First Quarter Update from 2017 President Paula Monthofer
Market Snapshot: Sales are up and inventory is down across Arizona. MLS sales in the Phoenix Metro Area for January and February were 14% higher than 2016. Average sale prices increased by 5% and median sale prices increased 7.5%
Legislative/RAPAC: REALTORS® at the Capitol had over 300 REALTORS® telling legislators how harmful a professional service tax would be to businesses, including ours. We have reviewed more than 1,000 bills, actively engaged in 150 and passed several pieces of legislation including one allowing municipalities to more easily incorporate and a bill allowing real estate salespersons to sell mobile and manufactured homes in a mobile home park. We are at 54% of our RAPAC fundraising goal and have 101 Major Investors so far.
Unlicensed Assistants: An important bill we had passed clarifies that salespersons may compensate unlicensed assistants. Additionally, Arizona REALTORS® is working with the Arizona Department of Real Estate to revise its Substantive Policy Statement to more accurately reflect the tasks unlicensed assistants can and should be permitted to perform.
Forms & Forms Licensing: We successfully released a revised Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract and 17 ancillary forms with widespread approval. We anticipate extending forms licensing to brokers by the third quarter and after much work, can now allow it to third-party entities.
MIPIM: Arizona REALTORS® sponsored the Scottsdale Area Association booth in NAR’s pavilion at MIPIM and sent Immediate Past President Paula Serven and 2017 President Paula Monthofer to research the event. Over 25,000 attendees comb the floors and the outside pavilions of the convention each year to find a safe place to invest and grow their wealth, most of them unaware of the opportunities the U.S. can offer.
Communications: A “Welcome” email series released to new members has had great feedback. We are enjoying double and triple-digit increases in member response and engagement on social media sites. A few new video series will be released this year including conversations with the Real Estate Commissioner, a PSA series, the BIG three series and more. Our Enhanced Member Profile is set to become more robust with the REALTOR® Party Plus data expected by the end of June.
Professional Development: The Arizona REALTORS® live remote classes offer outlying members classes from top instructors at their own associations. Our live “Broker Brief” open forum webinar series allows brokers to learn and interact directly with our CEO, legal counsel, Legal Hotline attorney and broker representatives. The new “Contract Conversation” video series features two brokers having a conversation as they walk through sections of our forms and share best practices.
Arizona REALTORS® State Convention: Five-hundred and one members (the most in over 14 years) were offered all 24 required CE hours, classes with top national speakers, technology workshops and more while having fun and networking. More than $74,000 was raised for RAPAC in just three days through our silent auction, Let’s Make a Deal Lunch, WCR events and Annual Cornhole Tournament.