BEST OF THE BLOGS

Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at NAR broke down pertinent market stats and trends to help keep brokers up-to-date.

The Federal Reserve is factoring rent growth into its inflation measurements, which will influence when it decides to lower rates. From NAR.

Letter of interest and resume due to town clerk by March 19. From VailDaily.com
INFOSPARKS TRAINING
InfoSparks training session this week!
 
Register for the ShowingTime webinar and get an overview of how the product works.

Wednesday, March 13
12:00 to 12:40 PM MST

Are you using InfoSparks - a new interactive data tool that changes the way you use, display and share housing information? InfoSparks is available through the MLS. It's customizable and allows you to easily perform trend analysis on up to four areas at the same time.
MARKET STATS
February residential market stats are available for Eagle County. Click the image below (or here) to see a full report. Log into your VBR Member Hub account and visit the market stats page at VBR.net to see reports of individual areas.
VMLS UPDATE
Important Announcement: Tax Year & URL’s in Public Remarks
Tax Year/Amounts: It’s that time again!

Tax information for 2023 is now available. VMLS will provide a 1 month grace period for agents to go into all Active & Pending listings and update the tax year and amount (if applicable).

All Pending/Active listings must reflect the correct tax information for year 2023 and must be updated by April 1, 2024. Once the grace period ends, the VMLS will fine $50 per listing, with the fine escalating every 2 business days that information is not updated. Thank you for your effort in keeping the MLS up-to-date.
URLs in Public Remarks

The VMLS recently announced a rule change in which URL’s of any kind are no longer allowed in public remarks. We will be providing a grace period of 1 month to remove all URLs from Active/Pending listings. You may move any URL’s into the Agent-Only remarks. This includes ANY URL. Virtual tours and videos can still be entered into the Virtual Tour/Video URL fields in Flex when uploading photos.

Public remarks is intended for the public and only to describe the property. All listings need to be updated with removal of URL’s by April 1, 2024. Once the grace period ends, the VMLS will fine $50 per listing, with the fine escalating every 2 business days with no correction. 
UPCOMING VBR CLASSES
Fair Housing
Thursday, April 11
9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
1 CE

Join us for a breakfast & learn! Bob Howe of Title Company of the Rockies covers the Federal Fair Housing Act, including what property types are covered, illegal actions affiliated with protected groups, appropriate actions for advertising and marketing, and federal and state enforcement.

April is Fair Housing Month. We'll share classes, resources, and more.
VBR EVENTS
AFFILIATE CORNER
Find a trusted Affiliate Partner

There are approximately 200 Affiliate members of the VBR offering services ranging from lending, home services, legal, home inspection, and more.

Visit our Affiliate Directory page to find a trusted real estate related partner (We have two directory options to search).
TECH TIPS
How to avoid tax scams

Check out these tips that will help you file your taxes safely and securely.
WILDFIRE AWARENESS
Free wildfire mitigation offered

Did you know that FREE wildfire mitigation property assessments are available to Eagle County homeowners? More information can be found at RealFire.net.

Please take some time to educate yourself, clients, and fellow community members.
MEMBER RESOURCES
Member Benefits & Programs

As a Realtor®, your membership includes National, State, and Local. Affiliates also receive benefits as a VBR member. We provide the tools to enhance professionalism in the real estate industry.
Members only: Monthly market stats

All VBR members can log in at VBR.net to see monthly stats, including each area in Eagle County.
Find trusted industry-related partners in the Vail Board of Realtors®' Affiliate directory. 
Find trusted industry-related partners in the Vail Board of Realtors®' Affiliate directory.
Help strengthen the VBR's events, services, member offerings, and initiatives.
THE VALUE OF A REALTOR
The Competition.Realtor website is available for Realtors®, and it provides a comprehensive overview - and talking points - of how Realtors® and the local MLS broker marketplaces benefit consumers.

The Vail Board of REALTORS® also makes this available on our "Why Use a REALTOR®" page on our website to help the public understand the value of REALTORS®.
Burnett et al v. NAR et al lawsuit: Resources & video
The Burnett vs. NAR lawsuit claims that the National Association of REALTORS® created and implemented rules which require home sellers to pay commissions to the broker or agent representing the buyer. It also alleges that Defendants enforce these rules through anticompetitive and unlawful practices. The lawsuit claims that these rules are anticompetitive and unfair, and that they violate federal antitrust law.

NAR is appealling the liability finding and stands by the fact that NAR rules serve the best interests of consumers, support market-driven pricing, and advance business competition.

We are sharing resources and helpful facts about the case in the button, video and links below.
MEMBER SAFETY TOOLS
Put your safety first - with free tools available to members!
SafeShowings deters criminal behavior, allows you to notify emergency contacts, and mark yourself as safe through the app.

Learn how it works and register today to use SafeShowings (see link below)!
FOREWARN allows agents to have instant due diligence on prospects.

VMLS members can verify a prospect’s identity, criminal records, bankruptcies, liens, judgments, address history and property records in one place, leading to safer and more productive interactions.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Education Quick Links

Visit VBR's Education Requirements page for more info on Code of Ethics, license cycle requirements,and more. A reminder: Please stay organized, and keep paper or virtual copies of your certificates.
WELCOME HOME BAGS
Welcome Home Bags available as free closing gifts

The Welcome Home Bag Program is a FREE benefit available for REALTOR® members who sell a home. Call 766-1028 to schedule a pick-up or email [email protected].

The bag is a great gift for your buyer clients. Each cooler bag includes a picnic blanket, set of wine tumblers, and a reusable shopping tote. It is also a great way to promote our REALTOR® and Affiliate members.

Affiliates: Sponsorship opportunities are available for one of the items. Please contact [email protected].
BECOME A VAIL PRO
Earn the Vail Pro Designation
Increase your knowledge in the real estate industry and become a local expert! The Vail Pro Designation is an educational program open to ALL VBR Realtor and Affiliate members!

Classes are free for VBR members.
ACCESS YOUR VBR ACCOUNT
You can easily access your account with the Vail Board of REALTORS® to register for events, pay invoices, and update your contact information.
If you have not yet created your account, click the link below and enter your name and contact email (Make sure it's the email we have on file for you). Once you hit submit, you will get a follow-up email to finish setting up the account.
HELPFUL CONTACT INFORMATION
VBR TEAM

Association Executive

MLS Director

Member Services & Office Manager

Melanie McKinney Education & Marketing Manager
SUPPORT LINES

If you need assistance with MLS, MLS Touch App, Tech Helpline, or Sentrilock, please use the contact information below.

Flexmls Support:
888-525-4747
(7 AM to 8 PM MTN, Monday - Friday)

Tech Helpline:
Phone: 866-619-8170

Sentrilock Support:
Phone: 877-736-8745
Vail Board of Realtors
970-766-1028 | www.vbr.net