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Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995.™
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Austin Board of REALTORS®
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Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995
President’s Column By Aaron Farmer • 2016 President
The importance of diversity
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s we approach Fair Housing Month in April, it’s a great time to focus on the importance of a diverse community. This April 11th will mark the 48th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act—a fundamental step of progress we took as a country all of those years ago. While we should truly focus on diversity every day and month of the year, take this time to review the Fair Housing Declaration and discuss the topic among your peers and clients. As a reminder, Article 10 of the Code of Ethics includes the declaration that any REALTOR “shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.” As community leaders, we can play a huge role in spreading this message.
ABoR Forum during Fair Housing Month We’ll be discussing diversity and our Central Texas community in-depth at our ABoR Forum on Wednesday, April 27. Lo-
cal leaders focused on improving both the community and housing through diversity will lead the discussion, which will serve as an excellent way to close out Fair Housing Month. As our city and the surrounding areas continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, diversity is too important of an issue to let slip by the wayside as we fight to build stronger neighborhoods and more stable communities. Stay tuned to ABoR.com/ Forum for more details on this imperative discussion.
Don’t forget your MLS benefits As the housing market picks up once again into the busy summer season, I’d like to remind you of the powerful tools your ABoR MLS subscription contains. These tools are designed to help you work faster and smarter for your clients. Just a few of the products at your fingertips include: CSS Scheduler with the new “Courtesy Notice” setting—similar to the popular “Show and Go,” and will actually allow you and/or
www.myRealtyLine.com
March 2016
your client know when an interested party is going to view a property, and still doesn’t require an official approval by the listing agent or seller. Down Payment Resource (DPR) is another free MLS-integrated program that ties in well with Fair Housing Month. This innovative product quickly and easily shows clients what their down payment options could be for qualifying listings. Since down payments are one of the biggest hurdles to climb for homebuyers, and particularly first-time homebuyers, DPR boosts your value by giving you easy access to potential assistance programs they can trust. I encourage all of you to give these tools and all of the other benefits and discounts included
in your ABoR MLS subscription a try next time you log in. Also not to be forgotten is the time-saving INRIX Drive Time to accurately predict traffic commute times directly in the MLS. Thank you again for helping us grow more diverse in our communities. If you’re looking for more ways to get involved, there are a wide range of local, diverse REALTORaffiliated groups always looking for more members. I encourage you to find a group that interests you and stay tuned to more opportunities to spread this message. As REALTORS, we can have a profound impact on shaping Central Texas, so let’s continue to work towards a more diverse and inclusive community! RL
ABoR Academy Educational Courses Mar 21: Know Your Code: Article 1 (TREC# 01-00-117-29849) Mar 21: REALTOR Code of Ethics (TREC# 03-00-057-28953) Mar 21: Realist Tax 2.0 (TREC# 02-00-067-28919) Mar 22-23: Senior Real Estate Specialist Designation (TREC# 15-00-027-28190) Mar 22: Adding & Editing Listings – South Office (TREC# 02-00-067-28920) Mar 22: Guerilla Marketing for Real Estate Pros (TREC# 03-00-117-29749) Mar 22: TREC Legal Update I (TREC# 04-04-127-29622) Mar 22: Video Broadcast: The Basics of Agent and Consumer Advocacy (TREC# 02-00-107-29536) Mar 23: Introduction to Matrix (TREC# 03-00-057-28941)
More at www.ABoR.com/courses
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