100 Days to Greatness – new NAR benefit

100 Days to Greatness – new NAR benefit

Lead REALTORS® to the Road to Greatness

 

For years, NAR heard from countless broker-owners that agents enter the business with excitement, which soon fizzles out due to the difficulties in managing complex day-to-day business operations.

Understanding this need to prevent new agent churn, Buffini & Company and NAR joined forces to provide a strong path of success for REALTORS®, especially those new to the field. 100 Days to Greatness®, unveiled at the 2020 REALTORS Conference & Expo, is a comprehensive, step-by-step training program designed for those looking to launch (or relaunch) their careers. The course will guide your members through proven strategies and tactics to build a productive and profitable business.

Who’s it designed for? The program is aimed at newer agents looking for a firm foundation, and those returning to the business after a hiatus. It’s also perfect for seasoned agents who are ready to take their business to the next level.

What will they learn?

·         Learn how to work by referral

·         Build a vibrant database

·         Use best practices to create clients for life

·         Gain the skills to close sales

·         Learn how to handle their commissions

·         Turn online leads into closed deals

What’s in it for brokers? This Program was designed to help brokers maximize retention efforts by ensuring new agents are well-trained from Day 1. Brokers who like to take a more hands-on approach have an option to lead their agents through the Program in a mentor/facilitator capacity.

Plus, NAR members who are new to Buffini & Company save $100 through the REALTOR Benefits® Program! 

Help your agents find success!
The REALTOR Benefits® Program features a wide range of savings and special offers just for REALTORS® from 30+ industry leaders including Dell, DocuSign, FedEx Office, and Liberty Mutual to name a few. Plus, discover personal insurance options from the REALTORS® Insurance Place, offering a full array of health and wellness solutions.

Uncover meaningful NAR member benefits from the official member benefits resource of the National Association of REALTORS®.

New WY Forms Information – Form Simplicity & Zipforms

New WY Forms Information

If you have questions, concerns, find a typo on the forms etc. Please go to the website and fill out the forms issues report found at https://www.wyomingrealtors.org/members and choose the Forms Issue Report button.

The Wyoming Realtors® updated the Wyoming Real Estate forms in 2020.  You can use the forms as you always have in either Zipforms or Form Simplicity.  Form Simplicity was able to update their platform to help make the forms more user-friendly.  For examples – if you choose cash in the financing section – then then lending info will drop away – no need to strike through that info.  This is just one example…. there are lots of other great things about the new form simplicity platform.

TBOR has been hosting some Form Simplicity training.  There are two more opportunities to learn more…

February 11, 2021 ~ 1:00pm-3:00pm

February 12, 2021 ~ 10:00am-12:00pm

To register – send email to rsvp@tbor.org – letting us know if you are able to attend both or at least one of the training sessions.

Any additional questions about the forms – you can contact the WY Realtors® 800.676.4085

To set up your account in Form Simplicity (wyoming contracts) and then to access forms, go to the following sites:

  • Form Simplicity website:  wyomingrealtors.org , click on Form Simplicity button (along top of page)
  • Click on I would like to reset or register my password.  Enter your name. Find Me.
  • Enter your email.  It will send you an email to complete the process.

Form Simplicity TechHelpline – 888-804-8223

To set-up your account in ZipForms (Wyoming contracts) and then to access forms, go to the following sites:

  • Website to Set-up Account: www.zipform.com/order/order.asp
  • Select your Association: WY – TETON BOARD OF REALTORS
  • Click “Order”. There is no charge.
  • Enter your NRDS ID Number        
  • Enter your last name, select “Continue” and your account is ready.

Website to Access zipForm Plus: www.zipformplus.com

2020 Annual Dues

2020 Annual Dues

Deadline:  December 1, 2020

$1,220.00

Pay online at nar.Realtor

or mail a check to – PO Box 3736, Jackson Wy 83001

or you can drop off a check at the TBOR office (leave in box by door) – 545 S Willow St

30 day grace period.  $150 reactivation fee by WY Realtors and $100 TBOR late fee if paid after December 31.  No exceptions!

 

 

Fair Housing – two very informative videos to learn what is going on right now in our industry. Be informed!

REALTORS® are charged with upholding fair housing laws as well as offering professional service to all in their search for real property.

Watch this online workshop to help members avoid implicit bias in their daily business interactions. Drawing upon the latest evidence-based research, Perception explains how our brains’ automatic, instant association of stereotypes with particular groups can cause us to treat those who are different from us unfairly, despite our best intentions and often without our conscious awareness. Perception then applies these concepts to the everyday work of REALTORS®, and offers strategies to override bias in order to convey respect, ensure fairness, and improve business relationships.

Another interesting video investigation is the Newsday video – https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/real-estate-investigation-videos/  

Newsday’s paired testers visit real estate agents across Long Island to see if they will be treated the same.

NAR Board of Directors Approves New Personal Conduct Policy Addressing Discrimination

Changes to combat hate speech will ensure Realtor® Code of Ethics extends beyond real estate-related activities

CHICAGO (November 13, 2020) – The Board of Directors for the National Association of Realtors® today voted in favor of a motion presented by NAR’s Professional Standards Committee making it a violation for Realtors® to use harassing or hate speech toward any of the protected classes under Article 10 of NAR’s Code of Ethics. Those include race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation and gender identity. The Professional Standards Committee recommendations come as NAR works to reaffirm its commitment to fair housing and position its members to lead America’s real estate industry in the fight against discrimination and inequality.

Local, state and national Realtor® associations received various complaints about discriminatory speech posted online by Realtors® earlier this year, particularly on social media. In subsequent months, NAR’s Professional Standards Committee and Interpretations Procedures Advisory Board met to consider the Code of Ethics’ applicability to discriminatory speech and conduct beyond a Realtor®’s real estate duties.

Following months of meetings and deliberations, NAR’s Advisory Board recommended that its Code of Ethics apply to every action a Realtor® takes, whether personal or professional.

Any complaint alleging a violation of Article 10 as illustrated by Standard of Practice 10-5 can now be brought to a hearing panel at a local Realtor® association, which will be asked to assess the circumstances of each individual case. Overall, although the proposal seeks to extend enforcement of the Code beyond its current limits of real estate transactions and real estate-related activities, this added reach will not increase a Realtor® or Realtor®-Principal’s liability under the law.

Moving forward, NAR’s Professional Standards Committee will continue working to develop case interpretations to assist members and professional standards enforcement volunteers in understanding the Code’s applicability.

Code of Ethics & Professional Standards Policies

The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

WY Forms update & Training

WY Forms Update & Training Info from WY Realtors®

We are finally at the time for the new forms that have been talked about for so long! Attached you will find copies of the new forms for training purposes. You will note these include a watermark as they are not to be used quite yet, but we wanted everyone to have plenty of time to get familiar with them, and brokers to train their agents on how they want the new forms to be used by their agents. Also included is a video clip from the Wyoming REALTOR Attorney, Mike Lansing, going over the changes on the forms.

One of the bigger changes is the use of additional provisions and the additional provisions (clauses) library. These clauses will be available in the software providers clause sections the same as brokers clauses have been in the past. For clauses that do not fit into the allotted space, either FormSimplicity or ZipForms will now add pages to the back of your contract that include all of the clauses used in the contract that didn’t fit into the space allotted.

If you have questions, concerns, find a typo on the forms etc. Please go to the website and fill out the forms issues report found at https://www.wyomingrealtors.org/members and choose the Forms Issue Report button.
As of today, pending no complications, the plan is to release the forms live on both providers starting on December 1st. At that time, the old forms will no longer be available for use. If you are using a different provider, now is a good time to start the transition over to one of the supported providers.

Click below buttons for all information. To keep up-to-date with WY Realtors® follow the Wyoming REALTORS facebook page.

WY Realtors® Forms Training: https://youtu.be/hHD5PU6l_bc

To see all forms visit WY Realtors®: https://www.wyomingrealtors.org/post/forms-update-and-training

To sign up with Form Simplicity – you can visit the WY Realtors® page – click on Form Simplicity button along the top of page.

Here is the customer service number for Form Simplicity: Tech Support ~ 888-804-8223

COVID-19 Recommendations – Sales Guide to Safe Practices for Real Estate

Your Actions Impact Your Neighbors and Your Neighbors’ Actions Impact You
It is Your Duty to Protect Yourself and Your Clients

  1. During Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have the privilege of continuing a limited amount of real estate practice.  With privilege comes responsibility.  It is your responsibility to follow these guidelines.  If you do not, we risk all being shut down completely.
  2. No open houses. No Broker opens.
  3. You can do what is necessary to complete sales in final stages / properties already in contract.
  4. CONSIDER YOUR OFFICE CLOSED.  You can work from home. DO NOT TAKE THE PUBLIC TO YOUR OFFICE.  Responsible Brokers, managers, bookkeeping, administrative, maintenance and janitorial staff might need to be in the office occasionally. You might need to stop in to get supplies and tend to clients’ needs but keep your time there to a minimum particularly if others are there; consider scheduling visits when others are not there.  Follow your broker’s rules about office access.
  5. Do everything you can to keep yourself healthy and teach others how to stay healthy. Follow CDC guidelines.
  6. Offer sellers the opportunity to continue with showings or to change the status to Temporarily Off Market.  See sample form for this.
  7. Speak to your responsible Broker about the use of the WAR COVID-19 addendum. Suggest Sellers and Buyers sign the COVID-19 clause addendum to Agreement of Sale to allow for delays in the transaction. See sample WAR form for this addendum.
  8. Complete paperwork electronically except when necessary to have a “wet” signature. See Wyoming Secretary of State Guidance on Temporary Remote Online Notarization.
  9. Keep physical contact with other people to a minimum.  When physical contact with other people is necessary, maintain a six foot separation between you.
  10. Speak to your responsible Broker about the use of their COVID-19 risks WAR form. As part of arranging to meet with someone, ask them for specific information about their COVID-19 risks.  Offer them the same information about yourself.
  11. When possible, don’t meet in confined spaces unless those spaces have been disinfected.  Meet outside if possible and practice social distancing.
  12. Wash your hands before you leave home and when you return.  Keep hand sanitizer in your vehicle to use when returning to your car.
  13. Disinfect your steering wheel, seat belt latches, handles, and controls.
  14. Do not drive customers or clients in your vehicle.  They should drive alone in another vehicle or with people they already have been in recent contact with such as family members or roommates.
  15. Disinfect your phone and keyboard regularly. Do not loan your phone to someone else.
  16. Disinfect where you met with someone after the meeting.
  17. Pre-screen potential buyers to make sure they have a need to look for a home now rather than waiting.
  18. Do not physically meet with potential buyers or set up showings unless they are pre-qualified or pre-approved for their financing or offer proof of ability to buy without borrowing. In light of the current financial situation with lenders/banks, do not physically meet with buyers without proof of current financial pre-qualification.
  19. Encourage the use of virtual tools such as high-quality photographs of listings, virtual tours, and interactive floor plans so that virtual showings can narrow the field of homes that must be viewed in person.
  20. While showing a home, wear gloves and only spend enough time for the buyers to view what they need to in the home.  Go outside or in an open garage and stand apart to have conversations with buyers and sellers about the house.
  21. Respect Sellers’ COVID-19 based requests while showing the home such as washing your hands if invited to do so, wearing gloves if available, and do not use the bathroom facilities of an occupied home and disinfect after using.
  22. Don’t socialize face to face with your clients and others in the transaction. Keep your time together to a minimum. Be social by phone and other electronic means.
  23. Don’t go to home inspections unless the buyer can’t be there.
  24. Don’t meet the appraiser at the home.  Send information to the appraiser electronically.
  25. Don’t go to settlement unless your presence is required by the settlement/closing agent. Join settlement by facetime or other electronic means if you want to be part of the process.
  26. Use social media responsibly and not to entice people to leave their homes. Remember many are subject to an order to “shelter in place of residence”.
  27. For sellers who need to list their homes, you can take new listings.
  28. For buyers who need to buy you can negotiate Contracts to Buy and Sell Real Estate.
  29. Display a positive attitude to help people through this. Do not panic, stay informed, and use your best judgment and common sense.

Disclaimer: The above guidelines are merely recommendations from the Teton Board of Realtors© and is solely a guideline for best practices, which are fluid and may change due to updated information on best practices.Decisions informed by these guidelines should also take into consideration additional public health guidelines based on your specific jurisdiction.