The U.S. Senate recently unanimously passed H.R. 1815, the VA Home Loan Reform Act. The National Association of Realtors® stated in a release that it strongly supported this bipartisan legislation, which aims to make permanent the VA’s temporary policy allowing veterans to directly compensate their real estate agents, ensuring they can participate in the housing market on equal footing with other homebuyers. The bill also creates a partial claims program to assist veterans who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments.
The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1815 by unanimous vote in May, and the bill now heads to the president’s desk for signature.
“The VA Home Loan Guaranty is a unique government program that allows veterans to purchase a home without a down payment,” says Shannon McGahn, NAR executive vice president and chief advocacy officer. “We are grateful to the House of Representatives and the Senate for passing this measure and providing veterans and active-duty service members the same advantages as other buyers in a competitive real estate market. NAR remains committed to protecting the brave men and women who serve this country in the armed forces and ensuring they are given equal opportunities to achieve the American Dream of homeownership.”
NAR noted that it previously advocated in 2024 for the Department of Veterans Affairs to temporarily suspend its policy that barred veterans from compensating professional representation in a real estate transaction, providing immediate relief for veteran homebuyers. Since then, NAR has worked closely with the VA and the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees to pursue a permanent solution. The organization explained that this rule—though temporarily suspended—has made it difficult or even impossible for veterans to retain real estate representation in transactions involving seller-paid commissions or buyer-agent compensation.
NAR also stated it previously sent a letter to House leadership, thanking them for holding a vote on the bill.
For more information, visit https://www.nar.realtor/.
