Nearly 2,000 Realtors from across Connecticut attended a rally in Hartford Tuesday designed to send a message to legislators. Calling for lower taxes and a business-friendly environment, they want “a Connecticut to sell” – and say they’ll only be supporting like-minded candidates in future elections.

Issues raised by the CT Realtor association at its rally included growing Connecticut businesses, building the economy, keeping young people and retirees in the state and employment.

CT Realtor President Michael Barbaro said CTR has usually kept a low profile state politics, but those days are over. Legislators who don’t support business growth and lower taxes be warned: Barbaro and his nearly 17,000 members will only be supporting candidates who do.

“We’ve been passive-aggressive in the political realm,” Barbaro said in a statement. “At the state level it’s time for a change. We’ve sat on the sidelines for way too long. We’re very ready. We need to grow our way out of this economy.”

Barbaro said this year’s gathering was very different fromprevious rallies. Historically Realtors gathered outside the Capitol to lobby state legislators on particular bills. This year, they gathered to align allies and mobilize their base, telling legislators that the state needs to cut spending and support growth to turn its struggling economy around.

“Connecticut is losing young people because there are no jobs here and they can’t afford to buy a house,” Barbaro said in a statement. “Snowbirds can’t afford to die here because of our estate taxes and they can’t afford to maintain a home that’s empty six months of the year because of our real estate taxes. If we don’t grow this state there’s only one way out: bankruptcy. And that’s not good for anyone.”