CCARToday - Contra Costa Association of REALTORS

Moves You Forward.

How CCAR Keeps the Professional Standards Process Fair and Impartial

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When someone files a disciplinary complaint, everyone involved is owed a process that is fair, neutral, and handled with care. We take neutrality seriously. Between strict confidentiality, clear rules about who can serve, opportunities to challenge potential panelists, and built-in safeguards against bias, we work hard to make sure every complaint is heard by a fair, balanced, and impartial panel.

Here’s how we make sure of that:

✔️ Everything is Confidential
All details—allegations, findings, recommendations, and decisions—stay strictly confidential. Only what must be shared with C.A.R. per the Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual (Section 39) is reported.

✔️ Carefully Selected, Qualified Panel Members
Detailed thought goes into who reviews or hears each case. For example:

  • Only one person from the same company can sit on a panel.
  • No one can sit on more than one panel for the same matter.
  • Anyone connected to the case—whether personally, through family, or through business—is automatically disqualified.
  • Before participating, panelists sign a statement confirming they can be completely impartial.

✔️ Fair Panel Selection From the Start
Both parties receive a list of potential panel members and can request the removal of anyone who may not be fully neutral—based on valid reasons like personal or business ties. Challenges must be based on valid reasons (not protected characteristics like race or gender), and the goal is simple: no surprises, no bias, and full confidence in a fair process.

✔️ Panelists Can Remove Themselves Too
Even if no one challenges them, panelists are expected to step down if they see anything that might create bias or the appearance of bias.

✔️ Balanced Panels
Panels always have an odd number of members to avoid tie votes. And if a salesperson is involved, at least one salesperson must be on the panel—ensuring representation by “a peer,” similar to a jury system.

✔️ No Off-the-Record Contact
To keep things fair, parties (and their representatives) cannot contact panel members outside the hearing or try to influence them in any way except through evidence and arguments during the official proceeding.

✔️ Extra Safeguards During Reviews
If a decision is reviewed by our Board of Directors, the review panel has at least three Directors who must meet the same impartiality standards—and directors are not allowed to serve on the Grievance or Professional Standards committees to avoid conflicts.

Own the Rental Market: Streamline, Scale, & Succeed with RentSpree – Aug. 27

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RentSpree, a CCAR Member benefit helps streamline the rental process for landlords and tenants. It offers online rental applications, tenant screening services, and rent payment solutions. Essentially, it simplifies tasks like background checks, credit reports, and rent collection, making the rental experience more efficient and secure.

Aug. 27  |  11am – 12pm |  Live Webinar

This exclusive webinar for Contra Costa REALTORS® Members is designed to give you the tools and confidence to simplify your leasing process and elevate your rental business. With RentSpree, you’ll learn how to cut down on paperwork, save valuable time, and attract qualified tenants who are the right fit for your properties.

Whether you’re just managing a few rentals or overseeing a growing portfolio, this session will show you how to integrate RentSpree seamlessly with your MLS tools to streamline applications, run secure tenant screenings, and keep all your leasing activity organized in one place.

You’ll also gain insights into today’s competitive Contra Costa rental market—where demand is high and expectations are even higher—and discover practical ways to stay ahead of the curve. By the end of the webinar, you’ll walk away with actionable strategies to boost efficiency, improve tenant relations, and set yourself up for long-term growth and success.

REGISTER!

Few Seats Remain! Earn NAR’s Green Designation – Sep. 17-18

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Thanks to the generous support of BayREN and StopWaste, the course fee is waived for CCAR Members. This is a great opportunity to gain competitive knowledge and increase your value to clients—all at no cost!

REGISTER!

Sep. 17 & 18  |  9:00am – 4:00pm  |  CCAR Boardroom

Join us for a FREE two-day training designed to help real estate professionals stand out in today’s market by becoming a trusted resource for energy-efficient, sustainable homes. The NAR Green Designation is the only green real estate credential conferred by the National Association of REALTORS® and is increasingly valuable as demand for efficient, healthy homes continues to rise.

Recent studies show that 94% of homebuyers rate energy efficiency as an important factor in their purchasing decision. This course will prepare you to speak confidently about green features, upgrades, and resources available to both buyers and sellers. You’ll learn how to identify and highlight the benefits of resource-efficient homes, understand green certifications and rebates, and build a stronger, more future-ready business.

Day One
Focuses on The Resource-Efficient Home, covering retrofits, remodels, renovations, and new home construction.

Day Two
Centers on Representing Buyers and Sellers of Resource-Efficient Homes, with practical strategies for marketing and advocacy. Attendees must complete both full days to earn the NAR Green Designation.

House Passes Tax Bill with Major Wins for Real Estate

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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a comprehensive tax reform package that includes several significant provisions benefiting the real estate sector. 

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) successfully advocated for key measures that support real estate professionals, homeowners, and investors.

key highlights:

  • Qualified Business Income Deduction (QBI): The bill permanently increases the QBI deduction from 20% to 23%, providing substantial tax relief to over 90% of NAR members who are independent contractors or small business owners.

  • State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction: The SALT deduction cap is raised from $10,000 to $40,000 for households earning under $500,000, with both the income cap and deduction amount increasing by 1% annually over a decade.

  • Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID): The legislation preserves and makes permanent the MID at its current level, maintaining a crucial benefit for homeowners.

  • Section 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges: The bill protects Section 1031 exchanges, allowing investors to defer capital gains taxes when reinvesting in similar properties, a vital tool for property investment and economic development.

  • Individual Tax Rates: Current individual tax rates are made permanent and indexed for inflation, aiding taxpayers and improving affordability for prospective homebuyers.

  • Additional Provisions: The bill includes enhancements to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, estate tax certainty with a permanent exemption threshold set at $15 million (adjusted for inflation), renewed Opportunity Zone incentives, and the creation of tax-advantaged child investment accounts for expenses like first-time home purchases.

These measures aim to strengthen housing affordability, investment, and generational wealth. For a detailed overview of the bill’s provisions and their implications for the real estate industry, read the full article on REALTOR® Magazine.

Read More >>

In the latest episode of the Advocacy Scoop podcast, NAR advocacy leaders Shannon McGahn and Patrick Newton discuss the Senate’s approach to the new tax reform bill. They highlight key provisions impacting REALTORS® and homeowners, including:

  • Making the mortgage interest deduction permanent
  • Increasing the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap
  • Enhancing the qualified business income deduction for independent contractors

The episode also covers NAR’s ongoing advocacy efforts and insights from a recent member tax survey.

Listen Now >>

Strengthening CA’s Insurance Market: Expanding Access & Stability – Apr. 29

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Tuesday, April 29  |  3:00 – 4:30pm
Safe Credit Union Convention Center  •  Sacramento, CA

California’s homeowners insurance market is at a pivotal moment. In the wake of devastating wildfires that exacerbated financial strain on both private insurers and the FAIR Plan, stakeholders across the industry are working toward solutions to expand access and build a more stable, resilient insurance market.

Join the Center for California Real Estate (CCRE) in Sacramento for a solutions-driven panel. This timely discussion will bring together top policymakers, insurance industry leaders, and consumer advocates to examine regulatory and policy efforts aimed at stabilizing the insurance market. The panel will also explore opportunities to expand insurance access and create a more sustainable market for homeowners in California.

This event is free and is open to members of C.A.R. For more information: [email protected]

Moderator:
Megan Fan Munce
Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Munce is a reporter on the climate team covering California’s home insurance crisis. She writes about the California FAIR Plan; State Farm non-renewals; pullbacks by other insurers such as Allstate and Farmers; policy initiatives from the California Department of Insurance; and how homeowners in the Bay Area and elsewhere are navigating the challenges. Munce first joined the San Francisco Chronicle as part of the two-year Hearst Journalism Fellowship, spending her first year of the program at the Houston Chronicle. She grew up in San Jose before attending Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

VIEW PANELISTS & REGISTER FREE >>