Welcome to 2017! As CEO, I would like to brief the membership on a few topics. First, most, if not all, SCAOR Committees met in January. Each Committee appears to have a busy year scheduled. With the looming State of Delaware budget deficit and future Sussex County Comprehensive Plan in the works and unknown public policy issues forthcoming, the Public Policy Committee will be advocating for property rights on behalf of REALTORS. The MLS Committee continues to discuss critical issues towards an accurate MLS of cooperation and compensation. The Affiliates are working towards a stronger relationship with REALTORS and the Young Professional Committee will be focusing on future technologies to enhance the member experience.
Other important topics relevant to members in 2017 include the desemination of information regarding Bright MLS (late 2017 conversion date), future finances (think Sentrilock costs and membership levels) and upcoming education classes. Association management staff must provide exceptional customer service, innovation, education and timely advocacy for the organization to remain influential and relevant. I know we can do this, and with your volunteer assistance and RPAC contributions, 2017 will be a great year!
For the brokers reading this, if you are interested in association staff visiting your office and sharing thoughts on a specific topic, please contact me at merritt@scaor.com. We are ready to serve you.
Sincerely,
Merritt
Merritt Burke IV
Chief Executive Officer
Sussex County Association of REALTORS® www.scaor.com | 302-855-2300
Several items are coming down through the State. In particular, the budget deficit and Gov. Markell’s proposed exiting budget (which at first glance seems not very friendly to real estate). We have amazing opportunity to engage our legislators at this juncture. SCAOR will be providing dates and locations of opportunities to have one on one interaction with their elected officials. This stresses the importance of finding more viable alternatives than increasing the real estate transfer tax. DAR will be providing talking points for our PPC members to share with their colleagues and to speak to our legislators in “One Voice”!
For example, our next big opportunity to speak intimately with our legislators will be our annual Legislative Breakfast scheduled for Friday, February 24th from 8:30-10:00 here at SCAOR.
In conjunction with these opportunities to meet our legislators, SCAOR is once again initiating an “adopt a legislator” program. This is where each of our PPC members will have a particular legislator that they follow and communicate with on a regular basis. From this, our hope is to have each member report on any new initiative and/or opinions expressed by their legislator.
PPC continues to monitor the development of the Sussex County Comprehensive Plan and will provide pertinent updates as they become available. To track the progress of this Comprehensive Plan, please visit http://sussexplan.com/ We ask that all be involved in this – as we are expecting significant changes to our county commercial zoning ordinances to take place.
Our chairman reported on the Downtown Development District program that has been awarded to the town of Georgetown (as well as Milford). This is a great opportunity for developers and business owners to take advantage of some commercial development opportunities. For more information regarding the benefits and incentives of the Downtown Development Districts, visit the DSHA (Delaware State Housing Authority) at www.destatehousing.com/Developers/dv_ddd.php, the Office of State Planning Coordination at www.stateplanning.delaware.gov/ddd, and/or the Town of Georgetown at www.georgetowndel.com/Downtown-Development-District-Information/
We are revving up to present some exciting news that will take place in April! Prep your engines and your wheels greased as we prepare to spin out details in the next couple of weeks.
Rental Affairs:
Our preseason meeting with Southern DE Tourism, coastal town officials, and law enforcement is scheduled for May 4th from 8:30am -10am at Irish Eyes on Anglers Road in Lewes. This is our annual preseason meeting to foster a partnership between the rental agents and town officials to ensure a safe and positive summer experience for our visitors.
Sharon Palmer-Stauffer, chairperson of Rental Affairs, attended the Travel Adventures’ Trade Show in Washington DC on January 14. Our committee was able to garner well over 300 leads from that event to be used for future marketing, etc. This is a collaborative partnership with Southern Delaware Tourism and has been a huge success for our rental community.
Mark your calendar! SCAOR’s Rental Summit will be held on April 19th. This is an all day event for our rental agents, and it should be jammed packed with some great continuing education opportunities, cross marketing, food, and other activities. Stay tuned for more details.
Changes are coming to the town of Rehoboth as they just unveiled their new rental ordinance. For a copy of the ordinance, rental application, and any other information please email Patricia Anderson, Rental Affairs Committee Liaison at Patricia@scaor.com. City of Rehoboth has also unveiled possible changes to their tax structure – which would include a gross receipts tax as well as an increase of 6% in the Rental Licensing Fee. Stay tuned as we gather more information and details to release to our members.
Dewey Beach has also announced that they are looking at rental business license changes that could be adopted and implemented before the end of the month. Information to follow as we monitor the changes and proposals set forth by Dewey Beach. Be prepared to see an increase in those.
Just a reminder that the NEW NAR Ethics Cycle has begun. This bi-annual requirement runs from January 2017 through December 2018. If you take a Module 2 class here at SCAOR or DAR, the class will automatically be applied to satisfy your NAR membership requirement. If you take a class from a provider other than SCAOR, please forward a copy of the class certificate to be entered in NAR’s database. 2017 education calendar is coming together nicely, and you will find those classes here. They are posted as soon as they are confirmed.
Did you know that you can get your classes online through SCAOR? Head over to the SCAOR website and receive a 20% discount off your order.
According to NAR, more millennials are expected to buy a first home in 2017 and will make up at least 1/3 of buyers this year. This generation is very mobile, interested in self-service, and extremely “social”.
I know you’re wondering what all this means and probably are wishing I would just get to the point…..right?
Well, here it is: basically this means you are at a critical junction in the technology world and where it intersects with your real estate business. 2017 will be a key year to make sure that your clients can access anything you are offering in a mobile format. This ranges from information of properties, mobile friendly websites to electronically signing documents.
This generation is more interested in self-service and generally wants to get as much information as possible and are not interested in someone else, no matter how experienced you are, in making a decision for them. This mean tools such as collaboration apps (which will still keep in the loop), pictures, videos, tours and e-signature technology will be an important part of keeping the competitive edge.
It will be imperative to understand how social media marketing can impact your audience while being used as a simple communication tool. Smart home technology is at the forefront of home automation and simple living. I believe that within a few months more and more people will begin to select smart technology as a requirement for the purchase of a home.
With all of this exciting technology coming down the pipe – try not to get caught up in doing everything yourself. There are several programs and services available to you, and I will be making several recommendations over the next few months. Also, remember that not all of your home buyers will be looking for new technology and automation. It’s important not to neglect these buyers as well.
Until next time, just remember: “Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.” – Thomas Edison
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Thank You,
Benjamin Kunde
Network Administrator
Sussex County Association of REALTORS www.scaor.com
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:
If a friend, colleague or family member asks you to conduct a search for something on the Internet, what EXACTLY do they ask you to do?
Do they ask you to do a search? Do they ask you to “look something up?” Unless we miss our guess, chances are pretty good that they ask you to “Google” it.
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:
Google AdWords. This tool generates leads for you based on location, which can greatly help anyone in the world of real estate. The idea is for your business profile to appear anytime someone is searching for a home in your zip code. Pretty cool, right?
Google Maps. This uses satellite imaging to show more detail on your maps, allowing your listing to be found in a greater number of online searches.
Google Plus. Make sure you have a full and complete Google profile online that gives a snapshot of your company when people are searching for real estate online. You can include your contact information, photos, a description of your business and even a personalized message.
Google Earth. This allows searchers to see satellite images of nearby parks, schools and more, all directly from your desktop or mobile device.
Google My Business. This tool is designed for REALTORS® to list their companies, allowing them to be easily found by consumers.
There are a few of the traditional Google tools that generate page views and can help you with your online marketing efforts. After you’ve mastered some of the basics, however, there is much more available in Google for you to learn and utilize.
Sharon Palmer-Stauffer, chairperson of Rental Affairs, attended the Travel Adventures’ Trade Show in Washington DC on January 14. Our committee was able to garner well over 300 leads from that event to be used for future marketing, etc. This is a collaborative partnership with Southern Delaware Tourism and has been a huge success for our rental community.
