FEATURE STORY

The Real Estate community represents a powerful force in Southern Nevada politics. With more than 15,000 REALTORS®, plus thousands of professionals in adjacent industries, candidates at every level are listening to the concerns and issues of Real Estate professionals.

The issues that affect our profession are varied and complex, according to Kipp Cooper, Director of Government Affairs for the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® (GLVAR). Kipp is also responsible for Southern Nevada’s Board of REALTORS® Political Action Committee (BORPAC). The committee supports candidates with positive views on private property rights, entrepreneurial rights, and quality of life issues.

BORPAC is the largest local Real Estate political action committee in the country. Even in the softened market of 2008, the committee has managed to raise more than $500,000—money that will help ensure the survival and continued success of the Real Estate profession in Southern Nevada.

Kipp says that donations to BORPAC are the “cleanest money out there” because they consist of thousands of small donations from people with a common interest. Rather than slavishly backing a certain political party or being swayed by hot-button topics, BORPAC sticks to the issues that drive every Real Estate professional’s bottom line and protect its clients.

One of the primary issues at stake in 2008 is property taxes. As governments and municipalities feel the tightening of their purse strings, they often tap Real Estate as a source of additional revenue. BORPAC supports candidates who understand that excessive property taxes hinder growth.

In order for developers to continue creating growth in Southern Nevada, they must have the incentive of market-price rent. BORPAC therefore supports candidates who favor market rent prices rather than government-imposed rent controls. Moreover, the committee works to strengthen the landowners’ protections against eminent domain abuses.

Entrepreneurial issues, including reasonable business licensure laws, are also important in 2008. Moreover, BORPAC favors candidates who support curbside open house signs in neighborhoods.

Real Estate prospers when the community is a quality place to live. BORPAC therefore supports quality-of-life issues such as economic vitality, clean air, responsible water laws, crime prevention, and growth-oriented zoning and planning ordinances.

Thanks to the hard work of the GLVAR leadership and BORPAC, the committee now supports candidates in a growing list of races. BORPAC has extended the influence of Real Estate professionals to school board and judicial races in addition to city and county races.

Deciding which candidates to support is an involved process. In each election cycle, BORPAC sends a questionnaire to every candidate in selected races. If a candidate completes and returns the questionnaire, then the committee arranges to interview the candidate. The entire Board evaluates the candidate based on the questionnaire, the interview, and the candidate’s ability to win.

Based on the Board’s criteria, candidates are chosen for support. Selected candidates are included in the committee’s voter guide, which is freely available to more than 20,000 professionals in Real Estate and related industries. Also, candidates may appear in Greater Living, a consumer-focused Real Estate publication that is distributed to more than 200,000 households in Southern Nevada. The committee has even established a call center from which it can make telephone calls on behalf of candidates’ campaigns. The calls are based on information from a data mine that lists all Nevada voters that have participated in past elections.

BORPAC also provides financial support to certain candidates. For instance, the committee proudly helped Susan M. Holecheck to defeat an entrenched mayoral incumbent in Mesquite.

Kipp understands the nuances of politics very well. At the tender age of 23 he defeated an incumbent to become the youngest member of the New Hampshire legislature. Within a year, he took his place among the House leadership, serving as Majority Whip of the powerful Executive Departments and Administration Committee.

During his service at the capitol, Kipp fought for property rights in the legislature. He says, “I went into Real Estate because REALTORS® believe in private property rights and the American dream of homeownership. They’re people I can sleep well at night fighting for.”

After four years in the legislature he decided to serve closer to home. He won a seat on the city council of Concord, New Hampshire. While there, he focused heavily on property and entrepreneurial issues. He acquired funds to help redevelop the city, streamlined the process of acquiring building permits, and helped create a new era of cooperation between City Hall and small businesses.

In 2003 Kipp took a trip that would change his life forever. The National Association of REALTORS® held their annual Government Affairs Directors Conference in Las Vegas. Like so many who visit Las Vegas, he fell in love with the city. Kipp met Irene Vogel and found a diverse group of innovative thinkers among the GLVAR leadership. He decided to relocate.

Now, as GLVAR’s Director of Government Affairs, Kipp serves as chief lobbyist for the association. In this capacity, he has developed the REALTOR® Quality of Life program, which follows a comprehensive approach to research, policy, and public relations on issues that affect Real Estate.

Because so many issues affect our industry, it is critical that every Real Estate professional be politically active. Fortunately, more and more REALTORS® are heeding the call. According to Kipp, in 2003 less than 50 percent of Real Estate professionals were registered to vote. In 2008 that number has jumped significantly and continues to climb. Kipp says, “There isn’t a single race in Southern Nevada we can’t impact if we all get out and vote.”

Political action extends beyond the voting booth. Kipp has therefore spearheaded workshops such as “Campaign School 101,” “Campaign Volunteer Organization,” “Lobbying 101,” and “Politics, Polling and Propaganda.”

Every day, governments ranging from the local school board to the Nevada Assembly make decisions that directly affect our businesses. Politically active REALTORS® can influence the government at all levels improving the quality of life for our clients, families and friends.

For more information on Kipp, BORPAC, and the 2008 voter’s guide to Nevada candidates, visit www.lasvegasrealtor.com/site/political.asp?type=elections or call Kipp at (702) 218-0599.

Photography by: Elisabeth Libby