Blog - CCARToday - Contra Costa Association of REALTORS

Weekly Jolt – 072126

CONTRA COSTA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | JULY 21, 2026

Finish July Strong with CCAR Education

July may be winding down, but there is still time to sharpen your skills, refresh your knowledge, and prepare for a strong second half of the year.

The July Education & Events Newsletter features several upcoming classes and programs designed to help CCAR members stay informed and work more effectively. Opportunities include training on Paragon tools, Cloud CMA, license renewal, the CA RPA, renter-to-homebuyer strategies, time and financial management, and more.

Whether you are looking to strengthen your technical skills, stay current on industry practices, or discover new ways to better serve your clients, these upcoming courses offer valuable opportunities to keep learning and growing.

How CCAR Keeps the Professional Standards Process Fair and Impartial

Fairness and impartiality are essential when a disciplinary complaint is filed. CCAR’s Professional Standards process includes multiple safeguards designed to ensure every matter is handled by a neutral, balanced, and qualified panel. These protections include strict confidentiality, careful panelist selection, conflict-of-interest rules, opportunities for both parties to challenge potential panelists, and clear restrictions on outside communication.

Learn more about the steps CCAR takes to prevent bias, protect everyone involved, and maintain confidence in the Professional Standards process.

Headlines

Three Skills to Coach This Month

Information is everywhere. Expertise isn’t. Help agents turn market headlines into local insight, ask better questions, and explain the “why” behind their advice. That’s how brokerages earn trust and stand apart.

Information Is Everywhere. Judgment Is Not.

Consumers have unlimited access to market reports, mortgage calculators, AI chatbots, and housing headlines. Before they ever contact an agent, they’ve already formed opinions about pricing, interest rates, and whether now is the “right” time to buy or sell. That’s changing the role of today’s REALTOR®.

Don’t ask agents to memorize scripts. Teach them how to interpret information and apply it to a client’s unique situation.

NAR research shows today’s buyers continue to prioritize lifestyle factors such as walkable neighborhoods, proximity to amenities, and housing options—not just price. At the same time, younger buyers are entering the market in growing numbers, often arriving well-researched but needing help turning information into decisions.

That’s where professional guidance becomes indispensable.

Replace Opinions with Questions

Ask agents to bring one national housing headline to your meeting. Then have them answer:

Does this apply in Contra Costa County?
Which cities does it affect?
Which price ranges behave differently?
What local data would you use to explain the difference?

The goal isn’t to criticize the headline—it’s to teach agents to provide context.

Practice Explaining the Why

Sensational news articles do not create confidence. Explanations do. Challenge each agent to explain, in under 60 seconds:

Why a home received multiple offers.
Why another sat on the market.
Why two similar homes sold for different prices.
Why buyers continue choosing Contra Costa over neighboring markets.

If they can explain why, they’re demonstrating expertise—not simply repeating data.

CCAR ANNUAL SPONSORS

Beyond the Numbers

Beyond the Numbers: Teach Agents to Turn Market Data Into Client Confidence

Data tells clients what happened. Your agents’ expertise explains why it happened and what to do next. That’s the difference between providing information and delivering professional value.

Always Think Hyper-Local

Citywide numbers are only the starting point. Every market is made up of dozens of micro-markets that behave differently. Challenge agents to answer questions such as:

What’s happening in this neighborhood—not just this city?
Are homes in this price range receiving multiple offers?
How do school boundaries, commute patterns, or nearby amenities affect demand?
Which competing listings are attracting buyers—and why?

The goal is to replace generic market commentary with neighborhood-specific insights clients can’t find online.

Make the CMA an Analysis, Not a Printout

A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) isn’t simply a collection of comparable sales. It’s a pricing recommendation supported by professional judgment. Encourage agents to evaluate:

Recent sold properties
Current competition
Pending sales
Price reductions
Property condition and upgrades
Market momentum

Then ask the most important question: “Based on all of this, what would you recommend—and why?” That’s where expertise begins.

Teach Strategic Pricing, Not Maximum Pricing

One of the biggest misconceptions among new agents is that pricing higher always benefits the seller. Instead, explain that strategic pricing considers:

Current buyer demand
Available inventory
Competing listings
Seller priorities
Buyer psychology

Sometimes pricing at market value generates multiple offers that drive the final sales price above list. Other times, pricing at the upper end of the market may be appropriate for a unique property. The objective isn’t simply to list high—it’s to create the best opportunity to achieve the seller’s goals.

Help Agents Tell the Story Behind the Numbers

Clients don’t need a spreadsheet—they need context. Instead of saying: “Inventory is 2.5 months,” Teach agents to explain: “Inventory is still relatively low, so well-priced homes continue to attract strong interest. Buyers have a few more choices than they did earlier this year, but sellers still have an advantage.”

Instead of: “Homes sold for 102.2% of asking price,” Teach: “Many buyers are still competing for desirable homes, so pricing accurately from day one is more important than ever.”

This is the difference between reporting data and providing expertise.

Encourage Ongoing Market Analysis

Market conditions evolve every week. Successful agents continually monitor:

New listings
Price reductions
Pending sales
Showing activity
Buyer feedback
Competing inventory

Encourage agents to discuss what they’re seeing at weekly office meetings. Those conversations sharpen market awareness and prepare agents to advise clients with confidence.

Build Confidence Through Conversation

The best way to develop market expertise is to practice explaining it. During office meetings, role-play common client questions:

“Why isn’t my home selling?”
“Should we lower the price?”
“Is now a good time to buy?”
“How did you determine my home’s value?”

The more often agents practice these conversations, the more naturally they’ll communicate confidence and credibility.

CCAR ANNUAL SPONSORS

MLS 2026 – Draft

Builders Update

New Home
Source

CubiCasa

Floor Plan
Reports

dotloop

Transaction
Management

Showing
Management

Property
Search

Market
Analysis

Listing
Management

Property
Analysis

Property
Search

Rental
Screening

Property
Reports

Showing
Management

CCAR MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE

Your MLS tools
and resources.
All in one place.

Access forms, market data, transaction tools,
training, product updates, and MLS support
all from your CCAR MLS subscriber hub.

Mon – Fri 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

925.295.1270

[email protected]

MLS Support

Get help with Paragon, product support, training resources, and account access.

Get Support ➔

Rules, Forms & Compliance

Find MLS Rules and Regulations, Clear Cooperation Information, forms, disclosures, and other compliance resources

View Rules & Forms ➔

Market Data & Insights

Access local and state market reports, dashboards, calculators, and the latest housing statistics.

Explore Market Data ➔

Important MLS Alerts

Changes to Listing Photograph Display in Paragon

Updates to how listing photos are displayed in Paragon MLS.

Effective June 10. 2026 | Read More ➔

CDOM Relocation for Crawl and Coming Soon Listings

Important changes to the calculation of CDOM for certain listing statuses.

Effective June 10. 2026 | Read More ➔

Market Data & Insights

Access local and state market reports, dashboards, calculators, and the latest housing statistics.

Explore Market Data ➔

Before You Apply

Applications must be for a specific need that provides a direct benefit to the eligible CCAR member, family member, or community member.

A CCAR REALTOR^® Member or Affiliate Member in good standing.

A family member of a qualified CCAR REALTOR^® Member or Affiliate Member, including a spouse, domestic partner, or child under age 21.

A community member presented by a qualified CCAR REALTOR^® Member or Affiliate Member.

Please note:

All requests are reviewed carefully, but assistance is not guaranteed.

Funds are not available for association dues, MLS fees, key fees, or other membership-related fees.

Questions?

Jennifer Newton

Chairperson

Keller Williams

925.366.6092

Email Jennifer

Lisa Lilley

Vice Chair

Robert Lilley Brokerage

925.787.5105

Email Lisa

Confidential assistance. Community support.

Submit a confidential application or make a donation to support CCAR members and
community members facing hardship.

Navigate NHDs with Confidence + Lunch – Tomorrow, July 15

CCAR Board Room
Wed., July 15 | 11:00am – 12:30pm

Natural Hazard Disclosures are an important part of many real estate transactions, and understanding them can help you better serve your clients while reducing potential risk.

Join CCAR and JCP/First American for High Risk, High Confidence: NHD Essentials for REALTORS® on Wed, July 15, from 11:00am–12:30pm in the CCAR Boardroom. This live, in-person class will focus on the key NHD information REALTORS® need to know, including how to recognize potential concerns, better explain disclosures, and feel more prepared when questions come up during a transaction.

Whether you are looking for a refresher or want to strengthen your disclosure knowledge, this class will offer practical takeaways you can put to use right away.

FREE for CCAR Members. Lunch will be provided by JCP/First American.

Register on the CCAR Calendar >>

Finish July Strong with CCAR Education

How CCAR Keeps the Professional Standards Process Fair and Impartial

CCAR MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE

Your MLS tools and resources. All in one place.

Access forms, market data, transaction tools, training, product updates, and MLS support all from your CCAR MLS subscriber hub.

Before You Apply

A CCAR REALTOR® Member or Affiliate Member in good standing. A family member of a qualified CCAR REALTOR® Member or Affiliate Member, including a spouse, domestic partner, or child under age 21. A community member presented by a qualified CCAR REALTOR® Member or Affiliate Member.

Please note: All requests are reviewed carefully, but assistance is not guaranteed. Funds are not available for association dues, MLS fees, key fees, or other membership-related fees.