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.

Calling for Nominations! Do you know a Realtor® & Business Person who goes above & beyond ….

Calling for Nominations! Do you know a Realtor® who goes above & beyond to help others, or a colleague that deserves special recognition? This is your chance to nominate that shining star for TBOR’s 2020 Realtor® of the Year!

How about a business professional who works hard for our Community?  Someone that brings people together and moves our community forward into the future?  Nominate them today for the 2019 Business Person of the Year!

The Realtor® of the Year and Business Person of the Year awards recognize outstanding leadership, accomplishments, and professionalism in our Industry and Community!

We need YOUR HELP to find those outstanding Realtors® and Business Professionals!

Make your nominations on the NEW form on our webistes by Friday, July 10 ~ 5:00pm.

2019 Realtor® of the Year Nomination form

2019 Business Person of the Year Nomination form

Let’s recognize those that are knowledgeable, have tenacity, positive attitudes, integrity and more…

TETON BOARD OF REALTORS®   …. working together to inspire excellence, productivity and professionalism

Want $250 credit towards your 2020 TBOR dues?

Complete all of the 10 (11 for Brokers) elements of the Commitment to Excellence Program

by August 31st and be entered to win one of two $250 dues credit

The National Association of REALTORS® proudly introduces
Commitment to Excellence (C2EX), a program that empowers
REALTORS® to demonstrate their professionalism and
commitment to conducting business at the highest standards.
C2EX takes professionalism to the next level by enabling NAR
members to assess their expertise in 10 (11 for brokers) elements of
professionalism ranging from customer service to use of
technology.

To get started, log in to www.C2EX.realtor and take the self-assessment
that measures your proficiency in each of the elements
of professionalism, known as the C2EX Competencies. Based on
your results, the platform will generate customized learning paths,
recommend experiences, and provide tools and resources to
increase your knowledge and enhance your skill sets.

RPAC Lunch in Etna ~ Thursday, April 18

Come have lunch with us and learn all about RPAC! 

As important as it is to be involved in your local community, it is equally important that we, as REALTORS,® are involved at the state and federal levels of government as well.  By participating in RPAC, your voice is heard collectively with hundreds of thousands of your colleagues across the country.   RPAC supports our clients and community – It’s not all about us as Realtors – It protects private property rights and promotes home ownership.  RPAC provides you a seat at the table.  If you don’t get involved, you may face the prospect of bad legislation or a new set of crippling regulations that can put you out of business.

RPAC is the best insurance you can buy for your business!

 

Etna Community Center

Thursday, April 18 ~ 11:30am

Lunch will be served while the TBOR RPAC committee will help us to understand what RPAC is and what it can do for us, our Business and our Clients

 

RSVP by Tuesday, April 16 – send us an email to rsvp@tbor.org

 

Hope to see you there!