The Race to Let America Build Has Begun

New public awareness campaign brings together industry members to focus on pro-building solutions as communities begin to implement the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, colleagues from across the real estate industry are coming together to launch 'Let America Build.' This national public awareness campaign is grounded on a simple premise: if America wants more homes, America must build more homes. Its purpose is to inform the public, elevate housing supply as a shared priority and encourage a fact-based conversation about the local actions that can make building more housing possible.

Founding participants include: Realtor.com, Zillow, T3 Sixty, eXP Realty and NextHome, the National Association of Home Builders, Veterans United, Habitat for Humanity, ICON, Land Use Labs, Home Services of America, RIS Media, the Asian Real Estate Association of America, the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance and the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

Participants are using the power of their voices to help people understand how pro-building policies can expand housing supply, strengthen communities and renew opportunity for the next generation. At LetAmericaBuild.org, Americans can explore real-world examples and find resources on how land use, permitting, housing types and construction shape supply in their own communities. The race to 'Let America Build' has begun.

America faces a housing supply gap of 4.03 million homes, according to Realtor.com housing supply gap research. That shortage is compounded by barriers that make it harder and more expensive to build. According to the National Association of Home Builders, government regulation, taxes, fees and other costs add more than 26% to the price of an average new single-family home. At the same time, Zillow research found that building one home on the more than 300,000 small vacant lots listed for sale could reduce the nation's housing deficit by 6.3%.

Building on Bipartisan Momentum

The campaign follows the passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a significant bipartisan law that gives states and localities new tools, flexibility and incentives to support housing. The law recognizes that progress depends on action closer to home and communities that modernize housing systems, streamline processes and utilize incentives are better positioned.

The next phase will be determined in communities across the country, where state and local governments influence what can be built, where it can be built and how quickly homes can move from plan to reality.

A Unified Call to Build More Homes

Let America Build builds on the original Realtor.com^® campaign introduced at SXSW in 2025, where housing experts, policymakers and industry voices were brought together to focus national attention on the connection between housing supply and affordability. Now, Let America Build is evolving into an industry-wide public awareness campaign under LetAmericaBuild.org. The campaign does not endorse or oppose candidates, political parties or ballot measures.

"If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together, and with a problem as big as America's home shortage, it is time we go together," said Damian Eales, CEO, Realtor.com. "Earlier this year, I challenged the industry to come together and unify. Let America Build is a result of that call. Now after the 21st Century ROAD to Housing bill has become law, elected officials have the opportunity to make housing supply a visible community priority. This campaign aims to help Americans engage in real conversations about how their communities can create more housing opportunities."

"America's housing shortage is pricing renters and buyers out of the communities they love. We know what's driving it and we know what will fix it: streamlining permitting, modernizing zoning and unlocking land that's already there," said Jeremy Wacksman, CEO,  Zillow. "The ROAD to Housing Act is a real commitment to getting this right, and Zillow is proud to stand with these partners through Let America Build to meet the moment and help more people get home."

"Affordability and supply are the biggest issues facing our industry, and this fall we have a real chance to make them part of the national conversation," said Jack Miller, President & CEO, T3Sixty. "That's why T3 Sixty is joining Let America Build — an industry-wide effort to raise awareness of the practical, local solutions that get more homes built. A stronger housing market is the foundation everyone in real estate builds on."

"We didn't build eXp and NextHome around a one-size-fits-all model, because we know entrepreneurs and consumers alike do better when they have choice," said Leo Pareja, CEO, eXp Realty and NextHome. "America's housing shortage demands that same thinking at the local level: more options, fewer barriers, faster paths from plan to reality. That's why we're proud to join Let America Build."

"Let America Build brings industry stakeholders together with officials at every level of government to address the nation's housing affordability crisis by removing inefficient zoning rules, unnecessary regulations, permitting delays and other barriers that keep builders from delivering more affordable, attainable homes," said NAHB CEO Jim Tobin. "The campaign builds on the momentum of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and advances practical solutions to help builders expand the nation's housing supply."

"Our team - which has sifted through 1.4 million pages of zoning codes - sees the consequences of red tape up close, day in and day out," said Sara Bronin, CEO, Land Use Labs. "We're proud to stand with a campaign that shares our belief that the status quo is broken, and we need significant reforms to unlock more housing and more opportunity."

"Housing affordability starts with having enough homes," said Chris Kelly, President and CEO of HomeServices of America. "The supply challenge has been years in the making, and solving it will require our industry, policymakers, and communities to work together to create more homes, more neighborhoods and more opportunities for people to put down roots. HomeServices of America is proud to be part of that effort."

"The high cost of homes preventing many Americans from achieving their homeownership goals is one of the industry's most pressing issues. Simply put, a concerted effort to build more homes is crucial to addressing the affordability problem," said John Featherston, founder and CEO of RISMedia. "RISMedia is proud to be associated with the Let America Build campaign, which is tackling this challenge head-on, and we look forward to being a part of their efforts to close the housing supply gap and encourage real estate professionals to join this important cause."

"Homeownership remains out of reach for too many Americans, and LGBTQ+ people continue to face unique barriers on the path to owning a home," said Alex Cruz, Executive Director, LGBTQ+ Alliance. "Addressing our nation's housing shortage is an important part of changing that. The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance is proud to join Let America Build because expanding housing supply, removing unnecessary barriers to development, and creating more housing choices can help open the door to homeownership for more people and more families in every community."

Founding Participants:

Realtor.com
Zillow
T3 Sixty
eXP Realty and NextHome
National Association of Home Builders
Veterans United
Habitat for Humanity
ICON
Land Use Labs
Home Services of America
RISMedia
Asian Real Estate Association of America
LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance
National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals

For more information, visit LetAmericaBuild.org.

About Let America Build
Let America Build is an industry-wide national public awareness campaign focused on the need to increase housing supply for Americans. Its purpose is to inform the public, elevate housing supply as a shared priority and encourage a fact-based conversation about the local actions that can make building more housing possible. Learn more at LetAmericaBuild.org.

Media Contact: Mallory Micetich, [email protected]

Sources

• Realtor.com Housing Supply Gap research
• NAHB: Government Regulation in the Price of a New Home (2026)
• Zillow: More Than 300,000 Empty Lots for Sale Could Close America's Housing Shortage by 6%
• 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

 

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SOURCE LetAmericaBuild.org