The Houston Association of REALTORS (HAR) is the largest real estate association in Houston with about 23,000 members, and the second largest REALTOR association in the US. HAR educates the public about the real estate market and promotes using a REALTOR. It also advocates for property owners and members' interests with elected officials. HAR.com receives over 1.5 billion hits monthly. The Houston industrial real estate market is gradually improving along with other economic factors, with over 5 million square feet added since 2009, though vacancy rates remain high for newer properties. The Houston housing market has fared better than the national market during the economic downturn.