2024 Year of Impact

2024 Year of Impact

Anne Marie DeCatsye, Esq. CEO Canopy Realtor®Association, Canopy MLS and Canopy Housing Foundation

Each year, Canopy Realtor® Association publishes a report to demonstrate the impact that Canopy Realtor® Association, Canopy Real Estate Institute and Canopy Housing Foundation have made to advance the profession and improve our communities.

successful. Canopy Realtor® Association provided education to highlight that membership in the Canopy Realtor® Association offers benefits at the local, state and national levels. Simply put “one Realtor® membership, three levels of benefits”.

During 2024, Canopy Realtor® Association’s leadership and staff worked to ensure that our Realtor® members continued to receive the support and resources needed to be

Throughout this report, we have highlighted Realtor® member benefits and resources available to support your education and professional development, from earning designations and

certifications to accessing legal advice, technical assistance, and advocacy efforts that protect the real estate industry, Realtors®, and consumers.

This report also celebrates Canopy Housing Foundation, the charitable arm of Canopy Realtor® Association, which works in collaboration with Realtors® to create impact through the Foundation’s grants, programs and initiatives in Mecklenburg, Iredell and Haywood Counties.

While Canopy Realtor® Association remained committed to making a positive impact for our members, subscribers, the industry and the community, we also navigated the impact of the NAR Settlement practice changes, and the transition to an open MLS. As a result, Canopy Realtor® Association became the first in North Carolina to successfully implement these changes while keeping the value of a Realtor® and the importance of advocacy at the forefront.

Managing the impact of these changes was challenging at times, but I believe it was because of our ability to anticipate and prepare for what lay ahead that made a difference. No association or MLS across the country had a crystal ball, but Canopy Realtor® Association had bold leadership ready to make tough decisions and an exceptional and dedicated staff with expertise in legal, compliance, education, training, communications and customer service.

Canopy Realtor® Association also offered essential education to assist Brokers-in-Charge in

deciding whether to remain a Realtor® firm while highlighting the benefits of Realtor® membership at the local, state and national levels. We also worked to reinforce the value of a Realtor® among members and the public.

In 2024, the Canopy MLS Board of Directors and staff continued to invest in and provide subscribers with access to cutting-edge technology, training and tools. Canopy MLS and its technology partners collaborated to deliver a robust portfolio of platforms and tools to help subscribers better support consumers in their real estate transactions, whether selling, buying, investing or renting.

Canopy MLS also started the 2025 year by announcing its partnership with Ardi, an AIpowered tool designed to better serve subscribers and improve their MLS experience.

Also, Rental Beast’s Apply Now functionality was seamlessly embedded within OneHome™, which is part of CoreLogic’s consumer communication platform. This new function helps to streamline the

application process for rental listings.

You can also count on Canopy MLS to continue providing the latest technology and training to better equip subscribers with the tools they need to succeed in their real estate practice and deliver exceptional service to their clients.

Throughout 2025, Canopy Realtor® Association will continue to increase awareness of the benefits of being a Realtor® member at the local, state and national level and the value of working with a Realtor®.

We hope you will find this report helpful and remember, as your professional trade association, we’re here to support you.

Anne Marie DeCatsye, Esq, CEO, Canopy Realtor® Association/Canopy MLS

Hurricane Helene Efforts Canopy Realtor® Association quickly mobilized to collect supplies for western North Carolina. o In collaboration with Land of the Sky Realtors® Association (LOTSAR), Hendersonville Board of Realtors®, and Canopy Realtor® Association – Western Region, Canopy Realtor® Association was able to ensure that donations were directed appropriately.

During the 2024 NC Realtors® (NCR) Convention, the NCR Board of Directors approved the dues waiver for members in the affected area for 2025, which Canopy Realtor® Association requested for approximately 1,100 primary Realtor® members in the affected area. o This was followed by a presentation made by Canopy Realtor® Association CEO Anne Marie DeCatsye, NCR President Tony Harrington, and LOTSAR President-elect Rachel Brown to the National Association of Realtors® Budget Committee at the annual NAR Convention in Boston. o The case was successfully made to have national dues waived for members in the affected area.

Canopy MLS made substantial financial contributions to further hurricane relief efforts.

The Canopy MLS Board of Directors unanimously approved $200,000 in contributions with $50,000 allocated to four organizations: o United Way of Haywood County o Beloved Asheville o Samaritan’s Purse o America Red Cross – Western North Carolina

Additionally, the Canopy MLS Board of Directors approved dedicating a total of $250,000 to Associations located in the affected areas to assist members with payment of either fourth quarter (2024) or first quarter (2025) MLS fees. o The Association Executives worked at the local level to determine members’ needs and submitted their members’ requests directly to Canopy MLS Member Services for processing. o Members and associations were grateful for this assistance, which Canopy MLS was happy to provide.

Member Services o Promoted the benefits of being a Realtor® member of Canopy Realtor® Association. o Expedited new Canopy Realtor® member orientation from 90 to 30 days. o Streamlined communications to Canopy Realtor® Association members regarding billing and account information. o Emphasized the convenience of Auto Pay through RAMCO. o Utilized text messages to alert Canopy Realtor® Association members about timesensitive account information.

Member Services activity spoke volumes in 2024: 20,064 1,074 13,338

Canopy MLS subscribers Canopy MLS assistants Canopy Realtor® Association members 352 Canopy Realtor® Association Affiliate members 1,759 New Canopy MLS subscribers 1,520 New Canopy Realtor® Association members 25,669 Calls answered by Member Services/Accounting 42,205/323 Member Services/Accounting emails answered If you need information about Canopy Realtor® Association member benefits, or Canopy MLS subscriber tools and resources, please reach out to memberservices@canopyrealtors.com.

Total Realtor® Store sales in 2024

19,217

Total items sold

The Realtor® Store continued to offer an array of products. o Canopy Realtor® Association members furthering their real estate education received member-pricing on textbooks, and other resources. o In 2024, several new products were added: • Realtor® products such as branded car magnet, embossed black leatherette portfolio, and beverage accessories.

• Open House products such as an oversized Open House yard flag kit, easy to carry large arrow and house shape signs, and wide selection of riders to market Primary on Main, In-Law Suite, and 55+ Community.

Canopy Realtor® Association Grievance Committee and Professional Standards o The Grievance Committee met monthly to evaluate ethics complaints filed with the Association to determine whether the allegations indicated a potential Code of Ethics violation. o The committee also reviewed arbitration requests to determine if a hearing was necessary. If a hearing was warranted, the case was forwarded to the Professional Standards Committee for a comprehensive due-process hearing. o The Professional Standards Committee conducted ethics and arbitration hearings as well as MLS appeals and compliance hearings, upholding the industry’s integrity and professionalism while supporting members in their commitment to ethical practices.

Grievance Committee and Professional Standards Committee Activity: 24 Ethics complaints received 3 Arbitration requests 15 Ethics hearings held 0 Arbitration hearings held 3 MLS Appeal hearings held 0 MLS Compliance hearings held 4 Requests for mediation 1 Ethics appeals requested 1 Ombudsman requests 0 Pre-hearing conferences No commercial ethics/arbitration requests occurred in 2024.

Canopy Realtor® Association launched a major education initiative to explain practice changes and the value of a Realtor®.

o Spear-headed the “Legal Landscape, Practice Changes and the Value of a Realtor®” education efforts involving presentations by Canopy Realtor® Association CEO Anne Marie DeCatsye, Esq., and Michele McCaskill, Canopy Realtor® Association COO and General Counsel for more than 6,000 Realtors®. o Devised an engagement strategy to reach Brokers-in-Charge that included five in-person and virtual BIC Briefings. o Facilitated eight in-person and virtual Town Halls/General Membership meetings. o Launched a new BIC Brief newsletter to keep BIC’s first informed prior to communications going to the broader membership. o Created brokerrelations.canopyrealtors.com to provide a one-stop resource on the NAR Settlement updates, NC REALTORS® and SC REALTORS® Forms Updates, Rules and Regulations, Resources & Tools, Training, Canopy Dictionary, Compliance Education, Realtorvalue.com campaign, and general support. o Executed specific communications regarding practice changes: • 21 eHeadlines with information about practice changes, forms, etc.

• 10 special editions • 22 Matrix posts o Utilized SMS to provide reminders of when practice changes went into effect and reminders to stay compliant with practice changes.

Canopy Realtor® Association promoted the benefits of advocacy at the national, state, and local levels.

National Association of Realtors® (NAR): o Successfully advocated for extending the National Flood Insurance Program, which if lapsed, would have left millions of Americans at risk and would have disrupted the purchase of homes. o In response to the settlement agreement announced on March 15, 2024, immediately reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs to secure a temporary lift of its ban on buyers directly paying for professional real estate representation. o Worked to ensure improvements to the FHA Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program (MIP) increasing the maximum cost of their loan to $75,000 up from $35,000, and extending the standard period a buyer can use the program up to 12 months.

Read more about the advocacy wins at the national level.

NC REALTORS® Political Action Committee (PAC): o Worked across party lines to enact legislation that protected the real estate industry, homeowners, the economy, and property rights. o Repealed the Privilege License Tax. • Starting July 1, 2024 members were no longer required to obtain a $50 statewide license for the privilege of practicing their profession; amounting to almost $3 million/year in savings. o Successfully passed Unfair Real Estate Agreements Act. • The act protected homeowners from being targeted by risky real estate deals. o Raised beach plan policy limits.

• The insurable value of habitational property was increased from $750,000 to $1,000,000 and the insurable value of commercial property was increased from $3,000,000 to $4,000,000. o Successfully delayed the implementation of the Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) until Dec. 31, 2025.

• PAREA is a new national training program that is a virtual alternative to receiving an appraiser license. The NCR Appraiser Section Board wanted to assess the effectiveness of PAREA before the state adopted it. o Assisted in lobbying efforts to increase funding for the NC Housing Finance Agency.

• Increased funds to $35,000,000 in nonrecurring funds for fiscal year 20232024 and the same amount for fiscal year 2024-2025.

Read more about legislative and regulatory priorities at the state level https://www.ncrealtors. org/government-affairs/ advocacy-efforts/priorities/#regulatory

Canopy Realtor® Association Government Affairs and the Real Estate & Building Industry Coalition (REBIC), promoted the importance of the NC REALTORS® Political Action Committee (PAC). o Canopy Realtor® Association members were educated on the importance of shaping the future of our communities by supporting candidates that champion real estate industry issues at local, state, and federal levels.

o NC REALTORS® PAC investments from last year totaled nearly $200,000 with active giving continuing from Canopy Realtor® Association members in the early part of 2025.

REBIC’s effective collaboration with key policy makers achieved results. o The North Carolina General Assembly awarded a grant in the amount of $200,000 to complete a study on adaptive reuse (commercial to residential conversion), with the goal of generating policy recommendations; if adopted, it would result in an increase to the region’s overall housing supply. o Necessary amendments were made to the Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) after working with city council and city staff to provide greater flexibility and enhance the ability to deliver more workforce and lower cost housing. o The UDO Change Request Form process that is now in place to assist city staff in achieving better organization of information and in prioritizing changes provides more effective results. o Real estate industry professionals were successfully placed on key advisory boards throughout the region, with several currently serving on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission and the UDO Advisory Committee.

Canopy Realtor® Association and REBIC collaborated to advance affordable housing solutions.

Canopy Realtor® Association and the Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition (REBIC) remain committed to advocating for six strategies to expand affordable housing opportunities:

Expanding the NC Homestead Exemption Collaborating with legislators to broaden eligibility for this tax-relief program, enabling more property owners to benefit.

Retrofitting Existing Commercial Buildings Leveraging insights from a reuse study to support public policy changes that increase flexibility in repurposing older commercial buildings.

Establishing a State Tax Credit for Affordable Housing Development Advocating for a state tax credit modeled after the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to incentivize affordable housing projects.

Amending the Housing Authorities Law Working with legislators to revise the Housing Authority Act, allowing greater flexibility and facilitating the creation of more affordable housing units.

Expanding the Use of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Partnering with the City of Charlotte to improve the Charlotte UDO, resulting in increased flexibility for ADU development.

Reducing Local Regulatory Burdens Promoting a streamlined permitting and development process to support the construction of affordable and attainable housing.

Through these initiatives, Canopy Realtor® Association and REBIC continue to champion policies that drive meaningful progress in housing affordability.

Canopy Realtor® Association served as a key partner in the Sixth State of Housing in Charlotte Annual Summit. o The November summit, attracted developers, government officials, and community. stakeholders to discuss Charlotte’s growing housing market using data provided by Canopy MLS and presented

by UNC Charlotte’s Childress Klein Center for Real Estate. o Charisma Southerland, president of Canopy Realtor® Association, participated in a panel

Canopy Realtor® Association’s Leadership Academy Developed Future Leaders.

As your professional trade association, Canopy Realtor® Association places a high priority on developing future leaders to better serve their clients, the industry, our Association, and the community. Graduates of the program move on to serve in greater volunteer roles for the Association, Foundation, and MLS, working as Brand Ambassadors for the industry and helping to promote the value of our profession and services. o Since the inception of the Leadership Academy in 1999, 277 graduates have completed the program, of which: o 149 or 53.7% serve on committees. o 68 or 24.5% have served (elected or appointed) on either the Association, MLS or Foundation Board of Directors. o 14 or 5% have served on the Executive Committee (in the capacity of president, secretary, or treasurer). o Two graduates have gone on to serve a term as president of NC REALTORS® (with one serving NC REALTORS® for two back-to-back terms). o Nine participants graduated from the program in 2024.

Canopy Realtor® Association launched the “Realtors® Add Real Value” consumer campaign. o Consolidated information from NAR’s documents entitled “179 Ways Agents who Are Realtors® Are Worth Every Penny of Their Compensation” and “105 More Ways Buyer Agents are Worth Every Penny of Their Compensation” into Realtors® Add Real Value. 247 Reasons why it’s worth working with a Realtor®.

• The “247 Reasons” document has been downloaded more than 42,250 times. o Analytics demonstrated that RealtorValue.com resonated amongst consumers providing expert insights on the services provided by a listing agent and buyer’s agent.

• Website analytics show that the RealtorValue.com pages had more than 48,000 pageviews from more than 36,000 user.

The campaign was featured across traditional and digital media in Canopy’s geographic regions, including: o Transit: 20,160,000 impressions from bus advertising o Digital Impressions: 6,602,914 views on mobile devices o Billboards: 6,522,793 impressions o Created marketing resources at canopygrabandgrow.com that enabled agents to customize infographics and use them in their marketing and/or social media.

Nearly 12,000 total downloads in 2024 Top downloads: • A buyer’s agent has your best interests when building your dream home • Buying a home? Your buyer’s agent sees it all through • April 2024 Charlotte Region Market infographic • June 2024 Charlotte Region Market Overview • Homeownership • Five Simple Home Improvements • 2024 March Charlotte Region infographic • Live local. Travel far.

• Five benefits of using a Realtor® • What’s the Realtor® difference?

Canopy Realtor® Association created a one-stop resource website, brokerrelations.canopyrealtors.com

o The site provided up-to-date content from Canopy Realtor® Association and Canopy MLS, NC REALTORS®, SC REALTORS®, and NAR. o The following resources were the most accessed: 4,234 NAR Settlement 3,075 NC & SC Forms Updates 2,641 Rules & Regulations 2,243 Resources & Tools 1,290 Training 944 Canopy Dictionary 688 Compliance Education 283 Campaign Ads 239 Support 188 Videos

Canopy Realtor® Association provided real estate resources and infographics.

o Members received monthly marketing resources (press releases, talking points, and infographics) to build their confidence and influence as local market experts. o Press releases featured market stats and housing trends for the Charlotte Region, Asheville Region, Catawba Valley Region, and South Carolina Counties.

Monthly Marketing Resources:

Canopy Realtor® Association produced the following resources for the Charlotte Region, Asheville Region, Catawba Valley Region, and South Carolina service area: 53 Specific regional market stat press releases* 67 Specific market Infographics 36 Specific market talking points *utilizing Canopy MLS data

Canopy Realtor® Association’s Leadership conducted numerous media interviews.

o More than 25 media interviews were conducted that positioned Canopy Realtor® Association and Realtors® as the voice of real estate. o Canopy Realtor® Association issued a media statement that read in part: • “Conversations between the Realtor® and the consumer may change but the services that the Realtor® provides to their client will not… it may be more important than ever to hire a skilled real estate professional who is able to represent the best interests of the client while helping them navigate through the already complicated real estate terrain.” Read the full media statement. o Other interviews helped to set the record straight: • The Charlotte Ledger: Charlotte homebuyers face new rules on Realtor® fees.

• Spectrum News: Canopy CEO explains practice changes.

• RISMedia: Canopy CEO Guiding in the Carolinas As Industry Moves Forward.

• The Charlotte Business Journal: Realtor Reset: How Charlotte’s residential brokerage community is reacting to landmark NAR Settlement.

• The Charlotte Business Journal: How NAR’s $418M settlement could impact Charlotte’s housing market.

• Smoky Mountain News: Settling for less: Plenty of questions remain over local, national The campaign was featured across traditional impact of Realtor® settlement. and digital media in Canopy’s geographic • The Mountaineer: Lawsuit muddles murky love triangle between homebuyers, sellers and regions, including: real estate agents.

• Transit: 20,160,000 impressions from bus • WBTV QC Mornings: What the NAR Settlement Means for You. advertising • Digital Impressions: 6,602,914 views on mobile device • Billboards: 6,522,793 impressions

Canopy Realtor® Association’s Brand Ambassador Program promoted and protected the brand among key stakeholders.

o More than 300 Brand Ambassadors received monthly focus areas and calls to action to promote within their sphere of influence. o Calls to action included sharing information promoted in eHeadlines, increasing awareness of new products and technology rollouts, promoting and participating in educational and professional events, promoting the value of canopygrabandgrow.com and brokerrelations. canopyrealtors.com. o Brand Ambassadors also helped to monitor social media sites and responded when needed.

Anne Marie DeCatsye, Esq., CEO, Canopy Realtor® Association and Canopy MLS shared her expertise on issues impacting the industry and community. o Participated in a conversation on “Leading the Way: CEO’s Driving DEI Excellence,” moderated by Nate K. Johnson, VP of Advocacy at NAR, during NC REALTORS® annual convention. o Presented an existing home sales market update at the Home Builders Association Quarterly Residential Roundup meeting with leadership from the Home Builders Association of Greater Charlotte, Zonda, and the Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition (REBIC) at UNC Charlotte’s Uptown Campus. o Featured as a guest on REBIC’s “Getting Real with Rob” podcast, addressing policy overreach that increases the cost of housing for buyers, particularly for first-time home buyers. Additionally, DeCatsye made key points emphasizing the importance of collaboration between the homebuilders, commercial real estate professionals, and the Realtor® community. o Hosted a special edition of Inside the Canopy Files podcast: A Closer Look at the 2024 Housing Market with Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors® (NAR), and Dr. Yongqiang Chu, Distinguished Professor of Real Estate and Urban Economics at UNC Charlotte’s Childress Klein Center for Real Estate. o Hosted an edition of Inside the Canopy Files: Paths to Leadership – Women Who Mean Business in recognition of Women’s History Month with guests Maren Brisson and Brenda Hayden - both pastpresidents and industry leaders. o Facilitated Town Halls for Canopy Realtor® Association members and Canopy MLS subscribers, to provide an update on the state of the industry at the national, state, and local levels. o Spearheaded the “Legal Landscape, Practice Changes and the Value of a Realtor®” presentation.

Canopy Realtor® Association offered Realtor® Hot Topics, Broker-in-Charge Briefings, and facilitated Membership Meetings. o More than 3,500 members attended Realtor® Hot Topics, and Broker-in-Charge Briefings, which featured local, state, and national experts and offered industry insight and knowledge.

• “Buyer Value Proposition and Compensation Conversation” with Lynn Madison.

• “Meet the New CMS Superintendent” with Dr. Crystal Hill.

• “Meet the Iredell County School Superintendents” with Dr. James Gardner, Superintendent, Mooresville Graded Schools, and Dr. Jeff James, Superintendent, Iredell-Statesville Schools.

• “Legal Update: Practice Changes Resulting from the NAR Settlement and Preparing for the Future” presented by Canopy President Charisma Southerland, Canopy CEO Anne Marie DeCatsye and Canopy COO and General Counsel Michele McCaskill.

• “North Carolina 2024 Forms Changes” with Amy Baker and Jennifer Frontera, NC REALTORS® Forms Committee and John Wait, NC REALTORS® Legal Counsel.

• “South Carolina Forms Update” with Austin Smallwood, SC REALTORS®.

• “Open MLS, Practice Changes and Forms Update” with Canopy’s CEO Anne Marie DeCatsye and COO and General Counsel, Michele McCaskill, along with NC REALTORS® and SC REALTORS® legal staff.

• “Safety Camp at Canopy Realtor® Association” featured presentations on safety awareness, MLS safety tools, business scams, and self-defense tactics.

• “Charlotte Region Housing Market Update” co-presented by Canopy Realtor® Association and the Charlotte Regional Mortgage Lenders Association.

The 2024 Realtor® EXPO featured national speakers and industry exhibitors.

o More than 1,000 Canopy Realtor® Association members attended. Education sessions included: • “Navigating the New Normal” with Lynn Madison.

• “Economic and Real Estate Market Outlook” with Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors® and Dr. Yongqiang Chu, Director of Childress Klein Center for Real Estate & Childress Klein; Distinguished Professor of Real Estate and Urban Economics.

• “Marketing Using Video “Shorts” Content, Lead Generation and Creating Short Video Strategies” with Juanita McDowell.

Canopy Realtor® Association DIA, Global and Professional Development.

Canopy Realtor® Association demonstrated its unwavering commitment to fair housing, diversity, and inclusion. o More than 1,300 Canopy Realtor® Association members participated in four Diversity and Inclusion Alliance Advisory Groups (African American Advisory Group, Latin American Advisory Group, Asian American Advisory Group, and LGBTQ Advisory Group); an 18% increase over 2023. o Over 100 members attended “Pathways to Commercial Real Estate” panel discussion with diverse brokers who have paved their way to success in commercial real estate. o Celebrated Women’s History Month with “Women Who Mean Business: Executives Redefining Leadership” a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring accomplished women executives who have shattered barriers and risen to leadership roles. o Members participated in the “Stand up for Housing Equity Challenge” during Fair Housing Month to increase their knowledge and strengthen their commitment to fair housing by: • Confronting and checking biases • Honoring the Fair Housing Act • Working to end discrimination, one interaction at a time o During Canopy’s Fair Housing Challenge: • 71 members participated in “NAR’s Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing” training.

• 81 members participated in the North Carolina CE elective “Big Tent Diversity”.

• 62 Members participated in NAR’s Fairhaven: A Fair Housing Simulation Training. o CREI offered the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance “Ally Certification” course with Alliance trainer Alex Cruz, making it the first time to be offered in North Carolina.

o Hosted a Fair Housing Month Celebration as part of the Fair Housing Challenge.

• Featured “A Conversation Under the Canopy” with national speaker Mia IvesRublee, Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at American Progress.

• Opportunity to meet with housing community resources, real estate industry multi-cultural organizations as well as network and enjoy entertainment and international cuisines.

• The Realtor® Store offered a special discount.

• Fair Housing for All T-shirts were sold during the event, raising $550 to benefit Canopy Housing Foundation. o Hosted the NAR “At Home with Diversity” course with nearly 600 members taking the course since 2020. o 80-plus members attended the inaugural “Diversity and Inclusion Alliance E3 Summit: Educating, Engaging and Empowering Realtors®” highlighting the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion within the real estate industry; the event also addressed the importance of fostering inclusive cultures within firms. Sessions featured national and local experts and included the following: • Meet Your Next Client: Unlocking Opportunities in Diverse Markets • Realtor.com® Champions Buyer’s Agents for Underrepresented Groups • Inclusive Leadership: Driving Financial Success • Is Your Brand and Business Approachable: Inclusive Marketing Strategies • Engaging with Industry Partners to Drive Solutions to Homeownership • The Alliance continued to support Canopy Housing Foundation by participating in Realtor® Care Day, Strides for Shelter 5K, Pearl Street Park Stream Clean-Up and donated items to the auction.

Canopy Realtor® Association built and fostered member engagement. o The 2024 installation featured keynote speaker Marki Lemons Ryhal who presented “The Magic of Mindset: Transforming Real Estate Success through Positive Thinking and Innovation”. o Canopy Realtor® Association hosted five General Membership Meetings attended by 1,900 members where information was presented about the NAR Settlement practice changes, forms changes, and transition to Open MLS. o Canopy Realtor® Association hosted three Town Halls totaling over 1,600 in attendance.

• The June Town Hall “Post Settlement Practice Changes, NC and SC Forms and Frequently Asked Questions” featured legal staff from NC REALTORS® and SC REALTORS® and CEO Anne Marie DeCatsye.

• The fall Town Halls were offered in-person and virtual to provide members with the opportunity to connect and engage with peers and Canopy leadership. Topics included Open MLS, MLS products and services, Foundation initiatives, and more.

Canopy Realtor® Association launched its first-ever Global Committee. o The Global Committee was formed mid-year to enable and support Realtor® members who do business in the global real estate market. o A Global Kick-off event, “A World of Opportunity Awaits You” was hosted in August with nearly 100 attendees featuring local, state, and national speakers with experience in economic development and global real estate. o Worked with the NAR Research Group to conduct a first-ever International Residential Transactions survey to provide insight into foreign buyer’s investments in our region as well as where buyers are searching for property abroad.

Canopy Realtor® Association’s education and professional development provider

Canopy Real Estate Institute (CREI) continued to shape the future of real estate through education and professional training and development.

CREI initiatives focused on expanding access, building partnerships, and fostering excellence with primary and secondary institutions, as well as career development programs, to inspire and guide the next generation of real estate professionals.

CREI expanded outreach and career engagement.

o Volunteered at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) sponsored events and participated in multiple career fairs hosted by CMS, including: • CMS Endless Possibilities Expo • CMS Undecided Day • Rocky River High School Career Expo • Harding University High School Career Fair • Independence High College and Career Fair • Julius Chambers Career Opportunity Fair • Myers Park Career Fair • Phillip O. Berry Career Fair • West Mecklenburg College and Career Fair o Partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and UNC Charlotte to develop an "Introduction to Real Estate" course. This impactful collaboration provided high school students with a solid foundation, preparing them for successful real estate careers.

CREI also hosted a virtual meetup aimed at recruiting additional CMS instructors interested in teaching this transformative course. o Participated in the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Partnership Program with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission exposing students to career opportunities in real estate. o Fostering real estate careers was further strengthened with UNC Charlotte's Belk College of Business to present "Aspiring to a Career in Real Estate" to emerging real estate enthusiasts. o CREI provided practical insights into obtaining a North Carolina real estate license and navigating the early stages of a successful career in the industry.

CREI is known for collaborating with real estate educators and having exceptional instructors.

o Partnered with the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association (NCREEA) to inspire and support educators. Through discussions about building a Professional Learning Community (PLC) among real estate educators, CREI emphasized collaboration, innovation, and shared best practices to keep educators motivated, equipped, and inspired with ongoing professional development, in order to guide the next generation of professionals. o Maintained a tradition of hiring exceptional instructors. CREI welcomed a new faculty member who holds the prestigious Distinguished Real Estate Educator (DREI) designation and has been previously honored as NCREEA’s North Carolina Real Estate Educator of the Year. o Two faculty members earned instructional credentials in 2024, including the coveted Gold Star Instructor (GSI) designation from the Real Estate Educators Association (REEA), and the Certified Distance Education Instructor (CDEI) certification from the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials. o Offered 10 Things You Need to Know About Land, written by Instructor, Cheryl Sain, a former recipient of the Real Estate Educators Association (REEA) Online Program of the Year Award.

Canopy Realtor® Association’s education and professional development provider

CREI continued to prepare students for excellence. o Achieved a 100% pass rate for the State of North Carolina's Broker Prelicensing exam second and third quarters, with three faculty members maintaining perfect scores for two consecutive quarters. o Since the introduction of #CanopyPrepped and instructorled class review sessions, CREI students have consistently excelled on their end-of-course exams, further strengthening their performance on the state exam. o Collaborated with KimNCo Education Services to offer CRAM, an online critical review program for the state licensing exam. This program includes tutorials and live bi-weekly sessions, boosting firsttime pass rates. CREI also partnered with EXAMSMART, an online exam prep company. o In 2023, CREI supported 4,018 students and members who created accounts to access classes, resulting in a total of 10,149 course enrollments with numbers increasing in 2024.

CREI continued to expand its professional development offerings.

o Added new continuing education (CE) and professional development courses while expanding on-demand CE options through partnerships with The CE Shop, Real Time Learn, The Relo Course, and Dearborn. o Offered customized CE learning for the Charlotte Region Commercial Board of Realtors®, and residential Canopy Realtor® Association member firms. o These courses provided agents with expert-led instruction in a safe environment for open discussions on company policies and compliance, ensuring firms met North Carolina’s CE requirements.

CREI provided courses featuring relevant and timely topics:

o The Magic of Lead Generation: Generate 100 Leads in 7 Days o Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) o Defending from Hackers, Attackers and Thieves o SCORE! Credit Matters o It’s About to Hit the Fan o Home Finance Resource Certification o AI-Powered Real Estate Professional Certificate Course o Big Tent Diversity o Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls through Social Media (Code of Ethics) o The RELO Course (self-paced)

Canopy Realtor® Association’s education and professional development provider

CREI announced new educational offerings

o Real Estate Investing Certificate Course o Military Relocation Professional (MRP) o Buyer Representation in Real Estate V6.0 (self-paced) o Marketing the Listing Certificate Course o New courses announced for 2025: • From Opportunity to Strategy: Identifying Consumer Impacts Due to Real Estate Shifts • Getting in the Zone: A Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use • VA Home Loan Benefits: A Basic Guide to Real Estate Professionals • Flood Insurance: Protecting Consumers & Agents • Planning and Zoning Resource Certificate Course • Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Institute

CREI collaborated with Canopy Housing Foundation to host the Innovation Awards Bootcamp.

o CREI partnered with the Canopy Housing Foundation to host the Canopy Innovation Awards Bootcamp. o Teams from local colleges and universities competing for scholarships included Johnson C. Smith University, UNC Charlotte, and Central Piedmont Community College. o Teams proposed creative solutions to affordable housing issues, with a specific focus on leveraging adaptive reuse strategies to transform existing spaces into affordable housing options.

NAR’s Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) course was offered multiple times to Realtors® at no cost.

o This initiative was designed to eliminate financial barriers, ensuring Realtors® have access to advanced and continuous education to enhance their skills and careers.

The Workforce Housing Certificate Program (WHCP) became a program of CREI. o This significantly increased exposure, participation, and retention, allowing CREI to efficiently manage all aspects of the program, including collaborating with Canopy Housing Foundation on initiatives like Project R.E.A.C.H. and Realtors® Care Day. o The Canopy Workforce Housing Certificate Program experienced the following growth: • 37 new enrollees • 329 total attendees for core courses • 16 new graduates • 79 Workforce Housing Specialist recertifications • 95 Workforce Housing Specialists at the end of 2024

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14 educational programs were offered for recertification, including a mix of WHCP core classes, CREI courses, and Realtor® Hot Topic events, demonstrating the program’s continued commitment to education and professional development in affordable housing. o The Realtor® Education Advisory Group Task Force recommended renaming the program, approved by the Canopy Realtor® Association Board of Directors, to the Workforce Housing C.A.R.E. Program: • C.A.R.E stands for Certified in Affordable Resources and Education, with graduates earning the designation of Workforce Housing C.A.R.E. Specialists.

The charitable arm of Canopy Realtor® Association

Realtors® created impact by supporting Canopy Housing Foundation’s grants, programs, and initiatives in Mecklenburg, Iredell, and Haywood Counties, as well as throughout the region. o Realtors® Care Day (RCD) involved more than 350 Realtor® volunteers working on 16 sites across Mecklenburg, Iredell, and Haywood Counties.

• Since 2009, RCD has had a total economic impact of more than $1.2 million benefitting 331 families and organizations. o Project REACH (Realtors® Engaging and Creating Hope) utilized the volunteer services of more than 125 Realtor® members.

• Volunteers assisted five nonprofits around the community with each participating organization receiving $500 from the Foundation. o The Foundation awarded 25 grants through the Community Grants Program and seven grants through the Habitat Support Grants Program.

• Since 2009, the Community Grants Program has distributed $591,799.70, and the Habitat Support Grants Program has distributed $347,700. o The Y.E.S. Award (Youth Excellence in Service Award) was awarded to Rosie Smolowitz.

• This award is the youth companion award to the Foundation’s Humanitarian Award and recognizes young people ages 10-18 who are engaged in creating a better community through their actions and service.

• Each recipient designates a nonprofit to receive $500 from the Foundation.

• Since the inception of the award, $3,000 has been invested back into the community. o The annual Strides for Shelter 5K Run / Walk addresses the needs of those in the local homeless community or those who are housing insecure.

• Each year, the Realtor® community chooses a beneficiary who will receive funding from the 5K, with proceeds assisting that organization in meeting project goals of a specific nature.

• The Home Again Foundation was awarded $38,500.38 with the funds being dedicated to building a one-bedroom cottage for a homeless veteran.

• Since 2016, more than $215,000 has been raised to aid families designated as housing insecure to move into safe housing.

The charitable arm of Canopy Realtor® Association

o Since 2017, the Humanitarian Award has highlighted the incredible commitment of people contributing in a major way to the quality of life in the region.

• Awarded to a project, person, or organization, it is the highest honor bestowed by the Foundation with each recipient having an opportunity to designate a nonprofit to receive a $5,000 donation from the Foundation. The 2024 Humanitarian Award was presented to Cristina Grossu Biffle.

• Through 2024, $61,250 has been invested in the community through this award. o Canopy Realtor® Association members in the Western Region recognized excellence in education and awarded three scholarships of $1,000 each to high school and early college students in 2024.

• Since 2020, $12,000 has been invested in the educational needs of students in Haywood County. o In 2024, the Canopy Housing Foundation launched the first-ever Innovation Award, challenging local college and university students to develop creative and innovative solutions to affordable housing using the strategies of adaptive re-use.

• Schools participating in the competition included UNC-Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, and Johnson C. Smith.

A total of $10,000 in scholarship funds were awarded at the end of the competition.

Technology, tools, training and trusted analytics.

Canopy MLS partnered with technology vendors to offer products and services to help agents better serve clients and grow their business. o In early 2024, Down Payment Resource (DPR), a national database of homeownership programs, was integrated into MLS property listing data to identify eligible properties.

Initially, there were only 43 DPR programs available in the Canopy MLS Service area, however, the number of programs increased to 67 total programs by year-end. Programs range from down-payment assistance to affordable first mortgage programs, including mortgage credit certificates, and more.

• Down payment assistance ranged from $2,000 to $194,000, with buyers in the Canopy MLS service area averaging a total of $18,657 in financial assistance.

• 84.4% of residential listings were eligible for down payment assistance.

o Rental Beast, a comprehensive rental platform was also integrated within the MLS in 2024 to assist agents with their rental clients, as well as to keep agents productive with lead sourcing and management.

• Rental Beast stepped up to assist Canopy MLS subscribers and those needing rentals in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, by waiving application fees for rentals listed in Canopy MLS as well as off-MLS inventory. o Canopy MLS announced a strategic partnership with the Rayes Platform, to elevate agent value and transparency starting January 2025. Rayes empowers brokers to provide their agents with a cutting-edge platform and the capability to foster trust while enhancing the homebuying experience.

The Southeast MLS Alliance continued to deliver enhanced services and benefits to brokers and agents.

o This collaborative effort among Canopy MLS, Charleston Trident Regional MLS, Georgia MLS in Atlanta, and Realtracs in Nashville increased access to data, creating a more open, transparent, and efficient marketplace. o Listings were easily found in Matrix under the new Data Shares tab. o The Alliance serves a combined 100,000+ real estate agents in over 11,000 offices.

Anne Marie DeCatsye, Esq., CEO shared her expertise and industry insights.

o Featured panelist discussing “Evolving MLS Policies: Transparency, Flexibility, and Consumer Trust” at the Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) conference. o Featured panelist at the inaugural ARELLO® Legal Exchange. The discussion focused on what an MLS is today, and what it is not, as the real estate industry evolves rapidly. o Facitated Town Halls for Canopy Realtor® Association members and Canopy MLS subscribers, to provide an update on the state of the industry at the national (NAR), state (NC REALTORS® and SC REALTORS®), and local levels. o Spearheaded the “Legal Landscape, Practice Changes and the Value of a Realtor®” presentation.

Technology, tools, training and trusted analytics.

Canopy MLS offered a robust portfolio of technology products, provided extensive training, and implemented improvements in Matrix™.

Made reporting a team in a listing easier. o When the listing agent or selling agent is a member of a team, the team is automatically added to listings – an agent’s team no longer needs to be added separately from the agent.

The Matrix system received a number of exciting upgrades.

• Text Size Switcher was added at the top right of the page and allows users to cycle through large, medium, and small text on the Matrix pages that have been updated to the new format (“Classic” pages do not change text size).

• For agents who prefer the “Classic” look in Matrix, users can now click their name at the top right corner of the page to find a new “Classic Mode” option.

• Widgets on the Home page now self-adjust their height, making the page shorter and easier to navigate.

Implemented Canopy MLS Dashboard and Matrix security changes. o Canopy MLS Support stopped providing passwords directly, through any means of communication; instead, Canopy MLS Support started sending an email to the user’s email address on file with a password reset link.

Added a new option for “Affordable Homeownership Criteria” to the Special Conditions field. o This option indicates that the sale of the home requires third-party approval of the buyer -- which may depend upon income limits, homeowner education classes, or other requirements. Listings that indicated “Affordable Homeownership Criteria” are identified with an icon.

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The “Enter” key can once again be used when running an address search from the Home page.

A Menu Size Selector was added to shrink or expand the main menu bar.

A “View All” button was incorporated to allow users to see all of their clients in the OneHome™ portal in the timeline on a single page. Users can now sort and filter the results to focus on their clients, activities, or timeline.

Updated “My Matrix” pages in the “New Dashboard” mode.

Sent Emails, and My Carts pages were updated to align with the other new style pages (such as the Home page and the Contacts page).

These new pages were designed to work on any device used– from desktop mobile devices.

Implemented a new, optional “Showing Considerations” field. o Options include Electricity Not On, Inconsistent Cell Service, No Exterior Lighting, etc. to alert agents of safety conditions warranting extra caution.

Virtual tours were no longer required to be unbranded. o This was to better comply with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, which requires the name of the firm or sole proprietorship with which the broker is affiliated to be included in the advertisement.

Removed the restriction against referencing open houses in the Public Remarks. o Open house information is provided on OneHome and in IDX, which was seen as a contradiction.

Technology, tools, training and trusted analytics.

Implemented practice changes required by the NAR Settlement.

• Utilized brokerrealtions.canopyrealtors.com to share NAR Settlement resources from NAR, NCR, SCR, and Canopy MLS, which included videos, statements, FAQs, and interviews.

• Produced three videos with summary of practice changes, instructions highlighting changes in the MLS system, handling concessions, and use of web URLs. • Communicated four new violations to be enforced by Canopy MLS Compliance staff.

• Removed all compensation fields from Matrix, revised Canopy MLS Rules and Regulations, and updated Canopy MLS forms.

2024 Canopy MLS/Matrix Logins: 5,834,279 Desktop 89,736 Mobile 5,924,015 Total

2024 Canopy MLS activity: 13,500 Support tickets closed 17,973 Support calls answered 5,901 Compliance tickets closed 7,054 Compliance calls answered 6,638 MLS Data Checker/violation notices sent 477 MLS Data Checker/fines issued Broker Relations training summary: 208 Training classes held at firm offices, Realtor® associations, and events (including EXPO) 162 Virtual trainings conducted with 1,783 total attendees 100 Virtual one-on-one trainings

In addition to core Matrix services, the most requested sessions were: • RPR (CMA, AI scriptwriter, and new beta reports) • Remine (Analytics, Air DNA mailing campaigns) • Down Payment Resource Canopy MLS partnered with its technology vendors to provide: • Monthly/quarterly training on ShowingTime • Rental Beast • Tenant Screening • Forewarn The Broker Relations Team updated content for orientation including: • Training videos for Matrix™ • OneHome™ • Supra • MLS Touch

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