Eight criminals have been caught after they used email to scam real estate agents and buyers to commit wire fraud to steal approximately $15 million.  Read the article about how a real estate company assisted the FBI in nabbing the criminals.  As suggested in a separate article, you may wish to consider inserting the wire fraud email template into your email signature to help protect your clients. 

If so, you must have shown some interest in or talent for local politics.  On October 25, we’d like to provide some help to determine whether running for office is right for you.  Central Mississippi REALTORS® and Mississippi REALTORS® intend to co-sponsor a one-day Candidate Training Academy for REALTORS® and friends of REALTORS® who have a sincere interest in the subject of running for public office. 

There has been a lot of anxiety and frustration exhibited over the measures you all are having to take to comply with the new advertising rules that took effect July 1.  Because you have had to go to a lot of lengths to become compliant, your tendency might be to scrutinize every sign, ad, and communication you come across to see if it is in compliance. 

Each of you knows CMR as an Association likes to be first in everything and exceed any goal handed to us. Because of your effort, Mississippi was the FIRST state to exceed the 20% goal set by NAR for responses to the Call for Action on flood insurance.

With the July 1 deadline approaching to comply with the new MREC advertising rules requiring firm name and firm phone number in all forms of advertising, also remember that firm name display in advertising is an obligation of the Code of Ethics - Article 12, Standards of Practice 12-5 and 12-9.

Contacting a withdrawn seller is soliciting a listing that is still listed which is a potential violation of Article 16 of the Code of Ethics.

In our MLS, the listing agreement with the seller is still intact when a property is in withdrawn status.  Withdrawn is a temporary status used when a seller doesn’t want the property shown while something temporary is going on (renovations, family illness, Christmas holidays, etc.).

If yes, NAR has an award for you – REALTOR Emeritus Status.

Through 2019, a REALTOR® Member who has held membership in the National Association of REALTORS® for a cumulative period of 40 years, and has completed at least one year of service to the Association, is eligible for REALTOR® Emeritus status.

You received information recently that several of MAR’s Standard forms were revised in March.  Last week, five of the recently revised standard forms were once again revised based upon member input and have a revision date of May 2018.  If your firm uses MAR’s forms, it is to your advantage to use the most current revision.

The “Ultimate Jackson Staycation” package will be raffled off to one lucky attendee of the 2018 MLS Expo. More details including prize list and prices provided within.

Actions taken by the NAR Board of Directors held Saturday, May 19 in Washington, DC of which you need to be aware.

You are missing the boat if you are not emailing your sphere of influence a monthly CMMLS Market Heartbeat.

Be careful: You and your buyer may be under surveillance when touring a property.

A New Best Practice. The Best Practices Committees is hard at work updating CMR’s Best Practices. Five new ones are being added this year. Here’s one of them.

“Coming soon” can be an effective marketing tool if:

1. A signed listing agreement is in place.
2. The MLS Exemption was filed with the MLS within 24 hours of having the signed listing agreement.
3 The property is not shown to anyone, by anyone until it is exposed to the full buying market for the benefit of the seller.

Through the use of new technologies in the photo industry, REALTORS® can become creative with the way photos and images are displayed on websites.

MARPAC Endorses CMR Appraiser Bob Morrow for House District 60.

Your next Facebook post could be a violation of the MLS and Code of Ethics. Read this tip to steer clear of MLS and Code violations.

For the second year in a row, Central Mississippi REALTORS® (CMR) will be a participant in the Over the Edge with Friends of Children’s Hospital fundraising attraction.

Now makes the perfect time to rebrand ourselves as industry professionals. With that, I challenge each of you to adopt a new commitment to professionalism in every transaction. Rod Crosby, 2018 President.

USDA Rural Development is conducting a review of Pearl and Byram to determine whether or not these areas should be removed the rural housing programs. The deadline to submit comments is February 28, 2018.

The Code of Ethics requires all REALTORS® to cooperate, but there is no obligation under the Code to compensate.

It's time to take professionalism to the next level! I invite you to join me at the next membership gathering titled, "2nd Annual REALTOR® Winter Workshop" on Tuesday, February 20 at Highland Colony Baptist Church.

Free parking for REALTOR® Day at the State Capitol will be available at the CMR Building and behind Carter Jewelers off High Street.

"In business as in life, you don't get what you deserve you get what you negotiate!" Resolve to improve your negotiation skills this year with Adorna Carroll's RENE Course offered by MRI.

Wire fraud schemes have accounted for $5 billion in financial losses to consumers since 2013, according to FBI statistics. Other common schemes in real estate include fake referral emails, “overpayment” scams, and fake DocuSign emails.