Few nonprofits in the North Texas area are doing as much for regional development and economic growth as Dallas-based The Real Estate Council.
The organization was listed as one of The Dallas Express’ most influential community organizations of 2023 for its tenacity in promoting the metroplex and following public policy issues affecting the Texas real estate industry.
Comprising more than 2,000 members and 625 companies, The Real Estate Council (TREC) claims to be the biggest and most influential organization of its kind in Texas.
“[TREC’s] members spark community transformation, influence policy, and propel careers in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond,” reads the organization’s website. “Only TREC provides the road map for success and the platform to Build the City You’ve Imagined.”
It is currently conducting its “Next Generation Campaign,” which aims to raise $30 million to help revitalize neighborhoods and aid small businesses through commercial business loans. Donations to the campaign are meant to assist with developing new mixed-income housing, providing job training, rehabilitating existing housing, and building local civic leadership.
“Funding through this campaign also gives small developers and nonprofits access to the capital they need to make a big impact in very deserving neighborhoods,” the campaign’s website states. ”When they borrow from the TREC Community Investors Loan Fund, these vital participants can pursue projects benefiting low- and moderate-income families with the powerhouse backing of professional and technical assistance from TREC members.”
The group formed a political action committee (PAC) to support policies and candidates consistent with its mission. Most recently, in Dallas, the organization’s PAC endorsed Mayor Eric Johnson and incumbent City Council Members Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) and Paula Blackmon (District 9), among others. The PAC’s picks for the open seats in Districts 3 and 10 also won their races in May.
TREC has also engaged in efforts to protect private property rights in Texas, most recently in the case of Fairfield Lake State Park. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is currently attempting to seize the park from Todd Interests, a firm that had purchased the land, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
In June, TREC issued a letter to TPWD urging it to rescind its directive for eminent domain and instead dedicate its resources to drafting a policy to make clear what powers the TPWD Commission will have going forward.
“We do not want to see our Texas State Parks, which we, along with millions of our fellow Texans, cherish and support, begin a second century of existence under a cloud that has wrongly infringed on one of our state’s longest-held and most treasured principles, the protection of private property rights,” TREC wrote in the letter.