January 22, 2025

Tri-County Suburban welcomed over 150 REALTORS®, guests, and industry leaders to the 2025 Board of Directors Installation at Manufacturers' Golf & Country Club on Thursday, January 16th. The Installation recognizes the incoming Board of Directors, and their outstanding commitment to the organization and to the real estate profession in our region.

The atmosphere was brimming with support as the organization welcomed incoming directors - Chairman-Elect Dave Ashe, Ayse Clay, Kenneth Enochs, Tameka Goldsborough, Amanda Helwig, 2025 Chairman Michael Howell, Immediate Past Chairman Michael Maerten, Dennis Morgan, Louis Muscella, Jason Ostrowsky, Affiliate Director Dana Santangelo, and Commercial Director David Specht. Heartfelt gratitude was expressed to the outgoing directors, Shannon Diiorio, Suzanne Kunda, and Affiliate Director Margo McDonnell.

The installation honored Michael Howell, 2025 Chairman of the Board, sworn in by Kenneth E. Lawrence, Current Chair of the SEPTA Board, and Former Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. Michael's speech reflected the profound impact of support on his journey through real estate and often reflected a story from leaders in his life who were in the audience including his parents, wife, two sons, business partner and fellow board member Louis Muscella, colleagues, members of his brokerage and more. Michael shared his story of what diversity means to him, being an integral part of bringing awareness to Diversity Equity and Inclusion, how he started in the industry as a part-time agent and what the growth and achievements he has experienced in the industry mean to him.  Michael is committed to fostering an inclusive environment, making the board more reflective of the diverse community it serves. The atmosphere in the room was electric with support and camaraderie.

A contribution was made in honor of Immediate Past Chairman Michael Maerten to Autism Wings, benefiting children with autism and their caregivers. This meaningful act exemplified the spirit of giving and community. In addition to an Italian bistro buffet, and dancing featuring DJ Scott Landis, attendees left excited about the future of the organization under the guidance of the new directors.  

This event was sponsored by: 1031 Corp, A&M Friendly Movers, Citadel Credit Union, CoCoon Home Remodeling, Mortgage America, Realty ONE Group Restore, & SunEast Federal Credit Union.

Eric Rehling swearing in the incoming Board Members.
Picturing: David Ashe (Chairman Elect), Michael Maerten (Immediate Past Chairman), David Specht (Commercial Director), Dana Santangelo (Affiliate Director), Jason Ostrowsky, Louis Muscella, Dennis Morgan, Amanda Helwig, Tameka Goldsborough, Ayse
Clay.
(Not pictured: Kenneth Enochs)

Graduating Board Member Suzanne Kunda, 2025 Chairman Michael Howell, and Graduating Board Member Margo McDonnell.
(Not pictured: Graduating Board Member Shannon Diiorio)

Immediate Past Chairman Michael Maerten expressed heartfelt gratitude to his fellow board members for representing the collective membership in the Board Room over the past year. He also praised the board for their unwavering commitment and enthusiasm as they continue to tackle challenges together.

Michael Howell surrounded by family, friends, and members of his brokerage & platinum sponsor, Realty ONE Group Restore

"I would like to take a minute to recognize my colleagues on the Board of Directors.  For a number of years, I have had the distinct pleasure of working closely with these committed individuals to make the Association the best it can be.  I can attest that each of them is a true professional whose contributions to this organization and the local real estate industry are immeasurable."

- Michael Howell, 2025 Chairman

Annually, Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® members are invoiced for their REALTOR® membership. The Association continues to provide the most benefits for your dues dollars while helping you contain your expenses. 

The final deadline for 2025 dues payment is January 31st, 2025.

As you consider your dues options for 2025, please click here for full information on the payment options or here to access a helpful chart.

How You Can Pay:
(1) Online anytime via Tri-County's Secure Online Portal.
(2) By phone Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm. 610-560-4800 
(3) By check: Mail to 1 Country View Road, Suite 201, Malvern PA 19355. If remitting a check in-person or via mail, please make your check payable to "TCSR".

Questions on membership renewal? Please contact Tri-County Suburban’s Accounting Manager, Tara Lacey, or call the Association office at 610-560-4800.

Real estate pro Glennda Baker was walking through the airport in Atlanta when a passerby recognized her: “You’re that real estate agent from TikTok!”

Baker, an associate broker with Glennda Baker + Associates, has long credited the social media platform for raising her profile and helping her earn six figures. Her authentic style in her TikTok real estate videos has resonated with her more than 870,000 followers. One of her recent videos about homeowners associations garnered more than 2,000 comments.

So, the potential U.S. ban on TikTok has Baker concerned and working quickly to shift her audience to other social media platforms.

“It’s difficult to duplicate the success of TikTok,” she says. “Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are often made up of who you know. But [people on TikTok] had never heard of ‘Glennda Baker’ and may have never thought of following real estate advice. TikTok gave me visibility, and I could give the audience value.”

For the full article on NAR's website click here. 

As the real estate landscape continues to shift, REALTORS® face new challenges and opportunities when working with buyers. To meet these demands, earning the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation is more essential than ever. Join over 40,000 REALTORS® nationwide who have taken their careers to the next level with this premier certification!

Why Focus on Buyer Representation?

Increased Buyer Expectations: According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), today’s buyers are more informed, tech-savvy, and value-focused than ever before. They expect expert guidance in navigating competitive markets, making it critical for agents to provide a seamless and professional experience.

Market Trends: Realtor.com highlights that fluctuating mortgage rates and inventory shortages have made buying a home more complex in recent years. REALTORS® equipped with specialized buyer representation skills are better prepared to advocate for their clients and close deals effectively.

Growth in First-Time Homebuyers: NAR data shows that first-time buyers represented nearly 27% of home purchases in 2023. These clients often require additional guidance, making the ABR® designation an invaluable asset in understanding their unique needs.

What the ABR® Course Covers

This comprehensive two-day course provides REALTORS® with a solid foundation in buyer representation and is a required step to earn the prestigious ABR® designation. Topics include:

The evolution of buyer representation and how to adapt to changing roles.
Risk management strategies to protect both clients and your business.
Practical tools for building and maintaining a thriving buyer-focused practice.
Effective negotiation strategies to secure the best outcomes for your clients.

Why Earn the ABR® Designation Now?

Stand Out in a Competitive Market: In a crowded field, designations like ABR® demonstrate your commitment to excellence and specialized expertise.

Boost Your Income: REALTORS® with designations often earn more annually than those without, as reported by NAR.

On January 8th, PAR’s Legal Corner discussed current legal topics related to recent license law changes that define and regulate “wholesale” real estate transactions. Chief Legal Officer Hank Lerner, Assistant General Counsel Desiree Brougher, Associate Counsel Kacy Clouser and Advocacy Managers Jeffrey Dempsey and Marcus Huertas discussed these changes and some of what it may mean in the market during the webinar. Here is a quick recap. 

What Is Wholesaling? 

The Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act now defines a wholesale transaction as “Undertaking to promote the sale, exchange or purchase of an equitable interest or other interest in residential property with the intent to assign, sell or otherwise transfer the interest for a fee, commission or other valuable monetary consideration without having taken title as the owner of record of the interest.” 

A wholesale transaction often looks similar to a typical real estate transaction – in both scenarios a seller and buyer eventually connect though a middleman to transfer ownership rights in a property. But in a typical real estate transaction that middleman is often a real estate broker who owes some sort of legal duty to the seller and/or buyer in exchange for a negotiated fee. In a wholesale transaction, the middleman/wholesaler facilitates the eventual transaction without any duties to either the buyer or seller. That means wholesale transactions were essentially unregulated, which is what the statutory changes are trying to fix. Aside from creating a new definition of wholesale transactions, the act changes the definitions of “broker” and “salesperson” to include those who engage in wholesale transactions. That is what now brings wholesale transactions under the scope of RELRA, and makes wholesale transactions licensed activity. 

To read the full article on PAR's Just Listed Blog, click here. 

To hear about the wholesaling changes in further detail, view the webinar recording here.

The collaborative, MLS-powered mobile app you’ve been waiting for is here! Free of fees and packed with powerful features to grow your business, the new Nestfully app is designed to help you nurture the most valuable asset for any successful agent—your client relationships. 

As a Bright subscriber, you already have a Nestfully account! This app is MLS-owned and operated, with no additional subscription or referral fees. Download the app for the App and Google Play Store via this link, then simply log in using your Bright MLS login credentials. Make sure to invite your clients to meet you there for next-level collaboration!  

Here’s what you can do in the app right now:  

Manage buyers and leads on the go
Gain insights into client activity and behavior
Search and share listings in a snap
Expedite communication with in-app messaging

Plus, there’s plenty more to come as Nestfully spreads its wings, including:  

In-app listing creation and management 
Boundary walk 
An integrated, agent-assisted AVM tool 
The ability to promote your listings with powerful social tools 
And more!  

How is Nestfully different from all the other real estate apps out there? Here are just a few ways this app sets itself apart. 

It helps you do what you do best—build relationships. Nestfully never gets between you and your clients. It provides a user-friendly space where you can work together for a successful home journey!

It’s fueled by the MLS. Featuring up-to-date, accurate property listings straight from the source you know and trust, Nestfully keeps you and your clients on the same page.   

It’s free—really. Nestfully and all its features are included as part of your MLS subscription, so it’s yours to enjoy with no fees, Don’t be the one who leaves this valuable tool on the table. 

Upper Darby has posted updated application documents and forms related to the use and occupancy (U&O) process. The new use and occupancy webpage on the township website — found under the Licenses and Inspection menu — consolidates forms, details and guidance for the resale inspection process. The page is intended to be a resource for property owners, buyers and agents. To further support the implementation of the new process, the township is currently waiving the U&O application fee for residential resales (single-family homes and duplexes). Officials plan to reinstate the fee in March.

Source: Upper Darby Township; 1/13/2025

January 23rd | 9:00am-4:30pm 
At Home with Diversity (AHWD) (Fulfills Required 2 Hrs in Fair Housing PA 2024-2026 Renewal) 
Association of REALTORS® School, Malvern

February 6th | 11:15am-1:00pm 
Commercial Real Estate 2025: Market Forecast and Economic Insights
Association of REALTORS® School, Malvern

February 11th & 12th (two-day course) | 9:00am-4:30pm
ABR: Accredited Buyer Representative
Association of REALTORS® School, Malvern

February 19h | 9:00am-4:30pm
USPAP: Uniformed Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice
Virtual via Zoom

February 20th | 1:00pm-1:45pm
MLS Essentials for New Bright MLS Users
Virtual Webinar via Bright MLS

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

Office
1 Country View Road
Suite 201
Malvern, PA 19355