- Don’t Be Caught Off Guard: Learn Safety Skills Every REALTOR® Should Know on September 17
- Membership Marks Matter, Protecting the REALTOR® Brand
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Your Service. Your Impact. Your Charity Could Receive Up to $10,000 Through Tri-County’s Community Service Awards
- PAR: The Hidden Cost of Waiting to Buy a Home
- Bright MLS: Price Cuts on the Rise Across the Mid-Atlantic
- SRA: Upper Darby Introduces Lead Ordinance
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Calendar of Events
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Don’t Be Caught Off Guard: Learn Safety Skills Every REALTOR® Should Know on September 17 |
For real estate professionals, safety isn’t something that only matters in extreme situations. It’s part of the job. REALTORS® regularly enter unfamiliar properties, meet new clients one-on-one, host open houses, show vacant homes and work in locations where they may be alone—or even without reliable cell service. According to a recent study from National Association of REALTORS®, 22% of residential members experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the safety of their personal information. Open houses and showings were among the situations where members most commonly reported feeling unsafe.
That’s why September is REALTOR® Safety Month—and why developing strong safety habits should be part of every real estate professional’s routine.
This September, Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® is bringing safety awareness into the room with REALTOR® Safety: Awareness, Prevention & Self-Defense, an interactive, in-person seminar designed specifically for real estate professionals.
Led by Michael McClain, a REALTOR® member and retired Philadelphia Police Officer, and Shannon Diiorio, a REALTOR® member, past Board member and First-Degree Black Belt (Shodan), participants will learn how to recognize potential risks, strengthen situational awareness, establish safer habits and respond when a situation becomes uncomfortable or unpredictable. The session will also include hands-on self-defense instruction.
The need for this type of training is clear. NAR reports that 86% of residential members showed a property alone in recent years, while 40% met a new or prospective client alone at a secluded location or property. Nearly half—48%—also reported showing vacant properties in areas with poor or no phone coverage.
This seminar is an opportunity to step beyond simply knowing what could go wrong and learn how to be more aware, prepared and confident in the moments that matter.
Please note: Participation in the self-defense portion requires attendees to review and sign a waiver before participating in hands-on instruction. This seminar does not provide continuing education credits and will not be recorded.
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Membership Marks Matter, Protecting the REALTOR® Brand |
The REALTOR® name and the REALTOR® logo are valuable trademarks, and using them correctly helps protect the meaning and recognition behind the brand.
The REALTOR® marks let people know that you are more than just a real estate practitioner: you adhere to a strict Code of Ethics that protects clients, the public, and other real estate agents. The term REALTOR® is not only a trademark owned by NAR and protected by federal law, it's a valuable membership benefit that distinguishes members from other real estate licensees.
NAR’s Core Trademark Rules boil down to three key areas: proper formatting, no descriptive wording, and proper contextual use. That means making sure REALTOR® is formatted correctly, using it as a membership term rather than as a description of someone’s job, and placing it in the right context when identifying yourself or your business.
So, before you hit publish on that website update, social media post, business card or marketing piece, take a quick look at how you’re using the mark. Are you using REALTOR® to identify yourself as a member of the National Association of REALTORS®? Is it formatted correctly? Are you accidentally using it as a generic term for “real estate agent”? These small details matter—and getting them right helps protect the REALTOR® brand for everyone. The easiest way to brush up on the basics? Watch NAR’s short, straightforward Core Trademark Rules video. It walks through the rules in a quick, easy-to-understand format and is a great refresher for any REALTOR® who uses the trademark in their marketing.
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Your Service. Your Impact. Your Charity Could Receive Up to $10,000 Through Tri-County’s Community Service Awards |
Giving back is at the heart of the REALTOR® profession. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, REALTORS® volunteer at more than twice the rate of the typical American, with nearly 7 in 10 members volunteering every month to strengthen the communities they serve.
Annually, Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® honors members who exemplify a commitment to community service through the "Making a Difference" Community Service Awards. The program's objective is to recognize active REALTORS® who are making an extraordinary difference in their community through volunteering.
This fall, Association leadership will select multiple winners to receive grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for the charity of their choice. The first, second, and third place winners will also be recognized at the Association’s largest and most anticipated event of the year—the 2026 Annual Membership Meeting on October 21st, 2026.
Please note that REALTOR® members may either self-nominate or be nominated by another individual. To be considered, a completed Community Service Awards application must be submitted via email to ldavis@tcsr.realtor by September 30, 2026.
Click here for full rules and guidelines.
Have questions? Contact Director of Marketing & Communications, Lauren Davis.
Last year, REALTOR® Tina Guerrieri was recognized as a Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® "Making a Difference" Community Service Award Grand Prize Winner for her outstanding work with Miko's Place, receiving a $10,000 grant for the organization. Guerrieri is the Founder and Vice President of the organization.
Miko's Place's mission is to empower survivors of domestic violence, including a focus on minorities & underrepresented communities, to break the cycle and rebuild their lives by providing counseling, advocacy, refuge, and education when it is needed the most. Through counseling, advocacy, emergency refuge, and educational resources, the organization provides critical support when it is needed most, helping survivors find safety, healing, and hope for a brighter future.
Click here to learn about last year's winners.
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"The generosity that Miko's Place received from the Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® means more than words can ever express. Because of your support, we are able to make a real difference. Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us create a lasting impact to victims and survivors of domestic violence and child abuse."
- Tina Guerrieri, Grand Prize Winner,
2026 Community Service Awards on behalf of Miko's Place.
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Miko's Place Executive Director, Jules Catania, and Founder & Vice President, Tina Guerrieri at Unbreakable: Silence to Courage Gala, held on November 1, 2025.
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| Scenes from Unbreakable: Silence to Courage Gala, held on November 1, 2025.
Miko's Place helped over 22 survivors in 2025, and raised nearly $200,000. The organization now offers services in 21 different languages, and provides unique therapies such as equine assisted therapy, EMDR, somatic, trauma , and talk therapy.
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PAR: The Hidden Cost of Waiting to Buy a Home |
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As home prices and the cost of living rise, many Americans are feeling hesitant to buy a home. However, many believe that they’ll also pay a price if they wait too long, according to a survey by Lombardo Homes.
For many renters, today’s housing market can make homeownership feel out of reach—but waiting may come with its own financial costs. A recent survey found that 93% of renters worry waiting will make buying a home even less affordable, while 77% believe delaying a purchase has financial consequences.
So, what’s holding buyers back, and what eventually motivates renters to make the leap? From rising rents and home prices to down payment savings and interest rates, the survey offers insight into the challenges facing today’s buyers—and why nearly half of current homeowners wish they had purchased sooner.
Read the full article to explore the hidden costs of waiting to buy via PAR's JustListed Blog.
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Bright MLS: Price Cuts on the Rise Across the Mid-Atlantic |
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Despite home prices at record highs, there are definite signs that the market is shifting in the Mid-Atlantic. In June 2026, the median sold price in the Bright MLS footprint hit a new high of $460,000, and sellers are still sometimes getting multiple offers, even in a softening housing market. Higher-income buyers continue to drive sales and push up home prices, but affordability constraints are keeping moderate-income and first-time buyers out of the market.
Because of this pushback on affordability and shifting buyer demand, sellers are having to adjust their expectations. Across the Bright MLS service area, 40.1% of listings currently on the market have undergone at least one price reduction. (Data are for listings active as of July 28, 2026.) But price cuts are not happening uniformly. The likelihood that sellers will need to drop their asking prices depends strongly on local market conditions as well as how long the home has been on the market.
Sellers have been reacting to changes in the market over the past two years. In 2024, only about a third (34.2%) of active listings had a price cut. The share rose to 39.9% in 2025 and to 40.1% in 2026.
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Sellers in coastal markets are most likely to cut asking prices
The Maryland Eastern Shore and Del/Mar Coastal regions lead the Mid-Atlantic in price cuts. Nearly half of the active listings in these markets have had their asking price discounted by the seller.
The high rates of discounting are directly tied to cooling local market conditions, with climbing inventory and slower sales. Across all subregions in the Bright MLS service area, the Del/Mar Coastal region has the highest inventory at 4.83 months of supply, and through the first half of the year, the median days on market in the region is 42. In the Maryland Eastern Shore market, there is 4.30 months of supply and a median of 26 days on the market. (Overall, in the Bright MLS service area, there is currently 2.65 months of supply and the year-to-date 2026 median days on market is 14.)
By comparison, markets that are still highly competitive are less likely to have sellers cutting asking prices. In the Central Pennsylvania market, for example, there is just 1.84 months of supply and homes sell in a median of just 10 days. Only 36.6% of current active listings in the Central Pennsylvania market have had a price cut.
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For the full article via Bright Research, click here.
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SRA: Upper Darby Introduces Lead Ordinance
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Upper Darby Township Council introduced an ordinance establishing a Lead Poisoning Prevention and Lead Hazard Control Program aimed at reducing lead exposure in older properties through inspection and certification requirements. At an Aug. 5 meeting, representatives from the Delaware County Health Department spoke in support of the ordinance. The proposal, largely modeled after Norristown's lead ordinance, will advance to a public hearing and final consideration on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The Suburban Realtors Alliance (SRA) has communicated with township officials to help ensure the measure complies with Pennsylvania's Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act (MCOCA) and does not create unnecessary barriers to residential real estate transactions. In addition to providing feedback on the ordinance, the SRA is working with township officials to obtain and review supporting documents, forms and guidance so real estate professionals, property owners and municipal staff have a clear understanding of the new requirements before they take effect.
Source: Upper Darby Township; 8/5/2026
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