Bay State Realtor® Magazine - July/August 2019

GOT CONTENT?

WHY YOUR PERSONAL BRAND MATTERS & HOW TO DEVELOP IT p 4 BIRTH ORDER: WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN ABOUT WHERE YOU WILL CHOOSE TO LIVE p6 REALTOR® DAY ON BEACON HILL p12

CONTENT MARKETING How Do Your Clients See You?

WHY YOUR PERSONAL BRAND MATTERS & HOW TO DEVELOP IT p4 PAID LEAVE IS HERE p12 GOT CONTENT? USING CONTENT MARKETING TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN CLIENTS p16

Inside this issue of Bay State REALTOR®

More from MAR » www.marealtor.com/news

2 From the Editor Life Moves Pretty Fast REAL ESTATE @ WORK 4 4 Real Social Why Your Personal Brand Matters & How to Develop It Teah Hopper

6 Birth Order: What it Might Mean About Where You Will Choose to Live Shelby O'Hare

7 Compliance Corner: New Short-Term Rental Law Takes Effect July 1

8 5QW: Five Questions With Rear Admiral Thomas Lynch

Home Financing for Veterans

10 Legislative Priorities

» Massachusetts Association of Realtors®Facebook

12 Realtor® Day on Beacon Hill LEGAL NOTES 14 14 Notes from the MAR Legal Hotline FEATURE 16

16 Got Content? Using Content Marketing to Attract and Retain Clients Eric Berman

MEMBER VOICES 20 20 President’s Message A Few Changes Anne Meczywor 21 Theresa Hatton Named MAR CEO/Executive Vice

President; Medway Realtor® Appointed to Federal Advisory Board

» MARealtors.com

22 Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor

Marty Walsh with Realtors® in Washington D.C.; New ‘Home’ for MAR

24 Calendar ADVERTISER DIRECTORY Realty Guild.....................................IFC MAR Conference................................3 Fairway Mortgage.............................5 RMS.................................................7 GBAR...............................................9 EXIT Realty.......................................11 NEREN MLS....................................15

Osterman Propane......................... 15 A-Z Environmental..........................21 ASAP.........................................21 PROS.............................................23 MassHousing.................................IBC PROS..............................................IBC MLS PIN..........................................BC

July/August 2019

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{from the editor}

Life Moves Pretty Fast

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

BY ERIC BERMAN

JULY/AUGUST 2019 VOL. 66, NO.4

In 1986, the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was released and was one of the top grossing movies of the year. One of the most famous quotes from the movie, of which there were many, was “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” It was such a good quote, that First Lady Barbara Bush used it in her 1990 commencement speech to the graduates at Wellesley College.

The quote also describes what it was like putting this issue of BSR together.

We had a lot of good things happen all at once and if we didn’t get those items in the magazine, it would have felt like we missed something.

The first thing we have to mention is that after a five-and-a-half-month search, MAR has a new CEO/EVP. Theresa Hatton took over the reins on June 3. You can read more about where she was before MAR on page 21 and 2019 President Anne Meczywor also talks about the search process in her column on page 20.

The other big piece of news to share is that in May, MAR closed on its new permanent home located at 18 Washington St (also known as Rt. 1) in Foxborough. You can find out more about our new home on page 22.

We’re also debuting a new column in this issue of the magazine titled “Real Social” by social media expert Teah Hopper. Her name might sound familiar as she wrote the Insider Column for the 2018 September-October issue. In her debut column, Teah writes about why your personal brand matters, especially in social media, on page 4.

I had the pleasure of writing the feature article in this issue. The article, titled “Got Content,” introduces you to the concept of content marketing. While not necessarily new, it’s a type of marketing that is really taking hold as a good way for you to differentiate yourself from the competition. The feature is on page 16.

Moving Too Fast: Unfortunately, I was moving too fast and missed something in the MayJune issue. I would like to thank Realtor® Leonette Strout, with Keller Williams in Beverly, for her email explaining why an image we used was offensive. After reading what she wrote, I couldn’t agree with her more. I could have selected an image that did a better job illustrating why millennials were having higher rates of buyer’s remorse. While I am not able to change the image in the printed copies, we did change the image in the online version.

As Editor in Chief, it is my responsibility to ensure that we publish content that helps educate and inspire and not make anyone feel offended or uncomfortable. In this case, I failed in that responsibility. I have certainly learned from my mistake.

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PRESIDENT

Anne Meczywor, ASR, CBR, CRS, AHWD PRESIDENT-ELECT

Kurt Thompson, CBR, CRS, LMC TREASURER

Dawn Henry, CHMS, CNS IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Rita Coffey, CRB, LMC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR/ EDITOR IN CHIEF

Eric Berman, RCE PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Sabrina Lapointe ART DIRECTOR

Sharon Womble ADVERTISING SALES

Julie Lewis (508) 612-4841 (Publication No. 703-610) ISSN: 0891-5539 Published by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors®, Mailing Address: 333 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02451-1139 (781) 890-3700 The Bay State REALTOR® magazine is published bi-monthly (Jan./Feb., March/April, May/June, July/August, Sept./Oct., Nov./Dec.), as a member service. Subscriptions are $2.50 per year for members and are paid out of member dues. Non-member subscription rate is $40 per year. The comments and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, or policies of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors®.

Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. Periodical postage paid at Boston, MA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Massachusetts Association of Realtors® 333 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02451-1139

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ON YOUR REAL ESTATE CAREER

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TOP SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Crystal Washington, Marki Lemons-Ryhal, Jared James, Sasha Farmer and more!

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N E W S , T R E N D S , & T O O L S F O R R E A LT O R S ®

{real social}

Why Your Personal Brand Matters & How to Develop It

BY TEAH HOPPER In today’s world, you can no longer separate who you are from what you do. It is all tied together.

As a Realtor®, your personal brand and the brand of your business are connected. So, it is important to spend some time thinking about who you are and how you are perceived by others.

You may think you don’t have a personal “brand”—but you do. It is simply what others think when they hear your name. And everything you post on social media contributes to this perception. This may sound daunting, but the reality is that you have the power to shape those perceptions. By being aware of what a personal brand is and how you can make yours stronger, you can control what your reputation is, and, ultimately, build your business. And while developing your personal brand isn’t hard or even all that time consuming, it is so hugely important for everything that you do from this point forward.

Your personal brand is your story. And once you have crafted the key points of your story, knowing what to post on social media becomes easy!

Let’s take your clients for example. They have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a Realtor®.

A homebuyer or seller is ultimately going to choose you over another Realtor® because they like you and they trust you. Your goal is to let them get to know you (the real you!) so they can decide if they like you and you can start to build trust. This starts with knowing who you are and what makes you unique, and then sharing those values consistently on social media, so your potential clients know what you are all about.

This is how personal branding can help your business. When you know what is important to you and share those values with your clients and potential clients (whether through conversations or what you post on social media) you will draw likeminded people to you.

This is called the law of attraction.

Not only does having a strong personal brand attract the RIGHT kind of customers and clients, but it makes doing business more fun. But in order to attract like-minded people, you need to be sure that your personality and values (i.e. personal brand) are being clearly communicated.

How to Develop your Personal Brand

Why Is Personal Branding Important?

People are attracted to people. We like people who are like us, who inspire us, who we learn from or share similar values with. This is especially true in social media; human interaction is the driving force behind the phenomenon.

We enjoy doing business and spending time with genuine people who share our values. But we don’t know what those values are unless they are communicated to us, which is where personal branding comes in.

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We know that personal branding is important, but how do you build yours? You already have a personal brand—you just need to uncover it and share it. Here is how to do just that.

1. Make a list of what is most important to you: What defines you? What are your core values? What are your passions—both personal and professional? What makes you uniquely you and separates you from others? If you don’t know, ask others around you who know you well and whose opinion you trust. Write down as many words as you want. Here are a few to get you started: family, wellness, travel, golf, technology, service.

2. Prioritize your list: Now go through your list and pick the top five that are most important to you. These are your personal brand values. These are the things you should be posting about on social media!

Once you’ve chosen those magic five, focus on them.

Posting about them consistently will help others get to know you and what is important to you. They will start to know your personal brand. When I first did this, I was afraid that I

would be limited by focusing on only five things, but I quickly found that I was naturally posting about them anyway. That’s the beautiful thing about personal branding, it isn’t hard to do, because it is really just sharing with the world who you are, but doing it consistently.

Personal branding is an important concept, especially in today’s increasingly digital and competitive world. It allows people who have never met you to feel like they know you and what it is like to work with you.

We all have a personal brand, whether we are aware of it or not. Once we know our brand values and focus on consistently sharing our unique story with others, we can strengthen our brand, attract the right clients, and build our businesses. This also makes social media marketing more fun and takes the guess work out of posting.

Teah Hopper is a social media strategist and the owner of Teah Hopper Consulting. For more social media tips from Teah, follow Teah Hopper Consulting on Facebook or check out her blog at teahhopper.com

July/August 2019

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{trending topics}

Birth Order: What it Might Mean About Where You Will Choose to Live

BY SHELBY O’HARE There’s an ad for diapers that does a great job demonstrating how birth order has the potential to shape members of the same family.

In the ad, a little girl asks if she can hold her aunt’s first baby. The aunt hands the girl a jumbo bottle of hand sanitizer. The commercial then cuts to the aunt handing her second child to her grease-covered auto mechanic while she searches through her bag for her checkbook to pay for her car repairs. While the ad was selling diapers, it highlights the contrasting upbringing of both kids by the same parents. This is not to say that one way is necessarily correct, but the development and personalities of the kids can likely differ as a result.

Birth order characteristics are not “one size fits all.”

There are many other influencing factors that can shape the environment you would ideally like to live in, including; gender, family values, ethnicity, and many others. Apartment Therapy Magazine interviewed Ana Jovanovic from ParentingPod, an online resource for parents on mental health and well-being, and Dr. Ken Leman, author of “The Birth Order Book” to try and understand if your birth order will determine where you want to live. And while birth order isn’t a perfect science, you can use this information to hopefully get a better understanding of the personality of your clients and how that can influence their buying behaviors.

Oldest Children First born children are more likely to develop anxious traits from being under the supervision of new and anxious parents.

Because of this type of upbringing, they are likely to prefer homes that can offer them independence and solitude, a stark contrast from the environment they grew up in. Jovanovic told Apartment Therapy that the oldest child inherits the nurturing behaviors of their parents, and they feel responsible for taking care of the people they care about because it was done to them to such a degree when growing up. Being the oldest of four, I can understand the need to be away and the need to prove my independence to the people around me. However, I do find myself missing the comfort of constantly being around my parents and my siblings.

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Middle Children Middle children have the opportunity to learn and grow from the mistakes of their older siblings. They have the flexibility and composure to live just about anywhere. “They roll with the punches because they never had mom and dad to themselves,” says Dr. Leman. “They endured hand-medowns so while the first born are attracted to neatness and landscaping, which has to be perfect, [these don’t] have to be [perfect] for the middle child.”

Youngest Children Youngest children crave the social element, similar to that of middle children. “The baby of the family who feeds off other people would prefer condos that are stacked on each other, apartments, or a place with a community pool where they can meet others,” Dr. Leman revealed to Apartment Therapy.

However, “A Review of 200 Birth-Order Studies: Lifestyle Characteristics” discusses that another factor that influences behavior is gender.

For example, I am the oldest of three girls and one boy.

My brother is the youngest overall, yet my youngest sister shares more of the qualities of the youngest child than my brother does. This is likely because my youngest sibling is a boy, he was treated the way a first-born child would have been treated. Raising a boy was new territory for my parents meaning clothes that weren’t hand me downs. My brother is only 10 years old, but he is very similar to me.

COMPLIANCE

CORNER

New Short-Term Rental Law Takes Effect July 1 The new Massachusetts short-term rental law takes effect for stays shorter than 31 consecutive calendar days beginning on or after July 1 and for which contracts were entered into on or after January 1, 2019.

A short-term rental contract is available in the MAR forms library for member use along with 14-day exemption and insurance and disclosure forms to assure that you remain compliant with this law. We encourage you to visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” page on the Mass Department of Revenue’s website for helpful information on how to comply: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/room-occupancyfrequently-asked-questions.

Realtors® who facilitate the collection of rent are required to register with MassTaxConnect, and to collect and remit all taxes. The FAQ page includes video instructions on this registration process, which opens on July 1. Taxes should be collected at the start of each short-term rental stay. The first tax return and payment is due on August 20, 2019 for all taxes collected in the month of July, 2019. Going forward, tax remittance will continue to be due on the 20th of each month.

Please check marealtor.com for updated information on this law and call our Legal Hotline (1-800-370-LEGAL) with any questions.

“Those who are 'onlys' have a tendency to share the personality characteristics with the first born.”

Only Children An only child likely inherited anxiousness from his/her parents and also strives to live somewhere they can experience independence. They tend not to have the desire to live with other people because they grew up not having to share anything with siblings and would prefer solitude. “Those who are 'onlys' have a tendency to share the personality characteristics with the first born,” said Leman. “…as they go through life, a single home that’s sort of isolated on a hill is going to sound really good to an only child because they like solitude and quiet for the most part,” says Leman.

July/August 2019

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5QW

Five Questions With Rear Admiral Thomas Lynch

Home Financing for Veterans This issue’s "Five Questions With" features Rear Admiral Thomas Lynch (U.S.N., Ret.,) the executive chairman of NewDay USA, a nationwide mortgage company for Veterans.

What challenges do veterans face with buying homes?

A. Often, when ending their service in a foreign country, veterans find themselves beginning their homebuying process worlds away from where they intend to plant roots. As a result, many veterans do not have the luxury of being able to casually browse listings in their city or being able to drop in to open houses.

In addition, military veterans are more likely than other consumers to report problems managing credit as it can be difficult to properly review such issues when facing deployment. Ironically, veterans tend to have excellent saving habits, but their outsized difficulties in managing credit can hurt them when it comes time to purchase a home. What’s more, frequent moves can make it more difficult for spouses to maintain steady employment, putting their household under further financial strain.

Q1.

Q2.

How are clients who are veterans different than clients who didn't serve?

A. The military emphasizes loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. Those aren’t just words, but values that are drilled in to every servicemember, and values that servicemembers live throughout their time in service. As a result, veterans tend to be highly motivated and highly reliable individuals.

Studies have shown that they have higher employment rates than the general population and, are more likely to have better saving habits. Veterans also tend to have extremely low delinquency

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rates, indicating that they are among the most reliable demographics with respect to timely payments. Veterans also have a higher rate of intergenerational living arrangements—you see many more veterans looking for homes for their family, rather than civilian single or coupled homebuyers.

Q3.

Do you need to market your real estate services to veterans differently?

A. One of the greatest challenges that veterans face in transitioning to civilian life is an unpreparedness for what life outside of the military entails. The more you can do to help ease that transition for veterans, the better it is for everyone involved. Our marketing reflects the values that many veterans hold: Clarity, purpose, respect, service. These are values that veterans care about deeply, and they need to be reflected in everything that a Realtor® who wants to market to veterans does.

As a veteran-centric company, we also want to ensure that servicemembers understand and fully use the VA (Veteran’s Administration) benefits that they have earned through their service to their country. We aim to educate our customers about VA home loan benefits and recommend that veterans work with Realtors® who are familiar with VA home loans so that they can fully maximize these well-deserved benefits.

Q4.

Are VA (Veteran's Administration) loans always the best option for veterans?

A. VA loans are extremely attractive. In most cases, eligible homebuyers are not required to have a down payment, there are no monthly mortgage insurance premiums

or private mortgage insurance (PMI) costs to pay, there are limitations on closing costs, lower average interest rates, no prepayment penalties, and various other benefits. In the vast majority of cases, a VA loan will be the best option for veterans, and I do not see the rates for VA loans for veterans going up anytime soon.

What are the differences working Q5. with a client who is active military vs.a client who is a veteran?

A. The biggest difference is that an active duty servicemember may still have responsibilities that takes him or her away from the residence. This is one of the greatest challenges for servicemembers— it can be very difficult to manage finances and contractual obligations remotely. It requires flexibility in communication or working more with spouses. Mortgage lenders need to recognize that military servicemembers lead different lifestyles compared to civilians, and so it is imperative that lenders offer financial products and services to meet their specific needs.

Currently, America’s servicemembers, and its veterans in particular, are tremendously underserved. Lenders need to ensure that they are supporting veterans by providing them with responsible financial products and services as they transition to civilian life and homeownership.

Admiral Lynch retired from the U.S. Navy after a decorated 32-year career.

After retiring from the Navy, Lynch served in many private-sector leadership roles. He’s a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and is also the Co-Chairman of the NewDay USA Foundation.

May/June 2019

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{on the hill}

Legislative Priorities At the 34th Annual Margaret C. Carlson Realtor® Day on Beacon Hill this past June, Realtors® met with their state legislators to discuss MAR's 2019-2020 legislative priorities. It is important for you to know what MAR supports and opposes so you’re able to discuss it with your clients, neighbors, and friends.

Support Increasing Housing Production ¡ The H.O.M.E. Bill, developed by MAR in 2014, seeks to remove existing barriers to housing production through several complex zoning changes. For example, it would increase availability of open space or “cluster” development that allows for smaller lot acreage requirements than traditional subdivisions, thus diversifying housing options and preserving open space.

The Bill also removes barriers to construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Commonly known as in-law apartments, ADUs are small, self-contained dwellings with their own entrance, kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area associated with a single-family home.

ADUs will provide more housing options and help homeowners enhance the value of their homes. Finally, it promotes local development by easing restrictions on zoning variance and site plan review procedures. ¡ An Act to promote housing choices, a bill that nearly passed with our support last session was again named by the Governor as one of his top priorities. The bill gives municipalities more tools and incentives to increase housing development, including: permitting cities and towns to modify zoning laws by simple majority rather than the current 2/3 majority vote for certain issues; increasing housing production options for smart growth zoning districts, such as allowing cluster development and ADUs; and enhancing the ability to add housing near public transportation hubs.

Support Expanding Homeownership Opportunities ¡ An Act authorizing the establishment of first-time homebuyer savings accounts, permits future home buyers to deposit up to $5,000 per year into a First Time Home Buyer Savings Account and then claim that contribution as a deduction on their income tax. This measure will help people save towards home ownership, leading, in turn, to wide-ranging economic and community benefits, including payment of property taxes, local business patronization, and community stability.

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¡ An Act relative to the relief of mortgage debt, would align the state with a 2007 federal law, allowing homeowners to complete loan modifications, short sales, and foreclosures for which they have debt forgiven without making them liable to pay state taxes on the that debt. Currently, the amount of forgiven debt, sometimes referred to as phantom income, is treated as taxable income to the borrower, meaning distressed homeowners who need debt forgiveness are suddenly and counterintuitively faced with a large state tax bill.

This bill would provide these individuals with some peace of mind and much needed monetary relief, increasing their potential for future homeownership.

Support Realtors® Doing Their Jobs ¡ An Act further regulating the continuing education requirements for real estate brokers and salespersons, enhances the Real Estate Board’s authority to revise the rules and regulations governing continuing education requirements for real estate licensees. This bill would bring real estate in line with most other licensed professions by providing a greater ability to selfregulate, assuring that continuing education remains relevant and nimble while facing changes in technology and the profession.

Oppose Transfer Taxes ¡ We strongly oppose any new real estate transfer taxes which authorize the creation of a tax on the sale of a home. The imposition of this type of tax on housing would have serious implications for the Massachusetts economy and set the wrong precedent for the Commonwealth’s tax policies.

The Governor proposed a transfer tax in the form a 50% increase in the deeds excise tax in a bill entitled, An Act providing for climate change adaptation infrastructure investments in the Commonwealth, in addition, Massachusetts communities facing budgetary deficiencies regularly seek transfer tax authority to solve local revenue problems. However, creating an entrance or exit fee to homeownership is the wrong way to solve climate change or municipal funding problems.

Transfer taxes increase the bottom-line price of most homes by thousands of dollars, providing an additional barrier to homeownership for many, while also inequitably singling out home buyers and sellers to carry a disproportionate weight in funding government programs.

Oppose Mandatory Energy Scoring ¥ We oppose bills and proposed regulations that would require sellers or their agents to have their home inspected and rated through a Mass Save energy audit prior to listing a home for sale. In addition to having an enormous impact on an individual’s right to freely transfer property, such requirements would negatively affect the real estate industry in the Commonwealth, which is home to some of the oldest housing stock in the country.

Mandatory energy scoring of these older homes would significantly stigmatize and devalue many individual’s largest investments.

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2019 MAR Private Property Rights Award M-Peter Ruffini of Palmer was awarded the 2019 Private Property Rights Award at the 34th Annual Margaret C. Carlson Realtor® Day on Beacon Hill. The award is given to Massachusetts Realtors® who have contributed countless time and energy to government affairs, RPAC, and continues to demonstrate his or her passion for the preservation of private property rights.

Past Award Recipients: 2018 – Corinne Fitzgerald 2017 – Kevin Sears 2016 – Kimberly Allard 2015 – Rita Coffey 2014 – Susan Renfrew 2013 – Judy Moore 2012 – Jeanette Tighe, Steve Ryan 2011 – Richard Dils, David Wluka

Peter Ruffini receives the 2019 Private Property Rights Award from MAR President Anne Meczywor.

Over 450 Realtors® about to hit the halls of the Massachusetts State House to push for expanding homeownership, housing production and continuing education.

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Chair of Joint Committee on Housing Representative Kevin Honan highlighted the need for housing production as part of his keynote address.

First timers at RealtorÂŽ Day on Beacon Hill ready to lobby their elected officials.

2019 MAR leadership with Keynote Speaker Kevin Honan (center).

From left to right: Past President Rita Coffey, President Anne Meczywor, Honan, CEO Theresa Hatton, President-Elect Kurt Thompson, and Treasurer Dawn Henry.

July/August 2019

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Notes from the MAR Legal Hotline

BY JUSTIN DAVIDSON, ESQ., Government Affairs Director & General Counsel CATHERINE TAYLOR, ESQ., Associate Counsel JONATHAN SCHREIBER, ESQ., Staff Attorney

Q: Is sharing a lock box code with a buyer client illegal?

A: No, it is not illegal for a Realtor® to share a lock box code with a buyer without the express permission of the seller, but it is likely a violation of the Realtor® Code of Ethics.

Article 3 of the Code of Ethics places a duty on all Realtors® to cooperate with other brokers except when cooperation is not in the client’s best interest. Standard of Practice 3-9 explicitly states that “Realtors® shall not provide access to listed property on terms other than those established by the owner or the listing broker.”

When a buyer agent schedules a showing for a property and is provided access information to the property, it is that agent’s responsibility to ensure that information is used appropriately. Sharing that information without the permission of the seller may not only expose that Realtor® to an ethics complaint but may also jeopardize that agent’s commission in that the listing agent may dispute whether that agent was the procuring cause in the transaction.

A listing agent who shares access information with an unlicensed individual may be breaching their fiduciary duties to their sellers. Sharing this information is likely a violation of the Duty of Loyalty and Reasonable Care. An agent must always act in the best interests of their client and sharing this type of information with an unlicensed individual places the safety of the seller and their belongings at risk.

Q: My seller has a home security system in the property I have listed. Do I have to disclose this to potential buyers and their agents?

A. Yes, Massachusetts requires two-party consent for all audio recordings. Recording another individual without their consent may subject you and your seller to criminal and civil penalties. Home monitoring devices such as Google Home, Arlo, Nest, and Ring Doorbell, among others, have all become commonplace. It is extremely important to have a conversation regarding these devices with your sellers prior to listing a property.

If a seller has a recording device on the property and intends to have the device active during showings and open houses, they must disclose this fact to any individual who enters the property and is thus subject to recording. Consent may be obtained in writing, or through proper notice which allows an individual to decline being recorded before they are subject to recording. Listing agents should place a notice 14

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in the MLS indicating that showings and open houses may be recorded. Additionally, a notice should be placed on the property indicating that there are recording devices. Unlike an agency disclosure sign at an open house, a placard on the countertop will not suffice as proper notice because the individuals are likely already being recorded.

To assist you in navigating this issue, MAR has developed a new form, Notice of Recording, that may be included with the MLS listing. We have also updated the listing agreements to include a provision under the “Seller’s Duties and Responsibilities” for the seller to disclose whether they have any recording devices on the property and whether they record video, audio, or both video and audio. These updates will be added to our forms library soon!

Q: An unrepresented buyer came to an open house and wants me to help them submit an offer, but my seller will not consent to Dual Agency – how do I proceed?

A: As an agent of the seller, you owe the seller duties of obedience, loyalty, disclosure, confidentiality, accountability, and reasonable care and due diligence. You do not have an agency relationship with the buyer unless the seller consents to dual agency. If your office practices designated agency, another agent in the office may be appointed as a designated agent with the consent of both the buyer and the seller. If one, or both, parties do not consent to dual or designated agency, you are limited to working with that buyer as a customer.

In this scenario you must provide the unrepresented buyer with a Mandatory Agency Disclosure stating that you are a representative of the seller. You may assist the buyer with filling out a Contract to Purchase, but you may not provide the buyer with advice or recommendations pertaining to the terms of the offer.

The information and services provided through the Massachusetts Association of Realtors® is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship. The Massachusetts Association of Realtors®, by providing this service, assumes no actual or implied responsibility for any improper use of responses to questions through this service. The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® will not be legally responsible for any potential misrepresentations or errors made by providing this service. For more information regarding these topics authorized callers should contact the MAR legal hotline at 800-370-5342 or e-mail at legalhotline@marealtor.

Homes beyond the reach of natural gas are taking advantage of propane. Whether new construction, renovations, or even older homes switching away from fuel oil, propane is leading the way. The next time your listing includes a propane tank, remember the endless possibilities with propane.

High efficiency heat – up to 96% AFUE means more heat from every gallon and less heat wasted up a chimney. In fact, high efficiency gas boilers and furnaces no longer require a chimney.

Endless Hot Water – Tankless water heaters save energy when not in use and can provide endless hot water for showers, dishes and laundry.

Precise cooking – Instant on and precise control gives home gourmets and busy parents the ability to prepare every meal perfectly.

Standby power – Never worry about losing electricity again. Propane fueled generators turn on instantly with reliable starting in every weather.

www.ostermangas.com/realestate July/August 2019

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Using Content Marketing to Attract and Retain Clients

BY ERIC BERMAN

It's hard to be successful in real estate. The competition for a limited pool of buyer and seller clients is fierce. In Massachusetts alone, there are 25,000 Realtor®-members, and that doesn’t include non-Realtor® licensees. So, how do you stand out?

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors? How do you become the Realtor® that clients choose over any other Realtor®? The answer is simple and that’s marketing.

Of course, you already know this.

This is not a new concept. In fact, marketing has been around since the time when people first started competing over the selling of goods and services. What hasn’t been around for nearly as long is content marketing.

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What is Content Marketing?

Know Your Client Personas

Content marketing takes a different approach than “traditional” marketing.

According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

Before getting into content creation, you need to know your clients and desired clients. And one of the best ways to know who your clients are, is to create client personas. According to Sam Kusinitz, in a blog post for HubSpot, a Cambridge, Mass.-based global marketing software company, a client persona is, “a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer, based on market research and real data about your existing customers.”

According to Kusinitz, the benefits of a detailed client persona are that it will “help you determine where to focus your time, guide product development, and allow for alignment across the organization. As a result, you will be able to attract the most valuable visitors, leads, and customers to your business.”

For a Realtor®, creating client personas means going beyond just buyers and sellers and digging deeper into who the buyers and sellers are. For example, one persona could be high-end buyers who are looking to buy in the next six months. Another persona could be sellers who have growing families and are

The CMI simplifies their own definition even further: 1. Content should be at the core of your marketing; and 2. Instead of pitching your products or services, provide relevant and useful content to your prospects and customers to help them solve their issues.

looking for a move-up house in the next two years. The more detailed you are in creating the personas that are important to you and your business, the better the chance you have of creating meaningful content.

What is Content?

If content marketing is about the marketing of content, then what is content? As described above, content is information that your clients would find “relevant and useful.” How you get that relevant and useful content to your clients and prospective clients is through blog posts, white papers, email newsletters, videos, infographics, e-books, social media posts, or any other number of examples. To keep it simple, content is the information that is contained in the various media you use.

To real estate social media consultant and speaker Katie Lance, content has an important function. She describes it in a video on one of her content channels, “Content tells the story of what it feels like to work with you. The story of a home is not four bedrooms, two bathrooms, open Sunday July/August 2019

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1-4 ‘come on by,’ those are the facts.

What does it feel like to walk through the front door of your brokerage, that’s the story you want to tell.”

For Chi Yan, a Realtor® at Keller Williams Metropolitan in Baltimore, MD, the push to get into content marketing came after he heard digital marketer Gary Vaynerchuck speak. “He basically said you need to become a media company first and a Realtor® second. Once you do that, the content you put out will be so different than the typical Realtor®.”

With Vaynerchuck’s motivation, Yan created a YouTube channel in early 2018 called “HChiTV” with the tagline “Real estate, food, lifestyle: An adventure you don’t want to miss.” It was a play on this name “Chi” and the cable network “HGTV.” Chi creates a variety of videos for his channel. Some are about his listings; some are educational with experts in the industry and some are just fun parodies that show the lighter side of being a Realtor®.

“I gave myself at Chi Yan least a year to know that the content I put out will have a return,” said Yan. “I truly believe because of that, that this spring, my listing sales prices have jumped quite a bit. I’m consistently closing above my average price range. I think because of the content I put out and the law of attraction, my videos attract a certain type of client and they feel comfortable with the energy of the video, that they have gained trust in me to market their properties.”

For Anthony Lamacchia, brokerowner of Lamacchia Realty based in Waltham, the decision to move into content marketing started in 2011, “I made the conscious decision back in 18

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2011, because I knew the best way to draw people to us was to educate them and push out education,” he said. “It’s been successful because we write about real things that people are interested in.

We’re fortunate to be in the business of real estate where people are interested in reading and learning about it.”

However, it has been an evolution Anthony Lamacchia for Lamacchia and his company along the way, “in the early years, I got too deep into the numbers and didn’t explain things simplistically enough. Now we work hard to make it really easy to understand.”

To Boost or Not to Boost Social media continues to be one of the best ways to get your content to very targeted audiences. However, over the past several years, in order to get the greatest reach, you have pay to boost your content.

While this is not news per se, the decision to spend on social media is a personal one.

Anthony Lamacchia has a significant social media spending budget for his content, “we spend roughly $5,000 per month on all of our social media channels and it is worth every penny,” he said.

This isn’t the case for Realtor® Lisa Sevajian, senior vice president with Compass in Boston, “I’m no longer paying to boost my marketing because I’ve found that the social channels premiums are just

not sensible,” she said. “What I would rather do is pay to get in front of people in the community through in-person events or direct mail and give them a reason to sign up for information so that I can send them my content throughout the year.”

Content Process?

If there are any challenges to being successful at content marketing, it’s making sure you have a content creation process that you are able to maintain.

This means having a plan to create content on a regular basis and making sure to think about ways you can repurpose that content.

There are many ways you can organize content creation, but an easy way to do it is with a content calendar.

According to social media strategist and Bay State Realtor® Magazine contributor Teah Hopper, content calendars lead to more strategic and relevant content.

“When you have a content calendar, you can sit down and plan out your content in advance instead of coming up with it on the fly,” said Hopper.

“If you plan it out in advance, then you can ensure that what you're talking about is relevant to your audience. Without a strategy in place, content is often thrown together last minute, and instead of knowing it is relevant to your audience, you just cross your fingers in hopes that they like it. A content calendar allows you to plan out and create more valuable and strategic content.”

Being flexible also helps with the content you’re able to create according to Sevajian, “my content calendar might say that Wednesday I’m supposed to do three Italian restaurant blogs but I might bump into someone who is opening an art studio and that may seem much more interesting at the moment. So, I have to go with it.

That’s when I create things that are most interesting to the people who follow me.”

It’s Personal

Sevajian also considers the process of creating content as content itself, “I might tell you about how tomorrow I’m going to be meeting with the owner of a restaurant, I might show you photos of my calendar or the list of questions I’m going to ask them. That morning I might post photos of the business or the neighborhood that it’s in. Later, I might post behind the scenes video or photos of me and the owner or me and my team Lisa Sevajian at the establishment.

And then a few days later it might all come together in a video. I will also re-purpose it throughout the year and in conversation with people who are moving to the area,” she said.

Part of your content process should also include a review of what you’re creating and what is working or not. There are numerous ways you can analyze your content such as likes, shares, views, comments, and downloads, etc. Determine what measurement is the most meaningful to you. Once you do that, then review the content. Figure out what works best for meeting your marketing goals and focus your time and effort on those content types and platforms and move away from the lower-performing ones.

Whether you’ve been a Realtor® for several years, or you’re just starting out. You bring experience and perspective that you can use for your content marketing. Interactions with past clients and questions they had can generate content marketing ideas that will help potential clients in the future.

There are plenty of resources to help you get started that are both free and for a fee. Or you can get help from a consultant. But most importantly, if you decide to start a content marketing program, commit to being in it for the long haul. You need to have a plan and it might require not doing something else, so you can spend the time to follow the plan.

“When it comes to marketing, when it comes to content creation, the agents and brokers who are getting the most business…they’re leaning in to who they are, and who they’re not,” said Katie Lance in a video about content marketing.

“If you want to Google and search the top 10 ways to get your home ready for the market, there are probably a million hits, but nobody is going to say it, how you’re going to say it. Nobody is going to give the experience that you’re going to give."

Content Marketing Resources Content Marketing Institute https://www. contentmarketinginstitute.com

Case Study: The Long Play Hector Martinez and his wife Elvia, a military veteran, signed up on Lisa Sevajian’s website about a year ago to receive home listings. They then started following her on Instagram and then she friended them on Facebook.

Over that time, they were actively engaging with The Martinez Family her posts.

Then in June, she received a phone call from the Martinez family that they had found a house they were in love with that they wanted to submit an offer. Sevajian and the Martinez family never met in person and had only chatted via social, but they had her make an offer.

“They needed to get to trust me by seeing me engaging with business owners and community members, then they started to get to know me by seeing who I am and what I do,” she said. “They realized that they liked me and when the time was right, they reached out to work with me. I believe the consumers no longer need to know us to like and trust us, I think that the evolution has shifted, we need to be using our voices to show that we can be trusted, let them get to know us, and then give them the chance to like us.”

Hubspot Academy https://academy.hubspot.com American Marketing Association www.ama.org

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member voices R E A LT O R ® V I E W S

{president’s message}

t

A Few Changes

BY ANNE MECZYWOR I know we all have a lot of skills that consumers take for granted. We know our markets and share that information. We negotiate. We keep paperwork on track. And we do the 110 steps necessary to get properties to closing. But our greatest skill isn’t always obvious. In fact, we pride ourselves on people not noticing. What’s that skill? That skill is adaptability! We are able to think on our feet and make changes.

We expect the unexpected and anticipate what might occur so we are ready for it. Most people wouldn’t even know we had resorted to a Plan B, C, or Z if that’s what it takes, because we keep things moving seamlessly.

By the time you read this, two big changes will have taken place at our Massachusetts Association of Realtors®. (Please read the other articles in this issue of the magazine about these changes too.) The first is the purchase of our new MAR Headquarters building in Foxborough.

This change will give us a much-desired and a long-soughtafter permanent home. As you can imagine, we felt the same emotions our clients feel when we were finally handed the keys to our new home.

Before we move in, we will renovate the building to make sure it meets our current needs and is adaptable to meet our future needs. Be on the lookout for updates, announcements, photos, and events across our social media channels, newsletters, and marelator. com, as well as future articles in Bay State Realtor® magazine.

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Operations of the Association and our professional staff will begin working out of our new home in January 2020.

The second big change is that after a nationwide search, the MAR Executive Committee accepted the recommendation of the Selection Task Force to hire Theresa Hatton as our new chief executive officer and executive vice president.

Please join me in welcoming Theresa to the MAR family!

We’re excited for these new changes and we’ll be treating them like we do when we work with our clients. We’re going in having done our homework and being well-prepared. We’re watching the details and keeping our eye on the goal. We are anticipating challenges, twists, and turns. And like any good Realtor®, we’ll use our ability to adapt to do the best possible job for you, our member.

Theresa Hatton Named MAR CEO/Executive Vice President On May 20, after a five-and-a-halfmonth nationwide search, the MAR Executive Committee appointed Theresa Hatton, CAE, RCE as MAR’s new chief executive officer and executive vice president. Theresa Hatton is a nationally recognized association executive with extensive experience in running successful organizations. Previously, and most recently, the director of professional development and industry relations at the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors®, the CEO of the Greenwich Association of Realtors®, and the Williamson County Association

of Realtors®, Theresa holds both the Realtor® Certified Executive (RCE) and Certified Association Executive (CAE) designations.

Theresa is highly respected by her peers, served as the chair of the National Association of Realtors®’ (NAR) Association Executives Committee – AE Institute Advisory Board in 2016, and received the NAR AE Leaders of Tomorrow Young Professionals Award.

“It was an exciting day for both the membership and the professional staff of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors® when the Executive Committee made the appointment,” said 2019 MAR President Anne Meczywor, broker/associate at Roberts & Associates Realty Inc. in Lenox. “Through multiple rounds of interviews, Theresa proved to be the most outstanding candidate out of a group of outstanding candidates.”

Medway Realtor® Appointed to Federal Advisory Board Medway Realtor® and MAR 2017 President Paul Yorkis, was officially confirmed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a member of the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee (HCFAC).

Yorkis was selected by HUD because of his expertise in real estate, mortgage, and housing counseling.

As a member of the panel’s 12-seat board, Yorkis will provide recommendations and support to the HCFAC in the effort

to help families obtain, sustain and improve their housing through a strong national network of HUD-approved counseling agencies and HUD certified counselors.

"We are extremely proud to see one of our own appointed to the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee," said NAR President John Smaby, a Realtor® and broker at Edina Realty in Edina, Minnesota. "Paul Yorkis has represented himself and his colleagues admirably throughout his career and is exceedingly deserving of this new role, and we're confident that he will continue to positively shape the future of our industry as a member of the HCFAC."

To advertise in Bay State Realtor®, contact Julie Lewis at (508) 612-4841 or Julie@MARadSales.com

July/August 2019

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Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh with Realtors® in Washington D.C. Massachusetts Realtors® who were in Washington D.C. for the National Association of Realtors® annual Legislative Meetings in May had the unexpected opportunity to visit with Mass. Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh who were there together to promote a shared vision on infrastructure.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (left) with MA Governor Charlie Baker (middle) discuss infrastructure

The Governor and the Mayor were featured guests on Axios’ News Shapers program to discuss perspectives on their bipartisan efforts and creating change that constituents can see. Both lawmakers emphasized the need for infrastructure resiliency and structures that can withstand climate change.

Massachusetts Realtors® get some additional stage time with Governor and Mayor

New ‘Home’ for MAR In May, MAR closed on its new headquarters at 18 Washington St. (Rt. 1) in Foxborough, Mass. Located three quarters of a mile north of Gillette Stadium, the building has 20,000 square feet of office space on two levels along with 128 parking spots. A former medical office facility, the build out will include offices, conference and classrooms, and potential retail space. MAR and professional staff will begin operations out of the new location in January 2020.

“Buying our new home was only possible because of the dedication of the volunteers on the Building Task Force, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and professional staff,” said 2019 MAR President Anne Meczywor, broker/ associate at Roberts & Associates Realty Inc. in Lenox. “This is a very exciting day for all of us, and we look forward to welcoming you to our new Foxborough home in January.”

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Operations to begin at new MAR headquarters in January 2020

May/June 2019

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CALENDAR of EVENTS September 9 MAR Board of Directors Meeting

September 24 – 25 NERC Conference & Trade Show

MGM Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA

Foxwoods Casino, Springfield, CT

The Board of Directors will meet at the MGM Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, MA to discuss the management of the association, with regard to the governance, business, finances, and property of the corporation.

This year’s New England Realtors® Conference (NERC) will be held at Foxwoods Casino in CT. 2020 NAR Region 1 Vice President Gene Fercodini welcomes you to Connecticut for the Annual New England Realtors® Conference! The deadline to register is September 10. For more information visit the NERC website. http://newenglandrealtors.org

September 9 MAR Awards Dinner

MGM Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA Join your fellow Realtors® at the MGM Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, MA for an evening of dinner, networking, and the presentation of the following awards: Milton H. Shaw, Good Neighbor, and Realtor® of the Year!

September 10 – 11 MAR Conference & Trade Show

MGM Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA Double down on your real estate career. Join us for our annual two-day conference at the MGM Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, MA. Featuring keynote speaker Crystal Washington along with Marki Lemons-Ryhal, Sasha Farmer and many more!

Register now, our early bird offer ends on July 30!

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October 24 & 29 GRI 202 Building a Foundation MAR HQ 333 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 01760 Build your real estate foundation by learning the intricacies of building codes, condo management and smart development. This two-day course will teach students how to distinguish different architecture, understand the appraisal process, differentiate types of condos/co-ops/timeshares, understand zoning and building codes, familiarize clients with smart growth and green awareness.