, Author at CCARToday - Contra Costa Association of REALTORS

Weekly Jolt – 081523

CONTRA COSTA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | AUG. 15, 2023

To mitigate potential security risks for CCAR MLS Participants and Subscribers, the photo URLs for listings originating in the BAREIS or SFAR MLSs have been temporarily broken. Once the cyber attack impacting the Rapattoni Corporation has subsided and we have determined there is no risk, we will reactivate the photo URLs.

Previous YPN School Supply & Shoe Drives

As a part of C.A.R.’s Month-of-Giving, CCAR YPN is hosting a school supply and shoe drive in partnership with Moving Forward, a non-profit whose mission is to make a positive impact on the Richmond community through health, academics, and community service.

Donate today and help us reach our 2023 goal of 200 pairs of new children’s shoes as well as school supplies to enable young students to get what they need and not fall behind. The deadline is Friday, August 18th at 2pm!

Read more for a link to Moving Forward’s Amazon wish list, how to donate directly to Moving Forward’s scholarship program, and school supply drop off locations.

Drive With NAR Podcast: The Safety Series – May 2024

REALTOR® Magazine has partnered with NAR’s REALTOR® Safety Program on a monthly podcast, Drive With NAR: The Safety Series.

This month’s episode focuses on pros’ advice for raising awareness at your brokerage around the issue of safe work practices. Half of real estate brokerages have no safety policies, according to NAR data. So, who’s reminding you and your colleagues what to do to make sure you’re working safely with clients? Every office could use a safety advocate who encourages agents every day to think about their well-being while on the job. Host Tracey Hawkins talks with two real estate pros about what it looks like to advocate for safe practices in real estate.

POSTPONED: 2023 MLS Survey

You will soon have the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the MLS you use every day! Keep an eye out for updates and when to check your email for a link to the survey.

EXPLORE THE REVIEW LANDSCAPE: GOOGLE, REALTOR.com, and Beyond

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MLS “AREA” Field Change Notice – Nov. 6, 2023

Effective November 6, the “AREA” field lookup values will be updated to a single lookup value called “Listing”. This means that instead of selecting various “AREA” options, you will now see one “Listing” value. We want to ensure that you have a clear understanding of how this change will impact your workflow.

Action Required – Update Your Saved Searches
To avoid your clients receiving unnecessary email notifications, we kindly request you to update all your Active Saved Searches that currently use the “AREA” field. You can use the following alternative fields instead: “Map Search,” “City,” or “Zip Code.” By making these updates before November 6th, you will prevent your clients from being bombarded with emails due to the change.

Will the AREA field still be required while entering a listing?
No, this field will no longer be required for listing entry.

What alternative fields can you use?
1. Map Search
2. City
3. Zip Code

Why are we making this change?
The decision to update the “AREA” field was driven by several factors:

1. Data Compatibility: As we integrate data from various MLSs into Paragon, we face challenges in maintaining a one-to-one match with each MLS’s “AREA” definitions. Different MLSs may use different terms such as District, Neighborhood, or Subdivision for their “AREA” field.

2. Outdated Field Design: The “AREA” field and its locations were created almost two decades ago, and we recognize that it no longer aligns with current best practices and user expectations.

3. Ease of Use: Some agents reported encountering error messages when using the “AREA” field due to a lack of familiarity with it.

Why do I still see the AREA field in the MLS?
Although we understand that you might still see the “AREA” field within Paragon, please be assured that the only available value will be “Listing.” We acknowledge this limitation and have already requested our MLS Vendor to remove the field entirely in future enhancements.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this transition. By embracing these changes, we can enhance the efficiency and accuracy of our MLS system, benefiting all members.

Unique Areas (see above photo):
For those unique “Area’s” such as Blackhawk, Rossmoor, Hayward Hills, etc.. You can leverage the “Zip Code” field for all but Rossmoor. For those agents who specialize in Rossmoor we have created a “Map Layer” solution for your searching needs. To utilize the “Map Layer”, open the map and click on “Open Map Layer Panel” icon and check the box for “ROSSMOOR – WALNUT CREEK” then run search or add to criteria.

CCAR ANNUAL SPONSORS

Weekly Jolt – 080823

CONTRA COSTA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | AUG. 8, 2023

Previous YPN School Supply & Shoe Drives

Electronic Resources At Your Fingertips

On-demand training gives you 24/7-access to education videos. Take courses at your own pace, without leaving your home or office. CCAR’s On Demand training videos cover a range of topics and can be viewed any time. Search by topic or software application to fulfill your immediate educational needs.

LEARN MORE >>

The CCAR website, ccartoday.com gives you access to countless membership benefits, products, and services including education and training, legal resources, and hundreds of professional advancement opportunities. They’re all just a few clicks away.

Coming Soon: 2023 MLS Survey

You will soon have the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the MLS you use every day! Watch for an email on August 14th with a link to our 2023 MLS Survey. The survey will end at 5:00pm on August 18th.

Paragon Report View – Enhancement

On August 22nd, the “2-Page Agent” report view in the Paragon MLS will be enhanced to display the upcoming “Open House” and “Tour” dates and times. This enhancement will allow for easier access to open house and tour data while viewing a listing.

MLS Area Field Repurposing

On October 16th, the following change will be made to the Paragon MLS. The “Area” field lookups are being updated to just a single lookup of “Listing” rendering the field useless. We recommend the use of the “City” field, “Zip Code” field, or Map Search as a replacement for use of the “Area” field.

Saved Search Issue:
Updating the “Area” to a single lookup will trigger notifications on any “Saved Searches” that utilize the “Area” field. To ensure you do not bombard your clients with emails containing listings that do not match their search criteria, we recommend that you update your saved searches now.

Alternatives:
The following are options to utilize as an alternative to the “Area” field.
1. City
2. Zip Code
3. Map Search

Unique Areas (see above photo):
For those unique “Areas” such as Blackhawk, Rossmoor, Hayward Hills, etc.., you can leverage the “Zip Code” field for all but Rossmoor. For those agents who specialize in Rossmoor, we have created a “Map Layer” solution for your searching needs. To utilize the “Map Layer”, open the map and click on “Open Map Layer Panel” icon and check the box for “ROSSMOOR – WALNUT CREEK” then run search or add to criteria.

CCAR ANNUAL SPONSORS

Boost Success with a CRM Featuring Jared White – Tomorrow, Aug. 2

Eleni and Jared will discuss how a CRM can assist real estate agents in everyday business and what benefits it can bring to brokers and team leads.

They will showcase different features in Wise Agent that allow you to share leads, appointments, marketing content, and other ways to collaborate in the CRM.

Register >>

Weekly Jolt – 080123

CONTRA COSTA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | AUG. 1, 2023

Boost Success with a CRM Featuring Jared White – Tomorrow, Aug. 2

Join Jared White, CCAR Director of MLS Services and Eleni Sommerschield, Wise Agent COO on Tuesday, August 2 at 10am to explore why it is crucial for a brokerage to empower agents with a robust CRM platform.

Eleni and Jared will discuss how a CRM can assist real estate agents in everyday business and what benefits it can bring to brokers and team leads. They will showcase different features in Wise Agent that allow you to share leads, appointments, marketing content, and other ways to collaborate in the CRM.

New Fire Insurance Resources To Keep Your Clients Informed

This year, insurance companies have responded to California’s recent wildﬁres by forgoing the issuance of new policies, imposing premium increases on existing customers, and leaving many property owners worried about losing their coverage.

C.A.R. has done research so you can easily keep your clients informed on how to protect their homes, keep their insurance coverage, or ﬁnd new coverage when necessary.

Read more to learn how to find (or keep) fire insurance, how to protect yourself from scam artists following wildfire damage, and how to fire-harden your home.

Coming Soon: 2023 MLS Survey

Paragon Report View – Enhancement

Reinputforms.com retirement

On August 23^rd, reInputForms,com will no longer be accessible. This site served as our digital and printable listing input forms solution, but due to lack of usage the service is being shut down.

If you have any questions, please contact CCAR Member Services at [email protected] or 925.295.1270.

MLS Area Field Repurposing

Alternatives:
The following are options to utilize as an alternative to the “Area” field.
1. City
2. Zip Code
3. Map Search

CCAR ANNUAL SPONSORS

How to Explain Local MLS Broker Marketplaces to Clients

From REALTOR® Magazine

There’s so much consumers can learn about the ways local broker marketplaces (also known as MLSs) set them up for a successful home sale. Share the below talking points with your clients to effectively communicate your value as a REALTOR® with access to the most comprehensive housing data in their area.

Have you tried to explain to your clients how the local MLS broker marketplace works?

It might not be the easiest or most thrilling conversation, but there’s so much your clients can learn about the ways a local MLS broker marketplace sets them up for a successful home sale and how it benefits buyers and sellers everywhere. After all, they see marketplace data throughout the entire home buying and selling process, as well as on broker websites and popular online home search portals. It’s important that consumers—and real estate professionals—understand the value these marketplaces bring.

The first step to having these conversations with your clients is understanding how to define the local broker marketplace. There’s no difference between “MLS,” “multiple listing service” or “local broker marketplace.” All marketplaces are local; there’s no singular MLS or multiple listing service for the nation. Each one represents a different marketplace for a different region and is run by local brokers.

These marketplaces house data in one place for all the verified, up-to-date home listings in their area. REALTORS® participate directly in local broker marketplaces to ensure home buyers and sellers have full access and equal opportunity in the market. In short, the local broker marketplaces are a custom, local collection of data that helps buyers and sellers understand the landscape of their market and make informed decisions in consultation with real estate professionals.

Let’s break it down. Local broker marketplaces:

Give transparent, equitable and instant access to all home listings.
Ensure the most accurate, up-to-date and verifiable source of active listings and past sales.
Maximize consumer choice, providing options for brokers to work with.
Enable sellers and buyers to have professional representation in the complex home sales process.
Encourage different compensation models to thrive.
Foster competitive pricing and market competition for businesses of all sizes.

Why it matters:
Now that you can define a local broker marketplace and translate its value, here are some ways you can explain to consumers why they matter and how they help.

More exposure to listings and housing opportunities can increase success for buyers and sellers. Local broker marketplaces give buyers access to the most housing options on the market at any given time, and they help sellers get the most buyer attention for their listing.
Home sellers have a greater chance of earning more. Between 2019 and 2022, homes listed on local broker marketplaces sold for an average of 14.8% more than off-market properties. For an average home sale, that’s a $45,471 difference.
The marketplaces provide a centralized home buying and selling process for everyone. In 2022, 86% of sellers listed their homes on local broker marketplaces, which are the No. 1 sources to broadly market homes.
Local broker marketplaces foster an inclusive and accessible market for consumers. Buyers can easily access the most homes for sale, free from discrimination, regardless of which broker they choose to work with or how much that broker is being paid for his or her work.
These marketplaces are all about consumer choice. Buyers and sellers have many choices about the brokers with whom they work – from how they are paid to specific expertise to customer service – all at market-driven prices.
A plethora of local broker marketplaces equals a competitive market that works for everyone. There are more than 500 local broker marketplaces in the United States, all of which facilitate and encourage competition in real estate.
It is a secure marketplace with timely, accurate listings. Brokers submit new listings and update current listings every day directly on local broker marketplaces, making them the most updated source of information about the most homes for sale in a market.

Read More at realtor.com >>

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