“We’ve been busy! Since our January announcement, we continue to move Bright forward. 2017 is a year of transition for us, and we’re excited to meet some major milestones.
Development teams are hard at work mapping MLS listing data from nine different MLSs into one format; they are collecting the required public records for 150 jurisdictions, and building the new Bright MLS system—a broad ecosystem of robust property information and analytics to power our subscribers’ real estate business.
Support teams from Rockville, MD and King of Prussia, PA are combining into one unified Customer Support Center. In early April 2017, (those) subscribers will be able to dial a new toll free phone number for assistance.”
Due to unforeseen issues regarding the means by which administrative assistants can access DAR forms via zipForm and dotloop, the DAR forms have been temporarily brought back under the SCAOR MLS link until resolved.
We are actively trying to resolve the issue. We will have an update by the next monthly SCAORcard. Please note that ultimately only DAR members and non-member REALTOR® subscribers will have access to DAR forms. As previously noticed to the membership, all DAR forms will be then be exclusively available via zipForm and dotloop. Don’t wait to make the switch!
Since DAR is the exclusive provider of all real estate forms in the state of Delaware, we’ve recently created a setup video for accessing them through your Dotloop account (an included membership benefit for all DAR members). If you’ve not set yours up yet, check out the video below!
More classes will become available as this year’s schedule becomes finalized. Click here to see the list as it gets updated.
Question: How do I find my NRDS ID? Answer: You can look up your NRDS ID number by clicking here.
SCAOR® would like our Diamond & Platinum Affiliate Members for Sponsoring AAG:
Today, we shine the spotlight on our MLS administrator, Ben Kunde.
Ben has been in the MLS industry for over 3 years, and possesses a deep knowledge and unique skill set he brings to the field.
Have Questions? (And who doesn’t from time to time?) – The fastest way to get answers is to email our MLS support system at support@scaor.com. Any other comments can be directed to Ben’s work email, ben@scaor.com. (By the way, If you’re not getting a response in 24 hours, please email Merritt Burke, our CEO and he will follow up with you.)
More classes will become available as this year’s schedule becomes finalized. Click here to see the list as it gets updated.
Staff Assistance:
Each of our staff is uniquely equipped to handle different areas of focus within SCAOR. If you have questions on a particular topic, here’s a list of who you would talk to:
Merritt Burke, CEO – BOD, Bylaws, Management, Young Professionals Network, Press, Finance
Angela Emerson, Executive Assistant – Core Standards, Education, Professional Standards, Management, Bylaws, Diversity, and Finance
Ben Kunde, Network & MLS Admin – MLS, Bright MLS, IT
Andrew Mason, Communications – Marketing & Communications, Affiliates
Patricia Anderson – Admin. Associate – Public Policy, Rental Affairs, Facility Rental
Mary Hanley, Membership Coordinator – Membership
Question: Are virtual assitants allowed to be granted clerical access? Answer: Yes! As long as they go through the process of filling out the proper paperwork, you can grant virtual assistants clerical access to the MLS.
SCAOR® would like our Diamond & Platinum Affiliate Members for Sponsoring AAG:
Have you met our new Membership Coordinator, Mary Hanley? If not, consider this your introduction!
Mary is the smiling person you’ll meet behind the window of the SCAOR office, or on the other end of the phone line – and she’s ready to help you with all things membership.
From on-boarding new members to changing status, from assisting with paperwork to status transfers, Mary is excited to help serve. She’s in the office weekly from Tuesday – Thursday, 8:30AM-5PM, and we’re thrilled to have her aboard! Say “Hello” when you get a chance!
Upcoming Classes:
More classes will become available as this year’s schedule becomes finalized. Click here to see the list as it gets updated.
Need to Know:
February 20: SCAOR Office will be closed in observance of President’s Day April 20: Set your calendars for National Speaker Marc Cunningham to be at SCAOR®! October 16-20: Education Adventure in Puerto Rico: Knock out your credits in style – More info coming soon!
SCAOR® would like our Diamond & Platinum Affiliate Members for Sponsoring AAG:
Governor John Carney on Thursday announced plans to meet and engage with members of the public on Delaware’s budget challenges during a series of “Budget Reset” Community Conversations.
There’s a lot that happens at SCAOR each year, and 2016 was no different. Check out a few of the highlights from last year in this video (Click to watch):
In case you missed on Friday, Bright MLS has created its first public press release, and officially changed MLSEvolved.com to BrightMLS.com.
Bright MLS Revealed
Real estate organizations from neighboring areas in the Mid-Atlantic region, including ours, have united as Bright MLS.
The creation of this new organization is a direct response to your demands that the MLS break down market barriers and provide real estate professionals with expanded property information that exceeds what consumers can get from publicly available websites.
With Bright, you will get access to more information, more products and more areas to explore and expand—that’s the power of us.
Visit Brightmls.com for a list of each of the visionary Associations that participate in Bright.
Upcoming Classes:
More classes will become available as this year’s schedule becomes finalized. Click here to see the list as it gets updated.
This Week’s Blog Post:
According to statistics, Google now has a stranglehold on 90 percent of the Internet search market, not just in the United States, but globally. This is a mind-blowing number that really illustrates the power the California-based company has on the marketplace. So, how can you effectively harness that power in your real estate business?
Well, there are definitely some ways that even small businesses can use the extraordinary power of Google to their advantage.
And “Google Tools” is a great way to start. Here are a few that may help:
With the real estate markets around the country now fully recovered from the recession of a few years ago, certain trends have begun developing that are driving the market anew. Some of these trends began in 2016 or earlier, but others are just now coming to the surface.
So let’s examine a few of the things that experts say to be on the lookout for in 2017:
First Time Homebuyers Multiplying. According to data, more than one-third of the people purchasing homes in 2015 were first-time buyers. But that number is expected to increase to more than half in 2017. This means that the competition for affordable starter homes may increase exponentially, as more than 60 percent of first-time homebuyers are expected to be millennials less than 35 years old. Something to keep your eye on for sure.
Barriers are Changing. Mortgage qualification issues, including credit scores and down payments, are expected to be the biggest barriers to homeownership in 2017. So expect to work a little harder with your clients when trying to get them qualified for loans. There are many options, of course, and you may need to examine several of them in 2017 to get over this hurdle.
What Buyers are Looking for. In a recent survey, prospective home buyers were asked what attributes they were looking for in new homes, with large yards, quality construction and safe neighborhoods coming out on top. Millennials are also looking for single-family homes with extra space for starting families. No condos for them!
Spring and Summer is Still King. Most prospective buyers have indicated that they plan to buy in the spring and summer months, when the weather is warmer and moving to a new home is more convenient. This trend is obviously nothing new in our area, but it’s still worth noting.
So there are a few trends that experts are expecting to either occur or continue in 2017. Trends change every year, of course, and each market is different (think coastal) but these are things worth watching for in the new calendar year.
During the election cycle in the United States, attention had been focused on the large amounts of cash politicians were raising for their respective campaigns and, more importantly, where that money is coming from.
Well, the answer is simple – A LOT.
For the most part – from people or organizations who favor the opinions and ideology of a specific candidate.
As REALTORS®, we have our favorite candidates – and that’s why we have the national REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) to protect our interests and support candidates who publicly support the American Dream of home ownership.
Many of you have generously supported RPAC over the years and understand the important of doing so. Some have contributed more than others, and that’s okay.
But the work of RPAC and of the REALTOR® Party is important in so many ways, and it can and does actively help us all in our businesses.
Here are a few ways how:
By protecting your business against new regulations and fees. These can become burdensome and expensive if allowed to go unchecked, and it’s up to us to support candidates who will lessen the “red tape” for us and our businesses.
By protecting the property rights of your clients. By contributing to RPAC, you’re helping elect leaders who will protect these rights and will fight to keep homeowners from being unnecessarily burdened by government.
By educating leaders on REALTORS® A percentage of the funds raised through RPAC is used for spreading our message and illustrating how important the real estate business – YOUR business – is to the American economy.
There are just a few of the ways contributing to RPAC can help your business locally, and can help further the REALTOR® cause regionally and nationally.
Won’t you consider donating even a small amount today through SCAOR? You can easily do so by clicking HERE.
And to learn more about the RPAC program, visit the RPAC page on the National Association of REALTORSâ Website.
Here’s the link to the page – http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/for-associations/CPA/rpac.html?referrer=https://www.google.com.ph/
