, Author at CCARToday - Contra Costa Association of REALTORS

Weekly Jolt – 101326

CONTRA COSTA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | OCTOBER 13, 2026

Annual Elected Officials Reception – This Thursday

Enjoy hosted cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and great conversation with local elected officials and community leaders this Thu, Oct. 15, from 5pm – 7pm at the Pleasant Hill Community Center!

Officials from cities across Central and West Contra Costa County have been invited- giving you the chance to personally thank them for their continued support of homeownership and discuss the issues that matter most to you.

This relaxed networking event is a wonderful way to build connections, share ideas, and strengthen relationships with those shaping our communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with colleagues and local leaders in a welcoming, social setting!

REGISTER FREE >>

Preparing for UAD 3.6: Appraisal Seminar & Lunch – Oct. 20

Beginning November 2, 2026, appraisal reports for loans involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will transition to the new UAD 3.6 format, bringing changes to property details, photos and supporting documentation.

Join CCAR on Tue, Oct. 20, from 12:00 – 3:00pm at St. Stephen Church for a special seminar with Market Analyst and Appraiser Anthony Young. Learn what the new reports will look like, how the changes may impact REALTORS® and homeowners, and what you can do now to better prepare your clients and transactions.

This FREE event includes lunch and is limited to 100 CCAR members and affiliates. Space is first come, first served, so register today!

REGISTER FREE >>

Weekly Jolt – 100626

CONTRA COSTA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | OCTOBER 6, 2026

Preparing for UAD 3.6: Appraisal Seminar & Lunch – Oct. 20

Recognize Excellence:
CCAR Award Nominations Due Nov. 9

2025 Recipients:
REALTOR® of the Year:
Marilyn Cunningham
Affiliates of the Year:
Jennifer Britton
Annette Khaliq
President’s Community Service Award:
Cathy Lee Cibelli
Emeritus Member:
Debi Mackey

REALTOR® of the Year Form >>
Affiliate of the Year Form >>
Community Service Award Form >>

Read More >>

CCAR MLS Member Benefit: IDX Website + 10 Lead Generation Tools – Oct 27

Brokerages, teams, and agents—discover how to get more from your new CCAR member benefit on Oct. 27 at 10am on Zoom!
Learn how to strengthen your online presence with an SEO-optimized IDX website, keep leads and clients organized with a built-in CRM, and grow your business with integrated email and social media marketing tools.
See how these powerful tools can help you capture more leads, streamline your workflow, stay connected with clients, and generate more referral opportunities.
Don’t miss out—register below and learn how to make the most of your new member benefit!
REGISTER NOW >>

Latest News on Prop 37: Watch the Town Hall and Access Member Tools

Watch or revisit the Proposition 37 town hall and access FAQs and campaign resources at car.org to stay informed and share information with clients and your community. Sign-in required.
READ MORE >>

WCR Upcoming Events

READ MORE & REGISTER >> READ MORE & REGISTER >>

Realtor.com®+™ Adds RealAssist™ AI
To Help Agents Work Smarter

Realtor.com®+™ is getting a major AI upgrade designed to help agents spend less time managing activity and more time connecting with clients.
New RealAssist™ AI works inside Realtor.com®+™ to monitor client activity, surface important updates and suggest what an agent may want to do next. Instead of checking multiple searches, conversations and notifications individually, agents can get a Daily Digest that brings together client searches, chats, alerts and price changes, along with suggested next steps.
RealAssist™ can also help streamline client setup by capturing preferences and notes and creating more tailored property searches. Its Agentic Actions feature can recommend and assist with tasks such as refining searches using MLS data or drafting client messages in the agent’s own tone. Agents remain in control, reviewing and approving actions before anything moves forward.
The goal is simple: help you spot opportunities that might otherwise get buried in a busy day. You still make the call and manage the relationship—RealAssist™ helps make sure you know when there’s a call worth making.
The update is part of a broader expansion of Realtor.com®+™, which is also adding RPR® integration, public invite links for bringing groups of buyers into the collaborative search experience, and listing notes that agents and clients can use to keep track of thoughts on individual properties.
LEARN MORE >>

CCAR ANNUAL SPONSORS

Preparing for UAD 3.6: Appraisal Seminar & Lunch – Oct. 20

A change to residential appraisal reporting is approaching. Beginning November 2, 2026, new appraisal reports submitted for loans involving Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must use UAD 3.6, a format that calls for more detailed property information. Some lenders are already ordering reports in the new format, so you may encounter it before the deadline.

Join CCAR on Tue, Oct. 20, from 12:00 – 3:00pm at St. Stephen Church for a special seminar and Lunch with Market Analyst and Appraiser Anthony Young. Learn what the new reports will look like, how the changes may impact you, and what you can do now to better prepare your clients and transactions.

Register here >>

Changes to Appraisal Report

One flexible report replaces the familiar fixed forms. The report adapts to the property type and its features, so it may look different from appraisals clients have seen before.

More detailed property information is recorded. Appraisers document features such as individual levels, rooms, improvements, amenities and site characteristics in greater detail.

Photos and supporting information have more defined reporting requirements. The redesigned report specifies which images are required, required with certain circumstances, or optional

Impact on REALTORS^®

Explain the new appearance without treating it as a sign of a problem.

Provide clear facts about improvements, including what was done and when. “Updated kitchen” is less useful than a dated description of work.

Help clients know what to expect at the appointment and respond promptly if an appraiser requests factual information about a property or past sale.

Impact on Homeowners

Buyers and sellers may receive a less familiar-looking report, but the appraiser’s responsibility to determine value remains the same.

Sellers should be ready to share records of renovations and allow for a potentially longer property visit. More detail does not automatically mean a higher appraisal value.

A visit may involve more documentation than they expect; the homeowner should ask the lender/appraiser about any access or preparation needs for their specific assignment.

For more practical guidance, read NAR’s article: “Appraisal Ready: What Agents and Brokers Can Do Now for UAD 3.6.”

From Listing Presentation to Post-Closing: Let the Code Be Your Guide

For listing agents, the transaction begins long before the sign goes in the yard.

There is the first conversation with the seller, the listing presentation, the agreement, marketing decisions, negotiations, inspections, closing—and the responsibilities that continue after the transaction is complete.

NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource organizes the relevant Standards of Practice around each of these stages, making the Code easier to apply to the work listing agents are actually doing every day.

Start Before You Have a Listing

The listing-agent checklist begins with Pre-Listing.
That’s an important reminder: ethical practice doesn’t begin when you have a signed listing agreement. The professional relationship and the decisions surrounding it can raise ethical considerations from the very beginning.
The checklist then moves into Listing Presentation/Agreement, where the agent continues building the relationship and taking the listing.

Then Comes the Public-Facing Work

Marketing your listing brings another set of ethical considerations into focus.
This is where accuracy, professionalism, representation and other responsibilities intersect with the day-to-day work of promoting a property.
From there, the checklist follows the transaction into Contract Negotiation, Financing/Inspections, Pre-Closing/Closing/Possession, and Post-Closing.
It’s a much more intuitive way to use the Code.
Instead of thinking: “Which Article is this?”
you can begin with: “Where am I in the transaction?”
Then find the relevant section.

Make it Part of Your Process

Here’s a simple challenge:
Pick one upcoming transaction and use the NAR checklist as a companion to your transaction file.
At each major milestone, pause and review the applicable section.
You’re not trying to turn every transaction into a compliance exercise. You’re building the habit of connecting ethical principles with everyday professional decisions.
And that’s really the value of this resource.
The Code of Ethics isn’t just a document to study every few years. It’s a professional standard that can help guide how we communicate, represent clients, market properties, negotiate, cooperate and complete transactions.
NAR’s chronological approach makes that connection easier to see—and easier to use.
Keep the resource handy. Your next transaction may give you a reason to use it.
Explore NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource here .

PT 2 | First Conversation to Closing: An Ethical Roadmap for Buyer Agents

PT 1 | When You’re in a Transaction, Which Parts of the Code of Ethics Apply?

NAR CODE OF ETHICS

NAR Ethics Complaints, Arbitration Requests & Related Information

C.A.R. ETHICS & ARBITRATION MANUAL

MLS RULES & REGULATIONS

CCAR BYLAWS

CODE OF ETHICS DEMYSTIFIED

ETHICS COMPLAINT
INSTRUCTIONS & INFO

FILE AN
ETHICS COMPLAINT

ARBITRATION REQUEST
INSTRUCTIONS & INFO

FILE AN
ARBITRATION REQUEST

Gail Hargis
Professional Standards
925.295.9220
[email protected]

Weekly Jolt – 092926

CONTRA COSTA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2026

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Top News

• Tomorrow Intro to Paragon Live at CCAR
• Oktoberfest Affiliate Faire Next Wed
• Appraisal Reports Are Changing Nov. 2
• West County Marketing Meeting – This Thu.
• Elected Official Reception – Oct. 15
• The BIG Event – Oct. 28
• WCR Upcoming Events
• Register to Vote

ETHICS CORNER

• From Listing Presentation to Post Closing: Let the Code be Your Guide

MLS Updates

• Make Homeownership Part of the Election Conversation
• REALTOR ® Optimized Laptops For Sale

All laptops purchased through CCAR include a 2-year warranty, data transfer, and Real Estate setup.

+ Upcoming Education
+ REALTOR^® ACTION FUND (RAF)
+ CCAR CALENDAR

West County Marketing Meeting – This Thu.

Join us for the West County Marketing Meeting this Thu, Oct. 1, from 8:45–10:00am, at 500 Alfred Nobel Drive, Suite 265, Hercules.

Guest speaker Chris Stafford, a San Francisco real estate broker with more than 30 years of experience and founder of The Listing Collective, will share practical strategies designed to help agents consistently generate more listings and grow their business.

Enjoy complimentary breakfast bagels, fruit, and beverages, while connecting with fellow REALTORS®, sharing upcoming listings, and learning something new.

Elected Officials Reception – Oct.15

REGISTER HERE >>

The Big Event Membership Meeting – Oct. 28

REGISTER HERE >>

WCR Upcoming Events

READ MORE & REGISTER >> READ MORE & REGISTER >>

Tomorrow: Get Hands-On with Paragon MLS
Live & In-Person at CCAR

A live, in-person CCAR training with Chris Dickson, CCAR Education & Training Coordinator
Class Details
Date: Wednesday, September 30
Time: 10:00am – Noon
Location: CCAR Boardroom, Walnut Creek
What You’ll Learn
Build confidence using Paragon MLS with guided, step-by-step instruction covering:
Navigating the Paragon MLS platform
Customizing your preferences and settings
Running more effective searches
Managing contacts
Using Collaboration Center
Exploring integrations
Accessing MLS tools on the go with Paragon Connect
Who Should Attend
This class is ideal for members who are new to Paragon MLS, as well as anyone who wants a practical refresher on the platform’s core tools and features.
Space is limited and snacks are provided — Register on the CCAR Calendar >>

Food, Raffles, and Beer! Oktoberfest Affiliate Faire Next Wed! – Oct. 7

Dust off your lederhosen and join us next Wed, Oct 7, from 5pm–7pm at St. Stephen Church for a FREE evening of Oktoberfest fun!

Raise a stein and unwind with beer, wine, and delicious appetizers, plus raffles and opportunities to win great prizes.

Mix and mingle with local industry partners and fellow CCAR members while enjoying good conversation, great company, and plenty of Oktoberfest spirit.

Best of all, your participation supports CCAR Helping Hands and the CCAR Scholarship Foundation — two great causes making a difference in our community.

O’zapft is! The keg is tapped — come raise a stein with us!

REGISTER FOR FREE TICKETS >>

Read More >>

Preparing for UAD 3.6: Appraisal Seminar & Lunch – Oct. 20

Beginning November 2, 2026, appraisal reports for loans involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will transition to the new UAD 3.6 format, bringing changes to property details, photos and supporting documentation.

Join CCAR on Tue, Oct. 20, from 12:00 – 3:00pm at St. Stephen Church for a special seminar with Market Analyst and Appraiser Anthony Young. Learn what the new reports will look like, how the changes may impact REALTORS® and homeowners, and what you can do now to better prepare your clients and transactions.

This FREE event includes lunch and is limited to 100 CCAR members and affiliates. Space is first come, first served, so register today!

REGISTER FREE >>

Read More >>

ETHICS CORNER:

From Listing Presentation to Post-Closing: Let the Code Be Your Guide

Last week we looked at the buyer’s agent’s perspective and how the Code of Ethics can become a practical checklist from first conversation to closing. Let’s do the same now for Listing Agents.
For listing agents, the transaction begins long before the sign goes in the yard.
There is the first conversation with the seller, the listing presentation, the agreement, marketing decisions, negotiations, inspections, closing—and the responsibilities that continue after the transaction is complete.
NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource organizes the relevant Standards of Practice around each of these stages, making the Code easier to apply to the work listing agents are actually doing every day.
The listing-agent checklist begins with Pre-Listing. That’s an important reminder: ethical practice doesn’t begin when you have a signed listing agreement. The professional relationship and the decisions surrounding it can raise ethical considerations from the…
READ MORE >>

Are You and Your Clients Registered to Vote?

Residents must be registered by Oct. 19th to vote in Nov.
REGISTER TO VOTE >>

Make Homeownership Part of the
Election Conversation

The opportunity to own a home remains central to California’s future. It helps families build stability, supports local economies, and gives communities a stronger foundation for long-term success. Through C.A.R.’s Vote Homeownership campaign, Californians are being encouraged to have conversations with candidates about where they stand on policies that can make homeownership more attainable.
Sharing “Vote Homeownership” information gives your clients useful context about the policies and decisions that affect their ability to buy, sell, or remain in a home. It helps them better understand issues such as housing supply, affordability, first-time buyer support, and community stability, while giving them practical questions to ask candidates during election season. By connecting these issues to their own housing goals, REALTORS® can help clients feel more informed, engaged, and prepared to advocate for solutions that expand homeownership opportunities.
READ MORE AT car.org >>

CCAR ANNUAL SPONSORS