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Why should you join your local home builder association and what exactly do you get out of the membership? The National Association of Home Builders, as well as the many local associations, are actively involved on many fronts to make sure that housing remains the priority in the public policy arena. On today’s All About Real Estate episode, Corey Deal, Executive Officer of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, joins the show to discuss the many ways members make a difference in the Atlanta housing industry and to also give a preview of what the Greater Atlanta HBA will be up to in 2019.
In 2017, Deal joined the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (GAHBA) as the organization’s new Executive Officer. Before coming to GAHBA, Deal served as Executive Director of the Northeast Florida Builders Association in Jacksonville, where he managed operations since 2013. He also worked there as Director of Government Affairs from 2006 to 2009. During his tenure as Executive Director, the Northeast Florida Builders Association increased its membership by 23 percent and won the 2015 NAHB Membership Cup Award. When he began his role at GAHBA, the membership number was roughly 970, today it is 1,050.
The Greater Atlanta HBA was established in 1945 and is currently the tenth largest home builders association in the United States, serving nine counties and continuing to grow its membership as home builders continue to recover from the recession. As many Atlantans familiar with the home building industry know, the Greater Atlanta HBA serves its members through networking opportunities, educational opportunities and especially opportunities for advocacy. “We focus on our members and advocate for them and the residual impact is for the home buyer,” Deal states. To improve advocacy, education and networking opportunities overall, the HBA brought back the chapter system and focused heavily on new retention plans and bringing more members in.
Deal says one of the main issues the HBA faced in 2018 was residential design standards. In short, people were not always making an informed decision and it was the HBA’s job to work closely with local and state legislation to help inform them. In 2018, Deal states that the HBA has maximized their resources and stabilized their organization and 2019 will be about refining all of the efforts that go into making the HBA a success. “In 2019, we hope to refine the parade of homes, make it go from paper to digital, refine the OBIES; just making everything we do better,” Deal states.
Another goal for 2019 is continuing to giving Atlanta home builders more influence to advocate for policies that will positively influence their work. To accomplish this, the Greater Atlanta HBA is improving its governmental affairs program through the county chapter system in order to help members be more locally proactive when it comes to governmental policies affecting land development, building rules and more.
To learn more about the GAHBA, their educational programs and more, tune into the podcast with the link above and visit www.AtlantaHomeBuilders.com.
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A special thank you to Jackson EMC for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Jackson EMC offers homebuyers peace of mind and lower bills with its certified Right Choice™ new home program. These homes are built to be energy efficient and sustainable with improved indoor air quality, convenience and comfort. For more information on Right Choice new homes and Jackson EMC, visit https://RightChoice.JacksonEMC.com.
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The Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio “All About Real Estate” segment, presented by Denim Marketing, airs on Fridays and highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it.