Winning a bill is one thing. Getting a hand in how it gets carried out is another, and White made that the next fight. “We’ve asked to have a seat at the table of implementation,” he said of provisions preserved in the final law, including an FHA pilot for mortgages under $100,000 and a CFPB study of loan originator compensation. It is not enough, he argued, to have a voice when the rules are written; brokers need a voice in how they get carried out too. NAMB pushed for that same kind of seat on the appraisal side of the business, building on its standing as the first mortgage association named a partner of The Appraisal Foundation and staying active in The Appraisal Foundation Advisory Council. Michael Farrell delivered NAMB’s opening statement at a valuation industry roundtable in June, and NAMB filed formal comments on proposed changes to appraiser qualification standards, arguing for reform that keeps the pipeline of new appraisers open without cutting corners on fair housing training.
Built at home
Not every win happened on Capitol Hill. NAMB also spent the year rebuilding its education pipeline. The CFMP credential was rebranded as CALS, the Certified Affordable Lending Specialist designation, with a sharper focus on FHA lending. Standards for the GMA certification, NAMB’s entry-level credential for new mortgage professionals, got a refresh, and the CVLS veterans-lending credential picked up Basic and Advanced tracks.
Broker Independence Day
August belonged to NAMB’s own history. The association marked the 53rd year since its founding with Broker Independence Day, the anniversary of its August 23, 1973 start, using the month to make the case for an independent, member-driven trade voice and to invite lapsed members back with a renewal discount.
Turning the page
The year closes at NAMB National 2026, October 16 to 19 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, under the theme “Journey Further. Achieve More.” It is also where Kimber White hands the presidency to Michael Farrell.
“This year proved what NAMB has always known: when brokers speak with one voice, Washington listens. We helped end a rule that punished first-time buyers, we stopped trigger leads cold, and we gave our members better tools to build their businesses. I’m proud of what we built together, and I know Mike Farrell is going to keep pushing this association forward.”
— Kimber White, NAMB President, 2025-2026
As White steps back, the fights he leaves behind carry into the new term: FHA mortgage insurance premium reform, appraisal qualification standards, and the fate of H.R. 9237’s VA fee provisions, among others. NAMB will keep members posted through On the Hill, its biweekly newsletter on Washington policy, and at namb.org.
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