SMDRA WEEKLY NEWS & EVENTS • MAY 15, 2026

FBI Say Real Estate Fraud Climbed to $275M

Even the most diligent can fall victim to fraud, and online thieves are more sophisticated than ever with AI in their arsenal. The FBI's cybercrime division released its 2025 annual report last week that paints a gut-wrenching picture of how online thieves are swindling people during the biggest (and sometimes most nerve-racking) purchase of their lives.

SMDRA EDUCATION
SMDRA classes are offered IN-PERSON and on the ZOOM ONLINE platform in a live, online, instructor led format. Be sure to note where each class is held. Visit smdra.com for details.

ZOOM AI Tools for Agents & New Apprais: What UAD 3.6 Means

May 19 - 9am to 11am

Members Free / $30 Others

0 CE Credit

Instructor: Garrett Helminski

ZOOM Understanding FIRPTA

May 20 - 9am to 10am

Members Free / $20 Others

1 CE Credit

Instructor: Eric Nesbitt

ZOOM GRI 108: Finance in Real Estate

May 20 - 12pm to 4pm

$50 for Everyone

4 CE Credit

Instructor: Kevin Stahle

IN-PERSON All In: The Power of Full Engmnt.

May 21 - 10am to 12pm

Members Free / $30 Others

0 CE Credit

Instructor: Rick Sands

IN-PERSON Modern Marketing Mastery
May 27 - 10am to 12pm

Members Free / $30 Others

0 CE Credit

Instructor: Rich Sands

IN-PERSON AI-Pwred. Bus. Planning from Scale to Sale

May 28 - 10am to 11:30am

Members Free / $30 Others

0 CE Credit

Instructor: John Reyes

FREE EDUCATION FOR SMDRA MEMBERS!

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

UPCOMING DESIGNATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS
SUPPORT THOSE WHO SUPPORT YOU!
This edition of the SMDRA Weekly Newsletter is made possible by the following businesses:
 
UPCOMING SMDRA EVENTS
“Member Dues dollars do not pay for SMDRA Events – these are paid for
by sponsorships from your Affiliate and Industry Business Partners.
Please thank them by using their services to support our Association."

May Power Lunch: Learn from the Best - Top Producer's Panel

DATE: Tuesday, May 19, 2026

TIME:11:00am to 1:00pm

TOPIC: SMDRA Top Producer's Panel

PANEL: Stacie Chadwick, Liv Sotheby’s Realty,

Kim Kronenberger, The Kronenberger Team, RE/MAX Professionals

Conrad Steller, Steller Real Estate

Rike Palese, The Real Estate Experts, RE/MAX Professionals

MODERATER: Shelby Foster, 2026 SMDRA President


THIS IS A SMDRA MEMBER ONLY EVENT!

 

SESSION INFORMATION: The South Metro Denver REALTOR® Association invites you to an exclusive opportunity to learn directly from the industry’s top performers.

Join us for our May Power Lunch Panel featuring elite Diamond Circle Award winners, the professionals who are setting the standard for success in our market right now.

These top producers aren’t just succeeding—they’re thriving in today’s evolving real estate landscape. Now’s your chance to hear exactly how they’re doing it.

What you’ll gain:

  • Real-world strategies that are working in today’s market
  • Lead generation and client conversion insights
  • Time management and productivity habits of top performers
  • Lessons learned, mistakes made, and what they’d do differently
  • Reserve your spot today 


POWER LUNCH SPONSOR: Equity Title of Colorado https://www.equitycol.com/

June Town Hall Talks:

Navigating Local Government Services for Your Clients: What REALTORS Need to Know About HOAs, Metro Districts & Community Services

DATE: Friday, June 5, 2026

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

COST: This is a SMDRA Member Only Event

LOCATION: SMDRA Event Center

SPEAKERS: Stephanie Stanley, Highlands Ranch Metro District General Manager

Renee Anderson, Highlands Ranch Metro District Board Chair and SMDRA Member

TOPIC: Navigating Local Government Services for Your Clients - What REALTORS® Need to Know About HOAs, Metro Districts & Community Services


SESSION INFORMATION: As REALTORS®, understanding how communities function behind the scenes can make all the difference when helping buyers and sellers navigate questions about ownership costs, services, and community expectations.


Join us for June Town Hall Talks as we break down the basics of HOAs, Metro Districts, local governments, and community services and how they all work together to support homeowners across Colorado communities.


We’ll explore:

  • The roles cities, counties, HOAs, and Metro Districts play in serving residents
  • How services like roads, parks, water, trash, and maintenance are funded and managed
  • Common misconceptions REALTORS® hear from clients
  • Why understanding these systems can help you better educate and guide buyers and sellers


This is one of those topics REALTORS® don’t always think about… until clients start asking questions or a transaction gets complicated. Gain practical knowledge you can use in real conversations and real transactions.


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


DONUT SPONSOR: Roof Brokers

https://www.roofbrokersinc.com/

SMDRA Affiliate Success Session: Social Media Roadmap for Affiliates

DATE: Tuesday, May 19th, 2026

TIME: 1:30pm-3:00pm – Meeting & Networking

1:20 Welcome Announcements

1:30pm- 2:30pm – Social Media Panel

2:30 pm- 3:00pm-Networking

TOPIC: Social Media Roadmap for Affiliates

LOCATION: Training Room

SPEAKER/PANEL: Shane Koenig, Beau LaPoint, Bobby Love, Shawn Williams, Teri Virbickis


SESSION INFORMATION: Affiliate membership at SMDRA is a lot like joining a gym…


You don’t get results just for signing up—you get results by showing up, putting in the work, and staying consistent. This Affiliate Success Session is designed to help you do exactly that.


Social Media Roadmap for Affiliates is a fast-paced workshop focused on turning your social media into a relationship-building machine, not just another place to post and hope for the best.


Because here’s the truth:

REALTORS® do business with people they know, like, and trust.


And if you’re not showing up, engaging, and adding value - you’re getting overlooked.

SMDRA REALTORS Care Foundation Fill-A-Backpack

School Supplies Drive

DATE: Tuesday, July 21, 2026

COLLECTION DAY: At July Power Lunch

TIME: 11:00am to 1:00pm

TOPIC: Fill-A-Backpack School Supply Drive Final Collection Day


EVENT DETAILS: The SMDRA REALTORS® Care Foundation is teaming up with A Precious Child for a Backpack & School Supplies Drive happening June 1–July 21, 2026! Help local children start the school year feeling confident, prepared and ready to learn by donating new backpacks, school supplies or monetary contributions. Your donation supports students and families across the Denver metro area who may not otherwise have access to the tools they need for academic success. Together, we can help make the first day of school a little brighter for children in our community.

SMDRA YPN 9&Dine Golf Event

DATE: Monday, July 27, 2026

WHERE: Inverness Hotel and Golf Club, 200 Inverness Drive, Englewood, CO 80112

TIME: 2:00pm Check-In and
3:00pm Shotgun Start

COST: $129 for Golf and Dinner,
$60 for Dinner Only


EVENT DETAILS: Join us for an afternoon of fun, networking, golf and food! This event is open to all members & their guests. Your registration fee includes:

• 9 Holes of Golf

• Golf Cart

• 1 Drink Ticket

• Buffet Dinner

• Dinner ONLY will begin at 6pm


RPAC:

• $30 for 3 Mulligans ($25 RPAC Investment)

• $30 for 3’ of String ($25 RPAC Investment)

OR

• $50 for 3 Mulligans AND 3’ of String
($45 RPAC Investment)


PRIZES: Prizes for Contest Winners


SPONSORSHIPS: Click Here to download the Sponsorship Flyer

MARKET TRENDS & STATISTICS
 

Get the SMDRA Market Trends & Statistics for April 2026

CLICK THE IMAGE to visit the Housing Market Trends and Statistics Resources page on the SMDRA website for the latest statistics resources.

Click the button below to download the latest statistic files.
REALTOR REPORT
 

NAR's Consumer Guide Series

How Solar Impacts a Real Estate Transaction

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®.

3-2-1 Capitol Connection

May 5, 2026

Colorado Association of REALTORS

Fixing Colorado’s Artificial Intelligence Laws. One of the most anticipated bills of 2026 was introduced on May 1st to reform Colorado’s laws regarding discrimination related to artificial intelligence. CAR’s Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) adopted a support position on “Automated Decision-Making Technology (ADMT)” (Senate Bill 189), based on several important provisions in the bill:

 

A better definition for an ADMT as technology that processes personal data and uses computation to generate outputs, including predictions, recommendations, classifications, rankings, scores, and the like, to support decisions that impact individuals. 

April 2026 Housing Market Reports

REcolorado

In April, the Denver Metro housing market maintained steady performance, with key indicators pointing toward a stable and balanced landscape for both buyers and sellers.



Closed listings remained flat year over year at 4,018 homes, reflecting consistent buyer activity compared to last April. Median home prices also held steady at $600,000, showing no significant change year over year and reinforcing overall price stability across the market.

RPAC UPDATES

Six Forces Shaping the Future of Commercial Real Estate

NAR REALTOR Party

Commercial real estate is entering a new phase, shaped by policy as much as market forces. In Advocacy Scoop, Shannon and Patrick connect the dots between six major policy areas and how NAR’s advocacy efforts are shaping the current - and future - CRE landscape. Understand what’s driving change, from tax policy to energy costs -and how it could impact the way you do business. Listen now! 

SUPPORT THOSE WHO SUPPORT YOU!

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

 
SMDRA STORIES

SMDRA Event Rentals

Looking for a Place to Hold

Your Holiday Party This Year?

SMDRA Event & Meeting Rentals

Are you looking for a venue to:
  • Host your company's annual meeting?
  • Have your holiday party or event?
  • Teach an educational class for your employees?
  • Hold a wedding celebration?
  • Or a place to just meet, whatever your reason might be!
  • SMDRA Member discount available

The South Metro Denver REALTOR® Association's Event Center, Lobby, Patio, Legacy Room, Board Room and Training Room are available for day, evening and weekend rentals. Contact us today for rental rates and space availability

Email Susan Cooper at susan@smdra.com for questions and additional information.

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. 
REALTOR Safety Tips

STAY CONSCIOUS OF YOUR actions and words when you are at a showing or open house. Just remember, there could be audio and video recording devices on the property.


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

INSURANCE OPTIONS

Receive exclusive access to health, dental, vision, and other insurance options, including savings on auto, home, and E&O. Plus, member-only financial services and planning offers. Be sure to check out all the options offered by NAR.

CAR BENEFIT

HEALTH INSURANCE

Compass Health Consultants is a full service agency helping real estate professionals and their clients navigate health and life insurance needs across all 50 states, offering comprehensive coverage solutions for individuals, families, and teams of any size.

SMDRA BENEFIT

COPY SERVICES

Members have access to high quality, color/black and white copy services with all the bells and whistles to meet your document reproduction needs. The cost of Copy Services is well below current copy costs that are available in the local area marketplace.

JUST FOR YOU!
 
 

2026 CORPORATE SPONSORS & PARTNERS

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