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September 17, 2014

Featured Article

A Smart Approach to Safety: Precautions You Should Take While on the Job

September is REALTOR Safety Month and it's a good reminder that if you are working in the real estate industry and you are not careful, it can be a risky business when it comes to your personal safety when meeting clients, showing properties or hosting open houses. There is one more place to consider: the office where you work.

A safe office is good business. Making your workplace more secure will make your clients feel safe and increase productivity with a few simple procedures and precautions:

Always meet new clients in your office, and be sure to introduce them to at least three different people.
Have all clients fill out a prospect identification form with name, address, work info, phone number, ect before meeting and verify all information provided before you head out the door with them.
Always tell someone in the office where you are going, who you are meeting and when you expect to be back. Create an electronic or paper form for this or use a white board that others can check.
Be sure your office has up-to-date contact information on you in case of an emergency.

There are a few simple steps all REALTORS can take to protect themselves and their clients. Take this quiz to see what you already know and then visit this resource from NAR to help make adjustments to your daily routine that will help you avoid unsafe situations.

SWRA Seminars & Events

REALTOR/Lawyer Seminar: The Best of the PAR Legal Hotline

One of the most popular services of the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS is its Legal Hotline. The Legal Hotline provides REALTOR members with access to legal advice from some of the state's most experienced attorneys about PA real estate law, PAR standard forms and operating a real estate brokerage.

The Association is excited to host hotline attorney, Brett Woodburn, Esq. for our October 2nd (9:00am-10:30am) REALTOR/Lawyer Seminar Series: The Best of the PAR Legal Hotline. Mr. Woodburn will conduct this forum and bring updates to our members on issues raised during hotline calls.

Be sure to register (once logged in, access the Event Calendar) for this session early as it is likely to sell out. This training is generously sponsored by Gary Lehndorff: Univest Bank and Trust Co.

Association Tips

Professionalism Tip: Respect for Peers

This Professionalism Tip has been provided by SWRA Staff Paula Tansey

The key to keeping competitiveness professional is to focus on you, not the competition. There is nothing inherently wrong with believing that you are better than the next agent. Nor is there anything wrong with trying to prove that to the consumer. However, stick to demonstrating the benefits you bring to an agency relationship. If you truly are better, the client will see that quicker by your actions than by any words you may use against your competition.

Disparaging comments about other agents are no better than the negative political campaigns that clog the airwaves at election time. Pretty soon the consumer just tunes everything out and won't hear or believe the positive things you can do for them.

Association of REALTORS School

Think Outside the Existing Home Market Box

Unsure about the opportunities that new home construction offers for your clients? Give us one day and we'll turn you from bystander to believer.

Representing clients in the purchase of new-home construction requires a different set of skills. The New Home Construction and Buyer Representation course (October 23rd; 9:00am-5:00pm) is designed to help REALTORS gain the product and transaction knowledge needed in order to guide clients through the processes for the purchase, construction and customization of a new home. Along the way, you will learn how to work with new home builders and sales representatives while ultimately protecting your clients' interests. Please note this course qualifies as an elective course for the ABR Designation.

Click here to register (access the Education Calendar) or call 610-560-4900. For questions, please contact ARS School Administrator, Gail Parke.

Suburban REALTORS Alliance

NAR Meets With EPA on Lead Paint Concerns, Files Comments

NAR has been working with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help guide the agency's efforts to identify lead paint hazards in remodeling activities in commercial buildings.

NAR, along with several other real estate groups that have formed a coalition, met with the EPA and the OMB to discuss concerns with the EPA's process to identify the lead paint hazard. The coalition submitted official comments to the rule making process, to which NAR signed on. NAR also submitted its own comment letter.

If you have questions, please contact the Suburban REALTORS Alliance directly at 610-981-9000.

Reminders:

TREND Workshops Coming to SWRA Next Week

Each month Suburban West hosts TREND representatives at our office in Malvern for free trainings related to the TREND MLS system. TREND Jump Start for Success (10:00am-11:30am) and Keeping Up With TRENDS (1:00pm-2:00pm) are scheduled for Thursday, September 25th. Register by logging onto TREND and access the My Account tab and click on the Workshops heading.

SFR Certification Course Scheduled for October 10th

Designed for REALTORS at all experience levels, the Short Sales and Foreclosures (SFR) Certification Course (October 10; 9:00am-5:00pm) will give students the framework for understanding how to: qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, tap into buyer demand, limit risk and protect buyers and much more. To register click here (access the Education Calendar) or call ARS at 610-560-4900.

In This Issue

September is REALTOR

Safety Month

REALTOR/Lawyer: Best of the PAR Legal Hotline

Association Tips: Professionalism

New Home Construction Course Coming to ARS

NAR Meets with EPA on Lead Paint Concerns, Files Comments

TREND Workshops Scheduled for Sept. 25th

Short Sales & Foreclosures Certification Returns to the Association of REALTORS School

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