YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE!

ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 5:

Please vote! Offices included in the 2024 General Election are President of the United States, one U.S. Senate race, the Representatives to U.S. Congress (both districts); all 35 Maine State Senate districts; all 151 Maine State Representative districts; and most county offices. Click Here to look up your voting location.

REFERENDUM QUESTIONS:

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

MAR ENDORSED CANDIDATES

The MAR Legislative Committee and Board of Directors has endorsed a slate of candidates based on their support of Maine’s real estate industry and private property rights. View the list here (password: codeofethics)

NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE? 

There is no cut-off date for registering to vote in person at your town office or city hall.

ABSENTEE VOTING: 

All absentee ballots must be received by your town/city clerk’s office before 8:00 p.m. on election day, November 5. You may drop off your completed absentee ballot to your town/city clerk’s office if you prefer, rather than through return mail.

Check the status of your absentee ballot

NAR SETTLEMENT: OPEN HOUSE GUIDANCE:

One of the most frequently asked questions to MAR’s Legal Helpline has been at what point must an unrepresented buyer enter into a written agreement when they attend an open house. The National Association of REALTORS® provided clarifying guidance on the topic and MAR adjusted our guidance in early October. You can find MAR’s Buyer Agreement FAQ’s (dated 10/2/24) on the REALTOR® Access Only section of the MAR website (password: codeofethics)

Also, please review the NAR guidance (written and video) which is linked after Q12 in the Buyer’s Agreement FAQ’s document referenced above. 

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®. New guides are being added weekly.  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
• Listing Agreements
• 10 Questions to Ask a Buyers Agent
• 10 Questions to Ask a Seller’s Agent

PROFESSIONAL COURTESIES REMINDER:

We are receiving calls from consumers and REALTORS® regarding showings and ask you: 1) to communicate in a timely fashion including status changes, showing cancelations, and feedback after showings; 2) to leave the property as you found it (lights, heating, cooling, drapes, cupboards, doors, etc.) and not allow anyone to eat, drink, smoke, dispose of trash, use bathroom facilities without permission.

2025 MAR COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES:

If you have interest in becoming involved and serving on a 2025 committee or task force of the Maine Association of REALTORS®, please forward your contact information to Suzanne

Find out more about MAR’s committees. Committee and task force members for 2025 will be appointed by 2025 MAR President Jeff Harris throughout the coming year. Thank you!

ACCREDITED BUYER’S REPRESENTATIVE (ABR):

Through 2024, the National Association of REALTORS® is offering REALTOR® members no-cost access to the two-day Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®) designation’s core course (a $295 savings) to help REALTORS® communicate their value to buyers in this changing real estate landscape. The ABR® core course can be accessed in live virtual or self-paced virtual format (no Maine continuing education credit is offered).

Take the ABR core course alone, or to continue on and earn the ABR designation, you’ll need to complete an additional elective course (at your expense) and have completed at least 5 buyer-side transactions. More details and registration information here: How to Earn Your ABR® | ABR®

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.

Can’t attend in person? You can purchase a recording package

OPEN ENROLLLMENT AT COVERME.GOV:

The Made for Maine Health Coverage Act, passed by the Maine Legislature in 2020, authorized the creation of a State-run health care insurance marketplace where individuals and families can shop for health insurance. Maine’s Marketplace, called CoverME.gov is now open. All plans sold through CoverME.gov provide comprehensive coverage and Essential Health Benefits. 

The Open Enrollment Period begins November 1, 2024 (today!) through January 15, 2025, but the deadline is December 15, 2024 if you need coverage to begin January 1. You can use https://CoverME.gov to:

• Shop for and compare health insurance plans that provide quality comprehensive coverage.
• Apply for financial assistance to lower health insurance costs.
• Find a certified expert to guide you through the shopping and enrollment process and answer your questions at no cost to you.

To learn more: https://www.coverme.gov/

NAR INSURANCE PLACE:

You can also check out the health insurance options at NAR’s REALTORS® Insurance Place.

IMPOSTER SELLERS:

MAR continues to hear about situations involving fraudulent/imposter sellers who try to sell properties in Maine that they do not own – a recent attempt involved a property on Eagle Drive in Windham. The seller impersonation fraud/scam most commonly involves vacant land listings with no encumbrance and non-local owners.

For prospective sellers who are not physically located near you/the property, ask them to Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime with you for a first meeting – and ask them to show their identification on the screen. While scammers may also have fraudulent identification, they are likely to be unwilling to show their face on a screen. You can use a phrase like, “it’s our office protocol for new customers and clients”. If they’re unwilling, likely a red flag. It is not enough to receive identification via email since scammers are using fake passports and/or drivers licenses.

For potential sellers who are nearby, always schedule first meetings with customers/clients in the office, verify their identity (take a photo of their driver’s license), and introduce them to a colleague.

Use your Forewarn app (a NO-COST member benefit provided by Maine Listings).

• Conduct a reverse lookup of the telephone number in FOREWARN and if it comes back with anything other than the expected person – investigate further. 
• Conduct a reverse name search in FOREWARN and call the number(s) provided to confirm the person’s identity and whether they did indeed contact you to list the property. 



In addition, you should verify information about the listing property and owner with the town/municipal tax records and the registry of deeds.