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MSBR Newsletter February 4, 2025 |
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The Packing House Networking and Fundraiser Sponsored by NFM Lending
Thank you Julie Crain, President Harriett's House and Susan Ahlstrom, For All Seasons for educating us on human trafficking.
Appreciate the attendees for your generous donations to Harriett's House.
Brought to you by the MSBR Membership Committee. Next Event will be in this Spring. |
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Susan Ahlstrom (left) and Julie Crain (right) providing attendees information.
Over 100 pounds of household supplies were contributed to Harriett's House. |
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2025 Year of the MSBR Exceptional Agent & the $75 Dollar Sandwich Service
Maybe you have heard of Darryl Davis or follow him, if so you know he is all about elevating agents. Below is an excerpt from a recent article.
Per Darryl:
Let me share a motivational moment with you.. This story isn’t just about a turkey sandwich; it’s about paying attention to the little things in our business and how those little things can elevate everything we do. I was in Las Vegas a while back, staying at the Wynn Casino and Hotel. Now, I’ve stayed at a lot of hotels in Vegas, but the Wynn is my favorite. It’s not my favorite because of the pricing — in fact, it’s ridiculously expensive, but I love staying there because they cultivate an amazing experience. The ScenarioMy wife and I went down to the restaurant to eat some lunch, and we ordered a turkey sandwich to split, along with some fries, water, and a soda. That turkey sandwich? Seventy-five dollars! But here’s the thing: as I ate that sandwich, I realized it was the best turkey sandwich I’d ever had. I don’t know if they sprinkled it with gold dust or what, but it was worth every penny. My point is this: the Wynn pays attention to the little things. Everything—from the presentation of the food to the service—is meticulously crafted to create an elevated experience. Even the cocktail I ordered came in a beautiful glass with one perfectly large ice cube. These small details made a big difference. What This Means For Your Real Estate BusinessIt got me thinking: what if you approached your real estate business the same way? What if you paid attention to the little things that elevate your clients’ experiences? How can we create a $75 turkey sandwich experience for our customers? How can we improve what we do to justify who we are and what we bring to the table? |
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RPR Sessions for Success |
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Tools to Impress ~ and at no cost to you!
Your Guide to RPR’s Must-Attend 2025 Webinars - Realtors Property Resource (RPR)
Work Smarter, Not Harder: RPR as Your Productivity Partner
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ChatGPT 2.0 for Real Estate 2/11/2025 10-11am In-Person at the Board office
Julie Stevenson will introduce you to ChatGPT 2.0 so you can help grow your real estate business in ways you never thought possible. This updated version can now engage in more natural, human-like conversations by understanding hypothetical situations, slang, idioms, and figurative language, while also accessing real-time information through Google Search to provide accurate, up-to-date responses. Register Here |
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Lending and Real Estate in a Higher Rate Environment: What You Need to Know to Help Guide Your Clients.2/20/2025 Noon-1pmMSBR Board Office Lunch & Learn
Join Tom Draper with First Home Mortgage for a Lunch and Learn. Topics covered will be: Temporary Buydowns, Home Equity Loans, Loan Assumptions, Bridge Loans, alternative financing options to help FTHB's, and an outlook for the year ahead for mortgage rates, & more!
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Rob Lacaze on lesions learned over the past 25 years as a REALTOR. |
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41st grant distributed on Jan. 31, 2025 James Wilson, Jr. found his home in Chestertown with the help of MSBR.
Lona Sue Todd ~ Sellers Agent Michelle Abplanalp ~ MSBR President James Wilson ~ Buyer Not pictured Shane Gunther ~ First Home Mortgage |
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SentriLock Fee for 2025 is $189.00 is due on March 10, 2025
Pay by phone: 513-618-5828 (will need your National Assoc of REALTORS ID)
Pay with a check: SentriLock, LLC Attn: Agent Billing 7701 Service Center Dr. West Chester, OH 45069
Pay on-line: www.sentrilock.com
This is paid directly to SentriLock. After 3/10/2025 you'll incur a late fee of $68.12. |
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Don't miss these sessions lead by Donna Roberts. Register here. |
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Nestfully included in your BRIGHT MLS subscription - Check it out!
Nestfully is the FREE new app designed to protect your business, not mess with it. This collaboration, communication, and lead nurturing solution has no subscription fees, no referral fees, and no risk of losing clients to other agents—just powerful tools to keep you at the center of all your clients’ home journeys. Manage all your leads and buyers on the go
Download the Nestfully app today |
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Land Fraud: Brokerages on the Eastern Shore and across Maryland are experiencing more and more deceptive sellers who are trying to sell property, especially vacant land, which does not belong to them.
Some Brokerages are having complaints/lawsuits filed against them for entering into agreements with deceptive sellers.
The most recent is case is a vacant lot on 203 Queen Anne Club Drive, in Queen Anne Colony.
Educate yourself on how to detect these transactions and to go the extra mile to make sure you are dealing with the correct landowners.
Check Out Maryland REALTORS article on this topic: https://www.mdrealtor.org/News-and-Events/Maryland-REALTORS-Online/beware-scam-artists-targeting-unimproved-land |
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I know we’ve all been following news of the devastating fires in Los Angeles, and our thoughts are with all those who have been affected. As real estate professionals, you know how important insurance is for homeowners whose properties are threatened by natural disasters such as wildfires. With that said, NAR’s latest consumer guide is focused on fire damage and policy coverage.
As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: |
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2025 Commercial Symposium
Join us on Thursday, March 20th, 2025 at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Hyattsville, MD! Discover the latest trends, unlock strategies for your business, and network with like-minded individuals! Maryland REALTORS® 2025 INNOVATE is our one-day event that breaks new ground in the commercial real estate world. Early bird registration ends February 1st, 2025.
Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation
Kick off the New Year with career expansion and opportunity. Expand your knowledge with the Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation. It’s a complete educational experience that will add confidence in every transaction through:
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It's not too early to plan for 2026
Take advantage of the MSBR pre-payment program to help off-set your 2026 dues.
That's it- pretty simple and certainly easy. |
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February 5th- Bring your creativity and paint a soup bowl for Empty Bowls. Empty Bowls is a non-profit organization, where all funds go to help the food insecure in our area.
All encouraged to participate, friends, family & of course our members!
Jenn Dudley will lead this lively group on Feb. 5th starting at 1PM at Kiln Born Creations (114 S. Washington Street, Easton) to paint a bowl that will be donated. Cost is $27.56 ($26 + tax) per person, pay at end of paint session. Choose your own paints and designs.
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Licensed on or after October 1, 2023? THESE ARE YOUR REQUIRED CLASSES!
MSBR will provide the 6-specific classes/15-required hours once (maybe twice in 2025) don't miss out.
Required for new agents and electives for all others. Real Estate Financing for Newly Licensed February 5, 2025 1:00 - 2:30 PM An overview of the mortgage financing process from preliminary approval to closing. Join instructor, Trent Riggs, for this in person class at the MSBR office.Principals of Real Estate Practice Feb. 13, 2025 9am-noon Topics including advertising guidelines, incentives and rebates, open house rules, deposits and earnest money, returning deposits, common interest communities, condominium operations and owner rights, private land use controls, and recent legal updates on common ownership in Maryland. Taught by Dave Stromberg, virtual Zoom class.
Professionalism Feb. 27, 2025 1-2:30pm 1.5-hour Covers essential elements of professionalism including how it relates to the public, clients, and advertising. Virtual Zoom class taught by Brenda Kasuva.
Contracts for the Newly Licensed April 10, 2025 9am-noon An in-depth review of the residential contract. Join instructor, Michelle Abplanalp, Rosendale Realty, for this in person class at the MSBR office.
Brokerage Relations and Disclosure Requirements for Sellers April 29, 2025 9am-noon Taught by Michelle Abplanalp, Rosendale Realty. In-person class at MSBR office.
Property Management, Landlord and Tenant Laws: March 20, 2025, 9-noon. Virtual Zoom class taught by Mary Groven. |
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Come On Man!
MSBR: We see you are in a moving car during this CE class, are you driving?
Agent: No, I am a passenger..
MSBR: Ok, but you do know you are supposed to be in a stable environment, as if you were sitting in a classroom.
Agent: Oh, I didn't know that.
MSBR: Well you did gain some knowledge but you will not be receiving CE Credit.
MSBR is seeing more agents who are not following the Maryland REAL Estate Commission rules.
In the past two weeks MSBR has seen:
It does not make MSBR happy to tell an agent that they do not get CE credit. Make February a "Everyone gets Credit" CE Month - follow the rules! |
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MSBR Continuing Education February - April 2025
Please visit the Maryland Department of Labor's website to view your CE status and view which courses are required to renew your license.
Core Classes March – MD REALTORS Core Classes (Virtual) April – MSBR 2-full days In-Person Marathon 4/15 & 4/24 all 15-hours May – MD REALTORS Core Classes (Virtual) July – MD REALTORS Core Classes (Virtual) Sept – MD REALTORS Core Classes (Virtual October – Core CE at the MD REALTORS Conference: 10/20 – 10/23 Nov – MD REALTORS Core Classes (Virtual) ~~~~~~~~~~ |
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We understand that the ability to attend CE classes virtually is highly valued by our members, and we’re proud to offer this convenience at no cost through MSBR. However, we kindly remind you that certain rules must be followed to ensure a smooth and productive experience for everyone.
To keep the class on track, we will mute participants, and we ask that all questions for the instructor be submitted via the chat box. With over 100 attendees in some sessions, these guidelines help ensure everyone benefits fully from the class. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding! |
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Couldn't make the CE Classes? MSBR partners with The CE Shop. Education on your time with a MSBR discount.
CE Shop Classes available 24/7
This Month's 30% Off Code: SMART30 |
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Next Newsletter is February 18 , 2025 Copyright © 2025 Mid-Shore Board of REALTORS, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Easton, MD 21601 Want to change how you receive these emails? |