Romeo Arrieta

BizTUCSONApril 20, 2026

2 minutes read

Chief Executive Officer
Tucson Association of REALTORS®

What opportunities do you see for your business here in the next several years?

Tucson REALTORS® are dedicated to advancing homeownership amongst Southern Arizonans, and with a regional economy that encourages job growth, we will see a lot of opportunities for our members to help more residents achieve the dream of homeownership and put down roots. If Southern Arizona hopes to have a bright future, we need policies that encourage the creation of a variety of housing opportunities while maintaining the unique character of what makes our communities so attractive in the first place. You can expect to see The Tucson Association of REALTORS® taking a larger role in advocacy on the issues that impact the real estate industry, housing availability and affordability.

What issues keep you up at night?

What keeps me up at night is whether Southern Arizona is positioning itself for long term economic success. Job growth and housing availability are deeply connected. If we cannot offer a range of housing options that support our workforce, we risk limiting our ability to attract employers and retain talent. I worry about missed opportunities when progress stalls or conversations default to resistance instead of solutions. Our region thrives when we do the hard work of thoughtful planning that balances job growth, infrastructure, and quality of life for both current residents and those who want to call Southern Arizona home.

Are there any exciting updates in your industry or business you want to highlight?

Tucson was recently named one of the Top 5 places to move to, and recognitions like this make it easy for the Tucson Association of REALTORS® to champion our region. Celebrating what makes Tucson special is a natural part of our role; and accolades like this only reinforce that message. As someone who recently made Southern Arizona my home, now approaching my first year as a Tucsonan, I’ve noticed that longtime residents can sometimes lose sight of what makes this region so special. It’s important that the changes shaping our community are thoughtful and inclusive, ensuring they benefit everyone who lives here. Tucson remains affordable relative to many other metro areas across the country. This is where we all need to work together across the business, non-profit, and governmental communities as you can’t have a thriving, growing economy without a housing market that meets the needs of its residents, and vice versa. We need to work together to ensure that we have viable housing options across all price points so that everyone can share in the prosperity of economic development.

How can The Chamber help you going forward?

The Chamber plays a critical leadership role in shaping regional conversation about economic growth. Continued advocacy, coalition building, and strong messaging about why Southern Arizona is a great place to live, learn, work and do business are essential. We need the Chamber to be a unifying voice that champions policies supporting job creation, infrastructure investment, and housing development. When business leadership and community stakeholders move in alignment, it creates the kind of environment where both employers and residents can succeed.