WRA Regional Summit Recap

Approximately 15 LARA Members attended the WRA Summit held at Veterans Terrace in Burlington on October 27, 2026.

CEO Denise Schultz was there and shares these notes:

The morning opened with “A Conversation with Congressman Bryan Steil” and Tom Larson, WRA President and CEO. The two discussed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644), signed into law in July 2026. “This package incorporates the Accelerating Home Building Act alongside other measures designed to reduce government regulations, streamline lending and building, and expand the overall housing supply.”

Next up was Saani Rawat, Ph.D., Marquette University with Market Insights: Trends Shaping Real Estate. He informed us that economists agree that the two largest impacts on affordable housing in Wisconsin are regulatory burdens and lack of supply. He cited “there is no academic consensus yet on the impact of the Road to Housing Act.” In regard to interest rates, he believes “Wisconsin has demonstrated resilience and remains on a solid economic foundation.” His advice: “Buy the house, take the rate, but only if the payment works today.”

Third to the stage was a panel discussing “Expanding Housing Opportunities: Local Solutions That Work” featuring 2026 LARA President Tim Vandeville, Jr., Legacy Realty Group, Robin Palm from the Village of Mount Pleasant and Jason Peters from the Kenosha Area Business Alliance, with LARA Past President Chris DeVincentis as the moderator. When asked about potential solutions to housing challenges, Tim Vandeville, Jr. shared that he believes creativity, flexibility, and open communication are the keys for developers and municipalities to work together on solutions. He believes he has proven that in his own recent development. All three panelists agreed on the importance of attending local planning meetings. Jason Peters urged audience members to be at local planning and zoning meetings saying, “ADVOCATE. Be the voice for those not in the room. (Because most of the people in these rooms normally already own homes and are saying no to more homes.)”  Robin Palm urged REALTORS to “Plant as much as you harvest. Help GROW housing.” We appreciate our volunteer leaders’ involvement in this discussion.

Becca McLagan (a REALTOR® with Jason Gerhard and Associates) provided a very informative presentation on Social Media and AI with personal examples of how she uses it daily, and what she’s learned. “I used to think every post had to be perfect. Now I want them to be authentic” was a key message. She explained that today, 60% of searches do not result in a click through. Most consumers rely on the original AI result which means “Frame content as answers to questions people are asking. Write questions and write the answers. That is your content. This is what AI finds.” She stressed the importance of Google Business Profiles, reminding REALTORS® to keep the profile active, current, and respond to all reviews. Her tips: 1) BE LOCAL. Establish your local expertise. 2) Frame all content as answers to questions. 3) Be HUMAN. Keep it authentic. I was grateful that she reminded the audience about the importance of applying all license laws and Code of Ethics advertising rules to social media.

Last, but certainly not least, was Jennifer Lindsley, Sr. Director of Legal Services, WRA with “Preparing for the 2027 Practice Changes: 2025 Act 69.” The goals of Act 69 are to protect consumers, limit liability and provide a level playing field for all licensees. All Wisconsin REALTORS® should be aware of the changes taking effect 1/1/2027. The changes provide consistent and uniform information to all sellers. “All the conversations about money are now on one page of the listing contract, which we’ve been told provides ease and transparency for consumers.” Jennifer explained the details in depth and has provided videos online that do the same.
LEARN MORE HERE: https://www.wra.org/tools-resources/resource-library/practice-changes/

“No Time Like October” was the week’s tagline for many, as the Milwaukee Brewers made history with their World Series win. There’s no time like NOW to be a well-informed Wisconsin REALTOR®. We hope you find this information helpful as we strive to provide valuable resources to our Lakes Area REALTORS®.