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Cindy Beckwith, Broker Five Star Real Estate, Lansing Member of GLAR for 16 Years   Tell us why you want to be on the Board of Directors. Beckwith: "I do really love our industry and want to be an encouragement to those already involved and to others who might want [...]

SUPRA to Sentrilock Conversion Timeline:   Monday, August 1 o Brokerage lockbox inventory lists are due to the Association. o All lockboxes will be registered to the broker. Brokers will have control over their inventory. If an agent leaves a brokerage, the brokerage will have the responsibility of collect the [...]

The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® has endorsed eight candidates for Michigan State House of Representatives and Senate. Endorsed candidates are: State Senate Sarah Anthony 21st District Sam Singh 28th District   State House of Representatives Julie Brixie 73rd District Kara Hope 74th District Penelope Tsernoglou 75th District Angela Witwer [...]

May 19, 2022 Presented by Jared Roberts, GLAR Legal Counsel & Real Estate Department Chair at Fraser TrebilcockLaw Firm 1. Don't sell yourself short. Between the buyer's agency agreement and the agency disclosure forms, buyer's agents should take a moment to inform their buyers about the services they can expect [...]

By Jared Roberts, Fraser Trebilcock Law Firm 1. Are you truly doing what’s best for the seller? Agents that suggest “off market” listings are often not acting in their client's best interest, primarily because the property does not receive the needed exposure to the public and the full market. 2. [...]

Local broker marketplaces known as Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) connect buyers and sellers of real estate in the U.S. through their respective agents. MLSs gives first-time, low-income and other buyers better access to the American dream of homeownership while also exposing a seller’s property to the greatest number of potential [...]

April 21, 2022 Presented by Aaron Fox, 2022 President of Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® and Becky Gean, Esq., Director of Legal Education with Michigan Realtors® 1. Golden Rule of Real Estate Advertising...."Describe the property not the person!" 2. "Perfect for ______," is a dangerous sentence when it comes to [...]

As homes become “smarter,” it is easy to feel like there’s an extra set of eyes and ears watching and listening in. To be fair, most sellers aren’t installing cameras or listening devices just to peek in on buyers. Most often, they already have them installed for convenience and security. [...]

March 17, 2022 Presented by Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of REALTORS®   1. Gas prices will remain elevated for quite some time due in large part to low drilling from COVID pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 2. Employment in Michigan is still down 2.6 percent from pre-COVID [...]

February 24, 2022 Home warranties presented by Ray Stark, America's Preferred Home Warranty Home inspections presented by Jason Murton, Accurate Inspections, LLC   Home Warranties 1. A home warranty is a risk reduction tactic; home owners insurance is hazard insurance. 2. Only properly installed items, previously in working order, that [...]

January 20, 2022 City of Lansing Form Based Code presented by Andy Fedewa, City of Lansing Planner East Lansing Housing Study presented by Thomas J. Fehrenbach, Deputy City Manager, Director of Planning, Building and Development, East Lansing   City of Lansing Form Based Code 1. Lansing's new form based code [...]

Supra now offers a simplified, convenient and secure way to provide controlled listing access to out of area licensed agents. Authorization is granted by the listing agent via the eKEY® app for one-time lockbox access during a specified time window. Simple, streamlined access for work teams • Secure, limited access [...]

Top 10 Takeaways: Taxes and Investments November 4, 2021 General Membership Meeting   1. One of the best retirement plans for self employed persons (like REALTORS®) is the simple IRA.   2. Higher producing self employed REALTORS® should ask a financial advisor about the self employed pension IRA. (SEP IRA) [...]

Voting is a great step towards building strong communities, protecting property rights and promoting a vibrant business environment. Polls are open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. local time. You have the right to vote if you are in line by 8 p.m. Not registered? Voters may register the day [...]

What does the "DPR Eligible" field mean? DPR stands for Down Payment Resource. Down Payment Resource is a partner of the Association that connects buyers with down payment assistance programs. When a listing is marked as DPR eligible, it means that property qualifies for down payment assistance and can show [...]

1. Agents cannot dictate which title company is being used. 2. Informational inspection is not a legal term. If you are having an inspection but it is not a contingency, then write that. 3. Buyers have no right to complain if a love letter isn't presented. 4. The most valuable [...]

Properties currently subject to a listing contract and reported to MLS in which the Participant has been directed by the Seller: Listings can only stay in the Coming Soon status for up to 14 days The status will automatically change to Active on the date set by the listing agent [...]

Top 5 Takeaways- REALTOR® Self Protection September General Membership Meeting 9/16/2021   1. Meet clients in the office for the first time, take documentation of their ID, license plate and vehicle details for ALL. 2. Allow clients to lead the way in showings. Never enter a room or go down [...]

Deborah Cooper REALTOR at Coldwell Banker Frewen Realty Years as GLAR Member: 17 What do you believe makes you a qualified candidate for the Board of Directors?  I have volunteered and served several years in the community and on various GLAR committees. I have served [...]

By Craig Puckett Government Affairs Director Voting has begun for the 2022 Michigan REALTORS® District Director Elections. The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® has two members running in the election. Chris Dean for District 7 and Beth Graham for District 8. Members living in these Congressional Districts with an NRDS [...]

This March, the Association launched a new website at www.glaronline.com. Aside from looking pretty, this site also allows members to sign in with Flex credentials to access their membership accounts. On this site you can do important membership functions such as register for education classes, update your billing information, invest [...]

The Accredited Buyer's Representative Designation is coming to Lansing this August 2 and 9! The ABR is the benchmark in excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation demonstrates a commitment to providing outstanding service to buyers.   Agents will learn: -How to demonstrate your value to today's buyer -The skills [...]

Realist has added a new search field in their property database called the " Sell Score." The sell score is a valuable data point that allows agents to search for properties that are likely to become listings. The sell score is based on the propensity to list model. Properties with [...]

1. Racial discrimination in real estate was considered illegal as early as 1866. Unfortunately, racial discrimination is taking place to this day. 2. Redlining was set in place by the FHA. FHA would not insure mortgages in what was defined as "hazardous" areas, also known as redlined districts. Communities redlined [...]

1. Advertising under the Fair Housing Act is broad and includes any promotional materials (newspaper ad, billboard, internet ad) but ALSO any verbal statements made. 2. When advertising listings, describe the property not the people. 3. If you are advertising online, understand that including or excluding certain audiences or neighborhoods [...]