SMDRA WEEKLY NEWS & EVENTS • MARCH 14, 2025

FROM 5280: The 25 Best Neighborhoods in Denver

Take a look around at the license plates in your neck of the woods, and you’ll know this to be true: People from all over the country flock to Denver. And we don’t have to tell you why. Cough, abundant sunshine, sensational restaurants and bars, a vibrant arts and music scene, and cutting-edge businesses, cough. There is a lot to love about the Mile High lifestyle—not to mention our proximity to those oh-so-appealing Rocky Mountains.

FREE EDUCATION FOR SMDRA MEMBERS!

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

More Education Options with SMDRA & The CE Shop

Take Your Career to the Next Level

The CE Shop

Take your career to new heights with reliable education. SAVE 30% on Exam Prep, Pre-Licensing, Post-Licensing, Continuing Education, and Professional Development courses when you enroll at https://SMDRA.TheCEShop.com with code RISEUP. Code valid March 1, 2025 thru March 31, 2025! Be sure to use the link about with the code RISEUP to receive your 30% off!

Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) Certification

DATE: April 3, 2025

TIME: 9:00am to 4:00pm

INSTRUCTOR: Rich Sands

CE CREDIT: 6 CE Credits

CLASS DESCRIPTION: The Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certification is specifically designed to enhance your skills on pricing properties, creatting CMAs, working with appraisers, and guiding clients thorugh teh 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 estat market to take the guesswork out of pricing homes. 

You will learn:

• Determine the market-based value range of a home
• Compile a CMA report for proper presentation
• Hone your pricing skills and practices
• How to work with appraisers
• How to adjust comparables
• The purpose and benefits of CMAs and how to guide clients through them
• How to identify appropriate comparables and where to find the information 
• Terminology of pricing and valuation
• The Code of Ethics as it relates to pricing
• The role of supply and demand in pricing 
• Specific challenges and special situations in making adjustments.

March Power Lunch: Meet the 23rd Judicial District DA and Douglas County Sheriff

DATE: Tuesday, March 18, 2025

TIME: 11:00am-11:20am – Lunch and Networking

11:20 Welcome Announcements & Sponsor

11:30am-1:00pm – Program

TOPIC: Meet the New 23rd Judicial District Assistant DA and Douglas County Sheriff

LOCATION: SMDRA Event Center

SPEAKER: Darcy Kofol, 23rd Judicial District Senior Deputy DA and Darren Weekly, Douglas County Sheriff

SESSION INFORMATION: If you’ve lived in Douglas County very long, you have seen the growth in our county and across the Denver Metro Area. The 18th Judicial District – comprised of Arapahoe, Douglas, Lincoln and Elbert counties – has grown more than any other judicial district in Colorado and now serves more than 1 million people. In 2020, House Bill 20-1026 became law creating the 23rd Judicial District.

The new 23rd Judicial District was created by the departure of Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties out of the 18th Judicial District. Starting in 2025, the 18th Judicial District will include only Arapahoe County. In November 2024, voters in the new 23rd Judicial District will elect a new District Attorney. The new DA will be sworn in on Jan. 14, 2025, officially creating the first new judicial district in the State of Colorado since 1965. This new judicial district, while smaller, will still be among the five largest judicial districts in the state.

THIS A SMDRA MEMBER ONLY EVENT!

POWER LUNCH SPONSOR:

Chris' Garage Doors

2025 Mentor Luncheon

Presented by YPN

DATE: Tuesday, March 25, 2025

WHERE: SMDRA Event Center - 6436 S. Racine Circle, Centennial, CO 80111

TIME: 11:00am to 1:00 pm

COST: free to SMDRA members

EVENT DETAILS: Whether you’re a seasoned REALTOR® or just getting started in real estate, you can always benefit from hearing about five important topics from industry leaders and mentors. Our expert panelists will give their tips and tricks on how to succeed in this ever-changing industry.  

Panel topics include:

1. How to Be Successful in Real Estate Using AI – Jillian McKee (Crandall) – Owner, Retro Flair Modern Tech
2. Leads. It’s All About Leads – Michael Baird – CEO/Owner, The Baird Group
3. Working with New Build Communities – Kadee French, NAR YPN Chair Edmond, OK
4. How to Build Your Own Professional Brand – Brandi Wright, The Real Estate Shark, WH Realty Co
5. The Market View from a Top Producer – Jenny Usaj, Broker/Owner, Usaj REALTY

April Town Hall Talks:

Update on Cherry Creek Schools

DATE: Friday, April 4, 2025

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

TOPIC: April Monthly SMDRA General Membership Meeting - April Topic:Update on Cherry Creek Schools

SESSION INFORMATION: Town Hall Talks are the first Friday of every month. This will be a general SMDRA membership meeting, similar to Friday Fuze and Marketing Meetings of the past. An opportunity to catch up on what’s happening at SMDRA, a brief informational presentation, property marketing, buyers and seller’s needs, networking with fellow SMDRA members and OF COURSE DONUTS!

April Topic: Update on Cherry Creek Schools with Superintendent Christopher Smith and CFO Scott Smith

DONUT SPONSOR:

FirstBank - Sam Lutz

April Connections and Cocktails

DATE: Thursday, April 10, 2025

TIME: 4:00pm to 6:00pm – Doors Open at 3:45pm

TOPIC: Connections & Cocktails Networking

SESSION INFORMATION: Connections and Cocktails is the 2nd Thursday of each month from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Connections & Cocktails is a networking opportunity complete with light appetizers and cocktails. Each session will have a focus to educate members about ways to get involved, make industry connections and of course an opportunity to meet and connect with other SMDRA REALTOR® and Affiliate Industry Partner Members.

CONNECTIONS & COCKTAILS SPONSOR:

Fidelity National Home Warranty

April Power Lunch: Denver Fair Housing and NAR Fair Housing Training

DATE: Tuesday, April 15, 2025

TIME: 11:00am-11:20am – Lunch and Networking

11:20 Welcome Announcements & Sponsor

11:30am-1:30pm – Program

TOPIC: Denver Fair Housing - NAR Fair Housing Training

LOCATION: SMDRA Event Center

SPEAKERS: John Paul Marosy, Denver Metro Fair Housing Center & Chad Nash, REALTOR, Broker Owner of Nash and Company, SMDRA Member

SESSION INFORMATION: Join us as John Paul Marosy from the Denver Metro Fair Housing Center and Chad Nash, REALTOR, Broker Owner of Nash and Company, SMDRA Member, speak to us regarding Fair Housing in real estate. This enlightening power lunch on fair housing, where we will explore the history of housing discrimination and its lasting effects on our communities. Understanding this history is essential for fostering inclusive practices and ensuring equal opportunities in housing. By attending, you'll gain valuable insights to enhance your professional expertise and contribute to a more equitable real estate landscape. Don't miss this chance to deepen your knowledge, engage in meaningful discussions, and contribute to the advancement of fair housing in our society. Reserve your seat today and be part of the change towards a more equitable housing landscape.

THIS A SMDRA MEMBER ONLY EVENT!

POWER LUNCH SPONSOR:

Equity Title

2025 Diamond Circle Awards

DATE: Friday, April 25, 2025

TIME: 5:30pm-10:00pm

Cocktails & Networking: 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Dinner & Awards: 7:00pm to 9:30pm

Dancing & Celebration: 9:30 to 10:00pm

LOCATION: Hyatt Regency DTC

7800 E Tufts Ave, Denver, CO 80237

303-779-1234

A CELEBRATION OF YOU!

Don’t miss the most exciting celebration of the year as we honor the top producers of the South Metro Denver REALTOR® Association!

Join us for a night of recognition, inspiration, and celebration as we award the prestigious Diamond Circle Club status to the REALTORS® whose dedication, expertise, and pursuit of excellence have set them apart. These remarkable professionals have achieved outstanding levels of production in real estate transactions between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, demonstrating brilliance and commitment in the field.

This is your chance to be part of an unforgettable evening celebrating success, connecting with peers, and honoring the best in the business. Don’t miss this opportunity to share in the excitement—secure your spot today!

Get the SMDRA Market Trends & Statistics for February 2025

NAR's Consumer Guide Series

MORE New Guide This Week:

Marketing Your Home

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:

February 28, 2025

Colorado Association of REALTORS

FAIR Plan Prepares to Issue Policies in Colorado. In May 2023, House Bill 1288: Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, was signed into law, establishing a FAIR Plan in Colorado. Designed to offer basic homeowners’ insurance to those in high-risk areas where private insurers may be unwilling to provide coverage—think states like California, Florida, and Hawaii—the FAIR Plan steps in only after an applicant has been denied coverage by private insurers at least three times. Coverage is capped at $750,000. By April 1, 2025, the board of the FAIR Plan is required to submit a comprehensive report to the Commissioner of Insurance for the FAIR Plan during the preceding calendar year.

IDX Vendor List

REcolorado

REcolorado is proud to offer our subscribers the ability to enhance their agent websites with IDX. Adding IDX to your website gives consumers the ability to perform property searches on Active, Pending, and Closed listings and more. To ensure the most current and complete information is displayed on agent sites, REcolorado uses MLS Grid to deliver accurate, timely data. The providers shown below are approved IDX vendors for REcolorado customers.

IMPORTANT UPDATES

CTA UPDATE: Nationwide Preliminary Injunction REINSTATED Update Feb 17, 2025

Frascona, Joiner, Goodman and Greenstein, P.C.

On February 17, 2025 a federal judge in Texas lifted a preliminary injunction that had stopped enforcement of the of the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). As a result, CTA reporting obligations are once again in effect.

On February 18, 2025 the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a statement alerting reporting companies to a new reporting deadline of March 21, 2025, which may be subject to further modification. 

In its request to lift the injunction, the Treasury Department stated FinCEN might review and potentially revise the reporting rules for "low-risk entities." However, at this time there are currently no details on what that could mean for CTA reporting.   

Given this most recent decision, FJGG recommends companies that have not yet filed their beneficial ownership information begin preparations to do so by FinCEN’s extended deadline of March 21, 2025.  

The information provided herein is not intended to provide legal advice to the reader. CTA compliance is extremely fact intensive and varies depending on the specific circumstance. If you have questions or require assistance in complying with the CTA, please contact CTA@frascona.com for more information. 

Additional information, past updates, and specifics about CTA reporting requirements can be found on our website here. 

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. 

Looking for a Place to Hold

Your Upcoming 2025 Kick-Off Event?

SMDRA Event & Meeting Rentals

DURING AN OPEN HOUSE, keep the garage or back door closed to prevent intruders from using multiple entrances, and be aware of incoming clients.

Learn more at www.NAR.realtor/safety

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