Maine Association of Realtors urges US lawmakers to advocate for housing

Members of the Maine Association of Realtors in Washington, D.C.

PHOTO COURTESY / MAINE ASSOC. OF REALTORS Members of the Maine Association of Realtors met with U.S. Sen. Angus King in Washington, D.C.

Write a Comment

By Tina Fischer

A group of 35 Maine Realtors met with congressional leaders in Washington. D.C., to urge lawmakers to do more to increase housing supply and improve access to home ownership.

The Maine Association of Realtors, including staff and members, urged lawmakers to advocate for legislation to increase housing supply, protect and expand tax provisions for property ownership and small business and create a national strategy for new housing development.

The trade group met with U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District, and staff for Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District.

Realtors shared data on Maine’s residential and commercial real estate markets, the economic impact that real estate has on a national level and stressed the importance of property ownership in building safe, resilient communities.

“Homeownership builds generational wealth and provides opportunities for our children and their children to have a safe place to call home," said Jeff Harris, president of the Maine Association of Realtors. "Maine’s congressional delegation was receptive to our ideas and appreciate that realtors are hard-working small business owners who make the American dream of homeownership possible across our beautiful state.”

The real estate industry represented 20.5% of Maine’s gross state product in 2024.

But the shortage of housing hamstrings economic development. An estimated 84,000 additional housing units are needed to meet demand in Maine.

The Maine Association of Realtors, established in 1936, has more than 6,500 members. In addition to brokers, members include lenders, closing agents, title agents, appraisers, building inspectors and surveyors. The state association is chartered by the National Association of Realtors, which is the largest trade association in the country.