2025 MAR OFFICERS ELECTED:

At the October 9, 2024 Annual Meeting of the Maine Association of REALTORS®, the membership elected its 2025 MAR Officers:

-President: Jeff Harris (Harris Real Estate, Farmington)

-President Elect: Judy Oberg (Oberg Insurance and Real Estate, Bridgton)

-First Vice President: Raylene Estabrook (Signature Homes Real Estate Group, Scarborough)

-Treasurer (2025-2026): Eric Flynn (Excellence Realty, Portland)

The 2025 Officers were installed by National Association of REALTORS® 2025 First Vice President Christine Hansen of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Congratulations and thank you for your commitment to MAR and Maine’s real estate industry! 

2024 MAINE REALTOR® OF THE YEAR:

Congratulations to Sandy Cox! Sandy has been a REALTOR® since 2003 and is currently affiliated with The New England Real Estate Company in Camden. Sandy served as President of his local REALTOR® Board and Council four times and is currently his local Board Treasurer serving 4 additional years in the past. He has served as an MAR Director for 5 years and been a long-standing member of MAR’s Professional Standards Committee. Sandy served as a Maine Listings Director for 7 years, was President in 2018 and continues to serve on their Policies and Procedures and Technology Committees. Sandy is active in his local Rotary Club (for the past 48 years!) and is currently serving assistant governor for his region. He serves as a Director on the Board of Quarry Hill Independent Living and as a Director for MidCoast Housing Trust. Sandy also serves the PAWS Animal Adoption Center, the Camden YMCA, and the Penobscot Bay Chamber of Commerce. Sandy makes his REALTOR® community and his Penobscot Bay region better! Congratulations Sandy! 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 

Nearly 500 REALTORS®, Affiliate Members, and industry professionals were at the Samoset last week for Challenge, Change, Opportunity: the MAR Annual Convention. Thank you!

THANK YOU TO OUR 2024 SPONSORS!

The support of these industry partners is most appreciated!

Gold ($2,500 level):

-realtor.com

-Red Door Title

Silver ($2,000 level)

-Camden National Bank

-CMG Home Loans

-Gateway Title of Maine

-Great East Title

-Treworgy & Baldacci

Bronze ($1,500)

-First National Bank

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR TRADE SHOW EXHIBITORS TOO!

-Aerus

-All-Around Home Performance

-America’s Preferred Home Warranty

-Bangor Savings Bank

-Bay Area Title

-Black Point Title

-Bouchard Cleaning & Restoration

-Camden National Bank

-CMG Home Loans

-Comparion Insurance Agency – Augusta

-Cumberland Title Services

-Gateway Title of Maine

-Great East Title

-Maine Community Bank

-Maine Savings FCU

-Maine State Credit Union

-MaineHousing

-Norway Savings Bank

-Real Estate Institute of New England

-realtor.com

-Red Door Title

-SERVPRO of Maine

-The Pure Experts

-The Real Estate Learning Group

-Treworgy & Baldacci

-University Credit Union

ED GARDNER: NAR GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD WINNER!

The National Association of REALTORS® Good Neighbor Awards recognize REALTORS^® who have made an extraordinary impact through volunteer work. Ed Gardner, Broker/Owner of Gardner Real Estate Group in Portland and 2016 President of the Maine Association of REALTORS® is one of 5 award winners from across the U.S. to be chosen in 2024. To honor Ed’s work, the Equality Community Center (ECC) will receive a $10,000 award. Congratulations Ed and the ECC!

Ed founded the Equality Community Center (ECC) in Portland, which houses 18 LGBTQ+-focused nonprofits under one roof with below-market rent. This arrangement fosters collaboration and increases operational efficiency between the organizations. Additionally, Ed is spearheading the ECC’s latest project, the development of a 54-unit affordable housing complex for seniors.

MAR recognized Ed at our state convention last week and we’ll celebrate him on November 9 at NAR NXT in Boston. Read more about Ed’s work

FEMA FLOOD MAP SERVICE CENTER UNAVAILABLE OCTOBER 24-27:

Please note that the FEMA Flood Map Service Center will be down from October 24 through October 27 for site upgrades. During this time, no Map Service Center data, products, or services will be available. Please plan accordingly. 

CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH:

Since 2004, the President and Congress have declared October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

4 Things You Can Do:

-Think Before You Click: Recognize and Report Phishing: If a link looks a little off, think before you click. It could be an attempt to get sensitive information or install malware. 

-Update Your Software: Don't delay -- If you see a software update notification, act promptly. Better yet, turn on automatic updates.

-Use Strong Passwords: Use passwords that are long, unique, and randomly generated. Use password managers to generate and remember different, complex passwords for each of your accounts. A passwords manager will encrypt passwords securing them for you!

-Enable Multi-Factor Authentication: You need more than a password to protect your online accounts, and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked.

SETTLEMENT RESOURCES FOR CONSUMERS:

The National Association of REALTORS® is developing a series of written resources that can be shared with consumers to help bring clarity to the recent practice changes and reiterate the value of working with a REALTOR®. All of these resources are available for download on facts.realtor, and cover the following topics:

• What Veterans Need to Know About Buying a Home
• Why Am I Being Asked to Sign a Written Buyer Agreement?
• Open Houses and Written Agreements
• REALTORS’® Duty to Put Client Interests Above Their Own 
• Offers of Compensation
• Negotiating Written Buyer Agreements
• Seller Concessions
• Multiple Listing Services (MLSs)
• Fair Housing

Check back weekly at facts.realtor for additional resources. 

MAINE ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST SITE IS OPEN:  

Registered Maine voters may now request an absentee ballot for the November 5 General Election at your local town office or at this site

IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING:

The window to vote absentee at your municipal clerk's office is open. You don't need to complete an application for an absentee ballot if you vote in person at the clerk's office.

NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE? There is no cut-off date for registering to vote in person at your town office or city hall.

REFERENDUM QUESTIONS:

There are a number of referendum questions on the November 5 ballot. Review the Maine Citizen’s Guide to the Referendum Election

NAR NXT, THE REALTOR® EXPERIENCE:

The National Association of REALTORS® Annual Convention, NXT, is November 8-10 in Boston and includes the real estate industry’s largest trade show! More information and to register.

2025 REALTOR® DUES – DUE IN DECEMBER:

Your 2025 REALTOR® dues are due in December (Greater Portland Board and MidCoast Board are due on December 1) and local board late fees may be assessed beginning in early-December – as early as December 2. You pay your dues through your local REALTOR® boards’ Member Portal (links in right margin).

Designated Brokers: Remember...dues must be paid for anyone licensed in a REALTOR® office as of January 1, 2025. If an agent plans to make their license status inactive or his/her license expires any time on/after January 1 and they do not plan to renew, you must inform the Maine Real Estate Commission in writing that the agent’s license is no longer affiliated with your company by December 31, 2024 or you, as DB, will be responsible for that agent's payment. 

THANK YOU for your membership!