Ballot heavy with real estate agents

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Local real estate agents are eyeing prime office space in Olympia and Washington D.C., but they’ll need your vote to seal the deal.

Voters in the 23rd Legislative District will see four real estate agents on their ballots Nov. 2.

They’re running for governor, for the U.S. House of Representatives and the state Legislature on platforms focused on property rights, lower taxes and business freedoms.

People who make it their business brokering property transactions are increasingly running for public office. This is no more evident than in Kitsap County, which has the largest concentration of candidates culled from the state real estate industry.

“The realtors association encourages our involvement in government because of what an impact it has on home sales,” said Doug Kitchens, a real estate agent and Republican candidate facing Phil Rockefeller for the district’s state Senate seat. “It’s something that’s evolved over the last five to seven years.”

Along with Kitchens, agents on the local ballot include Republican Frank Mahaffay, facing Democrat Sherry Appleton in the race for the district’s position 1 House seat, and Republican Randy Eastwood, challenging Congressman Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island.

Former real estate agent Dino Rossi is also on the ballot as the Republican gubernatorial candidate, and has received the Washington Association of Realtors’ enthusiastic endorsement.

“This election year, it’s more important than ever that realtors or friends of the real estate industry are elected to state positions in order to greatly impact legislative outcomes,” stated a memo displayed on, but recently removed from, the WAR website.

“We have a better understanding of how regulations impact bottom lines,” said Mahaffay, who also serves as president of the Kitsap County Association of Realtors.

Mahaffay has made “restoring a vibrant business climate” a top priority in his campaign, pledging to “work tirelessly making necessary changes to current regulations to streamline bureaucratic agencies.”

Kitsap County Republican Party chairwoman Shirley Brown praises Mahaffay and other local agents’ as ideal candidates for her party and its values.

“They deal at a local level with land use, home ownership issues and property rights – the cornerstone of Western civilization,” she said.

With their names and faces adorning “For Sale” signs around the county, Brown also counts agents’ public image as an edge in races.

“Realtors running is a no-brainer,” she said. “It’s one of the few businesses where one can get name recognition before they run.”

Agents are also natural politicians, said Amy Showalter, a lobbying consultant who has worked for the National Association of Realtors.

“Their sales and people skills are a natural fit for politics,” she said. “Realtors are different than doctors or engineers or corporate executives. They are not shy or reticent to share their point of view.”

Besides thousands of dollars pouring into their campaign coffers from fellow real estate professionals and organizations, candidates can count on a broad range of support from trade associations.

“With their long list of client contacts and networking ability, realtors can exponentially affect the outcome of an election,” the WAR memo stated. “Our many members can doorbell, wave signs and participate in Get-Out-the-Vote campaigns.”

The WAR has also developed a guide to help agents entering the political arena, including advice on obtaining funding, grassroots mobilization activities and templates for issue advocacy advertisements.

“From the national to the state to the local realtor associations, political involvement is ingrained in their organizational structure,” Showalter said. “It’s sanctioned, expected and rewarded.”

But Mike Eliason, KCAR government affairs director, rejects the notion that real estate associations are hand-picking agents to run for office.

“We do not recruit candidates to run for specific seats,” he said.

“They might be encouraged by members, but they’re not officially or unofficially asked to run.”

Eliason stressed that his association values participation in a variety of community activities, including serving on boards or picking up litter.

“We encourage our members to get involved in their community, including running for office,” he said.

Eliason calls politically active real estate agents “a growing trend” but said associations are doing nothing different from what teachers or labor unions have done for years.

“We’re not any different than other groups,” he said. “We’re a trade organization protecting our interests.”

Eliason also points to CKAR’s endorsement of both Rockefeller and Kitchens to illustrate the association’s support for candidates in both major parties.

While most real estate agents running for office are endorsed by local and national real estate associations, there are exceptions, as County Commissioner Chris Endresen points out.

Endresen, a Democrat and former real estate agent, has never enjoyed the KCAR’s support in past races or in her current reelection bid against Republican Scott Henden, who was endorsed by the KCAR.

“The association is looking for someone who agrees with every single thing they want, and not to think for themselves,” Endresen said, adding that her values have never been in alignment with the association.

“I’m too moderate for them,” she said. “I support land use planning, growth paying for growth and protecting the environment. They’re more interested in making a dollar now.”

While Eliason and Mahaffay weren’t sure why the district has high concentration of agents on the ballot, Endresen hypothesized that increasing growth management has spurred action in the industry.

“We’ve reached critical mass,” she said “We can’t afford the infrastructure without planning for growth.”

Endresen said some agents running for office are a throwback to old attitudes in the county accustomed to buying and developing land with little concern for the future.

Tom Kilbane, chair of the 23rd Legislative District Democrats, said few agents seek his party’s nomination because many enter politics to reform regulations that hinder their trade.

“Realtors’ bread and butter is development,” he said. “It’s in their interest to get elected to position to push for development.”

But there’s more to public office than single-issue agendas, Kilbane said.

“People with an ax to grind don’t make good office holders,” he said.

Eliason disagrees, saying that agents are drawn to politics by a passion for their communities and have a wide range of concerns.

“More than any other group, they are in-touch with their communities,” he said. “It’s not true Realtors are just trying to make money. They want their communities to thrive and have jobs. They want soldiers coming back to find affordable housing.”

Eliason hopes to see more real estate agents elected Nov. 2, but cautions he doesn’t want to see a complete takeover.

“We’ll have a better legislature with more Realtors,” he said. “It’s not good to have all be Realtors, but it helps to have a few. We’ll be much better off.”