HIDDEN GEMS An Event Recap and Schedule of Events for Colorado REALTORS®
FAIR HOUSING MONTH TAKEAWAYS CAR Chair-Elect Natalie Davis gave the first-ever, first anywhere NAR Implicit Bias Training in Broomfield on April 12 at Elevations Credit Union. About 100 REALTORS® took part in this historic event in person and online. This was the warmup for the NAR Legislative Meetings in Washington, DC, in May, where she gave the presentation retitled, Bias Override. Attorney Eric Nesbitt gave a CE presentation regarding Fair Housing Laws, while our own CEO Tyrone Adams introduced him and gave him a brief history of Fair Housing in Colorado. He explained that in 1955, Denver’s Mayor Quigg Newton was an innovative leader in fair housing for the city and state. Colorado was one of the first to introduce these laws. Later in the month, HUD officials Orlando Lopez and Lacey Stange explained how HUD opens investigations and the process of a complaint. Each of these presentations had a few things in common regarding making sure you and your brokerage are acting within fair housing laws. 1) Listing language: Drop your assumptions in trying to anticipate a prospective buyer when writing your MLS listing. Terms like “empty nester,” “two-walking blocks,” “best school ratings” and even “families” should be avoided. 2) Put processes in place within your business management systems to ensure Fair Housing standards. Easy items include workflow checklists, office policies, standard questionnaires for clients, and in-person or virtual meetings for buyers and sellers that talk about expectations when doing business. Refer clients to other Websites to get school or crime information. Again, these same lists need to be given to every buyer and seller.
TOR’S® offer letter or summary. It can also creep in during the loan process.
A FOCUS ON THE FUTURE AT THE CAR SPRING SUMMIT At the main sessions at the CAR Spring Summit, including the Strategic Think Tank, MLS Forum, and Risk Management, the conversation revolved heavily around the future of real estate, leadership into a new era, and finding ways to collaborate for the benefit of our membership and the entire industry. Committee work shared the same spirit of collaboration as our leaders discussed ways we can improve the myriad of programs at both the state and local level and inspire action as we move forward as an industry. Thanks to Charlie Oppler, Michael Oppler, Nobu Hata, and Ryan Frazier for joining us for the Strategic Think Tank Forum and sharing your wisdom and insights. Don’t miss Defining ESG – Why it Should be on the REALTOR® Radar, in this issue of the Colorado REALTOR® Magazine. It explains ESG and highlights the findings of the Purple Report that Ryan debuted during the Strategic Think Tank Forum. Thanks to Greg Zadel, Amy Reid, Jeff Bosch, Gene Millman, Jeff Follis, Scott Peterson, and Deborah Shipley for the discussion during the MLS Forum.
3) Stop it with the love letters already. Every REALTOR® says they don’t tell clients to write or that they accept love letters. But then some clients make a demand for them, and some language can run aground when it comes to a REAL-
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Nobu Hata, Michael Oppler, and Charlie Oppler at the CAR Spring Summit.
