MAR E-NEWS: 6-9-25...NAR Board of Directors Actions

June 9, 2025

2025 MAR E-News

CALL FOR ACTION – TODAY IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!

MAR launched two Calls for Action last week. TODAY a high priority bill, LD 365, Is being heard in the Senate and will soon be heard in the House. We need you to TAKE ACTION if you haven’t already!

LD 365 would create a moratorium on existing contracts for sale of mobile home parks enabling the legislation proposed in LD 1145 to take effect immediately and override current law. MAR strongly opposes legislation that interferes with existing contracts – especially real estate contracts.

If you have taken action, thank you!

If you haven’t, you have received another request today from info@mainerealtors.com with the subject: Take Action – Vote No on LD 365, LD 1145, LD 1723 and LD 1765. Please TAKE ACTION!

If you can’t find the email, you can visit MAR’s “Action Center” to send a message to your Legislator.

The system lets you take action only once. If you can’t remember, try again!

For additional details about proposed priority legislation, refer to MAR’s latest What’s Up in Maine newsletter (if prompted, password is: codeofethics)

Thank you for your help!

MAINE REALTORS® IN D.C.

Last week 35 Maine REALTORS® and staff traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend NAR’s REALTORS® Legislative Meetings (RLM) and advocate for the real estate industry on Capitol Hill. Learn more about NAR’s legislative priorities here

NAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACTIONS:

To read about the NAR Board of Directors’ decisions made on June 5 (among the decisions: no NAR dues increase for 2026, changes to Professional Standards including the Code of Ethics Standard of Practice 10-5, and added a commercial real estate practitioner to the NAR Executive Committee): Learn more about approved Action Items

THANK YOU to NAR and MAR Past President Sharon Millett, MAR President Jeff Harris, MAR President Elect Judy Oberg, MAR First Vice President Raylene Estabrook, and MAR Immediate Past President Paul McKee who serve as NAR Directors in 2025 and cast their votes on Thursday.

UNACCOMPANIED ACCESS TO PROPERTIES:

“Seller called law enforcement to press charges on buyer and buyer agent because buyer had been given unaccompanied access by their buyer agent to the seller’s under contract property without permission” is what we heard earlier this year. There has been an increase in the number of complaints regarding unaccompanied access to properties, so here is another reminder that it is absolutely prohibited to give access to non-licensees to visit or view a property on their own – even vacant properties. This includes but is not limited to buyers, potential buyers, contractors, inspectors, and appraisers. To do so is a violation of the Code of Ethics (subject to sanctions and fines), and Maine Real Estate Commission laws and rules (subject to sanctions and fines, including suspension or revocation of real estate license) and may run afoul of the law. It is never ok and there is no excuse which is good enough to undertake this behavior.

CYBERCRIME ALERT:

Cybercrime—particularly wire fraud—continues to be a top concern in the real estate industry. The U.S. Secret Service has informed NAR about a new cryptocurrency scam targeting real estate professionals, some of whom have lost a significant amount of money. In the scam, fraudsters pretend to be wealthy all-cash homebuyers and engage a real estate agent to develop a relationship. Through the course of the engagement, the fraudster lies about becoming rich through cryptocurrency and then invites the agent to check out a crypto investment website that looks legitimate with cryptocurrency that seems real. This is a variation of a “pig butchering” scam where the victim is “fattened up” before taking the bait. The real estate agent makes a small investment, sees a large return, and is allowed to withdraw their profit. The agent then invests more money—only to lose it all.

For additional information about real estate scams and best practices for risk reduction: visit here

LUNCH AND LEARN: POWERFUL DATA AND AI TOOLS FOR REALTORS®.JUNE 18:

Expand your real estate expertise with RPR's property data tools, all included in your NAR membership. Our no-cost RPR webinar on June 18 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. will guide you through RPR’s features designed to enhance your business operations. At this session, learn how to: conduct in-depth property research effortlessly, access valuable market trends and insights, integrate AI tech to create impressive client reports with ease, and more! Discover how RPR can boost your real estate business!

2025 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:

June 19^th is Juneteenth, a federal and state of Maine holiday. As defined in paragraph 23 of the Purchase and Sale Agreement (and Addenda): "days in this Agreement, including all addenda made a part hereof, shall mean business days defined as excluding Saturdays, Sundays and any observed Maine State/Federal holidays". The Maine State Holiday list is inclusive of all federal holidays. As always, the best approach to any confusing holiday is to communicate both with your client and the agent for the other side to be sure you have all counted the same way and have the same expectations. Here’s the holiday schedule for 2025

MAINE LISTINGS NEWS:

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