Donning their signature CENTURY 21 gold jackets in a show of unity and strength, nearly five dozen CENTURY 21 System representatives convened on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with their respective members of Congress and discuss the current challenges and opportunities in their local real estate markets.

The gold-jacketed "Walk on Washington" was coordinated by Century 21 Real Estate LLC as part of its bi-annual CENTURY 21 National Brokers Communication Congress (NBCC) meeting.

Elected NBCC representatives, including CENTURY 21 System brokers from across the country and CENTURY 21 International Headquarters staff members, spoke to their local government lawmakers about real estate issues affecting the specific communities in which they live and work, and also addressed broader topics, including:

• Subprime mortgages
• Increase of conforming loan limits
• Federal flood insurance
• Small business health plans

Meeting with local lawmakers to talk about the current real estate market in the representatives' key districts demonstrates the CENTURY 21 System's commitment to consumers and home buyers and Century 21 Real Estate LLCs to our network of franchisees, said Tom Kunz, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC. The CENTURY 21 System wants key lawmakers to know exactly what its constituents are saying and doing.

The Congressional meetings were a part of the agenda for the NBCC bi-annual gathering. Now in its 28th year, the NBCC provides elected CENTURY 21 System broker representatives from across the country the opportunity to give feedback to the brand's corporate management team on current programs and initiatives. In addition, the meeting allows representatives to share and discuss key market trends and conditions that will potentially influence their respective real estate markets. A collaborative forum by design, the NBCC is a high-energy meeting where new ideas are introduced and broker/corporate relationships reinforced.

With an organization as large and geographically diverse as the CENTURY 21 System, it is refreshing that a forum such as NBCC exists to ensure that our franchisees' concerns are addressed and that franchisees are aware of the CENTURY 21 System's latest offerings, said Kunz. The NBCC platform enables us to share new ideas that make the CENTURY 21 System even stronger.

Each of the CENTURY 21 System's 27 national regions elects two NBCC broker representatives from its roster, each of whom serves two-year terms. Their duty is to present the issues and challenges from their respective regions to the national gathering, who then work with members of CENTURY 21 corporate staff to find solutions. NBCC representatives also help shape CENTURY 21 System policies and programs.

Founded in 1979, the NBCC is a representative body designed to give CENTURY 21 System members a voice in how the System operates. The group is governed by a set of bylaws approved by the NBCC as a whole.