Why should you,as a REALTOR®, be interested in the internet of things and smart home technology?
Because by the year 2020, there will be 50 billion connected devices and 6.1 billion smart phone users. More and more smart home devices are being purchased and left in homes that are selling. With the proper knowledge and tips, you can improve the probability of closing a deal with any client.
One of the biggest devices that are remaining with a home are smart thermostats. The idea is nothing new: We have been programming temperatures for different times and days for years, but now we can adjust them from any mobile device or interact with a car pulling in the driveway. This opens up a whole new area of convenience and security. If I forget to reset a thermostat when I purchase a home, the previous owner could easily mess with my temperature at any given time.
The Online Trust Alliance has come up with a smart home checklist that can be used as a guide for checking smart home related devices in the home. It’s advised that you review this document and even supply a copy to any client you may have. CRT labs at NAR has also supplied an info sheet for the top thermostats on the market so you can be well-armed with the capabilities and cost of each.
The current push in the smart home industry is for more automation, air quality sensors and ease of use. With the ever changing market and availability we will do our best to make sure you are armed with the best information available to be on the cutting edge of Real Estate. Stay tuned for some big announcements about low cost and cheap sensors that could easily be used as closing gifts or proactive solutions to listing a home.
Each month, we have great people join SCAOR, and February is no different. Here’s a list of our new members joining us this month.
Lisa Louth
Beverly Smith
Michael Kennedy
Janet Romm
Jennifer Thompson
Kimberly Ridge
Craig Nelson
Liza Orlando
Terry Slade Young
Zach Rempfer
Steven Gilbert
Shawn McDonnell
Thomas Burdett
Beth Gilbert
Luke Riale
Michael Powers
Mary Niles
Mirla Aleman
To our current members: If you change your email, please call us – MLS billing is going out May 15th. It’s a great time to let us know if you’ve changed your email – that way we’re not sending info to the wrong address.
Governor John Carney on Thursday announced plans to meet and engage with members of the public on Delaware’s budget challenges during a series of “Budget Reset” Community Conversations.
During the election cycle in the United States, attention had been focused on the large amounts of cash politicians were raising for their respective campaigns and, more importantly, where that money is coming from.
Well, the answer is simple – A LOT.
For the most part – from people or organizations who favor the opinions and ideology of a specific candidate.
As REALTORS®, we have our favorite candidates – and that’s why we have the national REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) to protect our interests and support candidates who publicly support the American Dream of home ownership.
Many of you have generously supported RPAC over the years and understand the important of doing so. Some have contributed more than others, and that’s okay.
But the work of RPAC and of the REALTOR® Party is important in so many ways, and it can and does actively help us all in our businesses.
Here are a few ways how:
By protecting your business against new regulations and fees. These can become burdensome and expensive if allowed to go unchecked, and it’s up to us to support candidates who will lessen the “red tape” for us and our businesses.
By protecting the property rights of your clients. By contributing to RPAC, you’re helping elect leaders who will protect these rights and will fight to keep homeowners from being unnecessarily burdened by government.
By educating leaders on REALTORS® A percentage of the funds raised through RPAC is used for spreading our message and illustrating how important the real estate business – YOUR business – is to the American economy.
There are just a few of the ways contributing to RPAC can help your business locally, and can help further the REALTOR® cause regionally and nationally.
Won’t you consider donating even a small amount today through SCAOR? You can easily do so by clicking HERE.
And to learn more about the RPAC program, visit the RPAC page on the National Association of REALTORSâ Website.
Here’s the link to the page – http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/for-associations/CPA/rpac.html?referrer=https://www.google.com.ph/
With 2016 rapidly coming to a close, it’s time to begin planning for the blank slate and new challenges that always come when the calendar turns to January 1.
With the real estate markets around the country now fully recovered from the recession of a few years ago, certain trends have begun developing that are driving the market anew. Some of these trends began in 2016 or earlier, but others are just now coming to the surface.
So let’s examine a few of the things that experts say to be on the lookout for in 2017:
First Time Homebuyers Multiplying. According to data, more than one-third of the people purchasing homes in 2015 were first-time buyers, but that number is expected to increase to more than half in 2017. This means that the competition for affordable starter homes may increase exponentially, as more than 60 percent of first-time homebuyers are expected to be millennials less than 35 years old. Something to keep your eye on for sure.
Barriers are Changing. Mortgage qualification issues, including credit scores and down payments, are expected to be the biggest barriers to homeownership in 2017. So expect to work a little harder with your clients when trying to get them qualified for loans. There are many options, of course, and you may need to examine several of them in 2017 to get over this hurdle.
What Buyers are Looking for. In a recent survey, prospective home buyers were asked what attributes they were looking for in new homes, with large yards, quality construction and safe neighborhoods coming out on top. Millennials are also looking for single-family homes with extra space for starting families. No condos for them!
Spring and Summer is Still King. Most prospective buyers have indicated that they plan to buy in the spring and summer months, when the weather is warmer and moving to a new home is more convenient. This trend is obviously nothing new in our area, but it’s still worth noting.
So there are a few trends that experts are expecting to either occur or continue in 2017. Trends change every year, of course, and each market is different (think coastal) but these are things worth watching for in the next calendar year.
Did you know that the RPR app is an awesome value of your SCAOR membership? Why, you ask? Because RPR’s app is like no other found in the real estate industry.
Here are three reasons why the app should become your go-to-tool:
Built exclusively for REALTORS®, and offered as a member benefit, RPR’s app offers on-the-go access to a nationwide, parcel-centric database of both residential and commercial properties, including dynamic data and robust reporting for a multitude of data sets.
Residential agents can use their locations to easily search and analyze on-and-off market properties, valuations, tax and mortgage info, distressed data, flood zones, mapping, demographics, schools, neighborhoods, and market trends. Plus, they can instantly send client-friendly reports … anytime, anywhere.
New! Commercial practitioners can now use the app to access commercial property characteristics, ownership data, transaction history, legal descriptions, tax info, pre-foreclosure and foreclosure activity, street and satellite views, and more. Plus, RPR’s Commercial Property, Trade Area or Best Business reports can be instantly downloaded and/or emailed to a client.
By the way, we’ve created a cool infographic that highlights the features of the app’s commercial mode. Check it out!
On Wednesday, November 9th, 2016, SCAOR invited the CEO of TREND MLS to give an update on Bright MLS. If you missed the meeting, you can watch the entire presentation online here (Includes some of the Q&A segment at the end):
