January 2021
MEMBERS FIRST
NEWSLETTER
THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP
IN THIS ISSUE • Thank You For Your Membership • Installation & Awards Ceremony • Sponsorship Opportunities • Florida Realtors® MidWinter Meetings • 2021 NAR Benefits • November Market Statistics • January Class Calendar • Vital Industry Partner Directory • Welcome New Members
I hope everyone had a wonderful new year and set your goals for 2021. It’s going to be a great year for the real estate market. As 2020 comes to a close, we still have COVID-19 affecting us in 2021. Even though we have a vaccine that will be available soon, we will still be conducting virtual meetings and social distancing until we can get this virus under control. We will also be following CDC guidelines to keep our members and staff
safe. We would like to offer our prayers and condolences to those among us who have suffered a loss of a friend or family member; let us keep their memory bright in our hearts. Remember, 2021 will bring us more challenges that I know we will overcome together as a Realtor® family. We are now in the new Association building, which, let me add, looks great. We are working on a great educational platform for the upcoming year, (Cont. on Page 2)
(407) 846-0117 | 1105 CROSS PRAIRIE PKWY, KISSIMMEE, FL 34744 | OSCEOLAREALTORS.ORG
President’s Message
DONNIE MARTINEZ 2021 PRESIDENT
along with some additional classes in social media, marketing and technology to enhance our professionalism as Realtors®. We are also focusing on our community engagement in an effort to enhance and educate the public on Who We R as Realtors®. The Association is financially strong thanks to Twis, our CEO, staying on top of the expenditures and budget. I’d like to welcome our new board members this year who will bring more diversity, different skills, knowledge and experience. I’d like to give a big warm welcome to out newest members of the 2021 Board of Directors, Ivette Jimenez, Kymbat Iglikova, Holly Wolfer, and Donna Ross. What they bring will only help OSCAR soar to its limit along with Imran Mohamed moving up to the Executive Committee as he advances to secretary. I look forward to working with everyone this year. Please look for anything out of the norm that any of our Realtor® members do to help others and send us an email so they can be recognized for their heroics. I will leave you with our theme for 2021, our future begins today. So let us make this a year to be remembered. Thank you!
2021 Leadership Board of Directors
- Donnie Martinez 2021 President
Alexandra Arena-Gil President-Elect
Joe Johnson Past President
Ben Robles, Jr. Treasurer
Imran Mohamed Secretary
Twis Lizasuain Chief Executive Officer
Norkis Fernandez-Valdez
Kymbat Iglikova
Ivette Jimenez
James K. Lowe
Kelvis Melo
Donna Ross
Gladys Thayer
Holly Wolfer
Jose Ortiz
Teresa Reilly-O’Doherty
Our Future Begins Today
2021 Installation & Awards Ceremony
Message from Twis
Happy New Year! Thank you for renewing your membership. This past year has been one to remember and we appreciate all our members who chose to renew their membership with us this year, and look forward to a successful 2021! As we close out on 2020, we’d like to invite our members to join us for our Annual Installation and Awards Ceremony. At this end-of-year celebration, we will announce our annual award winners, install our 2021 Board of Directors, and celebrate our members!
TWIS LIZASUAIN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Questions? Call us at 407-846-0117 Email us at membership@osceolarealtors.com
This year it will be conducted a bit differently due to COVID-19. The whole ceremony will be conducted virtually! You must register online to watch the event live with us. We’re going to stream the event live on Zoom and share the live video afterwards with our members on Facebook and YouTube. We highly encourage all our members to participate, as we will be announcing the award winners live during the event! You can register directly at bit.ly/ installation-awards we hope to see you there.
Welcome New VIPs
Sponsorship Opportunities
Do you know any businesses that would benefit from joining our membership? We are looking for companies that provide products or services to the real estate industry. As part of our membership, Vital Industry Partners (VIPs) receive many benefits including: •
Free Advertisement. Our VIP roster is included in our New Member packets and our monthly newsletter. Both of these publications put your contact information into the hands of every new member joining the Association. Paid advertisements are also available. Contact us at 407-846-0117, Membership@osceolarealtors.com, or visit www.OsceolaRealtors.com/affiliates-2/ for more information.
•
Sponsorship Opportunities. VIPs are given the opportunity to sponsor educational classes, luncheons, and events. Sponsorships include logo placement on all promotional materials, social media marketing, recognition during the event/ class, and the ability to distribute promotional material regarding your company. If you’d like to be a sponsor, please contact Nancy Hubbard at 407-846-0117 or nhubbard@Osceola-realtors.com.
Jesse Stephenson Real Estate Photography Specialists Kevin Huber Budget Professional Services •
Relationship Building. VIPs may join certain committees as a non-voting member to assist with Association activities, give back to our community, and build relationships with our members. Being involved in the Association activities will lead to an increase of our members recognition of your company. To apply as a VIP member, please visit our website at www.Osceolarealtors.com/affiliate-membersapplication, contact us at 407-846-0117 or membership@osceola-realtors.com. Becoming a VIP is an excellent opportunity to get your company’s name out to individuals that can directly benefit from your products and/or services.
Learn More at C2EX.Realtor
Florida Realtors® Mid-Winter Meetings
The Mid-Winter Business Meetings will be virtual. This annual Florida Realtors event focuses on association governance and public policy and inducts our new leadership for the year. This year’s meetings are scheduled at various times between January 12 to 29, 2021. The Mid-Winter Business Meetings focus on association governance, public policy and association business. This annual event also celebrates the incoming leadership team. Participants and members at this annual business summit strive to advance the association’s initiatives through advocacy and committee involvement. Members take an active Register Now: role to advance the real estate industry, public policy and the association. bit.ly/FR-Mid-Winter The event concludes with the Board of Directors meeting, where the association’s bylaws are updated to ensure the association’s membership goals are met and keep the association on a path of success. For more information call, 800.669.4327
See the schedule here: bit.ly/FR-Mid-WinterSchedule
2021 NAR Member Benefits Guide Personal Insurance
• Switch and you could save $842 on your auto and home insurance. • Convenient payment options, including automatic checking account deduction or direct billing at home, choose what works best for you. • 24-Hour Claims Assistance to quickly handle your claim. Contact anytime by phone, online, or via our Mobile Claims App. • 24-Hour Roadside Assistance to get you moving again if your car ever breaks down. • Personal Property Replacement Cost: ensure you’ll be paid the actual amount to replace damaged items. Visit Liberty Mutual or call 1-800-809-9778 for a free, no-obligation quote. Be sure to mention your NAR membership and client #004639 to receive savings.
Marketing Resources Adwerx is a simple and effective platform designed to boost your digital marketing strategy by building awareness of your real estate business, winning more referrals, promoting your listings to a group of targeted homebuyers online. Visit adwerx.com to create ad campaigns with 15% bonus views or to add the bonus views to your renewing campaigns. Be sure to have your NAR Membership ID (NRDS ID) handy and add at checkout when prompted. To get started or for personal assistance visit about.adwerx.com/NAR, call 888-622-5771, or email NARsupport@adwerx.com.
Educational Tools
NAR Members receive a benefit of $100 off the 100 Days to Greatness Program. Brokers can offer 100 Days to Greatness as a companion program to their onboarding processes to help give agents a strong foundation in their business. For personal assistance, call 800-376-6158. Secure your spot! The first online course is set to open January 11, 2021. Individual Agents: Visit buffiniandcompany.com/100DaysNAR to sign up and create an account. Make sure to have your NRDS number handy (NAR Membership ID number). You will be notified when your program kit is mailed to you and when access to the online course is live. Mentors and Facilitators: If you’re a broker-owner interested in leading your agents through the program and want to participate as a program mentor or facilitator, visit buffiniandcompany.com/ Certified100DaysNAR for complete program details and pricing.
Travel & Automotive NAR's official automobile manufacturer offers REALTORS® exclusive savings, including a $500 cash allowance, on the purchase or lease of select Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, or FIAT® models, and the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio.
Save up to 25% off base rates on every rental, plus skip the lines with Avis Preferred™.
Save up to 25% off base rates on rentals and still get quality service without big prices.
Save up to 25% off base rates at participating locations worldwide. Plus, enjoy premier travel perks by joining Hertz Gold Plus Rewards®.
NAR Realtor® Resource Store YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR EDUCATIONAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS! GET FREE & DISCOUNTED PRODUCTS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE RIGHT TOOLS RIGHT NOW PROGRAM
For A Full List of Benefits: nar.realtor/realtor-benefits-program
All Properties Market Statistics
November 2020 Check out more market statistics on our website! Visit: osceolarealtors.org/statistics/
Additional Education Opportunities CENTER FOR REALTORÂŽ DEVELOPMENT
JANUARY PROMOTIONS
Sale Price: $100.00 (regularly $125.00)
Sale Price: $236.00 (regularly $295.00)
All month long, the courses leading to these official NAR credentials will be on sale for 20% off. In addition, during January, the Course of the Month is Buyers by Generation, also 20% all month
JANUARY CLASS CALENDAR
REDEEM YOUR EDUCATION VOUCHERS BEFORE 12/31/21
Choosing and Writing a Successful Contract
1/6/2021
9:00 am-5:00 pm
7CE
When we’re finished with this workshop, you’ll have a completed contract along with every rider. The ultimate purpose of a well prepared contract is to ensure that all parties understand the obligations of themselves and the parties to the contract. There should be no misunderstandings, nor “what happens if”. Instead, the Buyer, the Seller, The Broker(s) and all of the service providers must know their specific roles and the time frames within which to accomplish their specific task(s).
Core Law - Avoiding the Danger Zone
1/7/2021
1:00 pm-4:00 pm
3CE
Understanding real estate law is part of every real estate licensee’s business. The more a licensee knows, the better he or she can work with customers and safeguard them from legal complications. Buying and selling property requires a lot of legal paperwork. Today, more than ever, it’s important to know the laws governing the practice of real estate. This material will provide a “red flag notice” of when participants are potentially going into a danger zone—the unlicensed practice of law.
Pricing Strategies: Mastering the CMA
1/12/2021
9:00 am-4:00 pm
6CE
The Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certification is specifically designed to enhance your skills in pricing properties, creating a comparable market analysis (CMA), working with appraisers, and guiding clients through the anxieties and misperceptions they often have about home values.
Supplement Your Income with MLS
1/13/2021
1:00 pm-4:00 pm
3CE
Want to be able to find all listings that match your search parameters? Take this course and learn how. MLS Advantage allows participating boards and members to share available MLS listings across the state of Florida. Property listing information can be auto populated from MLS Advantage directly into contracts in Form Simplicity.
eSign and Close
1/13/2021
1:00 pm-3:00 pm
2CE
Form Simplicity is a paperless real estate forms management program designed to help you manage your transactions. Form Simplicity gives you the tools necessary to have your office “in the cloud.” After taking this class students will be able to successfully navigate electronic web-based transaction software, identify system requirements to ensure a reliable platform, complete the client’s state approved real estate related paperwork in an electronic format and more.
CRP Current Trends Luncheon -
1/14/2021
11:30 am-12:30 pm
City of St.Cloud St. Cloud is a vibrant, progressive and diverse community, rooted in our unique history, offering an exceptional destination to live, work and play. They strive to provide a safe and healthy environment, manage the City’s resources and plan for the future. City officials are dedicated to cost-effective open government, professional management and quality service. Please join us on January 14 to hear updates from City of St. Cloud officials regarding current projects and new initiatives. We hope you take this opportunity to learn about what’s happening in the City of St. Cloud.
0CE
Code of Ethics
1/19/2021
1:00 pm-4:00 pm
3CE
Mandatory ethics training requirements for new and continuing REALTOR® members was established by the National Association’s Board of Directors at the 1999 Annual Convention and went into effect for all active REALTOR® members January 1, 2001. The policy dictates that all active members must take a code of ethics class once every two years. The applicable dates are the same for all REALTORS® irrespective of when they join. The current cycle began January 1, 2019 and ends December 31, 2021.
Divorce and Real Estate
1/21/2021
9:00 am-11:00 am
2CE
You’ve no doubt worked with sellers getting divorced. This program explores the idiosyncrasies of this particular scenario and offers guidance for both you and your customer to achieve a successful closing AND reduce your liability…
Understanding the HECM for Home Purchase 1/22/2021
10:00 am-12:00 pm
2CE
Things you’ll learn: a new way to increase your sales and commissions, separating myths from facts, and how to generate more listings by selling to seniors.
ACE Lister, How to Get the Listing
1/26/2021
12:00 pm-4:00 pm
4CE
How to prospect for the listing, prep for the meeting and set yourself up to get your listing agreements signed. The things you need to know to jump your listing business up to the next level. We use real properties and real exercises to set prices and get past the nervousness to close the deal. We will show agents proven, highly effective, low pressure means of getting your paperwork signed and leaving your customer with a smile on their face when your deal is done.
Make iBuyers Your Buyers
1/28/2021
9:00 am-11:00 am
2CE
Teach Realtors® the pros and cons of ibuyers in the Real Estate market. Realtors® will get a clear understanding on how to grow their business by leveraging iBuyer companies
ALL CLASSES HELD VIA PLEASE CHECK YOUR INBOX/SPAM/JUNK FOLDER FOR CLASS REMINDERS AND MESSAGES REGARDING THE CLASS. IMPORTANT: REGISTERING FOR CLASS These courses are available for active OSCAR members only. If you have any questions, please contact our Education Department at education@osceola-realtors.com.
VITAL INDUSTRY PARTNERS 2020 Inspection Solutions A&P Inspection Solutions LLC A Clear Choice Title & Escrow A.C.F. Home Inspections, Inc. Acosta, Moore & Shrader, PLLC Advertising Mania ANB Inspection Services, Inc. ARB Home Inspections, Inc. Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group A-Z Team Title, LLC BPG Inspection, LLC Budget Professional Services Butler Mortgage Celebration Title Group CenterState Bank of Florida, N.A. Chief Inspection Services Choice Home Warranty Closer Look Inspections, Inc. Cunningham’s Inc. Cutco Closing Gifts Double S Home Inspection First American Title Frank’s Home Inspection, LLC Freedom Mortgage Gold Coast Schools Hamilton Group Funding Hanover Family Builders Home Warranty of America Homebridge Financial Services, Inc. Housemaster Home Inspections Infill Consulting Integrity First Title Jet Realty Commercial Brokerage & Appraisals Land Title Professionals, LLC Luis A Martin’s Home Inspections Moneycorp, Inc.
My Florida Mortgage Solutions New American Funding Nu World Title, LLC Oliver Title Law Olympus Insurance Company Osceola County Property Appraiser Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. Patricia L. Daugherty, Atty. At Law Photography by Skip Stowers Pillar to Post Home Inspections Platinum Title of Central Florida Positive Edge Real Estate Academy of Learning Prodigal Homes Inspection & Consulting Pro-Master Home Inspection RBC Bank Real Estate Photography Specialists Reliable Building Inspections RiteStart Home Inspections, Inc. SBC–CPA Seibane Doyle, PLLC Sihle Insurance Group Smart International Title, LLC Snap Air Photo Solano Home Inspections Inc. Stewart Title Company Systeco Services, Inc. The AlfaOmega Financial Group The Grove Resort & Water Park TREI - The Real Estate Institute TrustCo Bank Two Men and a Truck ValueCast, Inc. Victoria Real Estate Academy Wayne’s Home Inspections, LLC Widerman Malek PL
VITAL INDUSTRY PARTNERS
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Julio Pena - La Rosa Realty Internacional LLC
Aida De Los Santos Lugo - La Rosa Realty, LLC
Betzabeth Santana - Watson Realty Corp
Jordan Leventhal - Rental and Realty Group
Joel Vallejo - More Homes LLC
Marcelo Gaitan Estabridis - Keller Williams at The Lakes
Tiffany Merced - Robert Slack LLC
Kimberlyn Hernandez Vega - Watson Realty Corp
Marco Mascia Minguet - Trimarchi Realty CORP
Sandra Garcia - Watson Realty Corp
Chad Hutchins - Keller Williams at The Lakes
Beatriz Toro - La Rosa Realty Kissimmee
Gary Robinson - EXP Realty LLC
Louis Wintters - Watson Realty Corp.
Alfredo Fito Berdion - La Rosa Realty Kissimmee
Janneth Ortiz - La Rosa Realty Central Florida
Hugo Delpin Santiago - La Rosa Realty Lake Nona INC
Luis Torres - Urban Square Realty Inc
Laura Tahnas - Solar X Realty
Brian Carlson - Imagination Realty, Inc
Monica Sanchez - Agent Trust Realty Corporation
Maira Cordero - Watson Realty Corp
Nelly Sanchez Ortiz - EXP Realty LLC
Luis Castellano - MBT Realty LLC
Yorman Vallenilla - Premium International Realty
Marco Aparicio - La Rosa Realty Lake Nona INC
Adriana Mogollon - La Rosa Realty Internacional LLC
Ana Oviol Cruz - Watson Realty Corp
Mariesy Davila - La Rosa Realty Internacional LLC
Teodoro Pop Andov Carmona - Watson Realty Corp
Emily Abshire - Crosby and Associates INC
Javier Figueroa - Resource One Realty
Janessi Rodriguez - Agent Trust Realty Corporation
Luz Santana - La Rosa Realty Kissimmee
Tania Gomez de Ospina - Agent Trust Realty Corporation
Jiu Wei - Multi Choice Realty LLC
Kirsty Wilson - Overton Realty, Inc.
Edumig Colmenares Centeno - Four Corners Realty Group LLC
Raul Penagos - EXP Realty LLC Ahmad Abu-Ghannam - Keller Williams Legacy Realty David Hartigan - Coldwell Banker Realty Glorimel Nieves Pinero - The Landrua Group Real Estate Inc Alexander Spock - Better Homes & Gardens Fine Living
Yessenia Figueroa - Agent Trust Realty Corporation Jeffrey Reyes - Homes Unlimited Real Estate Co Christene Rodriguez - Keller Williams at The Lakes Maria Jimenez - La Rosa Realty Kissimmee Alexandro Torres Valentin - EXP Realty LLC