SMDRA WEEKLY NEWS & EVENTS • AUGUST 21, 2026

Congratulations to Your New

SMDRA Board of Directors Members

Congratulations to SMDRA’s newly elected Board of Directors! We’re excited to welcome these dedicated REALTOR® leaders who have stepped forward to serve our Association and represent our members. Their leadership, insight, and commitment will help guide SMDRA into another successful year. Please join us in congratulating our newly elected Directors, we look forward to all they’ll bring to SMDRA!

FREE EDUCATION FOR SMDRA MEMBERS!

ALL CLASSES except designations and certifications are FREE for SMDRA members.

Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource Certification

During this course, we will focus on building your skill set and knowledge on various topics, including short-sale proceedings, foreclosures, and the agent’s role in dealing with such tasks. At the completion of the course, you will be prepared to effectively tackle a short sale or foreclosure from contract through close. 

Topics Include:

• Direct distressed sellers to finance, tax, and legal professionals

• Qualify sellers for short sales

• Develop a short-sale package

• Negotiate with lenders

• Tap into buyer demand

• Safeguard your commission

• Limit risk

• Protect buyers

Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) Certification

The Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certification is specifically designed to enhance your skills on pricing properties, creating CMAs, working with appraisers, and guiding clients through the anxieties and misperceptions they often have about home values.

Determining property values depends more than ever on professional expertise and competence, the best use of technology, and approaching the pricing assignment from various perspectives. Enhance your skills in pricing properties, creating CMAs, working with appraisers, and guiding clients through the anxieties and misperceptions they often have about home values with the PSA certification.

The key to competitive home pricing is becoming proficient at comparative market analyses (CMAs). In this class, you will learn how to evaluate the existing real estate market to take the guesswork out of pricing homes.

September Town Hall Talks: Fraud Prevention for the Real Estate Industry

DATE: Friday, September 4, 2026

TIME: 9:00am to 10:00am – Doors Open at 8:45am

COST: This is a SMDRA Member Only Event

LOCATION: SMDRA Event Center

SPEAKER: Tracy Dowd, Supervisory Special Agent of the Economic Crimes Unit with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation

TOPIC: Fraud Prevention Tactics for the Real Estate Industry

THIS IS A SMDRA MEMBER ONLY EVENT!

SESSION INFORMATION: Fraud and financial crimes continue to pose serious risks in the real estate industry, and knowing what to watch for can help protect you, your clients, and your transactions.

Join us for September Town Hall Talks as Tracy Dowd, Supervisory Special Agent of the Economic Crimes Unit with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, shares insight into fraud prevention and the importance of staying alert in today's real estate environment.

Learn how greater awareness can help REALTORS® recognize potential red flags, reduce risk, and better protect themselves and their clients from fraudulent activity.

Stay informed. Stay vigilant. Help protect your business and your clients.

Plus coffee, donuts, networking, and the latest updates from SMDRA.

DONUT SPONSOR:  Kelli Nesbitt, The Mortgage Co https://themortgageco.com/team-member/kelli-nesbitt/

Bags, Bids & Beverages:

Cornhole Tournament and Silent Auction Benefiting the SMDRA REALTORS Care Foundation

DATE: Thursday, September 10, 2026

TIME: 4:00pm to 7:00pm

4:00 to 7:00 Networking, Margaritas, Food and Silent Auction

4:30 Sharp – Tournament Begins

6:00 – Championship Match

6:20 – Tournament Awards and Recognition

6:30 – Place Your Final Silent Auction Bids

7:00 – Event Concludes

You don't have to play in the Cornhole Tournament to attend this event!

COST: $50 per team

All proceeds benefit the SMDRA REALTORS Care Foundation

LOCATION: SMDRA Event Center & Patio

TOPIC: Cornhole Tournament and Silent Auction Fundraiser

Toss Some Bags. Place Some Bids. Change Some Lives.

Grab your partner, perfect your toss and get ready for an evening packed with bags, bids and beverages! Join us during the September Connections & Cocktails for a summer night out on the patio for friendly competition, cocktails, networking and community impact at the SMDRA REALTORS® Care Foundation Cornhole Tournament & Silent Auction. Whether you're competing for bragging rights, bidding on amazing auction items or simply enjoying the fun, every dollar raised helps support local charitable and housing-related initiatives in our community.

Help Us Make Waves for a Great Cause!

Every registration and every auction bid helps support local charitable and housing-related initiatives through the SMDRA REALTORS® Care Foundation.

September Power Lunch:

Back to Basics: Building a Business That Lasts

DATE: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

TIME: 11:00am-1:00pm

11:00-11:30 – Lunch and Networking

11:20-11:30 – Welcome/Announcement/

Sponsor Recognition

11:30am-1:00pm – Speakers

LOCATION: SMDRA Event Center

SPEAKERS: Loida Velasquez, REALTOR and Lindsey Litton, Speaker, Strategy Coach

THIS IS A SMDRA MEMBER ONLY EVENT!

SESSION INFORMATION: Join Women's Council of REALTORS® Mile High Network and SMDRA for Back to Basics: Building a Business That Lasts, an engaging workshop designed to help real estate professionals refocus on the foundational strategies that create a consistent, sustainable, and profitable business.

The program will feature industry leaders Lindsay Litton and Loida Velasquez, beginning with insights from Lindsay, followed by a 45-minute interactive workshop led by Loida. Together, they'll share practical strategies, proven systems, and actionable techniques to help attendees strengthen client relationships, generate new opportunities, and build momentum in today's market.

Whether you're looking to refine your business fundamentals or elevate your growth strategy, you'll leave with renewed confidence, fresh ideas, and tools you can implement immediately.

POWER LUNCH SPONSOR:  Wings Credit Union

2026 REALTOR Appreciation Breakfast & Vendor Fair

DATE: Friday, September 25, 2026

TIME: 7:45am-12:00pm

LOCATION: Hyatt Regency DTC, 7800 E Tufts Ave, Denver, CO 80237

TOPIC: A New Era of Home Buyers Is Here

SPEAKER: Dr. Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS®.

COST: Vendor Fair:

$450 – Vendor Table

$45 for additional Vendor Affiliate Tickets

REALTOR Appreciation Breakfast:

$0 – REALTOR Members

$45 – Affiliate Members

$55 – Non-Members/Non-Member Guests

SESSION INFORMATION: The real estate market never stands still—and neither do today’s buyers and sellers. From shifting expectations about how we live and use our homes to entirely new ways of searching and buying, the housing landscape is undergoing rapid transformation. Today’s consumers are redefining what “home” means, how they find it, and what they expect from their real estate professional along the way.

At the same time, affordability challenges and limited inventory have made the journey to homeownership more complex than ever. Yet, buyers are proving resilient—finding creative and innovative ways to break into the market despite these headwinds.

Layered on top of this is a profound demographic shift. The question is no longer just what homes people want but who today’s housing consumers are. Who is today’s buyer and seller? What motivates them? And how must agents and brokers evolve to meet and exceed their expectations?

This session dives into the changing face of real estate, offering insights into consumer trends, emerging behaviors, and the evolving role of the real estate professional in a dynamic market.

Get the SMDRA Market Trends & Statistics for July 2026

IDEA: INCLUSION • DIVERSITY • EQUITY • ACTION

Happy National Senior Citizens Day - August 21st

Were you aware that Senior Citizens (those 65 and older or “Baby Boomers”) own 50% of real estate in the U.S.? In dollar volume, that’s somewhere between $30–$65 TRILLION in home equity! August 21st is being commemorated as National Senior Citizens Day to honor the contributions, achievements and dedication of older adults to society. It also raises awareness of health, economic and social issues affecting seniors.

The SMDRA IDEA Committee, encourage our fellow SMDRA members to become aware of these figures and also to check out services that we can recommend to our senior clients. Two of our beneficiary organizations are:

Brothers Redevelopment Non-profit: SMDRA works with Brothers on Paint-A-Thon, but they have programs to help seniors make their home age-in-place ready. That could include a stair lift, bathroom or kitchen remodel, front door accessibility, or other modifications. Reach them at brothersredevelopment.org or 303-202-6340.

Sunshine Share Home Organization: Helps seniors with home sharing. They utilize trained social workers to make matches that work. Reach them at sunshinehomeshare.org.

In markets across the U.S., 70% of seniors prefer to age in place rather than sell. This has had an impact on housing availability, as there was a time when seniors downsized or moved in with family.

Seniors can also fall prey to unscrupulous buyers who purchase their homes at far less than market value. This type of equity theft (aka predatory property flipping) can actually be a form of elder abuse, as the senior can be stripped of equity that is theirs to live on.

All the more reason to have a good REALTOR® on their side!

NAR's Consumer Guide Series

NEW Guide: Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season

National Association of REALTORS®

National Association of REALTORS®

NAR continues to roll out our “Consumer Guide” series, and they are pleased to share the latest resources on offers of compensation for home sellers. These resources cover the process and options available for offering compensation to a buyer’s agent and the reasons why this may be a compelling strategy for sellers to consider when marketing their property.

NAR hopes you are finding these resources to be useful, and they encourage you to continue to distribute them to inquiring consumers so they are armed with the information they need as they begin working with an agent who is a REALTOR®.

New Colorado Real Estate License Laws Take Effect August 12: Here's What You Need to Know

Colorado Association of REALTORS

CAR fought for key improvements and here’s what changes for your business.

On August 12, 2026, several important updates to Colorado real estate license law will take effect following the passage of two important pieces of legislation passed by our state’s legislature and signed by Governor Polis earlier this year.

July 2026 Housing Market Reports

REcolorado

The Denver Metro housing market showed a notable shift in July, with rising prices and faster sales alongside a pullback in overall transaction volume. Closed listings dipped 2% year over year to 3,669 homes sold, while the median closed price climbed 3% to $605,000 — a sign that home values continue to trend upward despite fewer closed sales.

RPAC UPDATES

New Colorado Law - Effective August 1, 2026 - What REALTORS Need to Know

NAR REALTOR Party

Beginning August 1, 2026, Colorado HB 26-1426 introduces new consumer protection requirements for residential real estate transactions, including written compensation agreements, guidance on non-standard contracts, and stronger enforcement against unlicensed real estate activity.

See what the new law means for REALTORS®.

This edition of the SMDRA Weekly Newsletter is made possible by our Corporate Sponsors:

SMDRA REALTOR Member

Benefit - Forewarn!

SMDRA is thrilled to announce a COMPLIMENTARY proactive safety and lead intelligence service for all SMDRA REALTOR Members!

NEW AT FOREWARN! We’re excited to announce the launch of our new Community Hub to help agents make the most of their FOREWARN member benefit! 

The FOREWARN Community Hub includes:  

• How to use FOREWARN: A quick guide to using FOREWARN. 
• Activation instructions: Four easy steps to set up your account if you haven’t already. 
• Search tips and FAQs: How to get the most out of the app and get answers to common questions. 
• Training sessions: Sign up for live training or watch the demo video. 
• Videos: Watch the product video to see how FOREWARN can help protect you and your business or watch a testimonial video to see how it has helped others. 

SMDRA Event Rentals

Looking for a Place to Hold

Your Holiday Party This Year?

SMDRA Event & Meeting Rentals

AS YOU WRAP UP your showing or open house, make it a priority to conduct a final security check. Ensure that all windows are securely locked to ensure the home is not easily accessible to potential criminals.

Learn more at www.NAR.realtor/safety

YOUR MEMBER BENEFITS!

Discover Member discounts and resources from NAR, CAR and SMDRA!. Time to maximize your strategic partnerships, and member-only discounts for members. Our mission is to ensure you have access to the best tools resources you need to achieve greater success.

NAR BENEFIT

NAR TRAVEL CLUB

With more than 45 years in the membership travel industry, Travel + Leisure Co. offers customized discount travel membership clubs and technology solutions to affinity partners including large employers, banks, retailers, trade associations across the Globe.

CAR BENEFIT

E&O INSURANCE

Williams specializes in real estate E&O Insurance. Quality insurance products and superior program management. REALTORS® get additional coverage endorsement at no additional premium.

SMDRA BENEFIT

FOREWARN

FOREWARN brings knowledge to the real estate industry through innovative solutions to ensure safer engagements and smarter interactions. FOREWARN solutions enable real estate professionals to gain real-time knowledge.

2026 CORPORATE SPONSORS & PARTNERS

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