June 3, 2026

Designed to elevate professional standards and enhance personal performance, the Seller Representative Specialist designation (SRS) is the premiere credential in seller representation. It is awarded to real estate professionals who demonstrate the knowledge and skills essential for seller advocacy.

The path to earning a SRS Designation includes successful completion of this 2-day course, an elective course, active membership in The National Association of REALTORS®, and completed application. Annual renewal of your SRS designation is required, but upon designation, your first 12-months of SRS membership is complimentary. (Designation is via The Real Estate Business Institute – REBI).

Click here to learn more about obtaining the SRS Designation.

Click here to register to attend the 2-day SRS Designation course. Students who complete the course will have a comprehensive foundation of skill development, training, and resources to help real estate professionals represent the interests of sellers in today’s marketplace. 

Please note that credits earned through completion of these courses are for 2026-2028 PA License Renewal.

Strong negotiation skills can make a meaningful difference in every real estate transaction. The Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) course is designed to help real estate professionals strengthen their ability to advocate for clients, navigate challenging conversations, and achieve better outcomes in a variety of market conditions.

The path to earning the RENE Certification includes successful completion of this 2-day course, active membership in the National Association of REALTORS®, and completion of the certification requirements established by the Real Estate Business Institute (REBI). Certification requirements and renewal information are determined by REBI.

Click here to learn more about obtaining the RENE Certification.

Click here to register for the 2-day RENE course. Through interactive exercises, real-world scenarios, and practical negotiation strategies, participants will develop the skills needed to recognize negotiation tactics, adapt communication styles, establish stronger bargaining positions, and effectively represent their clients throughout the transaction process. Successful completion of this course also satisfies 15 hours toward the 2026–2028 Pennsylvania Real Estate License Renewal requirement.

Please note that credits earned through completion of this course apply toward the 2026–2028 PA License Renewal period.

Negotiation is one of the most valuable skills a REALTOR® can bring to every transaction. Whether navigating multiple offers, inspection requests, appraisal challenges, or difficult conversations, strong negotiation strategies can help create better outcomes for clients and smoother transactions overall.

Join us on June 16 at 10:30 am for Negotiation Strategies for Real Estate Professionals, a free 90-minute seminar led by Matt Mittman. Using real-world  scenarios and common Pennsylvania real estate forms, this session will provide practical techniques you can immediately apply in today's evolving market.

Registration is now open, but seats are limited. Reserve your spot today and gain insights that can help strengthen your confidence and effectiveness at the negotiating table.

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, from 10:00am - 3:00pm, Tri-County Suburban REALTORS^® and the RPAC Fundraising Committee will host the Annual RPAC Telethon. Members are encouraged to participate  in two ways:

First, members can volunteer as Telethon callers, reaching out to fellow REALTORS^® to help secure RPAC investments. Volunteers will receive lunch, and those who obtain 10 or more investments will earn a $75 education certificate redeemable through the Association of REALTORS^® School. (Certificates can be used towards the purchase of The MCE Season Pass.) 

Members are also encouraged to respond to outreach efforts on the day of the Telethon by making an RPAC investment.

As an added incentive, any member who makes an RPAC investment during the Telethon on June 9 — either through a Telethon call or their online portal — will be entered to win a $500 Visa gift card. The winner will be selected and notified by Association leadership following the event.

For more information, to volunteer at the 2026 RPAC Telethon, or questions about investments, please contact VP of Operations, Mike Carlin.

The REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) plays a vital role in electing candidates who support and advocate for homeownership at all levels of government regardless of party affiliation. RPAC is a key benefit of REALTOR® membership, providing essential advocacy to protect the interests of real estate professionals and homeowners alike. The support of RPAC is crucial for safeguarding the real estate industry, clients, and the bottom line of REALTOR® members.

One emerging topic drawing significant attention across the country—and increasingly here in Pennsylvania—is the growth of data centers and their potential impact on local communities, infrastructure, energy resources, and housing markets.

While much of the current discussion has focused on concerns surrounding energy demand, land use, and quality of life, research is beginning to provide additional insight into how these developments may affect residential real estate values. As data center projects continue to be proposed throughout the Commonwealth and beyond, this is a topic that REALTORS® should keep on their radar.

Last week, Governor Josh Shapiro released Pennsylvania's Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Standards, establishing new guidelines intended to hold data center developers accountable while protecting ratepayers, local communities, environmental resources, and workforce interests. The standards also include tools to help municipalities evaluate and navigate future data center proposals.

As this issue continues to develop at both the national and local levels, we will continue sharing relevant news, research, and policy updates that may impact Pennsylvania's real estate landscape. The article below examines one of the industry's most frequently discussed questions: What effect, if any, do data centers have on nearby home values?

At the edge of towns and farmland across the U.S., windowless buildings are rising fast—some the size of shopping malls, others sprawling across hundreds of acres. While innocuous from the highway, like blank blocks dropped onto the landscape, to the communities living around them they can cause uproar. Data centers produce competing pressures—energy demand, land use, noise, and rapid infrastructure expansion—but one of the most persistent concerns may not hold up to scrutiny: whether they depress nearby home values. A new analysis of Northern Virginia suggests the opposite may be true.

Some residents have raised concerns about noise, transmission lines, water use and energy demand. Yet one of the most persistent fears—that data centers drag down nearby home values—may not hold up to scrutiny.

A new analysis from George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis examined 2023 BrightMLS home sales against the locations of data centers built or permitted by August 2024 in Northern Virginia, the country’s largest data-center hub.

Researchers found homes closer to data centers sold for higher prices on average, not lower.

The report concluded it could not find statistical evidence that proximity to a data center reduces housing values in Northern Virginia, known as “data-center alley” for its dense cluster of facilities built around fiber routes and power infrastructure.

But as hyperscale projects spread far beyond Virginia, opponents argue housing prices reveal only part of the impact.

But Terry L. Clower, director of the Center for Regional Analysis and a co-author of the report, cautioned against overinterpreting the findings.

“At no point am I saying that data centers are an add-on,” he told Newsweek. The more likely explanation, he said, is that data centers “go where the infrastructure exists”—the same infrastructure homebuyers value. He also stressed the importance of the “on average” caveat. “That doesn’t mean that you can’t find a home” next to a facility where the impact feels obvious, he said.

Source: Newsweek, May 16, 2026

This June, the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS^® recognizes Pride Month and the homeownership triumphs and challenges of LGBTQ+ homebuyers and sellers, as well as the journeys of LGBTQ+ real estate professionals. 

In 2023, Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey found that 8.6% of consumers identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, with the LGBT population skewing relatively younger and more economically disadvantaged. The LGBT homeownership rate was 46% – significantly lower than the national rate of 65%. 

“Many LGBTQ+ buyers, especially trans folks, are navigating barriers that go beyond affordability alone,” notes Mon Kramer, the founding president of the Eastern PA Chapter of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance and a member of the Greater Philadelphia Association of REALTORS^®. 

“Concerns about discrimination, safety, legal protections and finding affirming professionals all play a role in the homebuying process. Buyers want to know they’ll be safe, respected and welcomed not just during the transaction, but in the communities where they choose to live. Even with those challenges, I continue to see LGBTQ+ clients deeply committed to building stability, community and long-term roots through homeownership.” 

Kramer is right – homeownership aspirations still remain high, with 83% of LGBT consumers saying they “would like to buy at some point” or “continue to own.” Overcoming homeownership barriers can prove challenging, though, as the majority of LGBT respondents also said they believed there are more obstacles to owning a home than their non-LGBT peers. 

Fannie Mae found that LGBT consumers were more likely to be unemployed part-time, and LGBT respondents were more concerned about job loss than non-LGBT respondents. About half of LGBT consumers reported that their total family income was less than $50,000, compared to only 34% of non-LGBT consumers.  

For the full article via PAR's JustListed Blog, click here. 

The East Vincent Township Board of Supervisors denied an application from Pennhurst Holdings DE LLC to build a 1.9-million-square-foot hyperscale data center on the grounds of the former Pennhurst Hospital. Having written but then not adopted a data-center-specific zoning ordinance, the township received the application under an overlay zoning district named “industrial mixed use,” which requires an industrial use (the data center) to be accompanied by something like an office or light manufacturing use. Attorney Matthew McHugh, representing the developer, argued that because the plan included data center offices, battery storage and a gas-fired power plant, the site would house multiple uses. Carl Ewald, the attorney hired by the group East Vincent Advocacy, which was granted party status, argued those were all accessories to a single use. The applicant has indicated they intend to appeal the decision in court.
Source: Daily Local; 5/22/2026

June 16th | 13:00 am - 12:00 pm
Negotiation Strategies for Today’s Real Estate Market
Association of REALTORS^® School, Malvern

June 18th | 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Bright MLS Essentials: Navigating the Platform & Maximizing Its Tools
Association of REALTORS^® School, Malvern

June 23rd & 25th (two-day course) | 9:00 am - 4:30 pm (both days)
Seller Representative Specialist (SRS)
Association of REALTORS^® School, Malvern

July 10th | 8:00 am - 9:30 am
Commercial/Industrial Marketing Exchange – Hybrid – RPR Commercial
Association of REALTORS^® School, Malvern & Virtual Via Zoom

July 20th & 23rd (two-day course) | 9:00 am - 4:30 pm (both days)
Real Estate Negotiation Expert Course (RENE)
Association of REALTORS^® School, Malvern & Virtual Via Zoom

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

Office
1 Country View Road
Suite 201
Malvern, PA 19355