The MAR Report

‘Real Talk’ video Thursday: Understanding foreclosures with Paula Savard

eberman — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:00:58 +0000

The term foreclosure gets thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? And while the media is reporting the “foreclosure crisis” is over, the fact remains that foreclosures will always be a part of the real estate market. Paula Savard, broker-owner of Paula K. Aberman Associates in Lancaster, explains what foreclosures are and what Realtors should know about them.

About the Expert:

Paula K. Savard is CEO of Paula K. Aberman Associates in Lancaster, MA and has been practicing real estate , moving people and coordinating selling and buying on a daily basis for over 40 years. She is a Training Instructor in Professional Standards, Certified by the National Association for REALTORS. She was the 1997 Regional Vice president for the New England States and is a past president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. In 1999 and 2008 she served as the Liason between the Law and Policy committees and the Executive/Leadership Team for the National Association of REALTORS. In 2003, Paula was the Massachusetts REALTOR of the Year and in 2012 she was one of two REALTORS nationwide to be honored with the Distinguished Service Award by the National Association of REALTORS.

What’s being said in the media: April pending sales and Market Confidence Index

eberman — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:37:14 +0000

Because of the National Association of REALTORS midyear legislative meetings last week, we were unable to post links to what was reported in the media on the pending sales. So, this edition of “What’s being said in the media” will include both articles and posts that resulted from the Tuesday, May 14 release of the April 2013 pending sales data and the May 21 release of the REALTOR Market Confidence and Price Confidence Indexes. We’ve also included a news segment from New England Cable News that features MAR President Kimberly Allard-Moccia talking about the lack of inventory and bidding wars.

REALTOR Market and Price Confidence Indexes:

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Business Digest: Realtor Confidence Indexes continue to excel
MetroWest Daily News

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Mass. Realtor confidence remains sky-high
Lowell Sun

Mass. Realtors’ Confidence Still Rising
Worcester Business Journal

Business Briefs: Realtor Confidence Up
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Pending Home Sales:

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Pending home sales set record
Boston Herald

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

MAR: Pending Home Sales Hit New All-Time High In April
Banker & Tradesman

Massachusetts pending home sales rose sharply in April, MAR says
Boston.com

Bay State pending home sales set record in April
Boston Business Journal

The return of panic buying?
Boston RealEstateNow Blog

REALTOR Market Indexes hit all-time highs again in April

eberman — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:22:18 +0000

Who knows how long it will last, but REALTOR confidence in both the market and in prices pushed the April REALTOR Market Confidence Index (RMCI) and REALTOR Price Confidence Index (RPCI) to all-time highs again in April. Activity continues to be strong as inventory remains low.

Here are the April 2013 Highlights:

Both the RMCI and the RPCI hit all-time highs in April
This is the third straight time that the RMCI was over the 70-point mark.
The RPCI went over the 80-point mark for the first time ever in April
This is the 20st straight month the RMCI was up over the same time last year and the 15th straight month for RPCI.

Hot Topic:
The March “hot topic” question asked REALTORS how prevalent over-asking price offers were compared to at- or below-asking price offers through the first four months of 2013.

Click here to read the full release: April Realtor(R) Market Confidence Index and Realtor(R) Price Confidence Index

Data points:

REALTOR® Market Confidence Index in April was 79.14 Up 41% from the same time last year
REALTOR® Market Confidence Index in April was UP 5% from March 2013
REALTOR® Price Confidence Index in was 81.47. Up 36% from the same time last year.
REALTOR® Price Confidence Index in April was Up 4% from March 2013.

Mass. pending home sales hit all time high in April

eberman — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:33:45 +0000

Despite the low inventory of homes for sale, buyers made a huge push in April to make offers on homes. In fact, the push was so huge that more single-family homes were put under agreement in April 2013 than in any month since MAR began tracking pending home sales data in January 2004. While condos didn’t hit an all-time high, they did hit their 2nd highest total.

Link to April 2013 Pending Sales News Release

Here are the highlights:

Single-family pending home sales were up 32.8% compared to April 2012 – biggest increase since April 2010 (last month of tax credit)
5,948 is the most homes ever put under agreement in any one month
Condo pending home sales were up 37.4% compared to April 2012
2.435 is the 2nd most condos put under agreement in any single month (March 2005 – 2,501 units was the most)

Travel Without Trepidation Thanks to the MAR Vacation Center

Eric MacDougall — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:55:23 +0000

Worried about where to stay on that last minute trip? The MAR Vacation Center has you covered with two new member benefit partners, Motel 6 and Red Roof Inn! All MAR members will recieve a discount on rooms at both motels! To reserve a room at one of the 1,100+ pet-friendly Motel 6 locations, simply enter the code CP569131 when booking. For a 15% dicount on the nearly 350 Red Roof Inn motels, please click here. Both motels put comfort first and they even allow you to bring those “honorary family members” also known as your pets. I know that there are places you have always wanted to vist, relatives a few hours away, or even a restaurant that you saw on a food channel that you need to check out. With discounts like these I know that my decision to take a trip just got a lot easier……did yours?

‘Real Talk’ video Thursday: Managing your online reputation – Friday edition…

eberman — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:22:44 +0000

One of the greatest assets you have as a REALTOR is your reputation. However, in the online world your reputation is increasingly at risk. So how do you protect it? Heather Logrippo, founder of Expose Yourself Public Relations, gives you some steps you can take to greatly improve the chances your hard-earned reputation stays intact.

About the Expert:
Heather Logrippo is the owner of Expose Yourself Public Relations and Distinctive Homes Magazine. After having helped an online advertising company grow from $1 million in revenue to over $500 million in revenue in just under 7 years, Heather launched her own company helping both businesses and individuals market themselves. Heather’s companies have clients that range from Real Estate Agents to Rock Stars (and some Real Estate agents that are Rock Stars!). Whether it be social media strategy and implementation, strategic online ads, garnering media attention or protecting and preserving your online reputation, Heather and her team are able to assist businesses with growing their business.

Good Neighbors Nomination Deadline Nears

Eric MacDougall — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:00:18 +0000

Did you know that May 20 is the deadline for nominating a member for recognition in the NAR Good Neighbor Awards? In its 14th year, the awards make $10,000 grants available to REALTORS® who impact their communities through volunteer work. Although only five winners are selected for the grants, five additional grants will be given out to honorable mentions. This means that there are TEN chances to win money for deserving charities! To access an entry form please click here or contact Sara Geimer for more information at (312) 329-8296.

Consider yourself invited to REALTOR Day on Beacon Hill

eberman — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:21:08 +0000

2013 MAR President Kimberly Allard-Moccia would like to personally invite all Massachusetts REALTORS to participate in MAR’s annual grassroots lobbying day; REALTOR Day on Beacon Hill on June 5, 2013. This year’s keynote speaker is Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. Check-in is at 9:30 in the Great Hall at the Massachusetts State House. A continental breakfast will be served and the speaking program starts at 10:00. Click here for details. Below is the video invite from MAR President Kimberly Allard-Moccia.

‘Real Talk’ video Thursday: Real estate teams with Tom Mathews and Joanne Taranto

eberman — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:00:15 +0000

Have you ever thought of being part of a real estate team? If so, this “Real Talk’ video Thursday is for you. This week’s edition features Tom Matthews & Joanne Paleo Taranto of The Tom and Joanne Team at Gibson Sotheby’s in Weston, Mass. They discuss the real estate team dynamic and what it takes to “team up on the competition”.

About the Experts:

Tom Mathews has been a Realtor since November 2002 and this is his first and only career. He started the Tom and Joanne Team in January 2005 while working for Prudential in Maynard, MA. The team moved to Weston in July 2007 and joined Sotheby’s in January 2011. Tom graduated from the MAR Leadership Academy in 2007 and is currently a Dean of the GRI program working towards becoming an instructor. He has his GRI and CRS. Tom is a certified trainer and is a lead instructor for BNI Mass for the past 5 years.

Joanne Paleo Taranto is a highly regarded real estate agent in the western suburbs of Boston. Her career is comprised of hundreds of home sales and expertise in marketing luxury properties. Joanne graduated from the MAR Leadership Academy in 2011. She is an Accredited Buyer Representative, Accredited Seller Representative, and has earned the Loss Mitigation Certification. Joanne was recognized nationally by being named a member 2011 class of the REALTOR® Magazine “30 under 30”.

‘Real Talk’ video Thursday: Staging to sell with Margaret Innis

eberman — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:14:05 +0000

“To stage or not to stage, that is the question…” With all apologies to Shakespeare, the question is one that all listing agents and their clients should discuss. In this edition of “Real Talk” video Thursday, Margaret Innis, owner & principal of Decorate To Sell, LLC, describes what staging is and what role it plays in the home sale process. This was recorded at the 2012 MAR Conference & Trade Show.

About the Expert:

Margaret Innis, owner & principal of Decorate To Sell, LLC, is one of the country’s most popular staging & color consultants and founder of the Flair™ System of Staging. Margaret has worked with hundreds of homeowners and 1,000s of properties ranging in price from $60,000 to $12 Million. Staging homes since 1994, she has played an instrumental role in pioneering the concept of preparing a home for sale. Her passion and curiosity have allowed her to serve the needs of the homeowner and real estate professional with great success. Margaret has trained & instructed real estate & design professionals across the country and Canada and her expertise has been sought out & recognized by numerous organizations and corporations including Harvey Industries, Sherwin Williams Paint Company and This Old House Magazine.