03/15/2013

original slideshow

Roanoke Valley REALTOR

Online  

 Roanoke Valley  Associathion of REALTORS

   

Greetings!

You are receiving this online newsletter as a benefit of being a member of the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS�.
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Member Type  Count

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REALTOR�   1,060

 

Offices            122           

Affiliate           142

 

Click here to see which RVAR members have switched firms, gone inactive, or joined recently. 

Realtor.com Rebranding and New Marketing Campaign

REALTOR.com has rebranded its site with a new logo, slogan and website design which downplays ties to NAR. Move, Inc. operates Realtor.com under the terms of a 1996 agreement with NAR.

For years, the REALTOR.com logo featured NAR's "block R" Realtor and a prominent declaration next to the logo informed users that the listing portal was the "Official Site of the National Association of REALTORS." The new Realtor.com logo makes no reference to NAR and features a new slogan "Where home happens". NAR is referenced in the fine print at the bottom of the page.

Realtor.com is also launching an aggressive marketing campaign that portrays the timeliness, accuracy and completeness of listings on the portal as giving its users a competitive advantage over buyers searching for homes on less reliable third-party websites. The "Find It First" marketing campaign makes the case that with inventories tight in many markets, accurate and timely listings data could make the difference between finding a buyer's dream home or losing out to another buyer.
 
NAR was involved in and is supportive of Realtor.com's rebranding efforts. Thanks to the site's ties to NAR, Realtor.com receives listings directly from more than 800 multiple listing services that, in most cases, is updated every 15 minutes. Rival listing portals Zillow and Trulia overtook Realtor.com last year to become the most visited listing portals. Realtor.com is currently ranked third in mobile and desktop real estate Web traffic.

Sending Ads Across State Lines?

Then you MUST identify yourself as "licensed in Virginia". Any advertising which travels electronically MUST have the above statement in the ad. This includes, but is not limited to, websites, emails, copies of listings sent to customers via email, Facebook, Twitter or other social media and any Internet communication for personal promotion or marketing property. This regulation has been required by NAR and DPOR since the early days of electronic communication but remains the #1 violation cited by RVAR's Advertising Committee. And don't forget -- electronic ads must ALSO include the city and state of your firm's office (or if applicable, the city and state of the firm's branch with which you are associated.)  Click here for RVAR's Advertising Rules. Questions? Contact any member of the Advertising Committee or RVAR CEO Laura Benjamin.

REALTORS� Serving Our Community

Spring Food Drive: RVAR's Community Service Committee is sponsoring another Salvation Army Food Drive throughout the month of April. Donation boxes will be delivered to most offices the first week of April and picked up at the end of the month. Click here to see a list of most needed items. Please make a food (or monetary) donation to help keep the Salvation Army's Pantry stocked.

Rebuilding Together: Want to spend a beautiful Saturday in April enjoying a day of "good works", camaraderie and fun? Join fellow REALTORS� and Affiliates for Rebuilding Together, a national effort to rehabilitate houses on the last Saturday each April.

On Saturday, April 27th, RVAR will be rehabilitating a home including general clean up, painting, plumbing and plastering. To participate in this charitable effort sponsored by RVAR's Community Service Committee, click here to complete the volunteer form. Questions? Contact Susan Edwards at the RVAR Office.

MLS Rental Change

Coming in early April, there will be fewer required fields when you enter a rental listing into the MLS system. Responding to member requests, the MLS Policy Committee and Board of Directors have just approved this change. Watch the MLS Bulletin Board for an announcement of the effective date. 

Brokers Breakfast  

All Brokers and Managers are invited to attend RVAR's Brokers Breakfast on Wednesday, March 27th at the RVAR office. (Coffee/continental breakfast 8:00-8:30AM, folllowed by the program 8:30-10:00AM.) Special guests will be VAR President Mary Dykstra and VAR Political Field Rep Bob Hill. The primary purpose of this Breakfast is sharing -- RVAR with Brokers, Brokers with RVAR and Brokers with each other. Click here to register.

Save the Date for Lake REALTOR� After Hours!   

Derby Day is the theme of the May 2nd REALTOR� After Hours, 5-7PM at Bridgewater Bay Clubhouse. $100 prize for best barbecue. $50 prize for best Derby Day hat (women AND men are eligible to win.) More details and registration will be available soon.

NAR REALTOR� Expo in DC  

NAR's Midyear Trade Expo will be held May 15th and 16th (10AM-6PM), at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. The Expo features the latest in real estate products and services from over 100 industry-leading companies. There is something for every REALTOR�. Plan to stop by the show, talk with experts in the industry and find profitable ideas to gain an edge in today's market. Admission to the Expo is FREE for all REALTORS�.  Click here for more information or to register.

Upcoming Education Offerings

CRS Elective Course: No Bull Selling: LeRoy Houser will be back in Roanoke on March 21st to teach this brand new day-long course. This course will focus on: online marketing techniques; creating a buyer counseling program; three critical fundamentals of successful negotiation and capturing more referrals.  Click here to watch LeRoy describe the contents of this class. Click here for more information or to register.

Already have the CRS designation? You may attend this class at a discounted rate. Contact Louann Pagans at the RVAR office for more information.
   
Fair Housing: Roanoke City's Fair Housing Board is offering a free Fair Housing Course open to all REALTORS� on April 18th, 1:00-4:30PM at the Jefferson Center Fitzpatrick Hall. Mally Dryden-Mason of the Virginia Fair Housing Office will present this class, which qualifies for CE/PL 3 hours fair housing.

Fair Housing for Property Managers: Roanoke City's Fair Housing Board is offering this optional, free class focused on property managers, on April 18th, 10:00AM-Noon at the Jefferson Center Fitzpatrick Hall. Special Guest Ron Leshnower, author, blogger and lawyer, will answer tough questions from his perspective as an experienced rental property advisor. Topics will include accommodating disabled tenants, occupancy standards, as well as advertising and legal obligations. This optional class does not qualify for CE/PL credit.

Click here to register for one or both of these classes.

REALTOR� Safety: Don't Be a Victim: This April 24th class (10:00-11:30AM) will cover everything from REALTOR� safety in the field to safety tips for real estate offices. Another FREE class offered by RVAR's Education Committee. Click here for more information or to register.

RVAR's Speakers Council -- City Police Chief Chris Perkins

RVAR's Speakers Council will feature Roanoke City Police Chief Chris Perkins at its Tuesday, March 19th meeting. The meeting is held at the RVAR Office, beginning at 8:15AM and ending by 9:30AM. Breakfast is provided. The cost to attend is $5 -- or you can join the Council for an annual cost of $35. Click here to register for this session.

RVAR's Speakers Council meets nine times a year, with a featured speaker usually related to economic development or quality of life issues in the greater Roanoke Valley.  

Upcoming Events  

   

March 19th

Speakers Council

March 21st

CRS Elective: No Bull Selling

March 27th

Broker Breakfast

March 29th

RVAR Office Closed for Good Friday

April 18th

Roanoke City Fair Housing Class

April 24th

REALTOR� Safety Class

April 27th

Rebuilding Together

May 2nd

REALTOR� After Hours at the Lake

 

 

 
Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS 
 www.RVAR.com | (540) 772-0526 | Email