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As Election Day approaches, attention turns to Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Polls remain tight, making it unclear who Americans will ultimately favor. Inman investigated whether one candidate or another was gaining support from real estate professionals, given the industry's conventional right-leaning reputation.
To find answers, Inman analyzed data from the U.S. Federal Election Commission website, focusing on donations from individuals listing "Realtor" as their occupation. The initial date range covered all of 2023 and 2024, but this resulted in hundreds of thousands of entries. A revised date range starting March 15, coinciding with the National Association of Realtors' commission lawsuit settlement, narrowed the focus.
Comparing data from mid-March to mid-October 2020 to the same period in 2024 reveals surprising results. Big Democratic organizations and campaigns have out-earned their Republican equivalents, a reversal from the last election cycle. ActBlue, a PAC focusing on smaller donors, was the biggest winner, collecting $2,498,241 from about 20,000 Realtors.
Other top Democratic recipients include Vice President Kamala Harris' official campaign ($860,683), and various congressional and local campaigns. Republicans took eight of the top 20 spots, with WinRed leading at $751,241. Donald Trump's campaign came in fourth place, raising $616,739.
The data suggests a more divided real estate industry than commonly understood, with Democrats having a fundraising edge among individual Realtors. In total, Realtors have donated $7,863,825 to various campaigns and PACs since mid-March. The results are mixed compared to 2020, when Republicans took the lead in campaign contributions.
The lower campaign contribution numbers from Realtors in 2024 could be due to fewer Realtors in general or less disposable income among those remaining. Alternatively, more money may be flowing into politics via other avenues, or some people in real estate might simply be less enthusiastic about this election compared to four years ago.
