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What To Expect at the January Business Conference

By Brenda Oliver posted an hour ago
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Missouri REALTORS ® , As your 2019 President, I hope you are planning to join me by shaking things up a bit at our January Business Conference . Instead of including Capital Conference, we are going to meet in Branson at the lovely Chateau on the Lake, January 23-25. We have planned unique educational and networking opportunities as we gather for a year of Embracing Change . Our Capitol Conference will be in conjunction with our April Business Conference, but with lots of new and exciting changes. You don’t want to miss any of these upcoming events! Happy holidays! Brenda Oliver 2019 President, Missouri REALTORS
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Be Cautious Concerning Duties Beyond Your Scope as a Real Estate Professional

By Lisa Scoble posted 2 days ago
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Be Cautious Concerning Duties Beyond Your Scope as a Real Estate Professional You want to close deals as quickly as possible and sometimes you may do a little extra work to make that happen. However, offering services outside your scope of expertise can expose you to a higher level of risk. It may seem expedient at the time, but in the  long-run you are placing your career and your business on the line.  Here’s an actual scenario demonstrating how easily communication and expectations can run off the rails. Situation An agent listed a single-family home for rent, confirming the landlord wanted a tenant with a verified employment history and ...
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Leadership Academy Alumni Member Spotlight: Jennifer Langston-Justus

By Missouri REALTORS posted 2 days ago
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What makes Missouri REALTORS ®  so great are the members that we have. Not only do we care about real estate, but we care about each other as well. We know that by investing in our fellow REALTORS ®  we are making our community, and the industry as a whole, stronger. That’s why we created  Missouri REALTORS ®  Leadership Academy , a program that trains emerging leaders so they may exert a positive influence on the future of the real estate industry. Our Leadership Academy Alumni Member Spotlight series highlights the graduates of the program. We want to introduce some of our wonderful REALTOR ®  leaders and showcase how Leadership Academy helped them grow. ...
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Advice for First Time Homebuyers: Offer to Close

By Missouri REALTORS posted 2 days ago
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After figuring out your finances and finding the perfect house, you finally discovered the home you want to settle down in. Now what? Unfortunately, you can’t just take it to the cash register and walk away from a homeowner; there are a few steps you must go through first. Here is what you should know about making the offer and closing the deal:  Making the offer How much to offer: Your REALTOR ® can provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of the home’s value and what other houses in the area are worth and being sold for. This is valuable information to have when making an offer. You may be able to offer less, and justify your ...
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Fitness Tips For REALTORS®

By Missouri REALTORS posted 2 days ago
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REALTORS ® work irregular hours in a notoriously fast-paced industry. Crazy schedules and constant work demands make it difficult to find a fitness regime fits into the go-go-go REALTOR ® lifestyle. With the warmer months upon us, many people are looking to improve their overall health. Some of our members recently began a discussion about fitness on Common Ground . Below you will find some of their tips, as well as a few additional ones, that you can pretty easily work into your weekly routine. 1. Combine fitness with marketing. Carving out time to exercise doesn’t mean abandoning your work. In fact, working out can help you build your business! One ...
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Just the Facts, Please

By Lisa Scoble posted 23 days ago
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Just the Facts, Please Failure to Confirm Can Result in Fraudulent Claims In the rush of completing paperwork and procuring signatures to close a transaction, it may be easy to brush aside the need for one more phone call or email to double-check some small detail. Unfortunately, a trivial detail to you may not be equally insignificant to a buyer or seller. Or perhaps in your mind, you consulted a “trusted source” who can be counted on for the latest information. But if you’re not confirming all details with the appropriate authorities, you may be leaving yourself and your firm open to a potential claim. Here’s an actual scenario that could ...
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7 Reasons To Work With A REALTOR®

By Missouri REALTORS posted 23 days ago
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REALTORS ® aren’t just agents. They’re professional members of the National Association of REALTORS ® and subscribe to its strict code of ethics. This is the REALTOR ® difference for home buyers: 1. Ethical treatment. Every REALTOR ® must adhere to a strict code of ethics which is based on professionalism and protection of the public. As a REALTOR ® ’s client, you can expect honest and ethical treatment in all transaction-related matters. The first obligation is to you, the client. 2. An expert guide. Buying a home usually requires dozens of forms, reports, disclosures, and other technical documents. A knowledgeable expert will help you prepare ...
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How to Host Thanksgiving the Easy Way

By Missouri REALTORS posted 23 days ago
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Hosting Thanksgiving is a huge undertaking. Between shopping for ingredients and getting your house ready for guests, your to-do list is likely a mile long. But don’t get overwhelmed: we have a few Thanksgiving hacks that will make hosting the big event much easier. Ask for help. Just because you are hosting doesn’t mean that you have to do all the work. Potluck style meals work especially well on Thanksgiving, so feel free to assign guests with dishes, like sides or dessert. They will likely be happy to contribute to the meal. If you are having out of town guests who don’t have access to a kitchen, ask them to bring wine instead. Do your shopping beforehand. ...
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Leadership Academy Alumni Member Spotlight: Aaron Wilken

By Missouri REALTORS posted 29 days ago
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What makes Missouri REALTORS ®  so great are the members that we have. Not only do we care about real estate, but we care about each other as well. We know that by investing in our fellow REALTORS ®  we are making our community, and the industry as a whole, stronger. That’s why we created  Missouri REALTORS ®  Leadership Academy , a program that trains emerging leaders so they may exert a positive influence on the future of the real estate industry.  Our Leadership Academy Alumni Member Spotlight series highlights the graduates of the program. We want to introduce some of our wonderful REALTOR ®  leaders and showcase how Leadership Academy helped them ...
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Beware of Scope Creep

By Lisa Scoble posted 10-16-2018
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Beware of Scope Creep Avoid Going Outside Your Area of Expertise The complexity of most real estate transactions is a key reason why documentation, clear communication, and attention to detail is so critical to a successful deal. The desire to please and be helpful to clients can sometimes get in the way of clear roles and responsibilities. Your expertise is real estate, not inspections, zoning, construction, or real estate law. The best way to limit risk is to operate within your role as a realtor and resist the temptation to assist in areas outside your scope of knowledge. Learn how easily agents can cross the line, sometimes unknowingly or even mistakenly, ...
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Leadership Academy Alumni Member Spotlight: Deana Wolfe

By Missouri REALTORS posted 10-15-2018
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What makes Missouri REALTORS ® so great are the members that we have. Not only do we care about real estate, but we care about each other as well. We know that by investing in our fellow REALTORS ® we are making our community, and the industry as a whole, stronger. That’s why we created Missouri REALTORS ® Leadership Academy , a program that trains emerging leaders so they may exert a positive influence on the future of the real estate industry. Our Leadership Academy Alumni Member Spotlight series highlights the graduates of the program. We want to introduce some of our wonderful REALTOR ® leaders and showcase how Leadership Academy helped them grow. ...
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Remodel or Relocate?

By Missouri REALTORS posted 10-10-2018
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A house is more than just a place to live, it’s where memories are made. It’s difficult to break the emotional ties you have to your home, which can make moving especially difficult. But what happens when your house stops meeting your needs? Do you remodel or relocate? Although it can be challenging to take the emotion out of the decision making process, once you asses the logistics you will likely find that the answer is more clear than you thought. Location If you adore where your house is situated, from the friendly neighbors to the great schools, remodeling may make more sense than moving. Alternatively, if you don’t like your location, transforming ...
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Leadership Academy Member Spotlight: Shari Asher

By Missouri REALTORS posted 09-28-2018
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What makes Missouri REALTORS ®  so great are the members that we have. Not only do we care about real estate, but we care about each other as well. We know that by investing in our fellow REALTORS ®  we are making our community, and the industry as a whole, stronger. That’s why we created  Missouri REALTORS ®  Leadership Academy , a program that trains emerging leaders so they may exert a positive influence on the future of the real estate industry.  Our Leadership Academy Alumni Member Spotlight series highlights the graduates of the program. We want to introduce some of our wonderful REALTOR ®  leaders and showcase how Leadership Academy helped them grow. ...
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$50,000 in the 50th Year Grant Program

By Nate Johnson posted 09-26-2018
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To commemorate the 50 th Anniversary of Fair Housing, Missouri REALTORS ® created the ‘$50,000 in the 50 th Year’ Grant Program; a program designed to promote Fair Housing throughout Missouri communities. Our goal was to be flexible and encourage creativity; therefore, grants could be requested in any amount, up to $5,000, for any purpose as long as the selected activity promoted cultural diversity and the ideals of Fair Housing. Missouri REALTORS ® accepted grant applications from Local Boards/Associations between April 25 and July 31, 2018. In total, 14 Local Boards/Associations were granted funds to better their community and promote Fair Housing. ...
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MAREI Announces Real Estate Investor Meeting in Kansas City Metro on October 9th

By Kim Tucker posted 09-18-2018
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Mid-America Association of Real Estate Investors Announces Nathan Brooks to be Guest Speaker October 9 th , Learn How to Flip Over 100 Houses a Year Mid-America Association of Real Estate Investors (MAREI) announced that registration is open for their Tuesday October 9 th meeting in Overland Park Kansas at the Holiday Inn and Suites located at 8787 Reeder Road in Overland Park at 6pm.  The meeting features guest speaker Nathan Brooks with the Lessons and Losses he has from building an 8-figure real estate flipping business in Kansas City. “Anyone can buy a house. However, it takes a special kind of business to buy dozens of deals, consistently every ...
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2019 Leadership for Missouri REALTORS®

By John Sebree posted 09-07-2018
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We are excited to announce 2019 Leadership for Missouri REALTORS ® , including committee leadership and members as well as output group chairs and vice chairs. This group is focused on providing essential resources to advance the role of REALTORS ®  in real estate transactions and safeguarding Missouri real property rights. They are committed to ensuring that your Association is the “go-to” source for essential business resources while defending the American Dream of Homeownership. I am so excited to work with these dedicated members to ensure that the products and services offered by the Association are relevant and valuable to our broad membership. ...
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When the Septic Hits the Fan

By Lisa Scoble posted 09-05-2018
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When the Septic Hits the Fan Verifying Property Disclosure Statements If you are relying on a seller’s property disclosure statement and the MLS to market your properties to potential buyers, you may need to dig a little deeper and flush out more details. Verifying key features of a property will go a long way to help protect you from possible claims. Plus, it can pump up your credibility with potential clients. No one wants to buy sight unseen, so your first task should be a trip to the property. It’s okay. You can bring a frie nd. Here’s a case study highlighting mistaken assumptions and the issues that arose as a result. Situation A real estate agent ...
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Member Spotlight: Sandy Maag

By Missouri REALTORS posted 08-21-2018
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Missouri REALTORS ®  are not only real estate professionals – we're so much more. We're active in the community – serving on school boards, in elected positions and volunteering our time to make communities where we work a better place to be. We're educators – serving on panels and facilitating industry discussions. The philanthropic efforts of our members are inspiring and the difference they are making within their communities is significant. Our Member Spotlight series highlights these efforts and introduces some of our wonderful members.  This month, we are shining the Member Spotlight on  Sandy Maag , a member of Kansas City Regional Association of ...
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7 Reasons To Own A Home

By Missouri REALTORS posted 08-14-2018
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1. Tax benefits. The U.S. Tax Code lets you deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage, property taxes, and selected costs incurred in the home buying process. 2. Appreciation. Historically, real estate has had a long-term, stable growth in value. In fact, median single-family existing-home sale prices have increased on average 5.2 percent each year, from 1972 through 2014, according to the National Association of REALTORS ® . The recent housing crisis has caused some to question the long-term value of real estate, but even in the most recent 10 years, values are still up 7.0 percent on a cumulative basis. In addition, the number of U.S. households ...
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Sometimes Your Gut Just Tells You “No”

By Lisa Scoble posted 08-03-2018
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Sometimes Your Gut Just Tells You “No” Unique Seller Disclosure Circumstances A host of factors come into play as potential buyers weigh the pros and cons of a property. Maybe they don’t like the carpeting, the paint colors, or the noisy motorcycle across the street. In some rarer cases, a property may have developed a stigma, either real or imagined, that could negatively affect a potential buyer’s final decision. Is the obligation to disclose a psychological stigma bound by law or ethics? What if a stigma is simply not verifiable either by law or scientific fact? Here’s a unique case study involving stigmatized property that will shed light on best practices ...
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