated bibliography of more than 250 reports and studies on growth issues, and comprehensive research on the affects of growth management policies, developed by the Washington Center for Real Estate Research. And a series of reports by the Seattle-based Washington Research Council, called "Growth in Perspective," examines issues related to the costs and benefits of economic and population growth. The reports provide communities and policy makers with research, reports, statistics, studies and information about the costs and benefits of growth, land use regulations, growth management and other growth policies. The reports show that, done thoughtfully, growth can result in more prosperity, more opportunity, and more inclination on the part of an increasing number of people to help others and improve our communities.

SURVEY PROVIDES UNDERSTANDING OF
WASHINGTONIANS' OPINIONS ON GROWTH

To more accurately understand how public perception aligns with REALTOR® interest on accommodating growth, housing and economic development, REALTORS® completed a survey of 800 statewide voters. The polling firm, Public Opinion Strategies, conducted a 100-question telephone survey to determine Washingtonians' attitudes about growth, development, consumer preferences, growth controls and related concerns. The survey re-affirms that our Quality of Life campaign is focused on the concerns of the residents of our state. REALTORS® share the public's desire to sustain and enhance the quality of life enjoyed by citizens by supporting quality growth and seeking sustainable economies and housing opportunities that embrace the environmental qualities we cherish.

FOCUS GROUPS HELP DEFINE
BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF GROWTH

Focus groups of Washington citizens gathered in Bellevue last July to discuss the benefits and challenges of growth, including traffic congestion, lack of affordable housing, and endangered species. They found that proper planning to accommodate inevitable growth in Washington State is necessary to enhance and preserve our quality of life. Participants identified traffic as a major concern. Restricted growth was cited for driving up housing costs. The positive aspects of growth include: more services; better restaurants; strong economy; job opportunities; technology; great cultural events; and the environment. The general consensus was that it is pertinent to our quality of life to plan for growth to sufficiently accommodate it in the future.

QUALITY OF LIFE TOOLS NOW AVAILABLE
TO HELP BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIES

We are developing the tools, resources and information to help REALTOR® members be effective advocates of building better communities and affecting public policy that promotes quality residential, commercial and industrial growth at the local level.

· Research and information about the costs and benefits of growth;
· Surveys and focus groups about public opinion on growth issues;
· Principles, model policies, best practices and analyses of proposed legislation;
· Education, training and workshops to learn how to build better communities that promote our Quality of Life!