Greater Tampa REALTOR® News - March 2016

Requested Delivery By: March 5, 2016

MARCH 2016 T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E G R E AT E R TA M PA A S S O C I AT I O N O F R E A LT O R S ®

GET REAL ADVICE.

GET SOLID DIRECTIONS.

GET EVERY ADVANTAGE YOU CAN.

MARCH 2016

‘Get REALTOR®’ Campaign Gets Real NAR’s new consumer ad campaign is a little edgy. It’s all part of a strategy to remind hyper-connected consumers about the importance of professional help in real estate.

BY ERICA CHRISTOFFER National Association of REALTORS ® You know what your agents do for their clients: Study the market, uncover property information that an online search can’t find,

advocate for their clients’ interests, coordinate the myriad details of the sale.

But real estate websites and television shows have created a public perception that buying or selling a home is easy. It’s “infotainment” that perpetuates the notion that the transaction happens quickly and magically. Of course, in actuality, the process can be stressful and riddled with obstacles before a deal is made.

A new advertising campaign from NAR, dubbed “Get REALTOR®,” offers the public a window into your world, shining a light on the value of a REALTOR® in a whole new way.

“Get REALTOR®” is a digital, mobile-first campaign that uses humorous honesty. The ads celebrate the professionalism, market knowledge, and competitive advantage REALTORS® give their clients.

"Get REALTOR®” is a digital, mobile-first campaign that uses humorous honesty.

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BY NICO HOHMAN, Young Professionals Network Vice-Chair A broker or agent with as having lofty goals. Your an inspiring vision, one clients will remember the who aims to change the smallest details as much the most luxurious cars way the world sees the real as they remember the big available today. But it’s the estate industry, is certainly dreams you establish for smallest details that make a great asset to any broker- yourself and your company. this vehicle truly great. age. But aside from the big To better show you how One specific example is the picture, what really makes to focus on the details, I lights on the base of the a great real estate profes- want to give two real-life trunk’s lid. The only time sional is his or her ability examples from the business you would ever notice these to focus on the details. world: the Mercedes-Benz lights is when you have the Focusing on the smallest S Class sedan and the trunk open at night. This pieces within your organi- Apple MacBook Air laptop. may seem like an insignifDETAILS, Page 18 The sedan is one of zation is just as important

• EDUCATION

Get REALTOR®, Page 5

Learn more about RPAC

Dan Hazy answers a few frequently asked questions about RPAC and how funds are used. Page 2

New CEO selected

MacDonald as Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1, 2016. Page 3

Find out what lights on a trunk or the inside of a laptop can teach you about forming great business habits

pg.6

Giving Consumers the Real Picture The campaign hints at what consumers don’t know and what can go wrong in real estate with statements like, “It’s all fun and games

IN THIS EDITION

GTAR announces the appointment of Dennis

Focus on the Details

CODE OF ETHICS

PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID TAMPA, FL Permit No. 2397

Get REALTOR

®

LIVE AUCTION & CHILI COOK-OFF

APRIL 14, 2016 Join us for our 4th Annual RPAC Extravaganza, which features a live silent auction and chili cook-off.

All proceeds will benefit our REALTORS® Political Action Committee, which advocates for the interests of our members.

Questions? We have answers

Can a seller's relative sign a legally binding doucment in the absence of the seller?

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Some Mistakes Are Good for Business Here are a few "mistakes" that can actually show how far you’re willing to go to give them great service.

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Candid Camera Jan./Feb. 2016. Page 16

For more information, see Page 5.

• AFFILIATES

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• MLS STATISTICS

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March 2016

Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

ABOUT GTAR

The Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS®, Inc. (GTAR) is the largest Tampa Bay-based professional association of real estate brokers and sales associates conducting business throughout the Bay. GTAR provides educational programs, ethical guidance and other services that enable licensed real estate professionals to help people buy and sell homes in the Greater Tampa area.

For more information, please visit www.gtar.org

2016 OFFICERS

President Andy Joe Scaglione.....(813) 968-4996 President-Elect Joe Perez..........................(813) 264-7754 Vice President Mari Colgan..................... (813) 685-4936 Treasurer Sandra Streit...................(813) 343-8001 Secretary Norma Cohen................. (813) 992-5845 Immediate Past President Barbara Jordan...............(813) 962-0631 Interim Chief Executive Officer Brenda Rabbitt............... (813) 879-7010

2016 DIRECTORS

Diane Acken................... (813) 299-4758 Alma Alexander................(813) 727-1201 Ashley Christie................(813) 504-8812 Diana Englehart...............(813) 748-2165 Zoe Green...................... (813) 259-0000 Dan Hazy.......................... (813) 545-7372 Mary McCall....................(813) 294-4425 Jodi McKeithan.............. (813) 597-9670 Brad Monroe...................(813) 309-4488 Jack Rodriguez...............(813) 877-6388 Tom Scaglione............... (813) 310-8200 Francine Villa..................(813) 598-0844

REPRODUCTION

The Greater Tampa REALTOR® News is published monthly for members of GTAR in the interest of informing, promoting, and improving the real estate industry. With the exception of articles and materials from other publications reprinted in this newspaper, members and affiliate members of GTAR are hereby authorized to reproduce articles appearing in this newspaper, provided each such reproduction gives the following credit:

Reprinted from Greater Tampa REALTOR® News, Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS®.

THE REALTOR® MARK

REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark which may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

For advertising information/sales, contact Mike Utaegbulam, Director of Communications at news@GTAR.net Advertising products or services herein shall not be construed to be a promotion, approval, or endorsement of those products or services by GTAR. All advertising is subject to the approval of the GTAR Board of Directors/Chief Executive Officer.

DISCLAIMER

Articles contained in this publication express the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of GTAR.

HEADQUARTER INFO

Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS® 2918 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33609 (813) 879-7010

STAY CONNECTED Find GTAR on the following social media outlets to stay connected with the latest news and events.

facebook.com/TampaGTAR twitter.com/TampaGTAR linkedin.com/company/gtar

www.GTAR.org

COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHT The REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) enables REALTORS® to support the issues that are important to their profession and livelihood.

BY DAN HAZY®, RPAC Committee Member RPAC is here to serve the interests of our membership. RPAC works for you by fighting issues that affect REALTORS®and homeowners and supporting candidates because of their views on property ownership and property rights. Throughout the time of my involvement with GTAR and RPAC, I've received several questions pertaining to RPAC and I'd like to shed some light on what RPAC actually does. Take a look below to receive a few answers:

$163,260

Q: What is a PAC? A: A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a popular term for a political committee organized by like-minded people, like REALTORS®, for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. PACs merely represent a legal way for individuals to unite and ensure their voices are heard at all levels of government.

Q: What is RPAC? A: The REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) is the nation's

Current amount invested

$125,288

largest, most successful and most bipartisan political action committee.

Since 1969, RPAC has promoted the election of pro-REALTOR® candidates across the United States. The purpose of RPAC is clear: REALTORS® raise and spend money to elect candidates who understand and support their interests. The money to accomplish this comes from voluntary contributions made by REALTORS®. These are not members’ dues; this is money given freely by REALTORS® in recognition of how important campaign fundraising is to the political process. RPAC doesn’t buy votes. RPAC enables REALTORS® to support candidates that support the issues that are important to their profession and livelihood.

Q: What's in it for you?

A: RPAC is the muscle behind NAR, FAR and your local Board/Associa-

tion. RPAC represents more than 1 million politically active REALTORS® nationwide and more than 135,000 in Florida that members of Congress want as their friends. As many as 4,000 bills are introduced each session in the state Legislature. Elections decide who will be voting on these bills.

RPAC helps elect the people who write the laws you and your business must live with. RPAC provides you with the opportunity to have a collective impact on the election of officials who will shape legislation that affects your livelihood and the way real estate professionals do business. Through extensive research and ongoing monitoring, RPAC keeps you informed, involved, and influential in the legislative decisions that are important to you and your business.

Q: What is a “Fair Share” goal?

A: The dollar goal of the National RPAC, set by the National Trustees, is

To contribute to Florida REALTORS® PAC, please visit

www.gtar.org/FLPAC

Choose "Greater Tampa Assn" for the Contribution Board/Association field.

$20 per year per NAR member. This goal is called "fair share." Of that $20, 30 percent will go to National RPAC to support federal candidates, and 45 percent stays in the state (Florida REALTORS® PAC) to support state and local candidates, and the remaining 25 percent goes to GTAR's RPAC. To ensure that all states contribute their fair share to the RPAC effort, a state's annual goal is determined by the number of members in that state based on the November 30 membership report. The National RPAC accounting year runs from January 1 to December 31.

2016 RPAC MAJOR INVESTORS

Q: How will my contribution be used?

A: 100% of your contribution is used to elect pro-REALTOR® candidates.

Andy Joe Scaglione Platinum R

30% of your contribution is forwarded to the National RPAC to fund key U.S. House and Senate races; 70% remains in your state and is used for local and state elections.

Q: Does RPAC Buy Votes?

A: No! But it does give us access.

Candidates and public officials are honorable peoplewhose votes are not for sale. But, by helping elect public policy decision-makers, RPAC assures REALTORS® the opportunity to present our views and be heard. RPAC fully complies with all state and federal election laws.

Jack Rodriguez Don Walden Sterling R Continued Sterling R Continued

www.GTAR.org

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March 2016

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INTERIM CEO'S CORNER

We are the REALTOR® Party Vote, Act, Invest!

Now more than ever, it is critical for GTAR to come together and speak with one voice about the stability a sound and dynamic real estate market brings to our communities.

The REALTOR® Party is a powerful alliance of REALTORS® and REALTOR® Associations working to protect and promote homeownership and property investment. The REALTOR® Party speaks with one voice to advance candidates and public policies that build strong communities and promote a vibrant business environment.

From city hall to the State Capitol to the U.S. Capitol, our elected officials are making decisions that have a huge impact on the bottom line of REALTORS® and their customers. Through the support of REALTORS® like you, the REALTOR® Party represents your interests. As a member of the REALTOR® Party, your responsibility is to VOTE for REALTOR® Party candidates, ACT on REALTOR® Party issues and INVEST in the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC).

Where will you be when you get the next Call for Action? The REALTOR® Action Center mobile app contains a host of features to help you VOTE, ACT and INVEST on the go.

Take a look at the display

to the right for a detailed Investment Objectives explanation of how to get and Guidelines. started.

• A motion was adopted When there is a Call for to transfer the Flagler Action you will receive a County Association from standard push notification District 1 to District 2. alerting you. This alert • Homeownership for All notification, with a summaTrustee Mike Dooley ry of the issue and why your announced that over action is important, makes 28,000 “Support Homeyour participation a snap! ownership for All” license plates have been sold, Florida REALTORS® providing resources in Director Actions the amount of $450,000 The following items were to help families. acted upon at the January 31st Florida REALTORS® • Silent Angels Trustee Chairman Moe Veissi Board of Directors meeting: provided an update and • Florida REALTORS® fundraising request for PAC Trustee Chairman Silent Angels to provide Bill Furst introduced funds, supplies and the Florida REALTORS® services to individuals in PAC Trustee bylaws as need or distressed. amended. The Florida REALTORS® PAC Trustees bylaws were ratified Welcome Dennis by the board of directors. MacDonald, our new CEO • A motion was adopted I hope that you will join that Florida REALTORS® me in welcoming Dennis support adjustments MacDonald who takes the to the approved 2016 helm on March 1st. It has budget resulting in a been an honor and a privinet expense of $543,700 lege to serve as your Interim and a net addition of Chief Executive Officer for $458,887 to Reserves. the past five months. I look • A motion was adopted forward to continuing to that Florida REALTORS® assist you as I return to my support asset mix range position as Chief Operating adjustments for the Officer.

BY BRENDA RABBITT GTAR Interim CEO

REALTOR® ACTION CENTER MOBILE APP

You can be anywhere because the new REALTOR® Action Center mobile app contains a host of features to help you VOTE, ACT and INVEST on to go.

Here’s how to get started: 1. The REALTOR® Action Center mobile app is currently available only for the iPhone and Droid platforms. Search for "NAR Action Center" on the iTunes Store or Droid Market and download the app today.

2. After downloading the app, you will be asked to login using the email address associated with the REALTOR® Action Center and your NRDs number.

3. When you login, you will be asked if you want to receive notifications from the REALTOR® Action Center. Click "Yes" to receive them.

4. Once you are logged in, click on the button in the upper right corner that looks like three horizontal white lines to navigate the app.

You will find this app a useful way to keep track of all your REALTOR® Party activity and you will be alerted whenever there is a Call for Action or other breaking news that helps you VOTE, ACT and INVEST on the go!

When there is a Call for Action you will receive a standard push notification alerting you. This alert notification, with a summary of the issue and why your action is important, makes your participation a snap!

GTAR Selects New Chief Executive Officer

GTAR announced on February 5, 2016 the appointment of Dennis MacDonald as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). MacDonald will succeed Brenda Rabbitt, who has served as Interim CEO during the search, effective March 1, 2016. Rabbitt will re-assume the role of Chief Operating Officer. MacDonald is a native Floridian from a second generation REALTOR® family.

He comes to GTAR from the Treasure Coast Division of the REALTORS® Association of the Palm Beaches (RAPB), where he served as an Association Executive.

MacDonald has earned two bachelor's degrees in management and marketing from Florida Atlantic University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University. He also studied law at the Shepard Broad College of Law and conflict analysis and resolution at Nova Southeastern University College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Dennis is a Florida Supreme Court Certified County Mediator.

MacDonald holds the prestigious REALTOR® Association Certified Executive (RCE) designation, which is the only professional designation designed specifically for REALTOR® association executives. He also holds the GRI, e-PRO, and CDPE designations, is a Certified Professional Standards Administrator, and has completed the National Association of REALTORS® and Florida REALTORS® Professional Standards and Mediation trainings in both Chicago and Orlando. The GTAR Board expresses its appreciation for Brenda Rabbitt, her staff, and the association's members for their patience during this search period..

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Tampa Bay is one of the nation's top 10 areas for real estate investors

Investing in real estate can be risky, but the Tampa Bay area is one of the best places to try it, a new study says.

BY SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN, Tampa Bay Times Over the past year, investors have earned an average gross return of 16.7 percent on local residential properties they bought, according to the online real estate investment site BiggerPockets.com. That ranks the bay area sixth among the nation's top 50 metro areas.

"If you can afford to buy a home in your local market, then by definition you can afford to buy (residential) investment properties," said Scott Trench, author of the study.

Don't rush out just yet, though, to grab that foreclosed house down the street. The high returns cited by BiggerPockets don't factor in the many costs of investing, including closing costs, property taxes, insurance and — in the case of many properties — substantial sums for repairs and renovation.

As the housing market recovers, it's also getting harder to find good deals in sought-after areas.

"Carrollwood and South Tampa are almost impossible," Chris Smith, owner of Bay to Gulf Holdings, said Friday.

"Those are probably the two hottest places — everybody wants to live there."

Smith's Tampa-based company, one of the largest local real estate investment firms, is a wholesaler that primarily sells to other investors. At any one time, its portfolio includes between 50 and 75 houses throughout the bay area.

Among the current listings are a two-bedroom, onebath house in Seminole for $74,900 and a three-bedroom, one-bath home in Gulfport for $189,900.

Volatility in the stock market over the summer deterred some would-be investors. "It's had a direct effect," Smith said, "because

when the market goes down they won't spend as much."

Bay to Gulf Holdings buys an average of 20 houses a month, many in St. Petersburg, though "we have spread out a little more," Smith said. For resale purposes, he particularly likes three-bedroom, two-bath homes with two-

car garages because they are in such high demand.

And while they're getting harder to find, he also looks for older homes that have had a single owner.

"If you can purchase a foreclosure where a person has lived to the day of sale, that's good," he said.

Overall, Smith says, the bay area's reputation as a good place to invest is a mixed blessing.

"As this market becomes more publicized, there are more people coming

here trying to purchase," he said. "Obviously, it becomes a little harder to buy discount. You have to make some money."

According to BiggerPockets.com, Dallas has produced the best results for real estate investors,

with an average gross return of 19.5 percent.

Miami ranked third at 18.6 percent and Orlando came in 10th at nearly 15 percent.

Rounding out the top 10 were Denver, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Austin and Las Vegas

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Get REALTOR®

Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

LIVE AUCTION & CHILI COOK-OFF

According to Google, the average person spends about 162 minutes per day on a mobile device. That’s closing in on three hours. “Get REALTOR®” will engage with the modern-day, hyper-connected consumers where they are. until someone doesn’t read the fine print” and “Based on your knowledge of building codes, the basement could definitely probably be finished. Maybe.”

Reminiscent in its simplicity to slogans like “Got Milk” and “Just Do It”—with a nod to the idea of getting real—“Get REALTOR®” puts your brand in front of the current and future generations of home buyers and sellers. “The campaign aims to ‘redefine the R®,’” says NAR Senior Vice President of Communications Stephanie Singer. “What that means, in short, is repositioning the brand in today’s social online settings and getting in front of millennial consumers in particular.”

Social, digital, and radio segments launch Feb. 8, with videos and other shareable content. Facebook posts allow users to interact with “tap for sound” and “tap to reveal” features that give users a flavor of what a REALTOR® brings to the table. Instagram posts demonstrate the possibility of a different reality behind pretty listing photos.

Another piece of the campaign — a concept that generated conversations among some brokers and other members at NAR’s annual meeting last November — is a series of 30- and 15-second video segments called “House Off,” where consumers vie for their dream home in an “American Gladiators”–style battle. (The team that wins?

The one with a REALTOR®, of course.) After reviewing research conducted with REALTORS® and consum-

ers in late 2015 and early 2016, NAR’s Consumer Communications Committee recommended and NAR’s Leadership Team approved a targeted digital buy for these spots, to further test their performance in-market. Initial consumer testing in December 2015 found that 55 percent of millennials who watched the videos thought the ad would appeal to someone like them, and 43 percent said they would consider reaching out to a REALTOR® after seeing the ad. The ads will launch online beginning Feb. 22.

The great thing about an online-centric campaign, says Singer, is the increased opportunity for feedback and engagement. An online campaign (as opposed to a TV launch) will allow NAR to continue to test the effectiveness of the “House Off ” videos, and the results will inform any potential future media placement.

Every six months, NAR will track consumer sentiments and intention to use a REALTOR® to measure the campaign’s effectiveness.

Digital and social creative will be measured with consumer engagement metrics, such as click-through rates, shares, and comments.

In addition, a random group of REALTORS® from across the country will be surveyed to assess engagement with and affinity for campaign elements.

New Social Channel for Members Coinciding with the launch of the “Get REALTOR®” campaign is a big change introducing a new

Join RPAC for a night of fun and entertainment, featuring a live action and our super competitive chili cook-off. This is the event members will be talking about! Register today!

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

TAMPA GARDEN CLUB

2629 Bayshore Blvd. • Tampa, FL 33629 GUEST EMCEE: Bill Logan, ABC Action News

PRICING

(All tickets include event admission, food, and two drink tickets. Tickets are non-refundable)

$15 each by April 12 $20 after April 12 $99 for Chili Cook-off entry Learn more at www.GTAR.org/rpacextrav identity on NAR’s social channels. NAR’s identity on Facebook and Twitter will now be consumer-facing and consumer-focused, and members who’ve previously followed NAR’s @REALTORS social media handles will now see content from @NARdotREALTOR. NAR will directly engage with

consumers through the @REALTORS while also providing social content to members that can be easily re-shared with their clients.

NAR members — brokers and agents alike — are welcome to use “Get REALTOR®” materials in their own direct outreach to consumers. Local and state

associations will be encouraged to coordinate with the campaign; materials for REALTOR® associations to use will be available beginning February 24.

Copyright NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

Reprinted with permission.

Women’s Council of REALTORS®

Business Resource Meeting & Luncheon "Dealing With Death or Divorce in a Real Estate Transaction” Featuring Jeffrey W. Hensley, Esq.

Thursday, March 17, 2016 Program: 11:30 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Maggiano's Little Italy

203 Westshore Plaza • Tampa, FL 33609 Cost: $25 per person

Register online at www.WCRTampa.com

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www.GTAR.org

CODE OF ETHICS

ARTICLE 3

The Code of Ethics is a detailed document that spells out the professional responsibilities that every REALTOR® has voluntarily agreed to abide by.

REALTORS® shall cooperate with other brokers except when cooperation is not in the client’s best interest. The obligation to cooperate does not include the obligation to share commissions, fees, or to otherwise compensate another broker. (Amended 1/95)

STANDARD OF PRACTICE #3-1

REALTORS®, acting as exclusive agents or brokers of sellers/ landlords, establish the terms and conditions of offers to cooperate.

Unless expressly indicated in offers to cooperate, cooperating brokers may not assume that the offer of cooperation includes an offer of compensation.

Terms of compensation, if any, shall be ascertained by cooperating brokers before beginning efforts to accept the offer of cooperation. (Amended 1/99) Case Interpretation of #3-1: Rules of MLS May Not Circumvent Code (Revised Case #22-1 May, 1988. Transferred to Article 3 November, 1994.)

REALTOR® A complained to his Board of REALTORS® that procedures in the Board’s Multiple Listing Service permitted REALTORS® participating in the Service to evade their obligations under Article 3 of the Code of Ethics. His specific complaint was that, as exclusive agent of Client B, he had filed the client’s property in the Multiple Listing Service. Other REALTORS® participating in the Mul-

REALTORS® shall cooperate with other brokers except when cooperation is not in the client’s best interest.

tiple Listing Service had contacted Client B directly to make appointments to show the property and to transmit offers to purchase it, without his, REALTOR® A’s, knowledge or consent.

When he objected to this conduct, the officers of the Multiple Listing Service had cited the MLS rule that held that placing property in the Service had the effect of listing the property with the MLS, and authorized the MLS to refer it to other Participants as subagents, who were then free to transmit offers directly to the client. REALTOR® A’s complaint emphasized that his objection was primarily to the rule of the Multiple Listing Service.

The complaint was referred to the Directors of the Board of REALTORS® which asked the Chairperson of the Board’s Multiple Listing Committee to attend a special Directors’ meeting on the subject. At the meeting, it was pointed out that the contested rule of the Multiple Listing Service, which had not been submitted to the Board of Directors for approval, was in conflict with Article 3 of the Code of Ethics, and with the nature and purpose of the MLS itself, since the MLS did not provide brokerage services and could not function as an agent of sellers. The Multiple Listing Service was directed to rescind all procedural rules that permitted the Service or any of its Participants to intrude upon the agency status of any REALTOR®

holding an exclusive listing.

STANDARD OF PRACTICE #3-4

Factors defined as “nonmaterial” by law or regulation or which are expressly referenced in law or regulation as not being subject to disclosure are considered not “pertinent” for purposes of Article 2.

(Amended 1/93) Case Interpretation #3-4: Cooperation Not Mandatory (Reaffirmed Case #22-4 May, 1988. Transferred to Article 3 November, 1994.)

Client A called on REALTOR® B to list a small

commercial property. In stipulating the price at which he wished to list the property, Client A explained that he was aware that it was a relatively low price, but he wanted a quick sale and, he added, a higher price could benefit very little at that time because of certain tax considerations.

He told REALTOR® B that a number of prospective buyers had spoken to him about the property within the past year. He gave their names to REALTOR® B and said he felt sure that among them there would be a ready buyer at the price. He told REALTOR®

B that he wanted the property submitted to them first.

The next day, REALTOR® C, who had unsuccessfully solicited the listing and learned that the property was listed exclusively with REALTOR® B, called REALTOR® B to ask that he be accepted as a cooperating broker. REALTOR® B told REALTOR® C that because of unusual circumstances the best service to his client did not require cooperation; that a prospective buyer was at that time seriously considering the property; and that under the circumstances he preferred CODE, Page 13

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Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

March 2016

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE COMES NATURALLY ...

... SO DOES LIFE AT WATERGRASS! Where homes enjoy green views on spacious homesites. Private neighborhoods are nestled in nature with each neighborhood featuring its own park. The Club now boasts a new fitness center, 5 shade structures, and a Jr Olympic pool and also includes a resort pool with splash pad. The little ones grow and flourish at the onsite school. Visit our beautifully decorated models from a variety of the area’s finest builders. WaterGrass conserves other green, too, with homes in every price range and a variety of quick move-in homes, you’re sure to find the home to fit your clients’ needs!

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LOCAL NEWS

A short walk could help solve downtown Tampa’s parking crunch The Tampa Downtown Partnership is working with the city and other agencies to resolve a lack of “convenient” parking downtown.

BY YVETTE C. HAMMETT, TAMPA TRIBUNE STAFF Commuters are getting frustrated these days, winding their way to the top floors of downtown parking garages searching for elusive open spaces close to their offices.

Sometimes they find a spot, sometimes they don’t.

Convenient monthly parking spaces — spaces within two blocks of a commuter’s office — are becoming a challenge to find in the downtown core.

And with so much business growth and new development expected down the road, it will only get worse without some relief, said Karen Kress, director of transportation and planning for the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

Downtown employees, right now, need 1,400 parking spaces for regular monthly rentals, said Anne-Marie Ayers, a commercial real estate broker and first vice president at CBRE in the Bank of America building.

Find them and brokers like her can help fill downtown buildings to capacity.

“It’s important to get that number and figure out how to move people from the outlying areas. I think most of those [parking] spaces already exist,” Ayers said.

“We need to look at what we already have and how we can use that to move people.”

It may not be so much about building more parking garages as about getting commuters to change their mindset, like getting them to walk, bike or take a shuttle to the office, even carpool with coworkers from a remote lot, Ayers said.

“We don’t have a parking problem,” she said. “We

have a walking problem.”

Parking is a marketing issue, Ayers said.

It has to be addressed if the city wants to get more businesses to be in downtown.

The benefits of working downtown far outweigh the negative of having to walk a few blocks, she said.

“I’ve been downtown for 20 years and I’ve walked — pregnant and carrying a heavy laptop. I know.”

Ayers is part of a movement by the Tampa Downtown Partnership and the city to try to resolve the issue.

A partnership Parking Task Force is looking at possible long-term solutions.

Task force members have already zeroed in on what could be a quick fix for at least some commuters.

There are both city and private lots along the outskirts of downtown Tampa with spaces to fill.

The issue is getting commuters to use them, then getting those drivers to their jobs.

The city’s “interstate lots” north of downtown between Scott and K streets under Interstate 275 have about 200 parking spaces available for monthly leasing, said Ocea Lattimore, director of logistics and assets management for the City of Tampa.

“A lot of people are looking for something closer to their office. We are trying to develop some park-and-ride options to make it more convenient for those who must park on the outskirts,” she said.

Lattimore is working with the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority to see if it can modify its

free In Towner trolley route to pick up and drop off at those perimeter lots.

Kress has obtained state and federal grants and is seeking private donations from downtown hotels and office towers to pay for eight to 10 electric six-seater carts to shuttle commuters from remote private parking lots to offices in the downtown core.

In addition to the city’s interstate parking area, there is space for new monthly rentals in the Channelside Parking Garage and in the WFLA, News Channel 8, parking garage on South Parker Street, Kress said.

“The fundraising would cover the cost of (cart) operations,” she said. “We should know by the end of March whether or not it will be a go. Our goal is to start service some time in May.” “It’s a complex and exciting issue,” said Jeff Zampatello, who lives downtown and heads the partnership’s Parking Task Force, made up of business people, leasing agents,

Convenient monthly parking spaces — spaces within two blocks of a commuter’s office — are becoming a challenge to find in the downtown core. residents and others.

“It’s more or less an educational issue,” he said.

“There is parking, but people want it for free.

Right across the street from Skypoint, where I live, the Poe Garage sits half empty.

“Everybody needs something a little different,” Zampatello said. “Sometimes, the one solution hurts another group. It’s very complex. I do know right now commercial leasing is having a problem finding large blocks of leasable parking spaces.”

Zampatello, an airline pilot who says he spends half his time in Europe, also is a fan of getting people to walk farther to get to their offices.

“I see the results of a walkable community,” he

said. “It’s frustrating. I ask somebody who doesn’t want to park remotely if they have a Fit Bit on. There is plenty of parking on the perimeter” and plenty of times of the year in central Florida when the weather is perfect for walking, he said.

Kress is also promoting other possible options for people who work downtown, including walking and the Coast Bike Share program that has successfully operated downtown for more than a year now.

One option already available that downtown employees have not taken advantage of is the vanpool program sponsored by the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, or TBARTA. PARKING CRUNCH, Page 18

www.GTAR.org

Q&A

Can a seller's relative sign a legally binding doucment in the absence of the seller?

Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

March 2016

9

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Jose Alvarez Keller Williams Realty

Mariah Fairweather BHHS Florida Properties Group

Rose Lee Century 21 Beggins Enterprises

Jannick Schaefer Exit Bayshore Realty

John Armstrong Keller Williams Realty

Georgia Fantazia Keller Williams Realty

Dylan Libadisos Florida Executive Realty

Anthony Sclafani PinPoint Realty Group LLC

QUESTION: I have a listing for the sale of a property located in Florida. The seller lives in France and will not be able to attend the closing.

However, his sister lives in Florida and can attend the closing. May the seller have a power of attorney document prepared in France authorizing his sister to sign the closing documents?

Melissa Bailey Century 21 Beggins Enterprises

Alexandra Faris Selling Tampa Bay, LLC

David Long Re/max Choice Realty

Jodi Sherman Homexpress Realty, Inc.

John Banks Coldwell Banker Residential

Michael Flores Re/max Dynamic

Javier Magria Future Home Realty, Inc.

Lakeisha Simms Charles Rutenberg Realty,Inc.

Zachary Berkes Stillwell and Associates

Adam Fontana Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Natalie Martinez Coldwell Banker Residential

Jay Skaggs Keller Williams Realty

Bonnie Black BHHS Florida Properties Group

Gene Ford Keller Williams - New Tampa

Kevin Maxfield DM Real Estate & Development

Harold Soto Town Chase Properties

Jinelsa Bonilla Keller Williams Realty

Kimberly Ford Keller Williams - New Tampa

Regina McFadden Exit Extreme Realty

Elizabeth Staszak Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Dina Bravo Topaz Realty LLC

Mandi Foster Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Darrian Mitchell The K Company Realty,LLC

Chamaine Stokes Real Property Marketing, Inc.

Chanelle Brennan Eaton Realty,LLC

Scott Fruhwald People’s Choice Realty Svc LLC

Anthony Moley Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Melissa Tennent PinPoint Realty Group LLC

Jada Brueggeman BHHS Hatton & Associates

Florence Fuentes Charles Rutenberg Realty,Inc.

Mickey Moore Keller Williams Realty

Erich Tobitsch BHHS Florida Properties Group

Linda Burgin Keller Williams South Tampa

Parvathi Ganduri People’s Choice Realty Svc LLC

Tabitha Moreira Charles Rutenberg Realty,Inc.

Orlando Valdes Re/max Dynamic

Damla Burnukara Keller Williams - New Tampa

Patricia Gonzalez De La Garza Realty, Inc,.

Patricia Murphy Selling Tampa Bay, LLC

Hilda Vargas Pineywoods Realty LLC

ANSWER: Florida law allows a power of attorney to be used in Florida real estate transactions. This document should state the specific powers the seller is granting to the attorneyin-fact. If a power of attorney will be prepared and signed in another state or country, it is important to contact the closing agent to confirm that the power of attorney will be effective and address any concerns in advance of closing. The power of attorney must comply with Florida law. The seller must sign the power of attorney in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, and it must be properly notarized. There may be additional requirements if the document is prepared and signed outside the United States, such as having the principal visit a U.S. embassy or consulate for notarial services, or having a foreign notary’s document authenticated.

George Butterly BHHS Florida Properties Group

Silvia Gordon Keller Williams Realty S.Shore

Amber Murrell Century 21 Beggins Enterprises

Elliot Vasquez Keller Williams Tampa Central

Coretta Butts Real Property Marketing, Inc.

Jennie Grote Century 21 Shaw Realty Group

Gregory Nielsen Century 21 Shaw Realty Group

Theresa Verrengia Petrillo Real Estate Group LLC

Richard Byrd Keller Williams Realty

Jacqueline Haggerty A & M Realty

Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Peter Wacelitz Re/Max Bay to Bay

Dainelys Campion Duo Realty LLC

Patty Hale Century 21 List With Beggins

Manoj Palakkat Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Garrett Walker Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Daniel Cassels Future Home Realty, Inc.

Roberto Hernandez Charles Rutenberg Realty,Inc.

Pablo Penaherrera Keller Williams Realty S.Shore

Wipa Watson Century 21 Beggins Enterprises

Diana Chambers Keller Williams Realty

Betty Hoffmaster BHHS Florida Properties Group

Matthew Pereira Real Living Casa Fina Realty

Lindsay Webster Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Ralidean Coates Keller Williams - New Tampa

Andre Iacurci Keller Williams Realty S.Shore

Gilberto Perez Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Benjamin Whetstone Coldwell Banker Dolphin Realty

Barbara Cone Exit Bayshore Realty

Martha Insinga Keller Williams Realty S.Shore

Steven Phillippe Century 21 Shaw Realty Group

Michael Williams Re/Max Bayside Realty LLC

Kate Conroy Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Robert Kemner Keller Williams South Tampa

Angelia Piche Signature Realty Associates

Danang Wilson Exit Bayshore Realty

Doris Cruel Signature Realty Associates

Talbot Kerr Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Jonathan Rath Century 21 Beggins Enterprises

Andon Wisniewski Future Home Realty, Inc.

Matthew Dahir People’s Choice Realty Svc LLC

William King A & M Realty

Gary Reighard Keller Williams Realty S.Shore

Li Zhou Keller Williams Realty

Glenn Davis Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Joseph Kozlar Keller Williams Tampa Central

Brittiny Restieri Century 21 Shaw Realty Group

NEW BROKERS

Melissa Davis BHHS Florida Properties Group

Elizabeth Kraus Homes By WestBay Realty

Justin Reynolds Re/max Dynamic

Justin De La Rosa Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Tammy Lamm Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Ronnie Rivera Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

David Dec Coldwell Banker Residential

Teneaka Lawrence Keller Williams Tampa Central

Sarah Rivera Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Anna Duncan Coldwell Banker Residential

Domenick Lazzara Alexander & Assoc. Real Estate

Kari Robinson Century 21 Shaw Realty Group

Nicholas Elliott WEICHERT REALTORS Yates&Assoc

Tran Le YellowFin Realty Westshore

Jerry Rosen Future Home Realty, Inc.

Osvaldo Leandri Keller Williams Tampa Prop.

Dianne Sanchez Signature Realty Associates

The information and materials in this column are provided by Florida REALTORS® for general informational purposes only and are not intended to be legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed. Nothing in this column is intended to substitute for the advice of an attorney, especially an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

Sonya Ellis Exit Realty Excel

December New Members Javier Pagan

Yuli Ariza Principal Eagle LLC Julio Guzman Shorebird Properties Manfred Kempa KEMPA Realty, LLC Matthew Midyett Tampa Homes Today Realty Richard Roddewig Clarion Associates, Inc. Lillian Almodovar Keller Williams South Tampa

Special thanks to our February 2016 Orientation Sponsors

E-Mortgage Artisian Insurance Group The Tampa Tribune

10

March 2016

Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

www.GTAR.org

CALENDAR

G TAR Board/Committee Meetings E ducational Opportunities M LS Computer Classes

Orientation Licensing/Renewal Class Special Events

MARCH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

FRIDAY, MARCH 18

roker Breakfast: Risk Management B 8:30AM - 12:30PM

oot Camp B 9:30AM - 4:30PM

rofessional Development Committee (PDC) P 10:00AM - 11:30AM

EALTORS® Commercial Alliance Committee R 10:30AM - 12:00PM

ommunications Committee C 9:30AM - 11:00AM

egional Coalition Meeting R 9:00AM - 10:30AM

he Deal Room/Commercial Pitch T 1:00PM - 3:00PM

roperty Managers Task Force P 10:00AM - 11:00AM

THURSDAY, MARCH 3 oot Camp B 9:30AM - 4:30PM

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 overnmental Affairs Committee G 9:30AM - 11:30AM

REALTOR®/Attorney Committee 1:00PM - 2:30PM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 ew Member Orientation N 8:00AM - 1:00PM

MONDAY, MARCH 14

roperty Managers Task Force P 10:00AM - 11:00AM

ppraisal Task Force A 10:00AM - 11:30AM

EALTORS® Political Actions Committee (RPAC) R 10:45AM - 12:15PM

echnology Committee T 10:00AM - 12:00PM

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 ode of Ethics C 9:30AM - 12:30PM irtual Assistants, Team Building & Delegate V 10:00AM - 12:00PM echnology User Group T 5:30PM - 7:30PM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 ffordable Housing Committee (AHC) A 9:30AM - 11:00AM ffiliates/Business Partner Meeting A 10:00AM - 11:30AM air Housing Committee F 11:00AM - 12:30PM conomic Outlook w/Dr. Ted Jones E 9:30AM - 11:30AM inance Committee F 1:30PM - 3:00PM egal Lounge L 9:30AM - 11:00AM

I nternational Council 3:00PM - 4:30PM

TUESDAY, MARCH 15 ity of Tampa Elections C ALL DAY

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 LS Required Classes M ALL DAY

THURSDAY, MARCH 17 LS Elective Classes M ALL DAY rievance Committee G 9:30AM - 1:00PM

MONDAY, MARCH 21 oard of Directors Meeting B 9:30AM - 1:00PM

TUESDAY, MARCH 22 ore Law C 9:30AM - 12:30PM eal Estate Investment with an IRA R 1:00PM - 4:00PM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 ech Expo T ALL DAY

THURSDAY, MARCH 24 t Home with Diversity, One America A ALL DAY

TUESDAY, MARCH 29 ew Member Orientation N 8:00AM - 1:00PM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 ommercial Training C ALL DAY

THURSDAY, MARCH 31 ffordable Housing Solutions A 9:30AM - 12:30PM

THURSDAY, MARCH 17 ortgage 101 M 9:30AM - 12:30PM

APRIL FRIDAY, APRIL 1

MONDAY, APRIL 11

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

overnmental Affairs Committee G 9:30AM - 11:30AM

echnology Committee T 10:00AM - 12:00PM

REALTOR®/Attorney Committee 1:00PM - 2:30PM

roperty Managers Task Force P 10:00AM - 11:00AM

I nternational Council 3:00PM - 4:30PM

th Annual RPAC Extravaganza 4 4:00PM - 8:00PM

EALTORS® Political Actions Committee (RPAC) R 10:45AM - 12:15PM

TUESDAY, APRIL 5 ode of Ethics C 1:00PM - 4:00PM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 EALTORS® Commercial Alliance Committee R 10:30AM - 12:00PM he Deal Room/Commercial Pitch T 1:00PM - 2:30PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 7 REALTOR®/Attorney Committee 9:30AM - 11:30AM atabase Marketing D 10:00AM - 12:00PM

FRIDAY, APRIL 8 ew Member Orientation N 8:00AM - 1:00PM

MONDAY, APRIL 11 ppraisal Task Force A 10:00AM - 11:30AM

TUESDAY, APRIL 12

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

RI 101: Professionalism & the Law G 8:30AM - 5:00PM

egional Coalition Meeting R 9:00AM - 10:30AM

oung Professionals Network Committee Y 10:00AM - 11:00AM

rofessional Development Committee (PDC) P 10:00AM - 11:30AM

echnology User Group T 5:30PM - 7:30PM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 ffordable Housing Committee (AHC) A 9:30AM - 11:00AM ffiliates/Business Partner Meeting A 10:00AM - 11:30AM air Housing Committee F 11:00AM - 12:30PM inance Committee F 1:30PM - 3:00PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 14 RI 102: Starting Your Business G 8:30AM - 5:00PM ommunications Committee C 9:30AM - 11:00AM roperty Managers Task Force P 10:00AM - 11:00AM

MONDAY, APRIL 18 oard of Directors Meeting B 9:30AM - 1:00PM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 RI 103: Maximize Your Profitability G 8:30AM - 5:00PM egal Lounge L 9:30AM - 11:00AM ommunications Plan for REALTORS® C 10:00AM - 12:00PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 rievance Committee G 9:30AM - 1:00PM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 EALTOR® Commercial Training R ALL DAY

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Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

March 2016

11

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES GTRN DISPLAY

GTRN DISPLAY

INTEGRITY. PROFESSIONALISM. SHAPING OUR FUTURE

CODE OF

LEGAL LOUNGE

ETHICS If you became a REALTOR® before January 1, 2013, you are required to complete the NAR Code of Ethics course before December 31, 2016

3 WAYS to Complete the Code of Ethics Training • ONLINE: Visit www.realtor.org/code-of-ethics/training.

Send completion certificate to COE@GTAR.net • DVD: For 25 or more members, GTAR will provide the training videos for your office.

• IN-PERSON: Attend an in-person training at GTAR. Register online at www.GTAR.org.

FREE BENEFIT FOR MEMBERS

Increase your awareness about pending litigation and recent case law in which brokerages and property managers were involved, as well as obtain information on escrow disputes, procuring cause claims and short sales and foreclosures.

Attorney Mercedes Gonzalez-Hale, P.A. will facilitate this question and answer session and provide various legal updates.

Next in-person training:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

9:30AM - 12:30PM

GTAR CONFERENCE ROOM 203

MARCH 8, 2016 GTRN DISPLAY

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

GTRN DISPLAY

MORTGAGE 101 Guiding Your Customer Through the Mortgage Process

This course covers the basics of what every REALTOR® needs to know. Review lenders requirements - from check stubs to the newest Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, including Qualifying a Buyer, New Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure, and The Processing Flow.

Donations are welcomed for GTAR’s CARE Foundation, a nonprofit 501c3 organization whose mission is to provide down payment assistance to needy households in the Hillsborough County, assistance in times of catastrophe, and scholarships for college bound students focusing in real estate.

Real Estate Investment with an IRA More than any other profession, real estate agents need to understand the fundamentals of self-directed IRAs, as they are becoming a very popular way to purchase investment real estate. Learn the tremendous opportunity that self-directed IRA’s present for investors, as well as the potential pitfalls and how the world of self-directed IRA’s can strengthen your client relationships and help increase your business.

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2016

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016

GTAR AUDITORIUM

GTAR AUDITORIUM

Complimentary for GTAR Members Non-Members: $10

$25 for GTAR Members Non-Members: $35

9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

REGISTER ONLINE AT www.GTAR.org

12

March 2016

Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

www.GTAR.org

AFFILIATES

Our Affiliate Business Partners Team is getting Bigger!

We want to welcome Morag Rosa to our Team!

Morag is our new Affiliate Liaison and has already made great changes to help the Affiliate program take it to the next level. We are excited to have you on our Team!

Keep an eye on the eConnections emails for upcoming networking events because our 14th Annual Golf Tournament is right around the corner in May and our Party with a Purpose if bringing new locations and new give-aways this year!

Getting to Know your Affiliate Business Partner Our March Affiliate Business Partner spotlight is Marcus Aguiar with VanDyk Mortgage.

Welcome to our Newest Affiliate Business Partners Rob MiGiore Freedom Mortgage David Gonzalez AcuSystem Home Inspections Hope Schnieder Freedman

Jim Luchberg & Brian Sullivan RiteRug Flooring Leslie Crider National Credit Federation Cindy Tolster, Meghan Tolster, & Kelly Tolster Veterans' United Home Loans

Alex Conguta AB Capital Group Jonathan Mavis Envoy Mortgage Tammy Boldt, Shannon Corimtiy, & John Lee ONQ Financial Gary M. Schaff Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.

BY FRANCINE VILLA Affiliates Chair The Affiliate Business Card Wall has been moved to the front of the GTAR Auditorium for better visibility.

Take a look the next time you're at GTAR!

Resort Style Living

As an experienced loan officer and a regional relationship manager for VanDyk’s West Florida Outside Loan Officer Division, Marcus Aguiar has the knowledge and expertise you need to explore the many financing options available.

Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is his ultimate goal. He’s committed to providing his customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations.

VanDyk Mortgage is a privately owned National Mortgage Banker and Broker headquarted in Clearwater, FL and Grand Rapids, MI. We are a direct lender and have been approved as a seller and servicer by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae.) We operate a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Direct Endorsement Lender and a Veterans Administration (VA) authorized underwriter. We hold a loan portfolio of over $400 million.

Our wholesale division includes a full underwriting, secondary, shipping, and delivery department.

With over a year experience in recruiting, Marcus has the expertise and experience finding the right loan originators for our company.

Here at VanDyk Mortgage we pride ourselves on our ethical principles and business practices, which have been fundamental to our company’s long-term success. Our goal is to enhance your business so that we can grow together.

We would love to share our accomplishments with you!

At Grand Hampton

Where the casual atmosphere of Old Florida meets with the best that life has to offer in private, club living. Have peace-of-mind knowing that your community has a 24-hour private and gated entry.

Enjoy resort style living with a beautiful community pool & tennis courts exclusively for residents to enjoy.

Visit our Model Home 8364 Dunham Station Drive, Tampa, FL 33647

ALSO AVAILABLE TO BUILD ON YOUR LOT LOT!

813.252.1261 l ICIHomes.com See a Sales Associate for details. Intervest Construction of Tampa, LLC 2660 Cypress Ridge Blvd, Suite 104, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 / CRC #057475

www.GTAR.org

Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

March 2016

13

Code From Page 6

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS! Greater Tampa REALTOR® News, the official publication of GTAR, is produced twelve (12) times a year and distributed to more than 8,500 REALTORS® and affiliate business partners throughout the Tampa Bay area. Don’t miss this opportunity to market your company’s message to an engaged audience.

www.gtar.org/advertising MY FLORIDA REGIONAL MLS CALENDAR MLS BASIC (3 HOURS) March 16 • 9AM-12PM This class will teach both new and returning agents the basic functionality in Fusion including search, printing and emailing. You will also learn about additional resources and member benefits provided by My Florida Regional MLS, and more.

This is a mandatory class for all new members to be completed within 60 days of joining.

COMPLIANCE 101 (1.5 HOURS) March 16 • 1PM-2:30PM A mandatory class for all new members to be completed within 60 days of joining. Learn about the My Florida Regional MLS Rules and Regulations and the compliance procedure for accuracy of Listing Data, along with additional educational materials available on MFRMLSUniversity.com ADDING & EDITING LISTINGS (1.5 HOURS) March 16 • 3PM-4:30PM This class is mandatory if you will be adding and modifying listings in the MLS. Learn how to input and modify listings, enter photos, and add attachments along with valuable tips and techniques. Class is available through live webinars at MFRMLSUniversity.com or at any Association.

ADVANCED MATRIX (2 HOURS) March 17 • 9AM-12PM This class will teach you how to utilize marketplace statistics that are available through the MLS or through member benefit products. iMAPP (2 HOURS) • March 17 • 1PM-3PM This class provides a comprehensive overview of the iMapp tax system. iMapp offers a wide variety of information (including tax information, permits, characteristics, comps reports, market data, and neighborhood demographic information) on any property in the state. You can also run a search for properties based on a variety of fields from tax data, MLS data or foreclosure data. iMapp also generates mailing labels based on your search results.

not to invite cooperation.

REALTOR® C complained to the Board of REALTORS® charging REALTOR® B with a violation of Article 3 by refusing to cooperate.

Pursuant to the complaint a hearing was scheduled before a Hearing Panel of the Board’s Professional Standards Committee.

During the hearing, REALTOR® B outlined fully the circumstances under which the property had been listed by him, and maintained that the interest of Client A would not be advanced by acceptance of cooperation by REALTOR® C. The panel concluded that REALTOR® B’s reasons for not accepting cooperation in this instance were valid and that his action did not constitute a violation of Article 3

STANDARD OF PRACTICE #3-9

REALTORS® shall not provide access to listed property on terms other than those established by the owner or the listing broker.

(Adopted 1/10) Case Interpretation #3-9: REALTOR®’s Obligation to Disclose True Nature of Listing Agreement (Adopted as Case #9-32 April, 1992. Transferred to Article 3 November, 1994.)

REALTOR® A listed the home of Seller X and filed the listing with the Board’s MLS categorizing it as an exclusive right to sell listing. REALTOR® A did not disclose that there was a dual rate commission arrangement on this listing, even though the listing contract provided that, should the seller be the procuring cause of sale, the listing broker would receive a commission of $500.00, an amount intended to compensate REALTOR® A for his marketing costs.

REALTOR® B, a cooperating broker, showed the property several times.

Eventually, REALTOR® B brought a signed purchase agreement to REALTOR®

A. REALTOR® A returned the purchase agreement the next day, informing REALTOR® B that the seller had rejected the offer. Several weeks later, REALTOR® B learned that the property had been sold, and that the buyer was Seller X’s nephew.

terms and conditions of his listing with Seller X was a misrepresentation. She explained that, had she been aware of this arrangement, she might have decided not to accept REALTOR® A’s offer of cooperation, since it might put potential pur-

Several months later, REALTOR® B met Seller X at a fund-raising event.

Seller X thanked her for her efforts, and told her that, under “normal circumstances,” he might have seriously considered the offer she had produced. When asked why the circumstances surrounding this transaction were “unusual,” Seller X responded telling her of his agreement “with REALTOR® A to pay a $500.00 commission if Seller X found the buyer. And when my nephew decided to buy the house, I jumped at the chance to save some money.”

When REALTOR® B learned of this arrangement, she filed a complaint with the Board of REALTORS® alleging that REALTOR® A had violated Article 3 of the Code of Ethics. The Professional Standards Administrator of the Board referred the complaint to the Grievance Committee, and, after its review, the Grievance Committee referred the complaint back to the Professional Standards Administrator indicating that an ethics hearing should be scheduled.

At the hearing, REALTOR® B, in stating her complaint to the Hearing Panel, said that REALTOR® A’s failure to disclose the actual

chasers she would produce in a possibly unfair position.

REALTOR® A, speaking in his own defense, stated no commission differential would have resulted if the buyer had been procured by either the listing broker or a cooperating broker so whatever other arrangements he had with Seller X were personal and, as listing broker, it was his right to establish the terms and conditions of his relationship with his client.

After careful deliberation, the Hearing Panel concluded that while it was REALTOR® A’s right to establish the terms and conditions of the listing contract, the existence of his “special” arrangement with Seller X should have been disclosed as a dual or variable rate commission, since without knowledge of it, cooperating brokers would be unable to make knowledgeable decisions regarding acceptance of the listing broker’s offer to cooperate.

The Hearing Panel concluded that Realtor A had in fact concealed and misrepresented the real facts of the transaction and was in violation of Article 3 of the Code of Ethics as interpreted by Standard of Practice 3-4.

14

March 2016

Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

www.GTAR.org

MLS STATISTICS

JANUARY 2016

Monthly Market Detail - January 2016 Single Family Homes Hillsborough County

Monthly Market Detail - January 2016 Single Family Homes Hillsborough County Percent Change Year-over-Year

1,019

969

5.2%

Paid in Cash

298

365

-18.4%

New Pending Sales

1,263

1,521

-17.0%

New Listings

1,846

1,925

-4.1%

Median Sale Price

$194,000

$160,000

21.3%

Average Sale Price

$237,402

$205,991

15.2%

Closed Sales

47

59

-20.3%

Average Percent of Original List Price Received

94.4%

93.7%

0.7%

Pending Inventory

1,957

2,309

-15.2%

Inventory (Active Listings)

4,860

5,401

-10.0%

Months Supply of Inventory

3.2

4.1

-21.4%

Month

Closed Sales

Percent Change Year-over-Year

January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 January 2016 June 2015 May 2015 2,783 April 2015 March 2015 1,017 February 2015 January 2015 3,178

1,019 1,525 1,215 1,521 1,502 1,648 1,785 January 2015 1,875 1,588 2,553 1,645 1,578 1,115 1,231 3,537 969

5.2% 0.5% -1.7% 8.7% 11.1% 14.8% Percent Change 24.9% Year-over-Year 27.4% 14.7% 9.0% 20.2% 25.5% -8.8% 19.7% -10.1% 6.0%

4,977

5,003 2015

-0.5%

Median Sale Price

$173,950

$145,000

20.0%

Average Sale Price

$219,858

$188,960

16.4%

51

58

-12.1%

Median Days on Market

Closed Sales

Monthly Market Detail - January 2016 The number of sales transactions which closed during Single Family Homes the month Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA Economists' note : Closed Sales are one of the simplest—yet most important—indicators for the residential real estate market.

SummaryWhen Statistics comparing Closed Sales across markets of different sizes, we recommend using the year-over-year percent changes rather Closedthan Salesthe absolute counts. Realtors® and their clients should also be wary of month-to-month comparisons of Closed Sales because ofPaid potential in Cash seasonal effects.

New Pending Sales

2012

Closed Sales

2,100

New Listings

2013

2014

1,600 1,100 600

Median Days on Market

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O NAverage D J Percent F M AofMOriginal J J List A S O N 93.8% D J F M A M J92.5% J A S O N D 1.4% J

Cash Sales

4,550

5,018

-9.3%

Inventory (Active Listings)

13,086

14,907

-12.2%

Months Supply of Inventory

3.4

4.4

-24.3%

Month

Closed Sales

Percent Change Year-over-Year

January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 January 2016 June 2015 May 2015 332 April 2015 March 2015 168 February 2015 January 2015 359

2,783 4,008 3,132 3,861 3,940 4,113 4,579 January 2015 4,752 4,087 298 4,175 4,100 173 3,213 468 2,553

9.0% 3.3% 0.1% 5.1% 14.5% 14.4% Percent Change 30.2% Year-over-Year 28.5% 11.4% 11.4% 21.6% 27.3% -2.9% 28.6% -23.3% 9.1%

542

483 2015

12.2%

Median Sale Price

$129,998

$98,950

31.4%

3,800

Average Sale Price

$156,149

$123,622

26.3%

2,800

Median Days on Market

32

58

-44.8%

Closed Sales

Monthly MarketofDetail January 2016 The number sales -transactions which closed during Townhouses the month and Condos Hillsborough County Economists' note : Closed Sales are one of the simplest—yet most important—indicators for the residential real estate market.

SummaryWhen Statistics comparing Closed Sales across markets of different sizes, we recommend using the year-over-year percent changes rather than Closed Salesthe absolute counts. Realtors® and their clients should also be wary of month-to-month comparisons of Closed Sales because ofPaid potential in Cash seasonal effects.

New Pending Sales

2012

New Listings

2013

4,800

100

94.9%

91.7%

Data released on Tuesday,February 23, 2016. Next data release is Monday, March 21, 2016.

548

714

-23.2%

Inventory (Active Listings)

1,053

1,347

-21.8%

Months Supply of Inventory

2.4

3.4

-30.5%

Closed Sales

Percent Change Year-over-Year

332 473 382 425 491 444 500 January 2015 527 442 1,655 484 484 $175,000 379 298 765

11.4% 8.7% 13.0% -2.3% 25.9% 3.0% 5.3% Percent Change Year-over-Year 20.0% 2.1% 35.9% 27.4% 25.1% 8.6% 15.2% -3.9% -43.3%

2015 $97,325

18.6%

Pending Inventory

Closed Sales

Month

January 2016 The number of sales transactions which closed during December 2015 November 2015 the month October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 Economists' note : Closed Sales are one of the simplest—yet most July 2015 important—indicators for the residential real estate market. When January 2016 June 2015 comparing Closed Sales across markets of different sizes, we May 2015 recommend using the year-over-year percent changes rather than the 2,249 Closed Sales absolute counts. Realtors® and their clients should also be wary of April 2015 Traditional month-to-month comparisons of Closed Sales because of potential March 2015 $190,000 Median Sale Price seasonal effects.

February 2015 January 2015 434 Closed Sales Foreclosure/REO 2012 2013 2014 $115,450 600 Median Sale Price

Closed Sales

Monthly Distressed Market - January 2016 Single Family Homes Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA

500

Closed Sales

400

100

133

-24.8%

Short Sale

300

Median Sale Price

$118,000

$92,000

28.3%

200 100

J F M A M J 2012 J A S O N D J F M A M J 2013 J A S O N D J F M A M J J 2014 A S O N D J F M A M J J 2015 A S O N D J

Traditional

Foreclosure/REO

Short Sale

Produced by Florida REALTORS® with data provided by Florida's multiple listing services. Statistics for each month compiled from MLS feeds on the 15th day of the following month.

100%

Data released on Tuesday,February 23, 2016. Next data release is Monday, March 21, 2016.

90% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30%

This statistic is simply another way of viewing Cash Sales. The remaining percentages of Closed Sales (i.e. those not

The number of Closed Sales during the month in which paid fully in cash) each month involved some sort of financing, such as buyers exclusively paid in cash mortgages, owner/seller financing, assumed loans, etc.

Economists' note : Cash Sales can be a useful indicator of the extent to which investors are2012 participating in the market.2013 Why? Investors are far55% more likely to have the funds to purchase a home available up front, whereas the typical homebuyer requires a mortgage or some other 45% form of financing. There are, of course, many possible exceptions, so 35% this statistic should be interpreted with care.

25% 15% 1,800

2012

2013

2014

Percent of Closed Sales Paid in Cash

Percent Change Year-over-Year

29.2% 27.1% 27.1% 25.8% 26.6% 29.8% Cash Sales 28.0%

-22.4% -10.2% -18.0% -22.5% -18.6% -5.6% Percent Change -3.3% Year-over-Year -8.8% -13.1% -10.8% -14.8% -5.9% -20.9% -7.7% -20.9% -1.5% -10.8% 3.4% -10.3% 25.2% 17.2% -3.2% 0.8% 7.7% 19.7% 0.5%

1,017 26.4% 1,279 27.8% 1,152 28.6% 1,308 29.6% 1,337 35.5% 1,403 37.7% 1,565 2015 1,574 1,441 1,441 1,526 1,389 1,115 2015

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J

1,600

Produced by Florida REALTORS® with data provided by Florida's multiple listing services. Statistics for each month compiled from MLS feeds on the 15th day of the following month.

1,400 Data released on Tuesday,February 23, 2016. Next data release is Monday, March 21, 2016.

1,200 1,000 800

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J

Cash Sales as a Percentage of Closed Sales

January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 Month July 2015 June 2015 January 2016 May 2015 December 2015 April 2015 November 2015 March 2015 October 2015 February 2015 September 2015 January 2015 August 2015 July 2015 2014 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015

Economists' Cash Salesnote :

This statistic is simply another way of viewing Cash Sales. The remaining percentages of Closed Sales (i.e. those not

The of Closed Sales during in which paidnumber fully in cash) each month involved somethe sortmonth of financing, such as mortgages, owner/seller financing, assumed loans, etc. buyers exclusively paid in cash

Economists' note : Cash Sales can be a useful indicator of the extent to which investors are2012 participating in the market.2013 Why? Investors are 61% far more likely to have the funds to purchase a home available up front, whereas the typical homebuyer requires a mortgage or some other 51% form of financing. There are, of course, many possible exceptions, so 41% this statistic should be interpreted with care.

31% 21% 400

Percent of Closed Sales Paid in Cash

Month

Monthly Market Detail - January 2016 The percentage of Closed Sales during the month Townhouses Condos which wereand Cash Sales Hillsborough County

36.5% 31.9% 36.8% 33.9% 33.9% 34.1% 34.2% Cash Sales 33.1% 168 35.3% 201 34.5% 187 37.2% 194 43.2% 238 43.7% 211 246 2015 261 231 259 250 214 173

Percent Change Year-over-Year

-16.3% -13.6% -6.0% -12.2% -14.0% -9.6% Percent Change -3.8% Year-over-Year -8.8% -2.9% -13.1% -10.7% -17.1% 7.5% -15.4% -17.4% -6.9% 3.9% -8.0% -5.0% -0.8% 15.0% 3.1% 16.7% 4.6% 2.4% -11.3%

J F M A M J2012 J A S O N D J F M A M J2013 J A S O N D J F M A M J 2014 J A S O N D J F M A M J 2015 J A S O N D J

Produced by Florida 300 REALTORS® with data provided by Florida's multiple listing services. Statistics for each month compiled from MLS feeds on the 15th day of the following month.

Data released on Tuesday,February 23, 2016. Next data release is Monday, March 21, 2016.

200 100 0

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J

Cash Sales as a Percentage of Closed Sales

Month

Monthly Distressed Market - January 2016 The percentage of Closed Sales during the month Townhouses Condos which wereand Cash Sales Hillsborough County

January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 January 2016 Economists' note : This statistic is simply another way of viewing June 2015 Cash Sales. The remaining percentages of Closed Sales (i.e. those not 272 Closed Sales May 2015 paid fully in cash) each month involved some sort of financing, such as April 2015 mortgages, owner/seller financing, assumed loans,Traditional etc.

March 2015 $138,450 Median Sale Price February 2015 January 2015 48 Closed Sales 82%

2012

Foreclosure/REO 2013

72%

2014 Median Sale Price Closed Sales

62%

$96,250

Percent of Closed Sales Paid in Cash

Percent Change Year-over-Year

50.6% 42.5% 49.0% 45.6% 48.5% 47.5% 49.2% January 2015 49.5% 52.3% 201 53.5% 51.7% $114,250 56.5% 58.1% 82

-12.8% -17.8% -4.9% -15.5% -17.4% -7.7% Percent Change -5.8% Year-over-Year -4.2% 1.0% 35.3% -8.4% -16.4% 21.2% -11.1% -7.7% -41.5%

2015 $68,650

40.2%

12

15

-20.0%

$84,500

$85,000

-0.6%

Short Sale

52%

Median Sale Price

42% 32%

2012

2013

2014

2015

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J

Traditional

Foreclosure/REO

Short Sale

Produced by100% Florida REALTORS® with data provided by Florida's multiple listing services. Statistics for each month compiled from MLS feeds on the 15th day of the following month.

Data released on Tuesday,February 23, 2016. Next data release is Monday, March 21, 2016.

90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30%

20%

20%

10%

10%

0%

0% J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J

$250,000

$160,000 $140,000

$200,000

$120,000

e

e

January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 Month July 2015 January 2016 June 2015 December May 2015 2015 November April 2015 2015 October2015 2015 March September2015 2015 February August 2015 January 2015 July 2015 20142015 June May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015

Cash Salesnote : Economists'

Closed Sales

Closed Sales

80%

2015

Month

Monthly Market Detail - January 2016 The percentage of Closed Sales during the month Single Family Homes which were Cash Sales Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA

3.5%

Produced by Florida REALTORS® with data provided by Florida's multiple listing services. Statistics for each month compiled from MLS feeds on the 15th day of the following month.

-18.4% -9.8% -19.4% -15.7% -9.5% 8.4% 20.8% 10.7% -2.2% -4.9% -0.6% 6.8% -4.9%

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J

Cash Sales as a Percentage of Closed Sales

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O NAverage D J Percent F M AofMOriginal J J List A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J

Price Received

298 414 329 392 399 491 499 495 441 470 467 437 365

300

Cash Sales

1,800

2014

2014

Percent Change Year-over-Year

500

Pct. of Closed Sales Paid in Cash

Closed Sales

5,800

2013

Cash Sales

700

Cash Sales

Pending Inventory

2012

900

Pct. of Closed Sales Paid in Cash

Data released on Tuesday,February 23, 2016. Next data release is Monday, March 21, 2016.

January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015

Economists' note : Cash Sales can be a useful indicator of the extent to which investors are participating in the market. Why? Investors are far more likely to have the funds to purchase a home available up front, whereas the typical homebuyer requires a mortgage or some other form of financing. There are, of course, many possible exceptions, so this statistic should be interpreted with care.

Price Received

Produced by Florida REALTORS® with data provided by Florida's multiple listing services. Statistics for each month compiled from MLS feeds on the 15th day of the following month.

Month

The number of Closed Sales during the month in which buyers exclusively paid in cash

Cash Sales

January 2015

Pct. of Closed Sales Paid in Cash

January 2016

Summary Statistics

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Greater Tampa REALTOR® News

March 2016

15

SALES & MARKETING 'Mistakes' That Are Good for Business These may sound like things you shouldn’t do with clients, but they actually show how far you’re willing to go to give them great service.

Trust: It’s a small word that carries a huge responsibility. Famed salesman Zig Ziglar once said, “If people like you, they will listen to you. But if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.”

We’re honored every time one of our clients calls to ask our opinion about something. We consider

that a result of the trust factor. You probably think this article is about how admitting your mistakes can build trust. While that is absolutely true (and a topic worthy of an entire book), we’re taking a slightly different direction here.

Throughout our years of consulting, we’ve some-

times been criticized by our peers for doing too much for our clients. (Who knew that could be a problem?)

Many wise entrepreneurs may consider the following a list of business mistakes, but we say they are the kind of mistakes that show your true passion and dedication to your clients.

Overdeliver, even for those who don’t appreciate it.

Without a doubt, there will be times when you do more than what a client expected from you and they don’t show much thanks for it. For example, real estate professionals are accustomed to spending countless hours researching and showing homes to a buyer, and sometimes that buyer will still end up signing with another agent. Does that mean it was a mistake to put so much effort into this buyer? It might seem like your time was wasted, but think of this scenario as an opportunity to test-run your process. You might not have gotten the client in the end, but you did have the chance to hone your skills.

Nothing a client or prospect does should prompt you to lower the quality of the service you provide.

Be way too detailed.

Some people say getting “into the weeds” distracts you from the big-picture goal. But the little details are where most salespeople drop the ball. Particularly when it comes to negotiating a sale contract, it’s the smallest of things — such as whether minor repairs will be addressed or whether there are certain seller exclusions — that could have a big impact on price. Sure, demanding answers to all your nitpicky questions could slow down the process, but your clients will thank you for your due diligence in the end. In a nutshell, care enough about your client and your reputation to do your homework and complete a thorough checklist as you move through the transaction. You won’t regret being fully prepared.

Tell clients what they don’t want to hear.

Many agents promise things they can’t deliver for the sake of keeping the client happy. Maybe they tell a seller they’ll get their home sold for a price no one will ever pay for it. However, when we take the time to explain the reality of a specific situation, clients truly appreciate the brutal honesty. A client would probably rather hear that you can definitely get that $275,000 sale price for their home, but the truth may be that their home is only worth $199,000 unless modifications are made. There are many amazing promises you should make to a client — such as being the most educated agent they can find, returning their calls within two hours, or marketing their property more aggressively — but there is serious merit to underpromising in those areas that will not serve your client well in the end.

Give them too much information.

Communicating with your clients is all about handling their expectations. Perhaps the most common complaint consumers have about real estate agents is that they didn’t prepare them for the possible pitfalls in the transaction. You may think you should mention them once and let it go to avoid annoying your client or giving them more information than they can handle.

But when you’re dealing with things such as possible delays or surprises that could pop up at closing, the risks of a deal falling through, or the estimated timeline of a transaction and the factors that can affect that schedule, you have to have multiple conversations along the way to make sure they understand. Keep in mind that most clients aren’t familiar with the real estate process and can feel very caught off guard if you haven’t explained things not just once but multiple times. Every client I’ve ever encountered would rather know exactly what to expect than feel left in the dark.

Many who would argue against doing these things in their real estate practice argue that it’s practical not to overextend themselves as agents. That’s somewhat understandable given the time crunch we all feel day to day. But making things easier or simpler for convenience or speed doesn’t trump delivering your very best service every time. More often than not, the fruits of your labor are proof enough. It results in consistent referrals, incredible reviews, and a reputation that is both elevated and unforgettable. Those are “mistakes” you’re probably willing to live with.

Copyright NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Reprinted with permission.

16

March 2016

Greater Tampa REALTOR速 News

www.GTAR.org

CANDID CAMERA FLORIDA REALTORS速

MID-WINTER MEETINGS

JAN. 27-31, 2016

GTAR REALTORS速 CARE FOUNDATION

FEB. 3, 2016

BACK TO THE FUTURE IN 2016

FEB. 5, 2016

BINGO NIGHT AT HAMBURGER MARY'S

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17

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Explore Valencia’s carefree, resort-style living with 100’s of clubs and activities. Then sit back, relax and we’ll help you make the sale.

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Parking Crunch From Page 8

“It’s growing,” said Senior Planner Michael Case. Just not downtown.

TBARTA, in a joint participation agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation, handles the van pool program, a bike buddy program and a carpool program to help people connect with rides.

There even is a program for emergency rides home if a van pool participant has to work overtime.

“I think it would be a fantastic idea to get this going downtown,” Case said. “It’s a very viable strategy for increasing alternative transportation.”

TBARTA provides a $400 subsidy for the $1,000 monthly cost of the van, which covers insurance,

maintenance and gas.

One volunteer drives the van and picks up other passengers at an agreed-upon location closest to where most in the group live. All but the driver split the $600 monthly fee. Most of the vehicles are Chevy Traverses, which seat eight people.

There are other groups, too, that are experiencing parking issues downtown, like retailers.

Frank Grebowski, owner of the European Wax Center on East Jackson Street, said keeping staff downtown is as much of a challenge as drawing customers. “I would hate to lose staff because they can’t find a reasonable parking spot.

“There are four entities that all need help: down-

town retailers, the arts and sports community, the leasing agents that need blocks of parking for perspective clients and the residents,” Grebowski said.

“They all have different needs, they are all valid and it’s difficult to find a solution that helps one without hindering another.”

Grebowski believes one answer for the retailers downtown would be for the city to buy and operate a central lot just for retail customers.

“We have to be able to prove that Tampa can support retail operations seven days a week,” he said.

“It would be a really bad signal to other perspective retailers if we can’t.”

obituaries Walter Riddle

GTAR Member passed away on January 10, 2016.

Louis G. Molnar

GTAR Member passed away on February 9, 2016.

Kenneth Copeland

GTAR Past President (1984) passed away on February 14, 2016.

Our solemn thoughts are with the friends & family of both gentlemen.

Rest in Peace

Details From Page 1

icant addition, but when you’re outside the vehicle and standing over the trunk in the dark, those lights are visible to other drivers.

That’s great for safety as much as it is for design.

Without paying attention to these little details, Mercedes-Benz would fail at upholding its message: “The best or nothing.”

One of the enduring legacies of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs is his utmost attention to detail. For example, Jobs would require his team to make all aspects of an Apple product perfectly designed, even if consumers would never see it.

Case in point: If you were to open the MacBook Air, you would notice that the components and circuitry are perfectly laid out in a clean, neatly organized manner.

This was not by accident.

The only way Jobs would put his stamp of approval on an Apple product was if the inside was as beautifully designed as the outside.

So, what can a broker or agent do to focus on the details in a real estate transaction?

Listening is probably

the most important way to focus on the details and create a neatly “designed” (a la Mercedes-Benz and Steve Jobs) real estate experience.

Most potential buyers will have a list of properties already in mind that they want to tour. You and your agents can do more than simply open doors for clients by taking note of the comments they make inside each home. Do your buyers especially like very dark hardwood? Are they seeking a particular feature in the kitchen? On the next round of showings, include places that your buyers request, but also places you find that match their criteria.

Keep notes about your customers in a client dossier. Let’s say you or one of your agents has been helping a couple with five children sell their home and find a new one to purchase.

Over the course of several weeks, you will get to know the kids, what sports they like to play, and what activities they’re interested in. (After all, children are your clients too.) Make a note of each one’s interests, and then consider giving

them their own closing gift. It could be something they can add to their new bedrooms in the home you help their family purchase.

With digital signatures making it much easier to get documents signed and returned in a timely and organized manner, it has become all too easy to set up a digital signature request without fully reviewing the terms of the contract.

This is another opportunity where your attention to detail can go a long way.

Set up a Google Hangout or video chat with your clients to go over the terms of the contract as they digitally sign the paperwork. This ensures both a professional and memorable experience.

Having a grand vision and exciting goals for your real estate business shows clients that you care about the long-term success of not only your company and career but also their real estate investments.

But what your clients will truly remember is your care for the smallest details about your dealings.

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Beverage Sponsor: $600 (splits allowed) Lunch Sponsor: $300 (2 available) Both sponsorships include company recognition in all marketing materials and during the event.

For more information, please contact Morag Rosa at Morag@GTAR.net

ATTENTION BROKERS! www.GTAR.org

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19

MODELGRAND OPENING! DON’T MISS IT!

multi-million-dollar entry welcomes you home

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Our desirable location is close to shopping, dining and has easy access to

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Single-Family Homes in Wesley Chapel/New Tampa from the $300’s to the $700’s Broker must accompany client during client’s initial visit to this community. Both the client and Broker must execute the Developer’s Registration Form on the initial visit. Broker must also execute the Developer’s Broker Participation Agreement. The Ridge at Wiregrass is being developed and sold by Pasco County Associates II, LLLP. *$2,500 paid upfront when all contingencies are met.

Broker bonus commission subject to change without notice. See your sales associate for details. Equal Housing Opportunity. ©2016 9600-009 2-10-16

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The opportunities are endless on

EASY STREET! The road to success starts here.

The Legacy Series

Come tour Lennar Tampa’s largest collection of model homes at our brand-new Showcase Center.

Our convenient location allows you to stroll down Easy Street and preview all 14 floorplans of the Legacy Series at Concord Station. It’s the easiest way to familiarize yourself with Lennar’s newest products, retain potential clients and gain referrals.

Spring Hill 41 County Line Road

1,810

3 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 2 Car

Georgia

2,074

3 Bed | Loft | 2.5 Bath | 2 Car

Maryland

2,334

4 Bed | Loft | 2.5 Bath | 2 Car

Massachusetts

2,492

5 Bed | Loft | 3.5 Bath | 2 Car 4 Bed | Study | Loft | 2.5 Bath | 2 Car

Connecticut

1,612

3 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car

New Jersey

1,738

3 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car

New York

1,971

3 Bed | Study | 2 Bath | 2 Car

North Carolina

2,065

4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Car

Pennsylvania

2,529

4 Bed | Bonus | 3 Bath | 2 Car

Rhode Island

2,533

4 Bed | Loft | 2.5 Bath | 2 Car

South Carolina

2,947

4 Bed | Game Room | 2.5 Bath | 2 Car

Vermont

3,288

5 Bed | Flex | Game Room | 3 Bath | 3 Car (T)

Virginia

3,777

5 Bed | 3.5 Bath | Game Room | 3 Car (T)

E

d Blv ity Trin

275

Sleepy Hill Rd

New Tampa 75

Tampa

4 39

Hillsborough 4

Lakeland

92

Plant City

75 41

60

570

La Collina

98

Brandon

Lumsden Rd

92

Big Bend Rd

Apollo Beach

St. Petersburg

Belmont

Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Shady Creek

75

Enclave at Boyette

d

672 674

Ruskin

:Open41

37

R

Hawks Point

301

17

60

Boyette Rd Ba Ballentrae Riverview

Tampa Bay

MAP KEY

98

301

Bruce B. Downs

275

19

Polk

Union Park

56 Concord Station

589

Pinellas

S

54

Bearss

Clearwater

Wesley Chapel

Connerton 55

w rvie ive -R lm

New Hampshire 2,775

54

Land O’ Lakes

41

Veterans Expy

Delaware

W

52 ay Suncoast Parkw

Property Details

Little Rd

Sq. Ft.

N

301

San Antonio

Pasco

52

LEGACY SERIES at Concord Station Floorplan

75

Lakeside

19

17

Sun City Center

Ellenton

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