May 9, 2025

MAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACTIONS:

The following are among the actions at the May 7 MAR Board of Directors meeting:

-Approved the MAR Legislative Committee recommended priority positions for legislative bills;

-Chose the Samoset Resort for the location of the 2027 MAR convention;

-Approved an increased budget allocation from $15,000 to $18,750 for Maine REALTOR® magazine for 2025;

-Recommended MAR bylaws amendments to the REALTOR® membership at the 2025 MAR Annual Meeting to be held on October 8 at Holiday Inn By the Bay. The bylaws amendments will be noticed to all members at least 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting.

Reminder: You can view MAR’s legislative bill tracking report here (password: codeofethics):

MAILING/CONTACT LIST SCAM:

Several REALTOR® members reached out to us this week to let us know they were sent an email asking if they would like to purchase a list of Maine Association of REALTORS® registrants/members. As a reminder, MAR does not provide or sell your membership information or any “lists”. Buyer beware. That information is not from the Maine Association of REALTORS®. MAR does have a “Find a REALTOR®” option on mainerealtors.com where we refer members and the public for contact information. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: PATHWAYS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP

On Tuesday, May 6th MAR was joined by Maine Housing to discuss the various homeownership programs available to first time homebuyers. Maine Housing was excited to share increases to the income eligibility took effect May 2025 along with a wealth of other beneficial information. Check out the slides from Tuesday's presentation along with a recording of the webinar.

MAR LEGAL FORMS CHANGES FOR 2026 MEMBER FEEDBACK BY THIS MONDAY MAY 12: 

If you have thoughts on what you would like added or changed to MAR legal forms for 2026, or if you have ideas for a new form, please use this link to send feedback by May 12

MREC NOTICE OF RULEMAKING:

The Maine Real Estate Commission has announced a Notice of Agency Rulemaking with proposed amendments to the following chapters:

·       CHAPTER 300: Commission Meetings

·       CHAPTER 340: Complaints and Investigations

·       CHAPTER 350: Adjudicatory Hearings

·       CHAPTER 360: Approval of Qualifying Education Courses

·       CHAPTER 370: Continuing Education

·       CHAPTER 390: Licensing Procedures and Requirements for Individuals and Agencies

·       CHAPTER 400: Real Estate Brokerage Agency and Designated Broker Responsibilities

·       CHAPTER 410: Minimum Standards of Practice

Click here for detailed information including mark-ups (102 pages)

A public hearing will be held: May 15, 2025 beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Comment deadline is May 27, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Additional details are in the notice. 

NAR STAGING REPORT:

A newly released NAR research report indicates that home staging boosts sales prices and reduces time on the market. Here’s a copy of the Profile of Home Staging report

Review NAR’s April research updates

INVESTIGATE ALL LEADS:

This week we’ve heard that 242 Norway Drive in Bar Harbor is not for sale by its lawful owners.  

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

• 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. 

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. 

MAINE REALTOR® MAGAZINE DELIVERY PREFERENCE:

Maine REALTOR® Magazine is mailed to your office address unless you update your Communication Preference in the Maine Association of REALTORS® membership database.

To update your “Communication Preference”:

1)    Login to the Maine Association of REALTORS® RAMCO portal link: Login Here

2)    Help info is on the top and side of the portal sign-in screen.

3)    Click on the “Update Your Member Profile” in the blue box (upper left)

4)    Note the five sections on the left to update (Main, Home Address, Mailing Address, Personal, Communication Preferences)

5)    Update your information in each section and be sure to click on Save at the bottom of each section.

Save the Dates:

Member Portals: