2020 NAR President Vince Malta reflects on how the association served people in this year like no other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THROUGH IT ALL: Area wildfires presented the latest challenge for President Vince Malta. Here, on a business call from his home, just outside San Francisco, he shows how the light appeared Sept. 9 at 10 a.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a San Francisco real estate broker, you\u2019ve faced a lot this year. What\u2019s it been like in your city over the past couple of months?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At least when you\u2019re sheltering in place, you can go outside. During the wildfires, when the air quality reached hazardous levels, that wasn\u2019t safe. We can never take anything for granted\u2014not even air. Real estate mostly halted for a few weeks during the fires, but we closed transactions because we had learned from the pandemic. All of these things prepare us for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What have you learned from all of this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Crises\u2014the pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes\u2014magnify the strengths and weaknesses of our business models and policies. The pandemic catapulted products and services that are indispensable. It also spotlighted long-standing issues, like affordability and housing discrimination, that have long needed attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We had to go full bore on many unexpected legislative issues this year. What advocacy and policy achievements are you most proud of?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m proud of how the local, state, and national levels were able to work together to ensure real estate was deemed essential around the U.S., especially in places like Pennsylvania, where it proved difficult. Without this designation, our industry would have struggled far more and the economy would be in worse shape. We were able to keep people safe and keep business moving. I\u2019m very proud of our fair housing work and the efforts of the Fair Housing Policy Committee, which we created before the events of 2020. Our legislative successes, too, like COVID-19 relief for independent contractors and small businesses, are critical to strengthening communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n