Message from the President, by Amber Wesser 

Updated April 1, 2021

April is going to be a busy month, full of important events and hopefully the start of a busy spring market.

First and foremost, April is Fair Housing Month. I’m proud to share that many members stepped up and completed the Fair Housing Challenge by visiting Fairhaven, NAR’s online fair housing training simulation, and watching the Implicit Bias training video and workshop.

In recognition of Fair Housing Month, BNAR has set up several educational opportunities focused on fair housing and working effectively working with diverse populations.

The At Home with Diversity course, offered on April 6 and 7, is a great way to kick-off Fair Housing Month. This two-day course is designed to present a picture of the changing face of the real estate industry. More importantly, the class teaches REALTORS® how to work effectively with—and within—a rapidly changing multicultural market. Diversifying your clientele means learning the practical skills and tools to expand business and effectively service all cultural groups. This certification addresses issues of diversity, fair housing and cultural differences. Register at the member portal through your MLS Portal. This course will also provide attendees with six hours of CE credit and an opportunity for a designation.

Our focus on fair housing will continue with a series for free presentations including a presentation by Bill Dedman on April 15. He was a lead reporter for Newsday’s undercover investigation of fair housing compliance on Long Island.

On April 22, we will have Alexia Smokler, NAR’s senior policy representative for Fair Housing, discussing Fairhaven and fair housing issues.  Daniel Corbitt, Esq. will present “Fair Housing Matters: For Real Estate Professionals” on April 29.

You can register for all these virtual events at the member portal through your MLS Portal.

I hope you will take advantage of these tools and presentations designed to empower us to:

•  Confront and check our biases.
•  Honor the Fair Housing act.
•  Work to end discrimination in housing.

The annual NYSAR Lobby Day is set for April 27. This year will be a virtual event, making it easier than ever to participate since there’s no travel. Even though we won’t be in Albany, there is nothing more powerful than a group of REALTORS® sharing their views on key issues in face-to-face meetings with our elected representatives.

They pay close attention to the views of their constituents who have the power to vote them into or out of office.

Every year, NYSAR’s Lobby Day in Albany, provides us with an opportunity to deliver the REALTOR® point of view on key issues directly to our Western New York representatives in state government. There is no cost to participate. BNAR and NYSAR will provide us with talking points to make sure we cover all the key issues.

Together, we can deliver the REALTOR® position on our issues to Albany. I encourage you to register at NYSAR.com today and plan to join us.

Add the power of your voice to the hundreds of REALTORS® who will deliver our message on April 27.

I am looking forward to April and the spring market. Your continued support is always appreciated. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Amber Wesser,
BNAR President 2021
I am available, 24/7/365 so please feel free to email me

Updated As of April 15, 2021.
The ESD guidelines are still in effect.

Current NYS COVID-19 Real Estate Guidelines Click Here

Are you knowingly or unknowingly violating Fair Housing Laws?
Bill Dedman, one of the four lead reporters on Newday's undercover investigation of racial steering by real estate agents in Long Island addressed this question during his presentation BNAR hosted on April 15 as part of their Fair Housing Speaker Series. In case you missed it, here is the link the recording.


April is National Fair Housing Month - Don't miss out on the free Fair Housing Speaker Series
Register through your MLS Portal under BNAR/WNYREIS Member Portal.
- On April 15 from 10:00 am until 11:30 am is Fair Housing - "Long Island Divided" presented by Bill Dedman one of the four lead reporters on Newsday's undercover investigation of racial steering by real estate agents.
- On April 22 from 10:00 am until 11:30 am is the National Association of REALTORS Fair Housing update presented by Alexia Smokler, NAR's Senior Policy Representative for Fair Housing and project manager of Fairhaven.
- On April 29 from 1:00 pm until 2:30 pm is Fair Housing Matters: For Real Estate Professionals presented by Daniel J. Corbitt, Esq. of Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME)
Download the flyer for your Office and share with your peers.

BNAR Update and Impact of the Pandemic on Real Estate and Economic Outlook
The BNAR Update and the Economic Outlook on March 17, was well attended by over 200 members. BNAR Members received important updates from BNAR President Amber Wesser and Chief Executive Officer John Leonardi followed by a presentation by Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research at NAR who covered the housing outlook on our local market. For those that could not attend the session here is a link to the full program.
Here is the link to Dr. Yun's Slide Presentation.

New Education Requirements for REALTORS
Effective July 1, 2021 Every real estate licensee, including those real estate brokers who had previously claimed exemption of "grandfathering" will need to comply with the state's new Continuing Education requirements. According to the update, the 22 1/2 hours of required continuing education now includes 2 1/2 hours of ethical business practices and 1 hour of legal updates in addition to the previously required 3 hours of Fair Housing training and 1 hour of law of agency(2 hours in the first renewal period for agents).

WNYHeros - www.wnyheroes.org Has been Selected as BNAR President's Charity
2021 BNAR President, Amber Wesser chose WNY Heroes as her charity and is planning fundraising activities during the year for their Pawsitive for Heroes, Operation B.O.O.T.S. and Heroes Bridge programs. You can help right now by doing a fun activity with wood projects on your own or with others in the comfort of your home. $10.00 from every purchase is going directly to WNY Heroes, Inc. Pick up your project or have it shipped to your home. Here is the link to the details!

Meet our New Instructors
Welcome new instructors Adele Cloutier, Marcia Krebs, Matthew Laufer Attorney, Clifford Allcorn and Robert Kosczarek. Experts in their field teach all of our classes. BNAR is your center for career development. Make BNAR your source for education. 

What is RPAC?
The REALTORS Political Action Committee raises money for the future and protection of the real estate industry and homeowners by supporting the election of candidates who support the free enterprise system and private property rights. It provides Realtors with a voice in legislative chambers, and a seat at the table when decisions are made regarding our welfare and financial future. Please consider giving your Fair Share of $35.00. Here is the pledge form. For more information on RPAC contact Dan Locche at dlocche@bnar.org

Covid 19 Safe Showings and Best Practices
The BNAR Realtors Issues Committee and the Executive Team produced Safe Showing Instructions and our 2020 Best Practices to give you additional guidance through this time.  The New York State Association also has issued guidelines and frequently asked questions. Here is the link to NYSAR’s Covid-19 FAQ’s. For more Coronavirus updates and resources use this link.

The BNAR Office is Open by Appointment Only
Please call the BNAR office at 636-9000 to make an appointment or reach out to them via email using the following link. http://www.bnar.org/contact_us/staff/index.html.
New applications and Membership changes can be emailed to mbrown@bnar.org. For Supra, be sure your app is updated.  Contact cwalter@bnar.org to make arrangements for lockbox purchases and any other assistance with Supra and for store items.

The NY Department of State(DOS) License Renewals

Effective March 27, 2020, pursuant to Executive Order 202.11, any license issued by the Division of Licensing Services or New York State Athletic Commission that expires after that date shall remain in effect until April 20, 2021. Further, the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, has advised that appraisers within New York have been granted a 90-day deferment for meeting continuing education requirements. Any license holder that is eligible to renew and does not need the extension is encouraged to do so; all other license holders may rely on the above extensions. Please note licensees who submit a renewal after the expiration date printed on their license but by September 5, 2020 will see a change in their license term dates upon renewal, however, our office will maintain a record of the EO extension and your license will considered continuous licensure for this period.Visit the Licensing webpage for updates and guidance at https://www.dos.ny.gov

 

Click the Fair Housing Logo to Watch the NAR Video
This video will highlight scenarios and provide risk management tips.

Is it time to Renew your License?
Here is a video to show you step by step how to renew your license at eAccessNY.