Message from the President

by Dawn Brown

Safety Protocols Home Buyers and Sellers Should Expect When Working with a Realtor®

The National Association of Realtors® released the 2016 Member Safety Report, which surveyed over 3,000 Realtor® members about how safe they feel while on the job, their personal safety experiences, and the safety procedures and materials provided by their real estate brokerage. 

Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported they experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the safety of their personal information. Realtors® understand better than anyone the safety risks associated with real estate transactions, so it is imperative to create and share safety protocols with home buyers so they can learn about what they may encounter when working with a Realtor® .The BNAR is committed to protecting home buyers and sellers and their personal items by making sure they have the resources and education to stay safe and secure.

Here are some safety protocols and guidelines you should expect and keep in mind when working with a Realtor®, which ensure a safe experience for all parties involved. 

Meet your agent at their office. Instead of meeting for the first time at a property, a Realtor® may set-up the initial meeting at their office. Most people agree that meeting at a real estate professional’s office is much more comfortable and appropriate for the first meeting. Generally speaking, meeting a stranger at an unknown location can be an uneasy notion, and this is no different for that initial real estate transaction.

Secure your personal information. Your agent may make copies of your driver’s license and mortgage preapproval letter for their records. This allows the agent to keep a record of your information at their office to be stored in a secure place.  So be sure to have these items on hand for your initial meeting. Keeping this information safe and secure is a crucial step in maintaining a safe agent and client relationship.

Stay away from carpooling. When viewing a property, your agent may ask you to drive separately. This is a safety precaution for you and your agent – so do not feel offended. Driving separately is also important, as many times, you or the agent will have an appointment to go to afterward.

Your agent might walk behind you. Agents typically let potential buyers take the lead when exploring a home. This is a common safety protocol and also allows you to view each room on the property first and make your own impressions. 

View a vacant property by day. Your agent may only show vacant properties by day, so you can see what safety hazards exist, such as loose floorboards or any other defects. So when viewing a vacant  or even an occupied  property, expect to view it during daylight hours. 

For more information on Realtor® and consumer safety, visit www.realtor.org/safety.

Call to Action

Tell Congress:  Do not raise taxes on middle class homeowners in order to cut taxes for corporations.  http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/.  Congress is threatening tax incentives for homeowners, like the mortgage interest deduction and the state and local property tax deduction. These incentives are critical for a strong housing market that creates jobs and builds stable communities. Do not let tax reform become a tax increase for middle class homeowners. Homeownership is the bedrock of our industry and we need to make sure any tax reform legislation protects middle class homeowners.  Thank you for your support on this critical issue.

BNAR Accepting Nomination Forms for REALTOR and REALTOR-ASSOCIATE of the Year 

Is it you, or is it someone in our office who devotes time to the real estate industry, their Association and in their community?  Submit the REALTOR or REALTOR-ASSOCIATE of the Year Nomination form to Debbie Norman (dnorman@bnar.org) by Friday, December 1, 2017.

2017 Agents Day and Trade Show Oktoberfest Event

On behalf of the BNAR and the Agents Day committee we would like to thank you for attending this event. This year we had an outstanding number of attendees and the largest number of exhibitors. We hope that you had a great time networking with your fellow realtors, took advantage of the free one CE credit seminars and received the updated information from the exhibitors on their products and services to help you in your business.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Diamond: Real Estate Signs, 2FindYOurHome

Platinum: Barclay Damon LLP, Instanet Solutions, MP Caroll Hardwood

Gold: ShowingTime, Zillow Group

Bronze: Bank of America, Clareity Security LLC.

Special thanks to 12 Gates Brewing Company and Bully Hill for their complimentary tastings.

Please take a moment to fill out this quick survey, your input is very important to us. Click here for the survey

Here is a complete list of our Agents Day Exhibitors!

Committees Forming

If you want to be involved in the decisions that affect your business and livelihood or would like to participate in planning activities, then join a BNAR committee.  Committees are task oriented and can meet anytime, day or night, or even through emails.   Submit this form to Debbie Norman (dnorman@bnar.org) by December 22, 2017.