April 9, 2025

April is Fair Housing Month—a time to reaffirm commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in real estate. Research consistently shows that homeownership disparities persist across racial and ethnic groups. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the homeownership rate for Black Americans is nearly 30 percentage points lower than for White Americans, and Hispanic homeownership rates continue to lag behind white American averages. Discrimination and unequal access to resources remain barriers to fair housing, making education and advocacy essential.

To address these challenges, the Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is relaunching DEI Matters: A Call to Action—an initiative designed to raise awareness and promote inclusive business practices in real estate. Over the past three years, hundreds of members have answered the call, demonstrating their dedication to fostering fair housing and equal opportunity.

Members who complete the program can earn Gold, Diamond, and Platinum badges by engaging in a series of educational trainings and activities. These badges serve as a visible commitment to DEI and can be displayed in email signatures, social media, and across marketing materials.

This year, members who achieve the Diamond and Platinum levels will be invited to a luncheon with the DEI Committee to celebrate their achievements and network among like-minded professionals on November 6th @ 2:30pm.

Recognition Levels & Requirements:
(For a full breakdown of each level, and links to courses directly, visit our website.)

Gold Level: Complete the National Association of REALTORS® At Home With Diversity® (AHWD) Certification Course.

Diamond Level: Complete the Gold Level and develop a written business plan incorporating At Home With Diversity® / One America principles.

Platinum Level: Complete Gold and Diamond Levels AND REALTOR® L.E.A.D. – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Course.

If you have already achieved any or all these requirements, follow the instructions per each badge to certify your achievement.

Questions? Email DEIMatters@tcsr.realtor or call 610-560-4800.

Senior leaders from Gregory FCA, the country’s fifth largest real estate public relations agency with headquarters in Ardmore, PA, will provide members with a better understanding of the current state of the media, how to use media to differentiate yourself in the market, prepare you for the different types of interviews, share interview best practices and techniques, and more. On Tuesday, May 6th, at 11 am Media Training for the Modern REALTOR® – Hybrid Free Seminar, will be held exclusively for members of Tri-County. 

These expert advisors, who work with national, state, and local outlets, will show you how to position yourself as a vital voice in real estate—and why the little details in interviews and talking points matter.

Britni Ackrivo, Executive Vice President, and Jackie Tammaro, Associate Vice President will be LIVE and in-person, with a virtual option for members to attend anywhere.

Special thanks to Gregory FCA for bringing this valuable session to our REALTOR® community!

To register for the in-person option, click here. To attend virtually, click here.
Please select one option, do not register for both sessions.

Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® is now accepting applications for the 2025 Leadership Development Program (LDP), an initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of real estate leaders. This immersive experience provides REALTOR® members with the tools, training, and confidence to take on influential roles within the industry and their communities.

Throughout June and July, participants will engage in specialized in-person workshops at the Association office in Malvern, led by industry experts. The curriculum covers essential leadership skills, including strategies for overcoming workplace challenges, the role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership, the impact of diversity and inclusion, mastering negotiation techniques in today’s evolving market, and developing dynamic public speaking skills.

Upon completing all five sessions, participants will present to Association leadership and past LDP graduates, showcasing their growth and insights. Graduates will be honored at the Annual Membership Meeting in October, where they will receive an award and a certificate to the Association of REALTORS® School, further supporting their professional development & education.

Applications are open through April 30, 2025. Click here to learn more and apply.

If your clients are hoping to sell their home this year, now’s the time to get the conversation started. According to Realtor.com®, the best week to list a home in 2025 is expected to be April 13–19.

Over the last year, buyers have seen market conditions improve. There are more homes for sale than in the last few years, which means the market pace is a bit more manageable–with longer days on market–and many sellers are more flexible–as shown in higher shares of homes with price reductions. This means that though buyers face still-high housing costs, they may find a bit more give in the market, which could give them more time to make a decision, even in the busy spring and summer months.

Historically, the number of views per listing has cooled in the late summer/early fall and tends to improve for buyers from that point forward. In 2024, the number of sellers with actively-listed homes increased by more than 30% compared to the beginning of the year in the fall, which means more options for buyers. Thus, buyers who can persist in their home searches are likely to catch a bit of a break in the sense that they can expect some more options to choose from in the weeks ahead. 

While Realtor.com identified April 13-19 as the best week to list for sellers, the housing market remains undersupplied, so a seller listing a well-priced, move-in ready home is likely to find success. Because spring is generally the high season for real estate activity and buyers are more plentiful earlier rather than later in the year, listing earlier in the spring raises a seller’s odds of a successful sale. Sellers will want to remember that it’s a process and get started well before their intended listing date. 

The week of April 13-19 is expected to have the ideal balance of housing market conditions that favor home sellers, more so than any other week in the year. A recent survey from Realtor.com® found that the majority (53%) of home sellers took one month or less to get their home ready to list, so the time to start prepping is now.

For the full article visit REALTOR.COM.

Bright is committed to providing its subscribers with outstanding service by releasing new products and features. Make sure you haven’t missed anything that will help grow your business and better serve your clients by attending one of our upcoming webinars.

NEW!  Nestfully Mobile: Your MLS Search App

Get to know the new Nestfully mobile solution designed to simplify client communication and collaboration. We will walk through the download & login process, how to Search for listings, working with your Contacts/Leads and more!

Branding with Bright MLS

Visibility is a must for any real estate agent. In this class we will show you all the ways you can brand yourself to your contacts and potential clients. In this class you will learn about: updating contact information & branding within the MLS, MLS-Touch brand & share features, Facebook posting, sharing content to your sphere, listing ads, and more.

Housing Market Update

Where is the housing market headed? Bright’s economists will present on national and local economic and housing market conditions. In addition to insights on the economic and demographic factors impacting the housing market, they will provide an update on key market trends, including inventory, pricing, and buyer activity. Bring your questions, as there will be plenty of time for discussion during the session!

SEPTA has selected Alterra Property Group to develop a 300-unit building on 6.5-acres of SEPTA-owned land adjacent to the Conshohocken regional rail station and along the Schuylkill River. Alterra proposed a 300-unit project with 354 parking spaces and café space offered at a subsidized rental rate, as well as 119 parking spaces dedicated for SEPTA ridership. The plan includes an agreement by Alterra to pay SEPTA $333 million over the 99-year ground lease. SEPTA purchased the property for $9.75 million in 2022 through a deed in lieu of condemnation and planned to build a 534-space parking garage. The project requires a zoning variance approval from the Borough of Conshohocken. Borough officials have pushed back against development proposals, except for the original garage proposal in 2023. The borough declined to comment on the recent proposal selected by SEPTA.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 3/28/2025

April 11th | 9:00am-4:30pm
Commercial/Industrial Marketing Exchange – Hybrid – With Guest Speaker Todd Rowe, Old Republic Title
Hybrid

April 14th, May 5th, May 12th, May 19th | 9:00am-4:30pm (each day)
Real Estate Investment (Broker CORE)
Association of REALTORS School, Malvern

April 17th | 1:00pm-2:00pm
Prospecting in Bright’s Public Records I Virtual Webinar
Virtual via Bright MLS

April 22nd | 7:30am-4:30pm
2025 Philadelphia Regional Commercial Real Estate Education Summit
Association of REALTORS School, Malvern

May 1st, May 7th, May 21st, May 28th | 9:00am-4:30pm (each day)
Real Estate Office Management (Broker Required)
Association of REALTORS School, Malvern

Contact Us
610-560-4800
info@tcsr.realtor

Office
1 Country View Road
Suite 201
Malvern, PA 19355