March 27, 2025

REALTOR® RALLY REGISTRATION IS OPEN –

 JOIN US!

REALTOR® Rally is April 17th. Registration is now open! No cost to attend, parking is free, we help with the talking points! Pre-registration is encouraged to assist MAR with advance planning and communications to legislators.

10:30 a.m. at the Augusta Civic Center North Wing "Pre-Rally": Federal Issues Briefing with NAR, meet Maine REALTOR® Legislators, Q&A with MAR Advocacy Leaders and Government Affairs Team, and a networking lunch. 

1:00 p.m. Hall of Flags, Maine State House: Tour the State House, visit the Senate and House chambers and watch our government in action, network with REALTORS® and Legislators. We will have Guest Speakers in the Hall of Flags (invited) and dessert to share with your legislators.

Already this legislative session we’re faced with increased fees at the Registry of Deeds, increased real estate transfer tax, local option taxes, expanded PFAS testing, property tax stabilization, establishment of a deed fraud commission, streamlined permitting for certain multifamily housing developments, and a Maine Constitutional amendment to allow municipalities to apportion real and personal property taxes on the basis of property classification. 

MAR VIRTUAL REALTOR® RALLY - MOBILE ALERTS:

Be ready for the virtual portion of MAR’s REALTOR® Rally! Text REALTORS to 30644 to register for mobile alerts. When a state or national REALTOR® call for action is launched, you can take action from your cell phone!

NAR ANNOUNCES NEW MLS POLICY:

On March 25, the National Association of REALTORS® announced the adoption of a new MLS policy, Multiple Listing Options for Sellers, to exist in conjunction with the Clear Cooperation Policy. The implementation deadline for the new policy is September 30.

Visit facts.realtor to view NAR’s new policy statement and read FAQ’s.

Be watching the Maine Listings Weekly Communications e-newsletters and MAR E-NEWS for updates over the coming months.  

NAR LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS & TRADE EXPO: 

Registration is open for the 2025 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo, May 31 – June 5 in Washington, D.C. Registration is free for NAR members. Some sessions will be virtual for those who prefer not to travel, including the NAR Board of Directors meeting. More information and to register

FAIR HOUSING / ANTI-BIAS TRAINING REQUIREMENT:

Effective January 1, 2025, all REALTORS® are now required to complete fair housing/anti-bias training in addition to Code of Ethics training. These training courses must be completed between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027. Learn more about this new membership requirement here

NAR has developed a NO COST, self-paced, two-hour course (no CE) called Fairhaven 2.0 to help members fulfill this membership requirement. Upon completion of this online course, your NAR member record will automatically update to reflect compliance.

Learn more about Fairhaven 2.0

Three-hour continuing education courses are also available to fulfill the fair housing / anti-bias training membership requirement. Find the list here. Be sure to share your course completion certificate with your local REALTOR® Board to update your membership record for compliance.  

U.S. COMPANIES REMOVED FROM BOI REPORTING:

The U.S. Treasury Department and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) recently announced that it has issued an interim final rule that removes Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements for U.S. companies.

For more information, please see FinCEN's notice

MAINE PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE:

In July 2023, the State of Maine Legislature passed a budget that included the creation of a paid family and medical leave program, making Maine the 13th state to establish one. Beginning in 2026, eligible workers in the private and public sector will have 12 weeks of paid time-off available to them for family or medical reasons including illness, to care for a relative, or for the birth of a child.

Starting with the first payroll with a pay date in January 2025, any employer with at least one Maine-based employee has obligations under Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law. Employers will begin 1^st quarter wage reporting and premium payments starting April 1.

Employers should take immediate actions to prepare by following the steps on this one-pager

Self-employed persons can be eligible for Maine PFML. Check out the FAQ’s at this link for program details. Stay up to date by signing up for the PFML Get Notified List and learn more in the Maine DOL FAQ, employer resources, recorded demonstrations, and step by step guides on the Maine DOL website

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