Utah Realtors Association a powerful lobby group

(Deseret News) Even in these tough times in the housing market, the Utah Association of Realtors is still one of the most powerful financial political organizations on Capitol Hill.

New political-action-committee reports show that the group came away from the 2008 elections with $1 million in cash; has raised $261,000 already this year; spent $222,000 (mostly giving to its national PAC and to local Realtor associations) and has given legislators and Gov. Gary Herbert — none of whom will be running in elections this year — more than $56,000.

In the 2008 elections, the PAC gave legislative candidates, political parties and other PACs nearly $200,000, an analysis by the Deseret News shows. Most 2008 donations to lawmakers came in $1,000 to $3,000 checks, reports show.

Not bad for a group of salespeople who make their money off of real estate commissions — commissions that have been hurting over the last 12 months.

Chris Kyler, chief executive officer of the association, told the Deseret News several years ago that he wanted to build the best and biggest PAC in Utah.

Clearly, he's done so.

Current association president Chris Sloan, who runs a small real estate firm in Tooele, said Tuesday that the group's main political goal "is the protection and promotion of private-property rights."

Original Article