If your firm uses MAR's forms for your real estate transactions, for your clients' protection and yours, be sure to use the latest versions of the forms which launched Monday, January 13.

There seem to be more uncommitted buyers in the market today than in past years. By uncommitted, I don’t mean procrastinating in making offers; I mean procrastinating when it comes to diligently honoring deadlines in contracts.

When is the next deadline for completing the Code of Ethics class?

December 31, 2021

The National Association of REALTORS® calculates the personal dues of Designated REALTORS® (DR), the Broker of the firm, to include a non-member assessment multiplied by the number of non-members licensed with the firm. A DR with agents adopts one of two office policies that apply to how the DR's personal dues are calculated and owed.

CMR’s favorite national trainer, Adorna Carroll, will be here on Feb 5th to teach two 2-hour education sessions. A morning session from 9 am till 11 am and an afternoon session from 1 pm till 3 pm.

Today, December 31, is the last day to renew REALTOR® or Affiliate Membership for 2020, and the day before 1st quarter MLS fees are due. For both, payment can be made through the Member Portal. If you have outstanding invoices, they display in a green box on the Member Portal.

Today, December 31: The last day to renew REALTOR® membership before being dropped to non-member status and losing benefits.

Last Week in December: The last opportunity for Brokers who don't want to pay non-member assessments to turn in licenses to MREC and provide the Licensee Status Form to CMR. CMR must receive the Licensee Status Form to remove an agent from your roster.

The 2020 Edition of Best Practices: From Listing to Closing is now available.  New features for 2020 include: a full table of contents, a consistent format throughout, a reader-friendly line spacing, an introduction of abbreviations, a QR code for each URL, and more. 

A sales associate can drastically reduce the chances of facing defenseless fair housing violations charges by employing a consistent approach to greeting people, showing homes, qualifying prospects, obtaining listings, conducting open houses, keeping records, and following up with clients and customers.

Can a buyer's agent negotiate the cooperative fee with the listing broker?

Yes, with one exception.

Until Dec 5, we are collecting donations for children and seniors in need.  Let's make a difference this holiday season.

Save yourself some money and hassle; remember that as a Designated REALTOR® and MLS Participant that adding a new agent to your roster comes with responsibilities to CMR.

Thank you to each member who submitted their C2EX certificate. We are happy to announce that we are now able to get those records automatically from NAR and that there is no longer a need to forward those certificates to us.

Attend this 3-hour session on Nov 12 and learn from experts about the purchase agreement, the survey, environmental issues, the appraisal, financing, and closing.

Also, know what it takes to meet them.

Attention to detail is monumental when working through a real estate transaction. If the closing date cannot be met, do not assume the parties will agree to an extension. Both clients are put in jeopardy when the agents involved are not properly facilitating their part of the transaction. Being complacent can cost you the deal. It can also cause the parties to look carefully at whether or not you honored your fiduciary duty to discharge reasonable care and diligence.

Communication is paramount. Keep the other REALTOR® informed of issues that affect the closing as soon as you know them and document that communication.

Members can create Google Alerts on their listing addresses and get notified when something squirrely pops up on that address. Members should remind sellers not to let anyone in the house who is not accompanied by a licensed agent regardless of what they might say.

Buying a house is exciting but can be stressful unless you know what to expect along the way. After identifying the dream house and negotiating the contract, it is time for the buyer to select a home inspector. Home inspections help the buyer know the property's condition in areas not generally seen during the looking phase of home selection.

The only way to pay toward 2020 RPAC is with dues. If you make a separate payment, that payment counts toward 2019 until the end of the year. If you want to pay RPAC for 2020 and have already paid your 2020 dues, you will have to wait until January.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is performing random audits of local broker's offices; they are reviewing Lead-Based Paint disclosures.

REALTORS® face job-related risks every day—working alone, meeting with strangers in unfamiliar places, and sharing personal contact information. While independence is one of the perks of our industry, it can leave agents open to vulnerabilities.

The National Association of REALTORS® has partnered with a long list of companies to provide exclusive benefits to REALTORS® Whether you need to rent a car, want to buy a new car, need insurance or need office supplies, make sure you take advantage of all the benefits available to you.

[REALTOR Benefits® Program]

There seems to be some misunderstanding about how Home Inspectors schedule appointments and perform their inspections. Let’s review:

President: Katie Warren
President-Elect: Duke Garraway
First Vice-President: Rashida Walker
Treasurer: Allan Summerlin

Directors:

James Carson
BJ Doty
Meshia Edwards
Melissa Honea
Sterling McCool
Allison Palmer
Tommy Payne

Jesse Barrilleaux, MLS President

REALTOR® of the Year: Gary Parker
Affiliate of the Year: Russ Ogburn

REALTOR® Emeritus Award recipients:

Besty Folmar
Peter D. Maloney
Jeanie P. Malouf
Halinda Mitchell
Gary R. Parker
Charles Thompson

MCAR REALTOR® of the Year: Bob Ridgway