Realtors® Advocate for Three Bills at Pa. Capitol

Yesterday, 275 Pennsylvania Realtors® attended over 100 meetings with legislators at the Capitol in Harrisburg during PAR’s annual PA Realtor® Day on the Hill. They advocated for three key bills related to homeownership and real estate in the commonwealth.  

“Day on the Hill is one of my favorite PAR traditions,” said PAR President David Dean. “It’s a great opportunity for Realtors® across Pennsylvania to come together and make our Realtor® voices heard by advocating for legislation that will further homeownership and our real estate industry. The bills we took to the hill this year help ensure professionalism for all real estate practitioners and promote fairness and opportunity in housing. As always, it was amazing to see my fellow Realtors® taking time out of their busy days to engage with lawmakers and help shape the future of housing and real estate.” 

“I was excited to learn we had a record number of Pennsylvania Realtors® from across the commonwealth attend Day on the Hill this year,” added Mark Kibbe, chair of the Legislative Committee. “While PAR’s advocacy team is second to none, there is tremendous value in bringing Realtors® to Harrisburg to meet with their individual legislators to share real-life experiences and challenges facing Realtors® and Pennsylvania property owners.” 

“The expertise that Realtors® bring to the table is critical to ensuring our state legislators make informed decisions on legislation, addressing a myriad of ever-evolving property issues. Legislative proposals discussed during this year’s meetings focused on issues as diverse as the licensing of real estate schools, sealing of tenant eviction records and licensure of home inspectors.” 

“The success of this year’s PA Realtor® Day on the Hill already has us looking forward to next year’s event!” Kibbe said. 

The three bills that Realtors® took to the Hill yesterday included: 

SB 838 – Private Licensed School Act Amendment 

Senate Bill 838 clarifies that real estate and appraiser education providers are not “private licensed schools.” Instead, they continue to be regulated by their professional licensing boards – the State Real Estate Commission and Appraiser Board. 

This bill aligns the law with current practice, cuts duplicative regulation and maintains consumer protections. 

HB 1095 – Sealing of Eviction Records 

House Bill 1095 limits public access to certain eviction records in specific situations, such as when a tenant is not at fault or after seven years. Courts would manage the process, helping prevent old or withdrawn filings from permanently blocking someone’s access to housing. Criminal background checks would still be allowed. 

HB 1095 promotes fairness while preserving accountability, supports housing stability and workforce mobility and brings the law in line with bankruptcies and mortgage defaults. 

SB 907 – Licensure of Home Inspectors 

This bill creates clear, statewide licensing standards for home inspectors in Pennsylvania. It establishes education and training requirements, continuing education, insurance coverage and consumer protections – all overseen by the State Real Estate Commission.  

SB 907 protects homebuyers, creates consistent statewide rules and supports workforce entry and growth.