FHFA Directs Enterprises to Grant Flexibilities for Appraisal and Employment Verifications
To facilitate liquidity in the mortgage market during the corona virus national emergency, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) to provide alternative flexibilities to satisfy appraisal requirements and employment verification requirements through....(click here)
Topics: Announcements, Brokers/Managers, Market Information, Industry
Temporary Feature – “Ask DRE Licensing” By Email
In addition to our public phone line, DRE is temporarily answering Licensing related questions by email at Ask.DRELicensing@dre.ca.gov.
Staff responding to these emails will have access to limited information and can only answer general licensing and examination questions, such as how do I apply for a license or what are the requirements to renew a license, etc. This email feature cannot provide information about individual applicant statuses, such as when will my renewal be processed, when will my exam be scheduled or why did I get a deficiency letter. For specific questions about application statuses, please contact Licensing at (877) 373-4542.
Emails will be answered in the order they are received. Please expect a 48 hour turn around for an emailed response. Also, be sure to check your spam or junk folders for responses.
Thank you,
Department of Real Estate
Licensing Program
Topics: Announcements, Brokers/Managers, Market Information, Industry
C.A.R. has issued guidance on the Governor's stay at home order. This is not guidance from PSAR or our Board of Directors. CAR has a legal team that is qualified to interpret and opine on legal matters. Please consult your own legal council for advice and consult. PSAR, CAR and NAR leaders continue to communicate with officials to educate them about the real estate business in this time of crisis.
For more information please follow this link:
Topics: Announcements, Brokers/Managers, Market Information, Industry
Service information can be found here.
DRE Closes Offices
All DRE offices are closed to the public until further notice in compliance with Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-33-20, issued March 19, 2020, ordering all California residents to shelter in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.
PSAR Launches New Temporary Processes to comply with the Governor's order.
PSAR will support sale of lockboxes and retail merchandise via pre-payment over the phone and pickup by appointment only. Boxes that need repairs, replacement, or new batteries will be exchanged for refurbished boxes following a pre-scheduled troubleshooting session.
Offices are closed, but member support will be provided by phone, chat, email or video call. The PSAR staff is ready to provide full support to our realty community while adhering to the mandated state guidelines.
We, like you, are working through this challenge by adapting to a dynamic environment. If you would like to express any concerns or comments, please email support@psar.org.
Topics: Announcements
Please check PSAR's landing page for the latest updates regarding the CVOD-19 situation including cancellations and resources. Updates will be posted here:
Topics: Industry
The R.E.A.L. Awards program to honor PSAR’s top producing agents will be postponed.
Due to concern for public safety as a result of COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus and in recognition of state health officials’ recommendations, PSAR will delay the inaugural Real Estate Achievement and Leadership (R.E.A.L.) awards event, originally scheduled for Friday, March 27, at Viejas Casino and Resort. The event will be rescheduled to a future date.
Earlier this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom joined state health officials from the California Department of Public Health in recommending the cancellation of gatherings of 250 or more people across the entire state, escalating efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
All who purchased tickets to the March 27 event will be given the option of attending the future event or receive a refund.
Of course, we’re disappointed about the delay of this exciting event. However, the health, safety, and well-being of the entire PSAR community is the top priority for the Association leadership. I can assure you that your Association will continue to closely monitor this public health crisis and stay in contact with local, state and federal health experts to ensure that best practices are being followed and if additional precautions are advised. Some other PSAR meetings may be cancelled while others will be held remotely.
Over the next two weeks we will take time to regroup, and when the storm passes, put on an amazing event. The R.E.A.L. awards will be a celebration, with over 400 real estate professionals, of the successes we have respectively had in our businesses. Nobody is more disappointed in the delay than each of our dedicated group of volunteers who worked diligently during the past two months to make this event a memorable experience.
The R.E.A.L. Awards Committee members include Yvonne Cromer, Reshia Guarnotta, Amber Tannahill, Lupe Soto, Laurie Mac Donald, Carey Guthrie and Tony Santiago.
The R.E.A.L. awards programs will honor PSAR’s top producing agents and provide a platform on which to be recognized for their hard work and dedication by their associates, other professional peers and PSAR. Award recipients are agents and brokers who have achieved excellence through production and industry leadership. Awards are based on either sales volume dollars or units sold, including listings or sales units entered in the MLS, and closed in 2019.
For information about other PSAR rescheduled programs (click here).
The virus, which causes a respiratory disease known as COVID-19, first appeared in Wuhan, China, last year.. Cases have been recorded in more than 100 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. More than 4,717 people have died and more than 128,000 others have been infected, many of whom are in China. In the U.S., more than 1,700 people have been infected across at least 46 states with at least 41 deaths, and 31 of them were elderly people from the state of Washington.
As the virus spreads, causing the shutdown of offices and schools across the U.S., many people are understandably on edge. However, the same preventative measures recommended to prevent the spread of influenza are also effective in reducing the risk of contracting or spreading coronavirus. Here are some recommended actions that will reduce the risk of contracting and spreading coronavirus:
• Stay home and do not travel if you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath or any other cold or flu-like symptom.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve
• Call ahead to your doctor before visiting
Topics: Announcements, Industry
After much debate in the industry, the National Association of REALTORS Board of Directors overwhelmingly supported this new policy that will govern what it means to be part of an MLS.
From a very high level, this new policy creates rules that will require agents to cooperate and get their clients the very highest price in the market. It will discourage "double-ending" transactions without market exposure. There were lots of reasons not to create this policy, but none of the individual issues made a strong enough argument in the eyes of the Realtors on the NAR Board of Directors to overcome the good that this policy will do for cooperation.
NAR's mandatory policy reads like this:
Within one (1) business day of marketing a property to the public, the listing broker must submit the listing to the MLS for cooperation with other MLS participants. Public marketing includes, but is not limited to, flyers displayed in windows, yard signs, digital marketing on public facing websites, brokerage website displays (including IDX and VOW), digital communications marketing (email blasts), multi-brokerage listing sharing networks, and applications available to the general public.
This policy has an implementation deadline of May 1st, 2020
CRMLS has been collecting input from members since November will finalize the rules for this policy by April 1, 2020. PSAR has had representatives from CRMLS here three times to present and get feedback from our members and Brokers. We are doing our best to roll this policy out in a way that will be least disruptive, but it will be incumbent on our members to adhere to these rules when they are rolled out.
Download this flyer to post and share in your office meetings:
Here is a brief video from CRMLS CEO Art Carter:
For deeper knowledge into the background and development of this policy, check the National Association of REALTORS page dedicated to this issue: https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/policies/mls-clear-cooperation-policy
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As a Broker, what is your value proposition? Brokers looking to improve agent productivity, professionalism and retention, should bring training and resources to their agents in-house. Brokers who show agents how to use these tools, provide added value. As members of CRMLS, firms have many free or enhanced tools to choose from. These tools help agents do a better job serving their clients.
When PSAR joined CRMLS, the CEO of Sandicor, and many important staff including three of the four Sandicor trainers became full time employees of CRMLS. This knowledge is deep and it remains part of our organization. These trainers are located here in San Diego to educate and support our Realtor members. They will even train your team locally right in your office. Regular training and coaching can help your agents grow as professionals and enhance your broker/agent relationship.
Some brokerages don't have the facilities to train all of their agents in one space. If this is an issue for you, PSAR will provide you with free meeting space to train your own at an office meeting hosted in our location? In return, we only request the opportunity to spend two minutes outlining the benefits of being a PSAR Realtors.
Brokers with fewer than ten agents, are welcome to bring their team to training hosted at PSAR each month in each of our three offices. Bring your entire office to any of these training sessions. Check out our education calendar and register your entire office for training.
PSAR also offers Savvy Card. This is a unique marketing platform that includes Seller Share, Free Property websites and much more. Savvy Card will train in your office as well! Just email support@psar.org and request office training on Savvycard. Learn more about Savvy Card here.
Need more information, or have a question? Please comment in the form below and a friendly PSAR service member will get back to you!
Topics: Education, Brokers/Managers, PSAR Benefits
CRMLS HAS NOT adopted the NAR mandated "Clear Cooperation" policy YET. (As of January 29th, 2020)
While CRMLS is taking a lead position in developing implementation policies, there is more vetting to go through to make sure that an equitable and fair policy is developed. Look for a policy to be adopted prior to May 2020.
What does this mean to listing agents for now?
When filling out the CAR Seller Exclusion, you DO NOT need to check this box. This will change when CRMLS adopts the new policy.
It is my honor to serve you as PSAR’s CEO. I am very much looking forward to the future with PSAR. As we look ahead to the year 2020, the future of our Association is strong and solid.
I must admit it, our industry is in a state of change. Different business models are introduced every day. Billions of Wall Street dollars are invading the industry as technology companies disrupt and attempt to shake-up the traditional business model of buying and selling with the assistance of an experienced REALTOR®. Critics compare our industry to that of a dinosaur.
For example, the phenomenon of iBuying is a recent pressing concern. However, as you know, real estate is strongly based on relationships. The truth is that most home buyers and sellers need some advice about how much to offer, whether to include an inspection, how to arrange financing and a host of other issues involved in the real estate transaction process. Residential buyers and sellers are making the largest investment decisions of their lifetimes. And, without REALTORS®, consumers wouldn’t have the MLS marketplace or the market transparency that exists today. There will always be a need for people with outstanding character, work ethic and professionalism. At PSAR, you will always be highly valued and considered assets to our industry.
2019 was a very successful year for PSAR on several fronts. Early in the year, we opened a new PSAR Central Service Center located in San Diego’s Clairemont Mesa region. The new PSAR Service Center at 4340 Genesee Ave., Suite 203, San Diego, provides MLS training, educational classes and a full-service retail store that offers signage, SentriLock and Supra lock boxes and much more.
Also this year, we re-launched our new weekly property marketing pitch meeting, called “City Pitch,” at our PSAR Central San Diego Service Center. The event for brokers and sales agents begins at 9 a.m. every Tuesday morning. The focus is on properties in the following zip codes: 92102, 92104, 92105, 92108, 92111, 92115, 92116, 92123, 92124, and 92120. All San Diego-area REALTORS® are invited to attend to pitch their properties, network and put deals together.
Also this year, we created a new Local Area Disclosures (LAD) publication covering San Diego County. A joint effort with the North San Diego County Association of REALTORS ® (NSDCAR), this new LAD publication is helping REALTOR® members give consumers a deeper understanding of the properties in San Diego County communities where they are purchasing. It contains vital information relating to all local communities in the San Diego region. The new LAD is the latest member benefit and is demonstrating a dedication and commitment to address the local needs of our PSAR REALTOR® members.
Meanwhile, even as critics question the viability of REALTOR® associations, PSAR is continuing to flex our muscles and get stronger. Our membership total has doubled to more than 3,100 over the past seven years. We remain committed to our PSAR REALTOR® members and affiliates. Together, our PSAR REALTORS® are thriving because our association is the glue that holds the industry together and provides the fuel which powers our members for success.
Another positive factor that will help our members as we look ahead is PSAR’s partnership with the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS). This alliance with CRMLS meets our PSAR board’s criteria for a statewide MLS, including fully standardized MLS data that benefits our members. Universal access, uniform rules and enforcement and distribution are controlled by brokers.
The move to CRMLS has had a major impact on the ability of our PSAR REALTORS® to compete in today’s market. CRMLS has access to more San Diego County listings than any other MLS. Today, we are able to leverage CRMLS’ strength in numbers to improve technology and provide agents with better tools and more information than they have ever had before. The size of CRMLS also has put us in a position to negotiate with multi-billion dollar companies to protect both the brokerage community and the consumers we serve. PSAR provides CRMLS to any licensed broker even if they belong to another association.
In CRMLS, “Cloud Streams” is effective at sharing listings with clients through texting and an improved user search experience. Savvy Card is another new tool that is helping agents share their business card and listings through social media and online marketing. Cloud MLX provides a superior search experience. Agents who use Glide make available a consumer-friendly tool that helps sellers fill out their disclosures easily on multiple platforms. CRMLS negotiated a special deal with LionDesk so that agents can have access to a fully functional CRM at no additional cost. Remine takes MLS data and enhances it with consumer data to put marketing power in the hands of the REALTOR®. These new tools are powerful and, if used, can help our PSAR REALTORS® leverage their relationships to provide a superior client experience.
Factors that will help our members in the future include decisions made within the past few years that will continue to pay dividends. For example, our utility costs have dropped significantly with the addition of solar panels at our South County Service Center on Canarios Court in Chula Vista. We will have a similar structure completed in the East County before the end of 2020.
PSAR’s ownership interest in California Signs and Marketing, signed in 2014, has been a win-win for PSAR members when they do business with a company in which they are part-owner. REALTORS® receive superior service and fast turnaround. Plus the Association receives a percentage of the company’s revenues that help support PSAR programs and services, keeping our REALTORS® dues the lowest in San Diego County. Also, agents enjoy responsive customer service to you and your clients. Signage services for both residential and commercial properties include design, manufacturing, installation and delivery of yard signs, open house signs, banners, vehicle lettering, business cards, stationery, dimensional signs and sand blast signs. Cal Signs is a reliable vendor who will adapt as our industry changes.
Another outstanding decision that has worked out well is the 2012 merger of the El Cajon-based East San Diego County Association of Realtors and the Chula Vista-based PSAR. The California Secretary of State approved the merger between the two Realtor associations in August, 2012, followed by approval by the National Association of Realtors in September, 2012.
As we approach 2020, there is uncertainty about next year’s housing market due to affordability issues. With interest rates expected to remain at near three-year lows, buyers have more purchasing power than in years past, but they may be reluctant to get off the sidelines because of economic and market uncertainties. Additionally, an affordability crunch will cut into demand in some regions. These factors together may subdue sales growth next year. California’s housing market will also be challenged by changing migration patterns as buyers search for more affordable housing markets, particularly first-time buyers, who are the hardest hit, moving out of state.
However, as PSAR approaches 2020, we are healthy for a number of reasons. We empower REALTORS®. We remain a vibrant network of real estate professionals who work together to serve our communities. We offer outstanding professional growth and educational opportunities. We remain committed to a Code of Ethics because we understand how professionalism builds trust with our clients and each other. And we leverage the collective strength of REALTORS® around the state and country to empower our members with the very best technology in the industry. Simply put, we are better together.
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Richard D’Ascoli has served as PSAR’s CEO since 2011 after joining the Association as Government Affairs Director in 2006. He was born in Queens New York. served in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard. He earned a degree in business administration Fordham University in New York City and his Master’s Degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.