Welcome to another monthly edition of the Association newsletter.
I would like to update you on a few important topics relevant to the future of SCAOR. First, I would like to announce that Andrew Mason, communications coordinator, is departing SCAOR to manage the day-to-day operations of his business, Small Pond Productions. If you know Andrew then you know he is very talented with a great voice. After many years of working part-time on his voice over business, he will be leaving SCAOR on Friday, November 30 to take his talents full-time. We wish him the best! With that being said, I will be posting a job announcement for a full-time communications professional. SCAOR is a great organization to work for, so please pass along this information to those seeking work in the communications field.
Secondly, SCAOR finished the 2018 Lockbox Audit. Brokers with lockboxes over 20% of listings, please return by the end of November. Thank you for monitoring your share of lockboxes. Please remember that missing lockboxes cost $115 each, and SCAOR will be in touch if we have found any Brokerages to be in violation.
I would like to thank Emily Williams, Young Professional Network (YPN) Chair, on a great year. The YPN Committee hosted three events which were all designed to expand new member networking. The last YPN event in Lewes was a success with four Affiliate speakers. Members learned a few pitfalls from local professionals. I am excited to see what the 2019 YPN Committee has in store for the membership starting in January 2019.
Regarding the new Strategic Plan, which will be posted on the SCAOR website in November, the Committee agreed on the following objectives commencing in 2019:
Governance (ethics)
Community Outreach
Government Affairs (advocacy)
Communications
Professional Development (education)
We are looking forward to enacting the new objectives, especially the community outreach objective to promote members throughout the community.
Lastly, SCAOR has worked on improving the website, and increasing the social media presence through Facebook. A few improvements are as follows:
Look for a Single Sign On (SSO) in the near future (think one sign on for all SCAOR services) – Want to beta test? Click here and use your SCAOR portal username and password.
New information about the national/local partnership with the Georgetown Boys and Girls Club
As September has arrived, it is hard to believe that summer will soon turn to fall. Numerous achievements are being accomplished each day at the Association. Perhaps, the biggest achievement that happened during the year thus far was our transition to Bright MLS. If you have not already seen the Announcement regarding the Bright MLS Survey, please click the link below. I am hopeful that the survey will provide the respective parties at Bright MLS with valuable feedback that can improve the platform.
Please encourage other agents within your brokerages to complete the survey if they have not already done so as I will see this information is shared with the proper parties at Bright MLS.
It is a pleasure to serve as your President this year, and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Best regards,
*Christopher M. Lind | Managing Broker, REALTOR®*
*President, Sussex County Association of REALTORS**®*
Welcome to the monthly snapshot of your Association.
After a busy summer season, I would like to update you several topics. First, the Election Ballot was emailed to you this week. Per the Bylaws, voting ends on October 1 at 12 noon. Please be sure to vote! Second, please consider attending the RPAC event at 16 Mile Brewery on September 18 from 5-9 pm. It is important to support RPAC. For more information on RPAC please click here. Next, the Lockbox Audit commences October 1. Brokers will be asked to tally lockboxes and return to SCAOR all lockboxes over 20% of listings. Please call me directly if you have questions. The goal is to store the unassigned lockboxes at SCAOR over the winter before the spring selling season. For those who have lost a lockbox, there is a penalty. Dues billing and committee recruitment also occur in October. It is a busy month. Lastly, the General Membership meeting is scheduled for October 1 starting at 11 am. Mark it on your calendar and be sure to attend. Election results will be reported at 12:15 pm.
In closing, I would like to thank the staff (Trish, Andrew, Mary and Kristy) for all of their hard work. The Association could not operate without a competent group of professionals. If you have questions or comments about any facet of your Association, please email me at merritt@scaor.com or call me at (302) 855-2300.
Sincerely,
Merritt Burke
CEO, Sussex County Association of REALTORS®
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“Ethics, Education and Advocacy.”
Association Dues & Fees:
Membership Dues: Billed October 1, due October 31 annually
Lockbox Fees: Billed June 1, due June 30 annually.
Now that we’re in September, we look to this fall’s events: including General Membership Meeting, the Lock Box Audit, and the RPAC Cornhole Tournament.
How many times a week do we get flyers advertising $$$$$$$ Agent Bonus?
Are you aware you cannot pay a bonus to an agent? We need to go back to our Pre-Licensing class and remember the section on Brokerage. We are associated with a Brokerage, and that Brokerage owns all our listings and Buyer clients. When a listing gets sold, and the commission is paid, it is paid to the Brokerage, and the Brokerage then passes your share along to you. Likewise, if you were paid by a Buyer under some separate agreement with the Buyer, that commission would be paid to the Brokerage, and it would then pass through to you based on your commission split with your Company.
The same pass-through from the Broker to you applies also to Agent bonuses. A bonus cannot be paid to you; it must be paid to the Brokerage, and the Brokerage, through their Independent Contractor Agreement with you, passes along either the whole bonus or some portion of it, whatever your company policy dictates.
So let’s get those flyers right. The next time you’re offering a bonus, the flyer should read: $$$$$ Bonus to selling office (or selling broker) or $$$$ Agency Bonus or $$$$ Broker Bonus. When the bonus is paid at time of final settlement, the Broker, in accordance with your company policy, will either pass it in whole to you or share it with you.
And, oh, don’t forget. If you’re receiving a bonus, you need to disclose that to your client! Check out Article 1, SOP 1-13 of the Code of Ethics!
Curious about RPR? RPR and Sussex County Association of REALTORS have put together two training sessions designed exclusively with you in mind. Register for one or both to take full advantage of your N.A.R. member benefit.
First off, thank you for being a member of the Sussex County Association of REALTORS. As the Association transitions to a new era without owning a MLS, I would like the members to revisit Article II of the Bylaws of the Association. Article II – Objectives covers six sections that are very important to the future of the organization. The first objective is to unite those engaged in real estate for the purpose of exerting a beneficial influence upon the profession and related interests. The second objective is to promote and maintain high standards of conduct. The third objective is to safeguard the interests of the profession. The fourth objective is to further the interests of home and real property ownership. The last two objectives are to partner with the State and National Associations and to designate for the benefit of the public individuals authorized to use the term REALTOR. Every one of these objectives is still relevant to the members today. Strong mediation services, ethical members, an iconic brand, defense of property rights and building consensus with the State and National association are all critical to the Association staying relevant and functional for the members of tomorrow.
As you can see, there is no better time to revisit these objectives and think about where the Association is heading in the future. On June 13 and 14 the Strategic Planning Committee will discuss and debate how the objectives of the Bylaws can influence a new Strategic Plan. The current Plan has four objectives such as enhanced communications, a robust public policy program, exemplary education and technology for the members, and lastly develop and promote a compelling value proposition.
As CEO, I think the communications of the Association have been enhanced and continue to be timely from the weekly At-a-Glance and Tech Tip Tuesdays to the monthy SCAORcard. Regarding education, I think SCAOR provides an exemplary in-house experience but could improve offerings and possibly look into internet classes. Two areas that need improvement are communication about advocacy and what the Association is doing at the local level to benefit the members. Even though we have an experienced Public Policy Committee, we could do a better job communicating what they do for the members. Lastly, we could promote the value proposition better, no doubt. The Association offers many other benefits such as a comprehensive lockbox program, an active Young Professionals Network (YPN) and partnerships with WCR on national speakers. Professional growth and development of the members is critical for the organization. The public expects that our members are fully trained, knowledgeable and service orientated. The Association also sustains an active Affiliate roster with multiple networking events throughout the year. There is a lot happening at SCAOR, so attend a class, serve on a committee or stop by a mixer.
Speaking of getting involved, June 4-22 is the 2019 Board Recruitment. The Nominating Committee has been selected and approved. Interviews will be scheduled July 9-13 at SCAOR. If you are interested, please apply to serve on the Board or wait until the fall for 2019 Committee recruitment. We always need volunteers on various committees.
Other news includes the following:
June 1 SentriLock invoicing. Deadline June 30. Members $125 / Non-Members $150.