SMDRA WEEKLY NEWS & EVENTS • AUGUST 14, 2026

HOA Threatened Fines:
For Dead Grass Despite Drought Restrictions
Claims Littleton Resident

A Littleton homeowner told FOX31 that her homeowner’s association threatened her with fines over dead grass, despite her following local watering restrictions during Colorado’s ongoing drought.

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.

August Power Lunch:

Meet the Mayors

DATE: Tuesday, August 18, 2026

TIME: 11:00am-1:30pm

11:00-11:30 – Lunch and Networking

11:20-11:30 – Welcome/Announcement/Sponsor Recognition

11:30am-1:30pm – Meet the Mayors

LOCATION: SMDRA Event Center

SPEAKERS: Mayors of Local Cities in the South Metro Denver Area

THIS IS A SMDRA MEMBER ONLY EVENT!

SESSION INFORMATION: Here’s your opportunity to meet our Mayors from the South Metro Denver area and hear about what’s new in each of their cities. Enjoy a lunch co-sponsored by the REALTOR® Party, your REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) and SMDRA Corporate Sponsor, while learning about issues that affect our industry. Mayors that are invited to join us are:

· Aurora – Mike Coffman

·  Centennial – Christine Sweetland

·  Cherry Hills Village – Katy Brown

·  Greenwood Village – George Lantz

·  Littleton – Kyle Schlachter

·  Lone Tree – Marissa Harmon

·  Parker – Jose Rivero

Help Us Finish Strong!

The August Power Lunch is your last chance to contribute to the SMDRA REALTORS Care Foundation Backpack & School Supplies Drive benefiting A Precious Child. Bring new backpacks, school supplies, or make a monetary donation and help local children start the school year feeling confident, prepared, and ready to learn. Every donation makes a difference, and together we can help set students up for success this school year.

POWER LUNCH SPONSOR:  Karen Hyman with Fidelity National Home Warranty

https://www.homewarranty.com/

2026 SMDRA REALTORS Care Foundation Fill-A-Backpack School Supplies Drive

DATE: Tuesday, August 18, 2026

TIME: 11:00am to 1:00pm – During August Power Lunch

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

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS: the community. Backpacks filled with grade-appropriate school supplies are distributed to children through our Resource Center as well as our agency partners which include schools, human services organizations, at-risk youth centers, homeless shelters and foster care organizations.

We collect new backpacks, school supplies and monetary donations through drives hosted by individuals, organizations and businesses as well as through the Fill A Backpack Corporate and Community Challenges.

The Fill A Backpack program ensures underprivileged children get to start the first day of school feeling confident and prepared to succeed academically.

Did you know that more than 250,000 children live below the Colorado Self-Sufficiency Standard in A Precious Child’s eight-county service area? Children in these families often lack the necessary supplies critical for academic achievement. Ensuring that children have the tools to participate in school can reduce truancy, promote learning and build positive self-esteem.

DOWNLOAD THE FLYER & SUPPLY LIST

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.

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

Own Your Tomorrow: Passport to Homeownership Event - Hosted By CHFA with Sponsor SMDRA IDEA Committee

DATE: Saturday, August 22, 2026

TIME: 11:00am-2:00pm

TOPIC: Homeownership Community Resource Fair

LOCATION: Center for African American Health

3350 Hudson Street, Denver, CO 80207

SESSION INFORMATION: Homeownership can provide more than a place to live. It can create stability, build generational wealth, and help strengthen communities.

The South Metro Denver REALTOR® Association is proud to support the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority’s Own Your Tomorrow: Passport to Homeownership event on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

This free, educational, and family-friendly event is designed to help prospective buyers understand the homebuying process and connect with professionals who can support them throughout their journey.

During the event, participants will visit interactive educational stations staffed by HUD-approved housing counselors, lenders, real estate professionals, CHFA representatives, and nonprofit organizations.

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 Esate 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

HAVE A CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN for your office. Be prepared for an array of events such as power outages, natural disasters, workplace violence, active shooter, or outbreak of contagious diseases.

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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