Top Headlines for Jan. 22
GSAR and CNYIS inaugurate officers, honor members
The Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS® 2021 leadership team was sworn into office this morning during the virtual Installation Ceremony and first Raising the Bar session.

President Andy Azzarello, President-elect Nancy Quigg and Secretary/Treasurer Shauna Teelin, along with the members of the 2021 GSAR Board of Directors, took the oath of office as more than 200 members watched.

The association also named Denise VanPatten of Berkshire Hathaway CNY Realty as REALTOR® of the Year. The Affiliate of the Year honor was given to Greg Rodgers of Fulton Savings Bank. Kelly Hall of Acropolis Realty Group, LLC. was selected for the Shining Star Award.

The Central New York Information Service, Inc. also installed its 2021 officers and directors during the event. President Mark Re, Vice President RJ Long and Secretary/Treasurer Martin Carpenter were sworn into office along with the 2021 directors.

Watch for a link to the video recording of the Installation Ceremony and Raising the Bar presentation by NAR President Charlie Oppler in next week's Hot News.
REALTOR® of the Year
Denise
VanPatten
Affiliate of the Year
Greg Rodgers
Shining Star
Kelly Hall
NAR: Biden takes office with real estate on his agenda
Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th U.S. president on Wednesday, taking the reins in the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic shakeout, a deeply divided country, and a host of other challenges. But he’s already signaled that several real estate issues are on his administration's to-do list. Among these are rental assistance, an extension of the eviction and foreclosure moratorium in response to the pandemic as well as a tax credit for first-time buyers. Read more here.
State announces 2021 property tax cap
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced that property tax increases will be capped at 1.23 percent in the coming fiscal year. The tax cap falls under 2 percent for the second consecutive year. “School district and municipal officials must remain fiscally cautious to stay under the cap as they prepare their budgets,” DiNapoli said. “The financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with a levy growth rate of 1.23 percent and below 2 percent for the second year in a row, means they must examine their budgets more closely to control expenses.”
The limit on property tax increases will affect 676 school districts and 10 cities. Read more here.
MLS Tips
Supra to stop processing ACH payments for keyholders
Supra will no longer process ACH payments for monthly debits effective January 28, 2021. Keyholders who pay their Supra key fee using the ACH payment option will be affected by this change. 
 
Any Keyholder currently set up to pay via ACH will need to change their payment option to a debit or credit card before Jan. 28. The payment type may be changed in the Supra eKey app, in SupraWEB or by calling (877) 699-6787. 

Reminder: Have you updated your Clareity Dashboard link?
Earlier in the year, Clareity updated the link to its Dashboard, which is where members log in to access all their MLS services. You should be using https://portal.mynysmls.com. The old server will be taken out of service next week. Any member using the old URL will be prompted to type in the new URL - https://portal.mynysmls.com. Members are encouraged to click on the correct link shown here and bookmark it in their favorite web browser.
Education
February classes cover fair housing, Instanet and more
Register today for GSAR's February education opportunities covering Fair Housing Law, Instanet fundamentals and building referrals.

Stay Inside Fair Housing Laws to Stay Out of Jail
Instructor: Randy Templeman
Feb. 2 from 9 a.m to noon

Federal, state and local laws have been enacted to protect individuals from discriminatory practices in their pursuit of housing and licensees should understand these laws to ensure that no one is denied their real property rights. This course will help you to avoid discriminatory activities and the resulting consequences for noncompliance with fair housing laws.

Instanet: The Fundamentals
Instructor: Shelley Hoffman
Feb. 8 from 9 a.m to noon

This course is designed to help beginner users of Transaction Desk navigate through the system to create the required paperwork for a transaction. Participants will create professional documentation for both buyer and seller. You will learn how to print, e-mail and/or send the documents for an electronic signature using Authentisign.

Referral Relationships
Instructor: Randy Templeman
Feb. 9 from 9 to 11 a.m.

The real estate industry has shifted from properties and transactions to consumers and relationships. Relationships emphasize the value of long-term associations by focusing on trust, service and satisfaction. Licensees that provide loyalty, a key fiduciary duty, will benefit from client referrals and recommendations.   
Salesperson qualifying course set for Feb. 17
If you know anyone looking for an exciting career in real estate, please let them know the Salespersons Qualifying Course will be offered live via Zoom beginning on Feb. 17. Prospective students should visit https://www.cnyrealtor.com/education/licensing-information/ for more information.
Upcoming virtual continuing education and Matrix classes

• Stay Inside Fair Housing Laws to Stay Out of Jail
Instructor: Randy Templeman
Feb. 2 from 9 a.m to noon

• Instanet: The Fundamentals
Instructor: Shelley Hoffman
Feb. 8 from 9 a.m to noon

• Referral Relationships
Instructor: Randy Templeman
Feb. 9 from 9 to 11 a.m.

• Standards-Based Real Estate Photography: Level 1
Instructor: William Storm
Feb. 16 from 9 a.m to noon

• Standards-Based Real Estate Photography: Level 2
Instructor: William Storm
Feb. 23 from 9 a.m to noon

Education links
Thanks to our sponsors
Member Benefits and Events
NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings start Jan. 25
The 2021 NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings, will be held virtually from Jan. 25 through Feb. 12. Registration and the NYSAR Meeting Planner launched this week. Register and learn more here.

NAR Legislative Meetings to be virtual in 2021
The National Association of Realtors® has announced its REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo will be held virtually for the second straight year from May 3-14, 2021. Registration for the event will open on February 24. Read more here.
GSAR Featured Member Benefit
GSAR members have access to the NYSAR Legal Hotline attorneys to get answers to their real estate questions.

The NYSAR Legal Hotline is not intended to replace your own legal counsel.

The NYSAR Legal Hotline has one purpose: to provide direct access for our members to a qualified attorney who can provide information on real estate matters. The goal is to increase professionalism and decrease your professional liability.

The Legal Hotline is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and during official NYSAR functions. The Legal Hotline number is 518.43.NYSAR (518.436.9727). 
Welcome new GSAR members!
The Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS® welcomes its newest members and wishes them great success.
Eric Cartier
Hunt Real Estate ERA
315-682-7197

Amy Finch
eXp Realty
888-276-0630
Timothy Murphy
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services CNY Realty
315-373-0440
HOTlinks