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Your SAR re-opened its physical office, this week, for the first time since operations were moved online by the governor's order back on March 16th.
We operated virtually for 78 days.
This does not mean we are open for business as it was before the pandemic. You'll see some changes:
- Masks are required on everyone in the building - members and staff - except at designated work stations.
- Sanitizing efforts are increased and continuous - this takes time, please be patient.
- Physical distancing is required.
- Staff members are alternating work stations between office and home. If you wish to meet with a specific staff member, please call ahead and make an appointment.
These conditions will remain in effect at least through the end of the year.
If you are not comfortable with any of these new conditions, we welcome the opportunity to serve you virtually, online or on the phone. Please be in touch:
(509) 326-9222
2020 SAR President Tom Clark visited the SAR, this week, to see how the re-opening of the association's physical office space is coming along.
All necessary signage, distance markers, hand sanitizer, and plexiglas panels are in place to ensure member, staff, and guest safety.
During his visit, he recorded a short video to offer an update on several upcoming items, including our Quarterly Meetings and SAR Golf Tournament.
His video runs about two-minutes, and is online here:
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2020 President Tom Clark message to members
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Last week's Round-table
Online now!
How does a city build and re-build following a global pandemic that shuts down nearly every business and leaves an all-time high number of people unemployed?
Members joined us at the round-table Friday as we sat down with three of the people who will be leading their organizations to do just that.
2020 SAR President
Tom Clark welcomed:
Rob Higgins, Executive Vice President
Spokane Association of REALTORS®
Mark Richard, President and CEO
Downtown Spokane Partnership
Joel White, Executive Officer
Spokane Home Builders Association
Watch the 40-minute recording online here:
All Spokane Association of REALTORS® COVID-19 resources are
online here.
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NEW!
The Governor's "
Safe Start Proclamation" (pictured above) for Washington's phased reopening took effect this week, June 1st.
This includes modifications for real estate activities in counties that have been approved for Phase 2 re-opening (and those approved for modified Phase 1 re-opening). One of those modifications allows for a real estate firm, in a Phase 2 or modified Phase 1 county, to re-open its office in a limited fashion. In order to re-open, a firm must adhere to the many required protocols for real estate, including those for professional services office space working environments. There are additional restrictions for modified Phase 1 counties.
Washington REALTORS® and Northwest MLS have developed resources that firms can use to safely re-open their offices in compliance with the required safety protocols.
Of course, firms are not required to re-open and some may choose to delay re-opening until a later date. Firms may also choose to develop their own resources and plans to comply with the Governor's requirements. Note that future phases of the Governor's plan (e.g. Phase 3) will likely have similar requirements for offices to open.
The resources developed by Washington REALTORS® and Northwest MLS include the following, all required by the Order:
Please be sure to thoroughly review the
COVID-19 Exposure Control, Mitigation, and Recovery Plan and make sure that your firm can and will comply with all of the requirements before re-opening. The Plan requires that a site-specific supervisor be designated to monitor the health of workers and apply all components of the Plan.
The Department of Labor & Industries is charged with ensuring that firms comply with the required protocols in the Order and can issue citations and fines for unsafe workplace conditions.
All Washington REALTORS® COVID-19 resources are
online here.
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NEW!
NAR Chief Economist,
Lawrence Yun, shares economic updates and market trends for REALTORS®, buyers, and sellers.
See his three-minute video online here:
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Navigating the Economy & Housing Market
Through COVID-19
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All National Association of REALTORS® COVID-19 resources are
online here.
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NEW!
SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM WR PRESIDENT KITTY WALLACE AND CEO STEVE FRANCKS
The appalling and senseless death of George Floyd on a street corner of a great American city, captured on video for all Americans to see, is a terrible tragedy that has sparked a painful but necessary national examination of the systemic social injustice and institutional racism that continues to plague our nation.
Washington REALTORS®, like so many others, has struggled to find words to express our sympathies for Mr. Floyd's family and to make a meaningful contribution to the ongoing national conversation about justice and equity.
We know that any words we choose will be imperfect, imprecise and inadequate.
But we feel we must speak, and so with great humility and respect we add our voice of support to all those who are speaking up.
Read the full Washington REALTORS® special bulletin
online here.
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Northwest Passages: Real Estate
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NEW!
SAR Past President
Ken Sax was a guest on
Northwest Passages, this week, with
The Spokesman-Review reporter
Amy Edelen.
Amy asked Ken about the Spokane real estate market and how recent challenges have affected it.
Watch the video online here - it's about 50-minutes:
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Northwest Passages Virtual Forum:
Real Estate Broker Ken Sax
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Revaluation Notices Delayed
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NEW!
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Spokane County property revaluation and, hence, notices to all property owners - now delayed until August (usually sent this time of year).
These values are used to calculate 2021 property taxes.
From the assessor's office: "
In January, our office had no idea that the corona virus would have such an impact on all of our lives. We feel that it is important to take some additional time to evaluate the effects that governmental restrictions have had on the market value of properties in Spokane County."
Read the memo we received from Spokane County Assessor Tom Konis, this week (pictured above), online here.
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BYLAWS VOTE
THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
11:00 a.m. via Zoom
The Board of Directors of the Spokane Association of REALTORS® is submitting to the membership proposed Bylaw amendments.
The Bylaws will be voted on by the REALTOR® members present at the
Virtual General Membership Meeting on
Thursday, June 18, 2020, 11:00 a.m.
Via Zoom
There is no fee for the meeting, but you must register here:
to be entered in some great gift card drawings.
Please join us!
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Click on the button below to join the meeting:
- OR - copy and paste this link in your browser:
- OR - enter these credentials on Zoom:
Meeting ID: 830 4966 8054
Password: 589274
There is no fee for the meeting, but you must register to be entered in the gift card drawings. Please join us!
See a redline copy of the
Restated Bylaws of Spokane Association of REALTORS(pictured above),
online here
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A Bylaws Presidential Advisory Group (PAG) was formed in 2019 to look at the SAR Bylaws and recommend changes to them so that we only have what is required by NAR, state law and recommendations by our legal counsel included.
The majority of the current Bylaws that show deleted in the redline copy have been moved to the Policies of the SAR, a new working document.
We are providing it here for information purposes only.
See a copy of the new Policies of the Spokane Association of REALTORS® (pictured, left) online here.
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RPR: Prepare for Upcoming Demand
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Is summer the new spring?
COVID-19 may have delayed our typical spring market, but the tides are changing.
As buyers and sellers come back to the market, make sure you're prepared to respond with the right information at the drop of a dime.
In many areas, inventory is low.
Both buyers and sellers need to be prepared to respond accordingly and they need your guidance.
Join RPR to learn how Market Activity & Buyer Tour Reports will help your clients successfully react to a changing market.
With low inventory in many areas, buyers will need to make decisions quickly, and potential sellers may realize this is a great time to list.
WEBINAR OFFERED TWICE:
Monday, June 8th, at 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 16th, at 11 a.m.
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Right Tools, Right Now
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The National Association of REALTORS® has relaunched its Right Tools, Right Now program which offers several business resources - many of which are free to members to help them in their businesses.
Right Tools, Right Now offers access to webinars, tips for managing finances, educational resources, and more.
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SAR Professional Development
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SAR Professional Development
All SAR professional development classes are postponed for June.
Continue to watch our calendar and Weekly Notices for classes starting in July.
Please be in touch with
Tami at the SAR if you have any questions about classes or your license education requirements, by phone at
326-9222 or by
email.
NEXT WEEK!
Washington REALTORS® webinar:
Current Issues in WA Residential Real Estate
Wednesday, June 10th - 9:00 a.m. to noon
3.0 clock hours
To stay current with your continuing education requirements, please visit The CE Shop - Washington REALTORS®' preferred vendor for online continuing education.
These are state-approved, self-paced courses that you can take in the comfort of your own home or anywhere you have internet access.
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SAR CALENDAR
Click on the calendar image below to see
the current SAR calendar showing dates and times
of classes, committees, and events.
Other regional calendars:
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TransactionDesk: Listing Upload Tool
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NEW!
Your SAR is excited to launch the Listing Upload Tool in TransactionDesk.
With one click, you can now create an MLS listing from the property data form in TransactionDesk.
Click here to download the Listing Upload Tool guide (pictured above).
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Homebuying Remains Competitive
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NEW!
The Spokesman-Review asks, in this past Sunday's newspaper:
Will the Spokane housing market weather the storm?
The article reports:
"But the new normal may not be that much different than the old normal, some local market observers say. They believe the Spokane area will continue to attract buyers, such as retirees and teleworkers, looking to escape larger metros in search of affordability and quality of life - now and post-pandemic."
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REALTORS® Pivot to Digital Transactions
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Coldwell Banker Tomlinson's Abbey Parsons says technology might be
playing a more prominent role now - but it can't replace relationships. |
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NEW!
"Representatives of Spokane real estate companies say the move to digital operations during Gov. Jay Inslee's Stay Home, Stay Safe mandate was a simple shift that required better use of existing technology.
Now that Spokane County has moved to Phase 2 of the Gov. Jay Inslee's Safe Start plan to reopen the economy, those same companies are busy prepping their offices to bring their office staff and agents back."
We asked the
Journal of Business to move this article in front of its paywall so that our members can read it.
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2020 SAR REALTOR® Award Nominations
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NEW DEADLINE:
Monday, July 6th
Applications are now being accepted for all 2020 SAR REALTOR® Awards!
You and your REALTOR® colleagues will decide who will be our honorees for:
2020 REALTOR
® of the Year
Steve Flinn REALTOR
® Achievement
REALTOR
® Community Service
Affiliate of the Year
Partner of the Year
Spokane's Citizen of the Year
The deadline by which you must submit nominations to the SAR for them to be considered is Monday, July 6th.
The 2020 SAR REALTOR® Awards will be announced and presented
at the SAR's annual REALTOR® Awards Luncheon at Ruby River Hotel (formerly Red Lion River Hotel) -
date to be announced once this is determined.
Download the
2020 SAR REALTOR® Award Nomination Form (pictured above)
online here.
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2019 Gary Fox Memorial Award
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NEW DEADLINE:
Monday, July 6th
Nominations are now being accepted for the
2019 Gary Fox Memorial Designated/Managing Broker Award.
This award recognizes a Designated Broker or Managing Broker who serves as an example of loyalty, ethical behavior, and leadership in the real estate profession.
The deadline to submit applications to the SAR is Monday, July 6th.
The 2019 Gary Fox Memorial Designated/Managing Broker Award honoree will be announced and presented at the SAR's annual REALTOR® Awards Luncheon at Ruby River Hotel (formerly Red Lion River Hotel) - date to be announced once this is determined.
Download the award information/application packet (pictured above)
online here.
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2020 James S. Black Memorial Scholarship
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NEW DEADLINE:
Monday, July 6th
Applications are now being accepted for the
2020 James S. Black Memorial Scholarship.
This scholarship helps members pay for tuition and expenses leading to professional designations such as GRI, CRS, CPM, SIR, or MAI.
The deadline to submit applications to the SAR is Monday, July 6th.
The 2020 James S. Black Memorial Scholarship will be announced and presented at the SAR's annual REALTOR® Awards Luncheon at Ruby River Hotel (formerly Red Lion River Hotel) - date to be announced once this is determined.
Download the scholarship information/application packet (pictured above)
online here.
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Member Roster Update - May
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NEW!
Updated for May
Click here to view the latest Member Roster Update (pictured above) - approved by the Board of Directors at its February meeting.
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Market Activity Report - April
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The SAR Market Activity Report for
April is now online.
See the latest full report -
a member-exclusive product
See the
April 2020
Market Snapshot Report
See the
2020 Year to Date Market Snapshot Report (pictured above),
online here.
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Presented by your Spokane Association of REALTORS® 
See what's NEW at
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Quick Information
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Tech Helpline: 866-610-8939
Legal Hotline: 800-562-6027
Washington State Legislature Hotline: 800-562-6000
MLS Weekly News & Info
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2020 SAR Leadership
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2020 SAR PRESIDENT
Tom Clark
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PRESIDENT ELECT
Coldwell Banker Tomlinson N
951-9331
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT:
Gina Mosey
RE/MAX Inland Empire
953-3410
SECRETARY:
John L. Scott, Inc.
280-8595
TREASURER:
Windermere Airway Heights
688-4151
Executive Vice President
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2020 SAR Committee Chairs
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BUDGET/FINANCE:
688-4151
COMMUNICATIONS:
954-5647
FORMS:
999-7488
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS:
218-8062
GRIEVANCE:
703-0385
MEMBERSHIP:
879-1636
MLS STEERING:
953-1666
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
951-9710
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS:
994-0359
SERVING OUR SPOKANE:
879-5092
SPECIAL EVENTS:
953-3410
TECHNOLOGY:
342-0406
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