BROKERS NEED TO KNOW
OCTOBER 2014
2015 SAR LEADERSHIP ELECTION
2015 SAR Leadership Election is open. As before, all voting is by
electronic ballot. All SAR members received an electronic invitation to
vote on Friday, October 10th. This email includes a special link to the
member portal. Once signed in, members are presented with an
electronic ballot for voting.
The deadline to fill out ballots is Wednesday, October 29th, at 4:30 p.m.
Your 2015 leadership will be announced at our Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday,
October 30th, at CenterPlace.
Your SAR has prepared an Official Voter Information Guide (pictured above), which features
statements from the candidates to assist members in making their voting decisions. This file is
online here:
http://www.spokanerealtor.com/other/SAR2015VOTERGUIDE.pdf
LEGAL ISSUES AND FAIR HOUSING
Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline attorney Annie Fitzsimmons will
headline a Legal Issues in Real Estate symposium and all-new Fair
Housing class in Spokane on October 30th at Centerplace Event Center in
Spokane Valley.
This event sold out quickly in Seattle earlier this year. Register now to hold your seat!
The day begins with the legal issues symposium at 8:00 a.m., we'll take a break for our general
membership meeting at noon, then re-convene for Annie's excellent new class on Fair Housing until
4:30 p.m. The day offers up to 7.5 clock hours of continuing education.
Annie is teaching her new Fair Housing class for the first time this week at EdCon, then
bringing it to us. This will be the first time it will be available in Eastern Washington!
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NOTE: Yes, you may attend just the luncheon. Cost is $20. Call Debbie at the SAR to reserve your
seat: 326-9222.
Visit the Washington REALTORS® event website for more details and to register online:
http://www.warealtor.org/events/legalsymposiumspokane
REVISED MLS RULES
Revised MLS Rules and Regulations for New Listings took effect October
1st.
MLS Listing Date is now the date marketing and/or advertising begins
(including the posting of signs). A "Seller's Waiver of MLS Benefits" form
must be submitted to the MLS by the next business day. Failure to enter into the MLS or sending in
a Waiver of MLS Benefits form is subject to a Tier 1 Violation of the MLS Rules and Regulations.
Bottom line: When marketing and/or advertising begins on a property - put it in the MLS or send a
Seller's Waiver of MLS Benefits form to the Spokane MLS.
The new Seller's Waiver of MLS Benefits document is offered among the supporting documents to
this newsletter.
Members of your MLS Steering Committee and Board of Directors have prepared a "Revisions and
FAQ" documents to help explain the new MLS rules.
That document is offered among the supporting documents to this newsletter.
REALTOR® SAFETY
As a real estate professional, you put yourself at risk every day — you just
might not realize it. Meeting new clients, showing properties, holding
open houses, letting strangers get into your car, and even your marketing
may be jeopardizing your personal safety. Such everyday tasks seem
harmless, but as some real estate professionals have learned the hard way, these situations can
expose you to danger.
REALTOR® magazine shares a list of tasks common to practically every real estate professional.
Learn the risks associated with each and what precautions you can take to stay safe.
Read “Real Estate’s Six Most Dangerous Everyday Situations,” online here:
http://realtormag.realtor.org/sales-and-marketing/feature/article/2010/09/real-estates-6-most-dangerous-everydaysituations
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.REALTOR
The new top-level domain .REALTOR goes live October 23rd. The first
500,000 members to claim their first domain will be able to use it FREE for
one year.
To Claim your new .REALTOR domain, visit this web page:
http://www.claim.realtor/
Then, head over to www.about.realtor to sign up for the .REALTOR newsletter and to learn more
about the only domain that means the trusted source in real estate.
HOME SALES RISE
September home sales in Spokane County exceeded 500 for the first time
since 2007. Nearly all other home sale indicators showed a slight
downturn.
Read the complete article in The Spokesman-Review, online here:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/oct/08/spokane-county-home-prices-fall-sales-rise-in/
YOU BE THE JUDGE – OCTOBER
Here is a new You Be The Judge for October: Case #4-3:
Disclosure of Family Interest.
Those who decide correctly will be entered in a drawing for a
Starbucks coffee card!
The winner will be announced next month.
Read the case and submit your judgment online here:
http://www.spokanerealtor.com/information-center/code-of-ethics-/you-be-the-judge
Congratulations Stacie Prasser, Keller Williams Spokane - Main, September Starbucks card winner!
SEPTEMBER ANSWER:
A Hearing Panel of the Board's Professional Standards Committee, which heard the complaint,
concluded that REALTOR® B had acted in violation of Article 7 of the Code of Ethics. His efforts to
represent the buyer and the seller at the same time, and the fact that he intended to be
compensated by both parties, should have been fully disclosed to all parties in advance.
From case Case #7-1: Acceptance of Compensation from Buyer and Seller.
Last month's case is online here:
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http://www.spokanerealtor.com/information-center/code-of-ethics-/prior-month-you-be-the-judge
SEPTEMBER MARKET STATISTICS
SEPTEMBER LOCKBOX STATISTICS
SAR members may access the latest Spokane area market statistics any time online here:
http://www.spokanerealtor.com/mls/market-activity-mls-stats
MEMBERSHIP VALUE
NAR works behind the scenes and in the spotlight to protect private
property rights, promote home ownership, and maintain sensible credit
and other standards at the federal level so you can help your clients buy,
sell, and rent real estate in a fair and profitable market environment.
This advocacy - on your behalf - is among the most valuable benefits your
NAR membership adds to your business, but it's just one among the hundreds of the association's
value-adding services.
There are more than 50 services that put money in your pocket by shaping the environment in
which you work or making free and discounted products and services available to you.
See the complete list online here:
http://www.realtor.org/member-benefits/50-ways-nar-is-indispensable-to-your-business
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