REALTOR® Review Spring 2012

REALTORreview 速

An e-publication of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS速

Forward Progress 2011 in Review

SPRING 2012

RALEIGH REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® 111 Realtors Way, Cary, N.C. 27513 Phone: 919-654-5400; Fax: 919-654-5401 www.rrar.com RRAR OFFICERS Stacey Anfindsen, President Marshall Gay, Vice President Asa Fleming, President-Elect Mollie Owen, Secretary/Treasurer Linda Trevor, Immediate Past President RRAR DIRECTORS Vince Bankoski

Linda Kolarov

Autumne Bennette

Carol McCormick

Phyllis Brookshire

Gina Miller

Kelly Cobb

John Pace

David Chance

Mark Parker

Steina DeAndrade

Teresa Pitt

Harriette Doggett

Zach Schabot

Tom Gongaware

Jose Serrano

Becky Harper

Josh Swindell

Grayson Hodge

Kevin Woody

REALTORreview ®

SPRING 2012, VOL. 4, NO. 2

features

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7 COOL APPS FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS Real estate writer Bernice Ross shares some of the business-oriented smartphone/ tablet apps she loves.

Morty Jayson REALTOR® FOUNDATION OF THE TRIANGLE OFFICERS President: Marshall Gay President-Elect: Theresa Clark Secretary/treasurer: Vince Bankoski NCAR REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS Theresa Clark

Harriette Doggett

NAR DIRECTORS Eddie Brown

John Wood

TRIANGLE REALTORS® LEADERSHIP ACADEMY DEAN Diana Braun Members are cautioned that the inclusion of a name, specific commercial product or service in an article, or in this publication does not imply endorsement by the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®. All advertisers in this publication wholly support the Fair Housing Act and fully promote equal opportunity housing.

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YEAR IN REVIEW Take a look back at 2011, a productive, spirited, memorable year.

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FANNIE, FREDDIE ACCELERATING SHORT SALES An overview and links offer the latest on Fannie and Freddie Mac short-sale decision deadlines.

Copyright 2012 by the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®.

All rights reserved.

REALTOR® REVIEW STAFF: Patricia Gregory Rand, managing editor, patriciar@rrar.com

Shelly Beck, graphic designer, sbdesign@cox.net For editorial contributions and ad inquiries, please contact Sandee Washington at sandeew@rrar.com or (919) 654-5400.

BUILD THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR REPUTATION No sale is worth the loss of your reputation.

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7 MOBILE TRENDS SHAKING UP REAL ESTATE It’s time to get onboard the mobile revolution with information on the latest real estate tools.

departments 1

Heidi Ketler, APR, editor, hketler@verizon.net Sandee Washington, communications associate, sandeew@rrar.com

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18 20 24

Spotlight on the President

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Bits & Pieces Calendar of Events

Local Market Updates Legal Perspective New Members

rrar.com

spotlight on the president MISSION STATEMENT The Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®, the area’s voice of real estate, promotes the highest ethical and professional standards and cooperation among its members; provides products, programs and services to meet the evolving needs of the real estate industry and consumers; and serves as a leading advocate of private property rights and community involvement.

VISION STATEMENT “Anticipating and meeting the opportunities and challenges of our industry.”

RRAR 2012 COMMITTEE CHAIRS Bylaws: Asa Fleming Building: Stacey Anfindsen Communications & Public Relations: Carol McCormick Community Service: Frank DeRonja Government Affairs: Bill Fletcher RPAC: Asa Fleming Personnel: John Wood Grievance: Autumne Bennett, Suzanne Burton, Nancy Cashwell, Margaret Sophie Hall of Fame: Ed Willer Nominating: Gary Rabon RRAR 2012 COUNCIL CHAIRS Women’s Council: Lynn Gardiner International Council: Mike Humphreys Top Producers Council: Co-Chairs Shawn Britt and John Wood Small Brokers Council: Chair Brenda Carroll Young Professionals Network: Co-Chairs Autumne Bennett and Aquene Hernandez

Stacey Anfindsen Takes the Show on the Road RRAR President Stacey Anfindsen took his Real Estate Trends Program on the road April 25 when he presented at North Ridge Country Club.

Martha Grove Hipskind, executive director of the Midtown Raleigh Alliance also spoke regarding growth and plans for the North Hills area.

The event was well attended.

To summarize the presentation, Anfindsen said, “The market performed like we wanted it to. The numbers showed that. We continue to see a decrease in inventory and an increase in sales. This should produce an environment for stable house prices with a hope toward increasing house prices in the future.”

If you missed the event, be sure to visit www.rrar.com to see where the real estate market has been for the first quarter of 2012 and where it will go for the rest of the year!

Sincerely, Stacey Anfindsen REALTOR Review ®

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RRAR STAFF DIRECTORY Main Office (919) 654-5400 Fax (919) 654-5401 www.rrar.com RRAR Company Store, (919) 654-7253 Executive Vice President Raymond C. Larcher, Ext. 218, rayl@rrar.com Association Services Director Betsy Ramsey, Ext. 217, betsyr@rrar.com Association Services Associate Vicki Buckholtz, Ext. 216, vickib@rrar.com Communications Director Patricia Gregory Rand, Ext. 239, patriciar@rrar.com Communications Associate Sandee Washington, Ext. 238, sandeew@rrar.com Education Director Cara Mottershead, Ext. 211, caram@rrar.com Education Associate Sonya Yankoglu, Ext. 212, sonyay@rrar.com Facilities Manager Mary Rachel White, Ext. 210, maryrachelw@rrar.com Governmental Affairs Director Tara L. Robbins, Ext. 215, taralynl@rrar.com Information Associate Shelia Clark, Ext. 200, sheliac@rrar.com Store Manager Yukari Powers, Ext. 201, yukarip@rrar.com TMLS STAFF DIRECTORY Vice President of Operations Rachel Wiest, Ext. 219, rachelw@trianglemls.com TMLS Executive Associate Christy New, Ext. 220, christyn@trianglemls.com Compliance Director Letitia Santos, Ext. 234, letitias@trianglemls.com Compliance Associate Raina Joyner, Ext. 242, rainaj@trianglemls.com Data Distribution Director Carol Hamrick, Ext. 213, carolh@trianglemls.com Data Distribution Associate Bonnie Eaddy, Ext. 207, bonniee@trianglemls.com MLS Systems Director Kathy Matheson, Ext. 233, kathym@trianglemls.com MLS Technical Support Associate J Stepp, Ext. 226, js@trianglemls.com MLS/Realist Support Associate Jennifer Horton, Ext. 227, jenniferh@trianglemls.com Technical Operations Director Matt Nagy, Ext. 225, mattn@trianglemls.com Training Development Manager Allan Nielsen, Ext. 208, allann@trianglemls.com CTC/MLS Training Manager Lynne Brid, Ext. 232, lynneb@trianglemls.com RRAR/TMLS MEMBERSHIP/ FINANCE DEPARTMENT Membership/Finance Director Randi Clodfelter, Ext. 221, randic@trianglemls.com Finance Associate Pat Long, Ext. 222, patl@trianglemls.com Finance Associate Jill Pressley, Ext. 221, Jillp@rrar.com Membership Associate Kelly Hunsucker, Ext. 209, kellyh@trianglemls.com

Westgate The Right Business Move For The Road Ahead

7th Annual

2012

FREE, SELF-GUIDED May 5 - 6 & 12 - 13 • Noon - 6 pm Pick up a Green Home Tour guide at any Triangle Harris Teeter or at these two Kick-off Events.

Green Home Tour Kickoff & Education Session Saturday, May 5, 10:30 am – Noon Briar Chapel Clubhouse in Chapel Hill

Green Home Tour Reception

Saturday, May 5, 5 – 7 pm The ClearSense Building (502 Rigsbee Avenue, Durham) Visit our website for details about these two events!

www.TriangleGreenHomeTour.com

TRIANGLEGREENHOMETOUR.COM

Home Tour App Sponsored by

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MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Opportunities to Engage and Grow The 2011 membership calendar was a robust one, full of opportunities for networking, forums for learning and occasions for recognition and celebration. By most accounts, the events were well attended, enjoyable – fun, in fact! – and much appreciated.

2011 REALTOR® of the year Phyllis Brookshire

The grand kick off the year was the annual Inaugural Ball at Cobblestone Hall, downtown Raleigh, on Jan. 7. Highlights included the inauguration of Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® President Linda Trevor and Board of Directors, and presentation of the REALTOR® of The Year award to Phyllis York Brookshire.

The annual Professional Standards Committee Training for Directors and Committee members was instructed by Bill Gallagher on Jan. 31. Four cases brought before the committee in 2011 led to one arbitration. Three ethics proceedings led to mediated agreements.

The Top Producers Council was 34 members strong and backed by the support of a variety of sponsors for the year. RRAR members were invited to listen to national business coach Ron Rosenberg, the guest speaker of the March 14 lunch meeting. In all, six lunch meetings were presented in 2011. The Top Producers also donated to seven community charities.

RRAR’s 2011 speaker series featured experts who raised awareness. Tax Strategies for the Real Estate Professional was followed by four Successfully Selling HUD Homes presentations, a real estate investment seminar and a review of the new short sale guidelines.

From left to right, Jean Hunt and Lynn Gardner

New Offer to Purchase, Due Diligence Contract was a BOSS (Broker Owner Support System) seminar for closing attorneys and mortgage lenders.

See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 6

From left to right, Diana Braun, Mike Humphreys and Asa Fleming

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The annual Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® Charity Golf Tournament on May 11 at 12 Oaks Golf Course was a much-anticipated success.

RRAR’s networking groups – PMC (Property Management Council), SMB (Small Brokers Council), TICOR (Triangle International Council of REALTORS®), WCR (Women’s Council of REALTORS) and YPN (Young Professional Network) – continued to attract new members, with engaging events on a monthly or bimonthly basis. New members are always welcome!

2011 RRAR President Linda Trevor

Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® hosted a day and half Strategic Planning Session on Sept 19-20. Brian Larson facilitated the session, along with 17 REALTORS® and five staff members.

On Oct 25, a full house came to hear RRAR’s Real Estate Trends speakers: Mitchell Silver, Raleigh planning director; Dr. Michael Walden, North Carolina State University economist; and RRAR 2011 President-elect Stacey Anfindsen, who is a local real

From left to right, Linda Trevor, Asa Fleming, Stacey Anfindsen, Mollie Owen

From left to right, Ed Willer, Larry D. Kingley, H.A. (Speck) Underwood III, Jena Hunt and John (Lanse) Houston

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estate analyst.

Adding to the holiday festivities was the annual RRAR Awards Ceremony and Christmas Party Dec. 8. It was an opportunity to meet the 2011 officers, directors and committees chairs and congratulate members for outstanding service. The 2011 Emeritus Award winners were: Thomas Cochrane, Lanse Houston, Jean Hunt, Larry Kingsley, Gordon Tefft, Speck Underwood and Ed Willer. The 2011 Hall of Fame Award recipients were Burks Crumpler, Gilliam Kittrell and Myra Zollinger.

The Professional Standards Committee’s annual Training for Directors and Committee members was instructed by Vicki Ferneyhough on Feb. 4. Three cases brought before the committee led to one arbitration and two ethics proceedings.

Is in its 15th year, the RRAR Company Store continued to serve members in outstanding ways.

2011 Leadership Academy grads Kris Kiegiel, Lee Goldstein and Rita Perry engage with their instructor Tom Martin

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY Class of 2011

Pictured from left are Brenda Carroll, Stuart Deibel, Mike Humphreys, John Wood and Autumne Bennett

Every year, the Triangle REALTOR® Leadership Academy starts with an opening dinner.

Leadership Is a Constant Endeavor Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® President-Elect Asa Fleming describes the benefits of graduating from the Triangle REALTOR® Leadership Academy.

“When I realized the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® was offering the Triangle REALTOR® Leadership Academy, I immediately See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 8

2011 RRAR Board of Directors For a full list of board members please refer to table of contents page

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applied, and thankfully was accepted. I am so grateful to have been a graduate of the inaugural class of 2008. I have absolutely benefited from being in the academy, as I have been fortunate to be a part of the leadership here at RRAR. I entered my name to join the board of directors for 2010, and am now honored to be 2012 president-elect.

“TRLA has helped me both personally and professionally.

My favorite part of the leadership training was the communication styles module, which sharpened my communication skills by enhancing the way I relate to others.

I truly enjoyed the environment where I could engage with leaders from various backgrounds to share best practices and experiences. Also I really loved the faculty, and the classes were

interesting and very educational.

“I have consistently volunteered to be an associate dean since I graduated from the inaugural class in 2008, and was honored to be the dean for the 2011 class. Participating as an associate dean allowed me to constantly refresh the skills I learned and keep a focus on leadership development, which is a continual endeavor.

“I have always felt that the leadership academy is one of the nice benefits that RRAR provides for its members, and whether you are interested in leadership at RRAR or in your community, you will definitely raise your awareness as a leader by entering the academy. A heartfelt thank you to the leader, who brainstormed this idea and made sure it was implemented!”

TCAR PRESENTS FRONTIER AWARDS James Barnes Wins Top Commercial REALTOR Award ®

James Barnes (right) of NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. accepts the 2011 Commercial REALTOR® of the Year Award, presented

by Smedes York of York Properties, the 2011 winner

The seventh annual Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS® awards ceremony at the Carolina Country Club in Raleigh in March honored the top commercial real estate brokers for their transaction volume, as well as leadership in the association, the industry and the community.

The evening included presentation of the Lifetime Million Dollar Club Awards and Frontier Awards recognizing Commercial REALTOR® of the Year, Development of the Year and the President’s Circle Award.

James M. Barnes, SIOR, president of NAI Carolantic Realty Inc., was named Commercial REALTOR® of the Year, the most prestigious of the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS® (TCAR) Frontier Awards.

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“The Frontier Awards are an opportunity to highlight the tireless dedication of an amazing group of commercial real estate professionals who continue to help shape the Triangle’s business community,” says Kerry Saunders, TCAR president. “It is wonderful to see so many peers join together in celebration of their success.”

TORS® of the Year who select recipients based on qualifications that have been determined by the group.

Development of the Year was awarded to Park West Village in Morrisville and the President’s Circle Award went to TCAR Past President George York of York Properties. W. Clark Womack of Commercial Associates was presented The Busy Broker Award.

Cady Thomas, director of Regulatory Affairs for North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, won the William P. Eyerman Award.

The Community Leader Award went to Builders of Hope.

Other Frontier Awards included the Trail Blazer Awards for small firms, Sales Transaction of the Year and Lease Transaction of the Year.

This is the second year TCAR inducted brokers into the Lifetime Achievement Club. Those who won Million Dollar Club Awards in five out of the last seven years were eligible. The Lifetime Million Dollar Inductees were: Hunt Wyche, W. Clark Womack, Tad Thornhill, Dee Creech Osborne and Bret Muller.

Every year nominations are submitted to a panel of past president’s and previous commercial REAL-

Another evening highlight is induction into the TCAR Million Dollar Clubs, representing the five specialties in the commercial industry, sales, land sales, office leasing, retail leasing and industrial leasing.

The awards ceremony keynote speaker was Ron Francis, former Carolina Hurricanes captain and current director of hockey operations for the franchise.

Congratulations 2012 Frontier Awards Winners REALTOR® of the Year James M. Barnes, SIOR, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 10

From left to right, John Pace, Jolie Kim, Wendy Simmons, Mollie Owen, Theresa Clark, Robert Cohen, Marshall Gay, Ann Hughes, Bob McKeel

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President’s Circle Award George S. York, York Properties Trailblazer Awards Joni Barnes, Dilweg Commercial E. Michael Kornegay, Commercial Associates W. Clark Womack, Commercial Associates Rising Star Award Justin M. Good, Cassidy Turley Busy Broker Award W. Clark Womack, Commercial Associates Development of the Year Park West Village Community Leader Award Builders of Hope William P. Eyerman Award Cady Thomas, Director of Regulatory Affairs, NCAR Lease Transaction of the Year Lynne C. Worth, CPM, York Properties Sale Transaction of the Year David Finger, Cassidy Turley Lifetime Million Dollar Office Leasing Club Tim Capps, Tri Properties, 2005-2011 Bret Muller, Capital Associates, 2006-2011 Lifetime Million Dollar Industrial Leasing Club E. Michael Kornegay, Commercial Associates, 2007-2011 W. Michael Lewis, The Lewis Group/CORFAC International, 2007-2011 Chris Norvell, while at Cassidy Turley, 2006-2010 Dee Creech Osborne, SIOR, REALTOR Review Ž

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NAI Carolantic Realty Inc., 2005-2011 Tad Thornhill, York Properties, 2006-2011 W. Clark Womack, Commercial Associates, 2007-2011 Hunt Wyche, Commercial Associates, 2007-2011 Lifetime Million Dollar Retail Leasing Club David Stowe, Hunter and Associates, 2006-2011 Lynne Worth, York Properties, 2006-2011 Million Dollar Sales Club Edward B. Brown III, CCIM, SIOR, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. Curteis Calhoun, Grubb & Ellis| Thomas Linderman Graham David Finger, Cassidy Turley Justin M. Good, Cassidy Turley Scott Hadley, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. W. Michael Lewis, CCIM, SIOR, The Lewis Group/ CORFAC International John Linderman Jr. SIOR, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham Jim McMillan, Grubb & Ellis| Thomas Linderman Graham Marlene Spritzer, CCIM, Cresa Raleigh Michael Wright, Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties Inc. Million Dollar Land Sales Club Chester Allen, CCIM, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham James I. Anthony Jr., Colliers International Barry Bowling, CCIM, CBRE|Raleigh

Gene Cowell, York Properties Justin M. Good, Cassidy Turley W. Kyle Greer, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. Scott W. Hadley, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. Tara Kreider, Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties Inc. Larry L. Lakins II, Colliers International Peter Pace, York Properties E. Stephen Stroud, SIOR, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. William White, White Oak Commercial Inc. Million Dollar Office Leasing Club William A. Allen IV, SIOR, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham Robin R. Anders, SIOR, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. James M. Barnes, SIOR, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. Timothy M. Capps, Tri Properties Inc. Gregory A. Capps, Tri Properties Inc. Janet Clayton, CCIM, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham Lee Clyburn, SIOR, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham Fred Dickens, Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties Inc. Hillman Duncan, Cassidy Turley Ryan M. Gaylord, Tri Properties Inc. Dennis D. Hurley, SIOR, Cassidy Turley Jake Jones, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham

Malcolm Lewis, Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties Inc. Terry L. Mikels, Mikels & Jones Properties Inc. Bret D. Muller, Capital Associates

Jesse “Butch” Miller, CBRE|Raleigh Aldene “Dee” Creech Osborne, SIOR, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. Jacob Plotkin, CCIM, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc.

Tucker R. Shade, Tri Properties Inc.

Gregory J. Sanchez, SIOR, Tri Properties Inc.

Arnold J. Siegmund, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham

John Clay Stober, Tri Properties Inc.

John Clay Stober, Tri Properties Inc.

George “Tad” Thornhill, York Properties

Michael Vulpis, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham

Patrick Woodruff, Tri Properties Inc.

Matthew Winters, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham Million Dollar Industrial Leasing Club Edward B. Brown III, CCIM, SIOR, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. Amy Bush, York Properties

W. Clark Womack Jr., Commercial Associates Hunt Wyche III, Commercial Associates Million Dollar Retail Leasing Club

Timothy M. Capps, Tri Properties Inc.

Stephen A. Brown, Kane Realty Corp.

Gregory A. Capps, Tri Properties Inc.

Joaquin D. Canals, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc.

Benjamin B. Everett III, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham

Christina L. Coffey, Hunter & Associates

John Hibbits, NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. S. Lee Holder, Colliers International Matt Honeycutt, Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties Inc.

Wendi Wood Howell, Kane Realty Corp.

John A. Koonce, York Properties Mary A. Lobdell, Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties Inc.

John H. Kerr IV, York Properties

Mary Ann M. Peterson, Hunter & Associates

E. Michael Kornegay, Commercial Associates

David H. Stowe Jr., Hunter & Associates

Larry L. Lakins II, Colliers International W. Michael Lewis, CCIM, SIOR, The Lewis Group L.L.C./ CORFAC International REALTOR Review ®

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Henry Ward, York Properties Lynne C. Worth, CPM, York Properties See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 12

Year in

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COMMUNITY SERVICE 2011 A Meaningful Year

BY VICKI BUCKHOLZ

The REALTOR® Foundation of the Triangle (RFT) is the philanthropic arm of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®. With the mission of “Improving Homes, Improving Lives,” the foundation identifies and supports initiatives that enhance the quality of life throughout the community. The Community Service Committee (CSC) and Housing Opportunity Committee volunteers are the “boots on the ground” for the RFT and conduct their efforts in support of this mission.

RFT by the Numbers in 2011…

Countless

Joy, smiles and hope shared with each other and Triangle neighbors in need

$27,724

Value of in-kind donations from our members (e.g., Angel Tree gifts, USO items, diapers, etc.)

$26,049

Cash donations to service projects/charitable agencies, including $7,000 in scholarships From left to right, John Pace, Mollie Owen and Marshall Gay

646

365

100

60

21

7

1

Number of hours logged by CSC volunteers equivalent to 81 eight-hour days!

Number of days a year we can make a difference by working together!

Percentage of your donations to RFT used directly for helping others Members of Community Service Committee for 2012 and growing!

Projects in 2011

Community Service Scholarships awarded to local high school students Number of volunteers it takes to impact someone’s life!

Join us today Visit www.RealtorFoundationoftheTriangle.org/help.

Marshall Gay and Rob Cohen

“We appreciate all the REALTORS® who made this park possible for our children and our community. It is now an important part of our daily lives, a safe, beautiful place, where the community can come together and where our children can have fun and grow.” – A mom whose children play at Eastgate Park Playground.

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RFT helped refurbish a community playground at Eastgate Park in Raleigh, with monetary donations in 2010 and 120 hours of volunteer hours in 2011 dedicated to planting, building equipment, pouring footers and more. Now, in addition to being a safer place for children, the playground is an attractive amenity for the Quail Hollow Road community. For its contributions, RFT won the Fred Fletcher Outstanding Financial Contributor Award.

The Green Mailbox…

By the middle of last summer, the shock from the devastation wrought by the April 16, 2011 tornados that tore through southern Wake County had eased, somewhat. Home and business owners were in the throes of picking up the pieces.

RFT’s cash donation to the Salvation Army was used to provide temporary housing for four families. Ten volunteers helped one overwhelmed Holly Springs homeowner during a day of clean up, which provided hope in addition to relief. Part of his home had been deemed unin-

habitable pending repairs and was still open to the elements three months after the tornado.

One volunteer decided to give his old and rusty mailbox a fresh coat of green paint.

The homeowner, whose year had been dominated by the death of his wife and mother and made worse by the losses from the hurricane, was quite touched by this small restorative act. He asked to hug the volunteer and told her that the RFT volunteers were “all angels to him.”

An invitation to “Tee”…

For the first time, net proceeds from the 2011 RRAR Annual Golf Tournament benefited RFT. The fun outing at 12 Oaks Golf Club raised $3,100 for the foundation.

Zach Schabot “Dines Out” with his daughter

Don’t miss this year’s event, Monday, June 25, at Devil’s Ridge Gold Club in Holly Springs.

It will be an opportunity to garner bragging rights for a year, win fantastic prizes and take home lots of warm, fuzzy feelings for helping the foundation.

See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 14 Bob McKeel and Wendy Simmons

Operation School Bell, Margaret Cohen with a vehicle full of clothing packages for children 2011

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Bottom: Lisa Jeffries, Dawn Benengen, Shruti Desai, Wendy Simmons Top: Sally Miller, Steve Jeffries, Connie Coriale, Liz Knight, Bob McKeel

Left RRAR Executive Vice President Ray Larcher and Bill Smith

Peanuts and Cracker Jack…

Imagine watching a baseball game with no “three strikes and you’re out” rule; a game where every batter scores a home run and everyone cheers for everyone; and no one can wipe the smile off their face, unless it’s to wipe away a tear or two from the unbelievable sweetness of it all.

Now, you know how it feels to volunteer at a Miracle League baseball night. Sixteen volunteers acted as buddies for disabled children as they rounded the bases on April 15, 2011. A donation of $1,000 also was made to the Miracle League of the Triangle®.

This year’s baseball night is Friday, May 11.

A Simple Math Equation…

A total of 102 hours of volunteer time + cereal and snacks = lots of happy, bright children! Volunteers provided tutoring, breakfast items and snacks to elementary students at Hope Elementary School in Raleigh, whose motto is “Changing the world, one child at a time.”

Food for the Hungry…

There were several hunger initiatives last year. A $500 donation was made to Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen, and 19 volunteers worked on two different dates serving hundreds of guests. A $500 donation was made to Church World Services in support of the CROP Walk. Eight volunteers worked at Mix 101.5 Backpack Buddies Food Drives at Cary Towne Center and Crabtree Valley Mall, accepting food and monetary donations in support of the Interfaith Food Shuttle (IFFS). In addition, a donation of $592.35 was made to the IFFS.

Reaching Out to the Outer Banks…

A total of $1,365 was donated to the Outer Banks Interfaith Community Outreach. Donations of cleaning products and other items helped in the wake of the hurricane Irene.

Clothes and Shoes for Children…

A $1,000 donation to the Triangle Operation School Bell, an Assistance League of Raleigh project, provided bags of clothing and shoes for elementary school children whose families have financial needs. Thirteen volunteers stuffed bags with jeans, shirts, socks, underwear, hooded sweatshirts, scarves and hats.

Dining for Angels, a Heavenly Idea…

As they have done for more than a decade, RRAR members generously adopted angels last year (800 of them) bringing holiday joy to hundreds of abused, neglected or abandoned REALTOR Review ®

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children. The children helped are in the Wake County Child Protective Services program. Without these donations, they would go without at the holidays.

And who knew that eating dinner at a favorite local restaurant also could help to ensure that these children would receive gifts and know that someone cared about their plight? REALTORS® who dined at one of 10 partner restaurants during the annual REALTORS® Dine Out last October did just that! The restaurants returned a percentage of their sales from the event to the Angel Tree Project, raising more than $2,200. A total of $3,000 was donated to Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem.

The Dine Out for Angels event is scheduled for September 18 and 20, 2012.

Housing Opportunity Ramps Up… The Housing Opportunity Committee donated $5,000 to the Salvation Army.

And… An estimated $1,224 worth of diapers and wipes were donated (2,000 diapers/800 wipes) to the St. Saviour’s Center Healthy

Baby Program’s Diaper Train initiative. The 2012 Diaper Drive is April 30-May 4.

More information and drop-off locations can be found on the RFT website.

A total of $500 was given to Heritage High School for the School of the Future Design Team.

Seven $1,000 scholarships were awarded to local high school seniors in recognition of their community service and academic accomplishments.

New RFT Website. RFT has big plans and goals for 2012 and a brand new website, www.

RealtorFoundationoftheTriangle. org!

Triangle MLS 2011 Tech Fair A Success

Visit the site to learn about upcoming projects, get involved or make a donation. RFT is a 501(c) (3) entity. Donations can be made by phone or mail, or simply by clicking on the “DONATE NOW” button. Fully 100 percent of donations are used to help improve homes and lives in the Triangle, where we all work and live.

This is your foundation and just one more way that REALTORS® “Improve Homes and Improve Lives!”

TRIANGLE MLS INC. Expanding on Service Enhancements The Triangle Multiple Listing Service (TMLS) released a new version of Realist® for public record searches within the MLS system. The new See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 16 REALTOR Review ®

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From left to right, Jordan Lee, John Pace and Greg DeWitt

Year in

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version of Realist was integrated with the MLS system to provide TMLS subscribers with propertycentric data, industry-leading reports, multi-county search capability and a customizable dashboard.

continued from page 15

To increase open house advertising, the data feeds to REALTOR. com® and third-party channels (Trulia, Zillow, Homefinder, etc.) were enhanced to include open house information on the MLS system. TMLS encourages subscribers to add all of their open house data into the MLS system

to take full advantage of this new service.

Data fields were added to the MLS system to accommodate the new North Carolina Association of REALTORS® recommended listing contract.

TMLS produced a monthly market statistics video program to inform subscribers of the trends in the local residential real estate market. These videos review the market indicators for the previous month and encourage subscribers to use all of the market trend

Market Overview Key market metrics for the current month and year-to-date figures.

Key Metrics

Historical Sparklines

New Listings 12-2008

12-2009

12-2010

12-2011

12-2008

12-2009

12-2010

12-2011

12-2008

12-2009

12-2010

12-2011

Pending Sales Closed Sales Days on Market Until Sale 12-2008

12-2009

12-2010

12-2009

12-2010

12-2008

12-2009

12-2010

12-2011

12-2008

12-2009

12-2010

12-2011

Percent of Original List Price Received Percent of List Price Received 12-2009

12-2010

12-2009

12-2010

YTD 2010 YTD 2011

+/–

2,134

1,797

- 15.8%

45,983

37,711

- 18.0%

1,145

1,391

+ 21.5%

20,505

19,762

- 3.6%

1,513

1,521

+ 0.5%

20,679

19,665

- 4.9%

111

128

+ 15.2%

105

127

+ 21.0%

$185,550

$185,000

- 0.3%

$189,500

$185,000

- 2.4%

$227,666

$222,083

- 2.5%

$228,893

$222,960

- 2.6%

92.8%

91.9%

- 1.0%

92.3%

92.0%

- 0.4%

97.2%

95.7%

- 1.5%

97.2%

95.7%

- 0.4%

181

191

+ 5.3%

178

191

+ 7.2%

16,657

13,036

- 21.7%

--

--

--

9.7

8.0

- 17.4%

--

--

--

12-2011

Housing Affordability Index 12-2008

+/–

12-2011

Average Sales Price

12-2008

12-2011

12-2011

Median Sales Price 12-2008

12-2010

12-2011

Inventory of Homes for Sale 12-2008

12-2009

12-2010

12-2011

12-2008

12-2009

12-2010

12-2011

Months Supply of Homes for Sale

All data provided by Triangle Multiple Listing Service, Inc. Powered by 10K Research and Marketing. | Click for Cover Page | 2

REALTOR Review ®

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Spring 2012

reports on the TMLS website at www.TriangleMLS.com when working with home buyers and sellers.

TMLS hosted the MLS Refresh event, which provided subscribers with the opportunity to attend training sessions to learn tips and tricks about the TEMPO system, to find out how to take advantage of the new Realist system and to explore the use of tablets or smartphones to enhance their real estate business. A ListHub representative was present to inform subscribers about increased advertising exposure for their

listings using the ListHub listing syndication service.

TMLS and Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS速 hosted the 2011 Technology Fair and Trade Show. Attendees were able to visit with 25 vendors representing an array of real estate products and services. Panels of REALTORS速 discussed how they use technology more efficiently, and manage their real estate businesses and assist their clients.

See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 18

Annual Review Historical look at key market metrics for the overall region.

Days On Market

Closed Sales

127

34,131 24,844

2007

22,113

20,679

19,665

-27.2%

-11.0%

-6.5%

-4.9%

2008

2009

2010

2011

2007

$190,000

105

+15.8

+10.8

+3.8%

+21.0

2008

2009

2010

2011

78

2007

Median Sales Price $190,000

101

91

Percent of Original List Price Received $182,000

$189,500

$185,000 97.3%

0.0%

-4.2%

+4.1%

-2.4%

2008

2009

2010

2011

2007

95.8%

92.8%

92.3%

92.0%

-1.5%

-3.2%

-0.5%

-0.4%

2008

2009

2010

2011

For further information regarding TMLS Market Trends and Analysis please www.TriangleMLS.com All data provided

by Triangle Multiple Listing Service, Inc. Powered byvisit: 10K Research and Marketing. | Click for Cover Page | 14

REALTOR Review 速

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Spring 2012

Local Market Update – March 2012 A RESEARCH TOOL PROVIDED BY TRIANGLE MLS

Entire Triangle Region

- 12.2%

+ 11.2%

+ 1.6%

Change in New Listings

Change in Closed Sales

Change in Median Sales Price

March

New Listings Closed Sales

Year to Date

2011

2012

+/–

2011

2012

+/–

4,790

4,205

- 12.2%

11,618

10,543

- 9.3%

1,614

1,794

+ 11.2%

3,863

4,445

+ 15.1%

Median Sales Price*

$182,000

$185,000

+ 1.6%

$180,000

$179,500

- 0.3%

Average Sales Price*

$212,515

$218,079

+ 2.6%

$217,674

$211,405

- 2.9%

Total Dollar Volume (in millions)*

$342.6

$390.6

+ 14.0%

$839.7

$937.2

+ 11.6%

Percent of Original List Price Received*

91.6%

92.7%

+ 1.2%

91.4%

92.2%

+ 0.8%

Percent of List Price Received*

95.9%

96.2%

+ 0.3%

95.9%

95.9%

- 0.0%

131

135

+ 2.9%

127

133

+ 5.1%

Inventory of Homes for Sale

19,008

13,714

- 27.9%

--

--

--

Months Supply of Inventory

11.2

8.1

- 27.4%

--

--

--

Days on Market Until Sale

* Does not account for seller concessions. | Activity for one month can sometimes look extreme due to small sample size.

2011

March 4,790

2012

11,618 4,205

1,614

- 12.2% New Listings

2011

Year to Date 10,543

1,794

3,863

- 9.3% New Listings

+ 11.2% Closed Sales

2012

4,445

+ 15.1% Closed Sales

Change in Median Sales Price from Prior Year (6-Month Average)**

All MLS

b

Entire Triangle Region

a

+ 10% + 8% + 6% + 4% + 2% 0% - 2% - 4% - 6% - 8% 1-2008

7-2008

1-2009

7-2009

1-2010

7-2010

1-2011

7-2011

1-2012

** Each dot represents the change in median sales price from the prior year using a 6-month weighted average. This means that each of the 6 months used in a dot are proportioned according to their period | Current as of April 10, 10 2012.

2012 All data from Triangle Multiple Listing Service, Service Inc..

Inc | Powered by 10K Research and Marketing.

Marketing share of sales during that period.

For further information regarding TMLS Market Trends and Analysis please visit: www.TriangleMLS.com

REALTOR Review ®

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Spring 2012

Local Market Update – March 2012 A RESEARCH TOOL PROVIDED BY TRIANGLE MLS

Wake County

- 11.3%

+ 13.1%

+ 4.2%

Change in New Listings

Change in Closed Sales

Change in Median Sales Price

March New Listings Closed Sales

Year to Date

2011

2012

+/–

2011

2012

+/–

2,422

2,149

- 11.3%

5,883

5,345

- 9.1%

887

1,003

+ 13.1%

2,025

2,440

+ 20.5%

Median Sales Price*

$201,000

$209,495

+ 4.2%

$200,769

$204,990

+ 2.1%

Average Sales Price*

$238,513

$242,595

+ 1.7%

$240,046

$237,823

- 0.9%

Total Dollar Volume (in millions)*

$211.6

$243.1

+ 14.9%

$486.1

$579.9

+ 19.3%

Percent of Original List Price Received*

92.6%

93.9%

+ 1.4%

92.3%

93.2%

+ 1.1%

Percent of List Price Received*

96.6%

97.0%

+ 0.4%

96.5%

96.7%

+ 0.2%

124

129

+ 4.2%

121

127

+ 5.0%

Inventory of Homes for Sale

9,051

6,049

- 33.2%

--

--

--

Months Supply of Inventory

10.0

6.6

- 34.2%

--

--

--

Days on Market Until Sale

* Does not account for seller concessions. | Activity for one month can sometimes look extreme due to small sample size.

2011

March 2,422

2012

5,883 2,149

887

- 11.3% New Listings

2011

Year to Date 5,345

1,003

2,025

- 9.1% New Listings

+ 13.1% Closed Sales

2012

2,440

+ 20.5% Closed Sales

Change in Median Sales Price from Prior Year (6-Month Average)**

All MLS

b

Wake County

a

+ 15%

+ 10%

+ 5%

0%

- 5%

- 10% 1-2008

7-2008

1-2009

7-2009

1-2010

7-2010

1-2011

7-2011

1-2012

** Each dot represents the change in median sales price from the prior year using a 6-month weighted average. This means that each of the 6 months used in a dot are proportioned according to their period | Current as of April 10, 10 2012.

2012 All data from Triangle Multiple Listing Service, Service Inc..

Inc | Powered by 10K Research and Marketing.

Marketing share of sales during that period.

For further information regarding TMLS Market Trends and Analysis please visit: www.TriangleMLS.com

REALTOR Review ®

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Spring 2012

legal perspective

Maintain a Solid Foundation of Ethics and Awareness

BY REED FOUNTAIN

It takes considerable knowledge and effort to obtain a broker’s license and, thereafter, build and maintain a successful business. That business is built upon relationships that are based on the foundation of your reputation.

While it takes dedication to maintain your reputation as a professional, it can all be lost by one mistake. Your reputation and your business can be placed in jeopardy by no more than a lapse of judgment or a misunderstanding of the applicable laws and rules. You may even find yourself the subject of an unwanted inquiry by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission or the possibility of a lawsuit.

The following are some common mistakes brokers in charge should be careful to avoid.

1.

Assuming your bookkeeper will understand and follow the rules regarding trust account records. That is a gamble that some brokers have taken, not fully appreciating the risk until an audit occurs.

Having an audit under way while simultaneously learning that your bookkeeper failed to maintain the required bank records is frightening. Learning that bookkeeper has commingled funds and lacks the records to be sure where the funds originated and who is the owner of the funds is even more dangerous.

Such misplaced trust is likely to lead to the discipline of a broker in charge by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission and possibly a lawsuit from an angry client.

This pitfall can be avoided by being vigilant in your monitoring of your trust account practices and, when in doubt, referring to the Trust Account Guidelines and Trust Account Tutorial available on the website of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. Visit www.ncrec.state.nc.us.

2.

Failing to pay attention to changes in forms. By now most are aware that there have been changes to the Residential Property Disclosure Statement Forms required by statute. These new forms are to be provided to prospective buyers REALTOR Review ®

beginning Jan. 1, 2012. However, there are already further possible changes to the new forms coming.

At its April 4 meeting, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission approved proposed amendments that, if approved by the North Carolina Rules Review Commission, would become effective Jan. 1, 2013.

You will want to keep an eye on these developments and be sure you are using updated forms and avoiding claims that your seller failed to disclose required information or you are accused of a misrepresentation.

The bigger point to remember is that forms and rules do change and a failure to pay attention can cost you and your clients. Networking with fellow professionals and keeping current with your review of the bulletin published by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission will help you avoid becoming out of date.

3.

Stretching the truth to make a sale.

With the possibility of a sale for a desperate seller hanging in the balance, some brokers have been tempted to make representations that were less than accurate.

Such statements might be in the affirmative, such as repairs to a roof have been made. Other times there is a temptation to make misrepresentations as to important facts, such as the existence of a drainage issue.

Often these statements or omissions are made in the context of the pressure to finalize a deal. However, such a short-sighted act can lead to lawsuits against the seller and the agent. In addition, misrepresentations are cause for discipline by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.

The key to avoiding this problem is remembering that no sale is worth the loss of your reputation.

Reed Fountain is a shareholder with Young Moore and Henderson P.A., who has handled matters before the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. He also is counsel to the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®. l 20 l

Spring 2012

to obtain a broker price opinion or approval from a private mortgage insurer before accepting a short-sale offer or approving a Home Affordable Foreclosures Alternatives (HAFA) borrower response package (BRP).

Fannie, Freddie Accelerating Short Sales Loan Servicers Must Make Decision in 30 Days – Unless They Need 60

BY INMAN NEWS®

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require loan servicers who need more than 30 days to make a decision on a short-sale offer to provide weekly status updates and give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down no later than 60 days after receiving an offer.

The new short-sale timelines will take effect in June as the first step in a broader effort to “develop enhanced and aligned strategies for facilitating short sales, deedsin-lieu and deeds-for-lease in order to help more homeowners avoid foreclosure.”

In announcing the new timelines, Fannie and Freddie regulator the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) said it expects additional changes to be in place by the end of the year. Those changes will address borrower eligibility and evaluation, documentation simplification, property

valuation, fraud mitigation, payments to subordinate lien holders and mortgage insurance.

Freddie Mac issued more specifics on its new short-sale timeline, which applies not only to offers on properties in Freddie Mac’s traditional short-sale program, but to requests from borrowers to be considered for a short sale or deed-in-lieu-of foreclosure under the Home Affordable Foreclosures Alternatives program.

Although Freddie Mac expects loan servicers to make a decision within 30 days, it recognizes that servicers may need more time REALTOR Review ®

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Spring 2012

If a loan servicer makes a counter offer, the borrower is expected to respond within five business days. The servicer must then respond within 10 business days of receiving the borrower’s response.

Freddie Mac, which completed 45,623 short sales last year, said the new requirements are the latest step to comply with direction from the FHFA to set consistent servicing and delinquency management requirements.

“Short sales are more complex than routine home sales since they may involve multiple parties and long-distance negotiating,” said Tracy Mooney, Freddie Mac senior vice president, singlefamily servicing and REO, in a statement. “Freddie Mac’s new timelines are intended to help make the decision process more transparent and timely for short sales under the Obama administration’s HAFA program or Freddie Mac’s traditional short-sale option.”

On April 10, Bank of America announced its decision to reduce decision times on short-sale offers to no more than 20 days, down from 45 days or longer. If offers fall through, agents have five days instead of 14 days to submit a backup offer.

Click here to send an e-mail to Inman News or write a letter to the editor by clicking here. Copyright 2012 Inman News.

BY BERNICE ROSS

7 Cool Apps For Real Estate Agents Change The Way You Post Videos, Digitize Contacts And Location-Share

A popular pastime among smartphone and tablet users is to share the apps they love. Perhaps you will find some of your favorites in the list below or fall in love with an app you haven’t seen before and that’s a good fit for your business.

Most smartphone and tablet users have quite a few apps on their devices, but use only a handful.

Here are seven cool apps that can help your business.

1.

Camera Plus (Android, i-Phone, iPad) At 99 cents, this app makes your photos look as if they were shot by a pro. It goes way beyond what programs like iPhoto provide. Camera Plus is amazingly simple to use. You can create dozens of special effects such as putting a blue or yellow filter on the photo, creating custom borders,

REALTOR Review ®

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Spring 2012

watermarking the photo itself or adding comments, all with just a tap of your finger.

With more than 7 million apps sold, Camera Plus was named one of the top 50 apps for 2011

by Time magazine, as well as voted the best photography app by the “Best App Ever Awards.”

2.

CardMunch (available for iPhone, with Android app coming soon) Business cards are a fact of life and can be a real nuisance to enter into your computer. LinkedIn has created an app called “CardMunch” that not only scans your business cards and enters them into a database, it works with your LinkedIn profile as well.

Once you scan the card with your phone and the card is uploaded, “LinkedIn will map

the information with the contact’s LinkedIn profile and augment it with photos, common connections, past work experience and education. It makes it a lot easier to match a face to a name and the number of cards scanned saved workers an estimated four tons of card stock that would have otherwise weighed down their pockets.”

3. Glympse: “Share Your

Where” (Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Phone 7)

Have you ever been late for a meeting or had trouble finding the restaurant where you were meeting your new client? Glympse lets you share your exact location in real time with whomever you want.

You can send your Glympse to your client’s mobile device as well as to his Twitter and Facebook accounts. Glympse calculates your exact location and broadcasts it to your client or friends. It also calculates your speed and your estimated arrival time.

4. GroupMe (Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad)

Rather than running the risk of going over your data plan’s text messaging limits, there’s a great app called GroupMe that’s now part of the Skype family.

GroupMe allows you to turn your phone into a private chat room. When you send a message, everyone in the chat room receives it. GroupMe also allows photo sharing. Best of all, there’s no charge for this service.

5. iScape and HardScape apps (iPad)

While virtually staging the interiors of homes has been around for a couple of years, the iScape family of apps lets you stage the

landscaping and the hardscapes on your less-than-lovely listings.

Furthermore, iScape is perfect for people who are considering doing major exterior changes to a property. It’s a great way to see what you will be getting before paying thousands of dollars in fees.

6. Kik (Android, BlackBerry,

iPhone, iPad, Symbian, Windows Phone 7) Kik is another app that allows you to conduct real-time conversations, much like online chat.

You can see when messages are delivered and read, which is great when you need to reach clients with time-sensitive messages.

Additional benefits of Kik include the ability to share photos.

Furthermore, Kik works on most phones, so this is a particularly good app for your clients who may not have an Android phone or iPhone.

7. Vid.ly: “The Universal Video URL” (Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad) While shooting video with your phone is pretty simple, posting it online is another issue. Vid. ly lets you upload your video once.

When a user clicks on your video, Vid.ly automatically matches your video to fit the user’s video player.

No more wasting time trying to save your video into multiple formats so it will play on most devices. Vid.ly REALTOR Review ®

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Spring 2012

also generates a shortened URL so you can post a link to your video virtually anywhere.

While Vid.ly doesn’t charge for five or fewer videos per month, there is a storage and a delivery charge. Unless you’re shooting a lot of video or have a very hightraffic video, these fees are minimal. Best of all, you don’t have to figure out how to get your videos posted in a format that will work on all computers.

The one challenge with all the thousands of apps out there is locating the apps that will work for you. If you get in the habit of trying a new app once or twice a month, you can easily spot which apps you want to keep and which ones to delete.

Bernice Ross, chief executive officer of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, trainer and author of the National Association of Realtors’ No. 1 best-seller, “Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success.” Hear Ross’ five-minute daily real estate show, just named “new and notable” by iTunes, at www.RealEstateCoachRadio. com. You can contact her at Bernice@RealEstateCoach.com or BRoss on Twitter.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! FIRST QUARTER 2012

Raaed Al Haddad, Weichert Realtors, Welcome Home Dawn F. Anderson, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Eric Anderson Jr., Prudential Penfed Realty Nogui Aramburo, Linda Craft & Team, Realtors June M. Arnold, Goodsell Realty Inc. Liliana Arrazola, Coastal Credit Union Amir Aziz, Dream Living Realty Bryce M. Barker, Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty Jennifer C. Bartolac, Fonville Morisey/Preston Sales Office Christopher Blount, AES Lending Lori Boyle, PCS Homes Realty L.L.C. Thomas E. Brearley, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Jane Bristol, Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty Doreen Broder, Keller Williams Misty Brown, Bailey Wright Realty Abimael Carattini, Carattini Realty Inc. Ginger Carnes Massengale, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Brooke W. Cashion, Allen Tate Co. Inc. Frederico L. Castelloes, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Marianne Ceccarini, Keller Williams Patricia A. Moore-Dade, The PC Group L.L.C. Leigh Anne P. Chong, Allen Tate Co. Inc. Yu Pei Chooi, Allen Tate Co./ Cary-Searstone Heather M. Clifton, Fonville Morisey/Lochmere Sales Office Laura Hill Cobb, Champion Realty Inc. Diana K. Conn, Kirkland Appraisals Carolyn Cotton, Keller Williams Preferred Marcia A. Crader, Coldwell Banker Advantage Chambrea M. Daniels, Keller Williams Preferred Walter K. Davis, Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty Greg DeWitt, Red Door Co. Mary Lou Dingman, Regan & Co. Ngan Kim Do, Coldwell Banker Advantage Michael B Doninger, Raleigh Cary Realty Inc. Susan K. Doria, Fonville Morisey/ Stonehenge Sales Office

Sara E. Duyck, Fonville Morisey/ Inside the Beltline Office Patrick M. Ednie, Fonville Morisey/Stonehenge Sales Office Kimberly A. Edwards, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Colleen B. Ellis, Lisa Ellis and Co. Han Ching Fang, Northside Realty Inc. Melissa Fosbury, Coldwell Banker Advantage Gerald A. Gabriel, Keller Williams Tia Gardner, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Christine M. Garver, Standard Pacific Carolinas L.L.C. Dana K. Gross, Fonville Morisey/ Falls Sales Office Roger Elliot Grout, Coldwell Banker Advantage Marco A. Guerra, Champion Realty Inc. Nevar W. Guy, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Sean Gyger, Merrill Lynch Dylan V. Hale, Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty Allen L. Hedgepeth, Fonville Morisey/Youngsville Sales Office Leslye Helton, Pan Realty L.L.C. Tony Hicks, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Christine A. Holley, Re/Max United LaQuonta L. Howell, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Albert M. Jackson, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Ashley Jenkins, Fonville Morisey/ Brier Creek Sales Office Brady A. Johnson, Allen Tate Co. Inc. Karen R. Jones, Fonville Morisey/ Youngsville Sales Office Nancy E. Joyner-Kay, Affinity Realty Matthew R. Kerekes, Keller Williams JoAnn M. Knorr, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor David A. Koucky, Chase Properties Inc. Kelly R. Kozemchak, Fonville Morisey/Inside the Beltline Office Marc Langefeld, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Lannette Lateef, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Gerald T. Lee, Joe Loeffler Realty Adam W. Lindsay, Re/Max Preferred Associates Heather R. Losurdo, Re/Max

One Realty Elizabeth F. Luck, Real Living Pittman Properties Patsy B. Lund, Keller Williams Gabriel L. Macaluso, Paramount Realty Solutions Nancy S. Magiera, Fonville Morisey/Lochmere Sales Office Ken Martin, Fifth Third Amanda Martinez, Scent Air Victoria L. McGee, Keller Williams Realty Kelli L. McGuire, Fonville Morisey/ Falls Sales Office Susan R. Melanson, Re/Max United Trent J. Meunier, Vanderbilt Realty Rick Mikel, Guaranteed Rate Mitchell T. Mohrmann, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Sandra Montano, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Mehdi Moshaashaee, Asher Realty Nicole E. Nartowicz, Triangle Premier Properties Inc. William P. Noel, Coldwell Banker Advantage Eric Norman, List 2 Buy Inc. Steven Norris, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Jennifer N. Parsons, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Toni N. Peay, Champion Realty Inc. Colleen E. Pecnik, Allen Tate Co. Inc. Kimberly A. Peedin, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Mark R. Phillips, Allen Tate Co./ Cary-Searstone Michael A. Potter, CityGate Real Estate Services L.L.C. Earl B. Powell, East West RealtyPowell Place L.L.C. Deborah A. Powers, HHHunt Homes of Raleigh-Durham Robin Price, Allen Tate Insurance Services Shonte Proctor, Proctor Real Estate Nicki Ragland, Conder Realty Dwishnicka J. Randolph, Raleigh Moving Boxes Shelley Rawlins, Adams Homes Realty Inc. Rachel V. Rea, Allen Tate Co. Inc. Chad Revelle, Keller Williams Jennifer R. Rhodus, Keller Williams Gerald E. Riffle, Sensational Realty Inc. Kalyn Ringwold, Fonville Morisey/ Stonehenge Sales Office

Luis Rodriguez, Re/Max Preferred Associates Michelle M. Rogers, PCS Homes Realty L.L.C. Katherine C. Sawyer, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Michelle Segura, Fonville Morisey/ Falls Sales Office Param P. Singh, Coldwell Banker Advantage Edward L. Skoch, Coldwell Banker Advantage Maria M. Skoch, Ms. , Coldwell Banker Advantage Roberta J. Slattery, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Joann Some, Longleaf Real Estate Services Kendall K. Southern, Keller Williams La Sonda Stasinopoulos, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Sandra S. Staveness McManus, Howard Perry & Walston-Triangle at Southpoint Sara S. Swinson, Fonville Morisey/ Falls Sales Office Jodi A. Tata, Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty Mary Margaret Tate, Re/Max United Judy M. Taub, Allen Tate Co. Inc. Jill Trinh, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Karen Trotta, Exit Realty Unlimited Deric L. Vacca, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor David W. Valentine, Fonville Morisey/Youngsville Sales Office Talina C. Vezina, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Judson R. Vickery, First Triangle Realty Inc. Barry M. Walsh, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Cecil M. Walters, Chatham Homes Realty Daniel Ward, Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty Louis R. Wilkerson Jr., Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Kelly B. Williams, Real Living Pittman Properties Wanda Williams, Howard Perry & Walston Realtor Mark Wilson, Apex Cary Insurance Leslie E. Woolard, Designed to Sold Weidong Wu, First Triangle Realty Inc. April Young, Fifth Third Mortgage Mary M. Young, Fonville Morisey/ Inside the Beltline Office

If you would like to sponsor a new member orientation, please contact Betsy Ramsey at (919) 654-4500.

REALTOR Review 速

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Spring 2012

bits & pieces

REALTOR® Store Deals Are Real Head Turners

Stock Up!

Lookin’ Sporty!

Eye Popping!

Stock up on these attractive Open House Flag-Sign Combos.

They’re 10 percent off in May!

Protect your eyes and advertise with these sporty REALTOR® baseball caps. They’re available in a wide variety of colors, and they’re 10 percent off!

Outfit yourself in these sharplooking REALTOR® logo polos.

They’re washable, breathable 100 percent cotton in colors that pop. And, they’re 10 percent off while supplies last!

These offers cannot be combined with other discounts or used online.

Please visit the store or call (919) 654-7253. As always, thank you for your business!

GAC brainstorming

Members of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee discuss issues and strategies leading up to the North Carolina May 8 primary. This video clip offers a glimpse at the energetic discussions of the working groups.

REALTOR Review ®

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Spring 2012

Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT

“FORE THE FOUNDATION”

JUNE 25, 2012

Net Proceeds Benefit the REALTOR® Foundation of the Triangle

Winner’s Trophies, Skill Contests, Golf Ball Game, Raffles, Prizes Schedule of Events

Tournament Price*

8:30 AM Shot Gun Start

$95 Non-Member Cost

$85 Member Cost

8:00 AM Check In/Breakfast 2:00 PM BBQ Lunch 2:30 PM Awards Ceremony

Register Online

*Includes breakfast, lunch, beverages, greens fees, driving range, and prizes.

Lucky 50/50 Golf Game

Golfer or not, you can still help to support your REALTOR® Foundation: • Buy tickets for $5 each (or five for $20) at RRAR, from May 7 through Tournament Day, June 25.

• The winning ticket to be drawn at the Tournament.

• 50% of proceeds to Winner / 50% to the Foundation.

Questions? Contact vickib@rrar.com.

at www.RRAR.com.

Foursomes contact Vicki Buckholz at vickib@rrar.com or call 919-654-5400, x216

Devil’s Ridge Golf Club is located at 5107 Linksland Drive, Holly Springs

RRAR events

4 CE Mandatory Update, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

CE Broker-in-Charge Annual Review, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

4-6 North Carolina REALTORS® CAR

Legislative meetings

May

5-6 Leadership Academy NCAR Legislative Day

11 Miracle League of the Triangle® Night at the Ballpark, Cary, 5:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

6 Women’s Council of REALTORS®, 8:45 a.m.

13 MOTHER’S DAY 15 Community Service Committee, 11:30 a.m.

15 CE Mandatory Update, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

15-19 National Association of REALTORS®

meetings, Washington, D.C.

6 Top Producer’s Council, 11:30 a.m.

8 CE Mandatory Update, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

8 CE Elective: Demographics, Diversity and Fair Housing, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

13 RRAR Board of Directors 17 FATHER’S DAY

16 Small Broker’s Council, 8:45 a.m.

23 Triangle International Council of REALTORS , 11:30 a.m. ®

19 Community Service Committee, 11:30 a.m.

20 Small Broker’s Council, 8:45 a.m.

25 Annual Charity Golf Tournament to benefit the REALTOR® Foundation of the Triangle, Devil’s Ridge Golf Club

23 CE. Mandatory Update, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

23 CE Elective: Deep in the Heart of Taxes, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

July

24 CE Elective: Financing Dreams, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

4 INDEPENDENCE DAY RRAR/TMLS Closed

24 Property Management Council, 11:30 a.m.

28 MEMORIAL DAY

16 REALTOR® Foundation of the Triangle Board Meeting, 12:30 p.m.

June

18 Successfully Selling HUD Homes, breakfast at 8:30 a.m., seminar from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

1 CE Mandatory Update, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

26 Property Management Council, 11:30

CE Elective: REALTORS® Code of Ethics, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Events will be at RRAR offices unless otherwise noted.

Dates are subject to change.

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7

7 Mobile Trends Sha

What GPS Social Networkin

BY BERNICE ROSS

Mobile technologies are revolutionizing the way real estate is being conducted at every level of the transaction. If you’re not part of the mobile revolution, the time to get involved is now.

What are the mobile trends that will influence your business in the not-too-distant future? Here are some of the most important ones:

1. Everyone has a mobile phone (well, almost everyone) Real estate strategist Stefan Swanepoel, in his Trends Report 2012, points to a number of important mobile trends that are changing how the real estate industry will conduct business in the future. One of the most important trends is the explosion of mobile phone users.

According to a report from the Gartner Group, a tech research company, there were 5.3 billion mobile device users as of the end of 2011. That’s about four out of every five people on the planet. In the United States, nine out of every 10 Americans also have a cell phone. As a result, an ever-growing number of real estate transaction-related communications are taking place on mobile devices.

2. Laptops give way to phones and tablets According to Swanepoel, “55 REALTOR Review ®

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percent of Gen (Yers) communicate with their friends via social networking sites on their mobile device.”

Furthermore, mobile devices have made their way from practicality to fashion accessory: “Almost one in two Gen (Yers) view their phone as a status symbol and 61 percent consider mobile handsets to be a fashion accessory,” according to Swanepoel.

The mobile agent and the mobile transaction have finally started to gain steam. In fact, if you own an Android-based smartphone or an iPhone, you can already do the large majority of your transaction work on your mobile.

The question is: Will you opt for your phone or for carrying your tablet?

Agents almost always have their mobile phone with them.

You can use apps such as Evernote or Dragon Dictation to capture notes on your phone. The beauty of these programs is that they sync back with your other devices because they reside in the cloud.

3. Business will move from a paper trail to a digital trail in the cloud This means you will no longer be storing your information, your contracts and other documentation on your laptop – or worse, in a metal filing cabinet.

Instead, information is shared

aking Up Real Estate

ng Can Do for Your Business from the cloud. You are already using cloud technology if you have a Gmail account, use an online calendar, use Evernote, listen to Pandora radio or use just about any other application that does not reside on the hard drive on your computer.

coupon for 10 percent off of any pair of shoes in the store if you drop by in the next hour.

4. What will be your strategy for handling mobile signatures?

Now imagine you have registered to be notified of houses that come on the market in a certain price range, with a specific bedroom-bath count, as well as a specific location. When you drive through a neighborhood where you have been looking and there is a listing that fits your criteria, all the listing information, the public records and a video about the property will be pushed to your phone.

Paper-based transactions will soon be as obsolete as the old multiple listing service “dumb” terminals that used to take 10 minutes to print a single listing photo. Depending upon the type of device you use, you will have to determine whether your clients sign directly onto your device with a finger, a stylus or a light pen.

Alternatively, companies such as DocuSign have the capability to issue digital signatures that work essentially the same way that you would shop online. You are assigned a private “key” that is tied to a login and/or other identifying pieces of information.

5. Location-based advertising This is the holy grail in the advertising industry. Imagine that you are at your local mall and your favorite shoe store recognizes that you are nearby based upon your phone’s GPS. You receive a text message with a

In terms of the real estate industry, you can already drive down any street and determine a wealth of information about any property, whether or not it is listed.

6. GPS face-to-face networking A new app from Highlight may be an important forerunner for the next generation of mobile social networking. Instead of having to proactively check in on apps such as Facebook Places or Foursquare, the app uses the GPS on your phone to identify when someone you know or would like to know is in the same area where you are. There’s no need to check in.

According to online news site GigaOM: “After downloading and See MOBILE TRENDS on page 32 REALTOR Review ®

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MOBILE TRENDS continued from page 31

installing the (Highlight) app, users connect their accounts with Facebook, add a few minor

According to a report from the Gartner Group, a tech research company, there were 5.3 billion mobile device users as of the end of 2011.

That’s about four out of every five people on the planet. In the United States, nine out of every 10 Americans also have a cell phone. As a result, an ever-growing number of real estate transaction-related communications are taking place on mobile devices. personal details... and then they sit around and wait. Or move around and wait. Either way, eventually users will be pinged when they get within a reasonable distance of someone they might know or someone their friends know on Facebook.”

This means that if one of your Facebook friends tells you that her cousin is thinking about selling his home and the cousin just happens to be at the same ice cream shop next to your office, you can walk over and introduce yourself.

7. Mobile overload While all of these changes sound exciting, there are some serious issues that will have to be addressed as well. First, how available do you want to be? Do you constantly want to receive push notifications about who is nearby or about every single REALTOR Review ®

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Spring 2012

event happening around your real estate business?

Even more importantly, we are running out of cellular bandwidth due to the explosion of mobile devices. People are already having difficulty using their mobile phones in places like New York City and San Francisco. How will you conduct your business when you can’t access your mobile carrier?

Changes in mobile technology will permanently alter the real estate landscape. Will you embrace the change or find yourself left behind in the dust?

Bernice Ross, chief executive officer of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, trainer and author of the National Association of Realtors’ No. 1 best-seller, “Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success.” Hear Ross’ five-minute daily real estate show, just named “new and notable” by iTunes, at www.RealEstateCoachRadio. com. You can contact her at Bernice@RealEstateCoach.com or BRoss on Twitter.