eNews
September 3, 2018
SPAAR offices are closed today, Sept. 3, for Labor Day.
SPAAR modified hours in Coon Rapids on September 7

SPAAR's Coon Rapids office will be closed until 11:30am on Friday, Sept. 7 for staff training.  SPAAR's Maplewood (St. Paul) location will remain open during its regular office hours.
Come to golf, stay for the luau!

WE NEED GOLFERS! WE NEED YOU!
 
SPAAR's REALTORS® Charitable Foundation annual golf tournament is just over a week away and bound to be a great time supporting a great cause. The REALTORS® Charitable Foundation invests in giving programs on behalf of SPAAR members that in return benefit SPAAR members and promote causes related to homeownership within SPAAR's service area. The Foundation is just one of many ways Realtors give back to their communities.
 
In 2018, REALTORS® Charitable Foundation awarded $10,000 in scholarships to children of SPAAR members enrolled in college, university or trade school programs. One scholarship recipient's father said it best: "Realtors are competitors, working for the next deal. When my daughter received this scholarship, I felt like part of a family."
 
There are many ways you can support SPAAR's REALTORS® Charitable Foundation including the upcoming golf tournament on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Register to golf and help support giving programs and increase giving in our communities. Not a golfer, come for games and luau dinner. Learn more here.

Questions? Contact Joe McKinley at (651) 772-6344.
Have you completed COE? Have you notified SPAAR?
If you have completed your National Association of REALTORS® COE requirement for the current two-year period (Jan. 1, 2017-Dec. 31, 2018), but have not yet notified SPAAR, be sure to forward your certificate of completion to SPAAR at coe@spaar.com. The organizations that offer COE do not inform SPAAR when someone completes this requirement. There are only five months left to complete your COE and notify SPAAR that you're done!
SPAAR announces 2018 Board of Director nominees

The Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors and the 2018 Nominating Committee have completed the selection process to fill open positions for the 2019 Board of Directors. The new directors, as named, are Jason Cassel, Colleen Ratzlaff-LaBeau and Rod Schimmel.
 
Additional candidates may be nominated by petition signed by at least 75 REALTOR® members and directed to Tracey Douglas at tdouglas@spaar.com  no later than September 15, 2018. Any nominations so made shall be added to the list of nominees selected by the Nominating Committee and all such nominees shall appear on a ballot to be voted on by REALTOR® members.
 
Installation of the elected Officers and Directors shall take place during the annual meeting in January 2019. This notice serves as the delivery of the Nominating Committee report.
Fourth quarter MLS invoices are due September 30
Fourth quarter MLS billing was sent by email on August 30 from billing@spaar.com. If you do not see the notice in your Inbox, please check your spam or junk folders.
 
As a reminder, payment must be received on or before September 30 to avoid suspension of MLS access. If not paid on or before September 30, you will incur a $25 reinstatement fee.
 
To access your portal account, please click here. If you have questions regarding your fourth quarter MLS fees, please contact the association at 651-776-6000.
Check your email for 2019 membership renewal notices

SPAAR 2019 Membership Renewal Notices were sent by email on August 7 from billing@spaar.com . If you do not see your renewal notice in your inbox, be sure to check the spam or junk folder so you do not miss any important information.
 
If payment is not received on or before November 30, 2018, a $50 late payment fee will be added to the amount due. Click here to view important 2019 dues billing information .
 
If you have questions regarding your membership renewal, contact SPAAR at (651) 776-6000.
 
Please review your invoice and log into your portal account no later than September 25, 2018, to take advantage of the flexible dues billing payment option, which is available only to primary REALTOR® members and does not apply to MLS-only members, affiliates, secondary members, unlicensed REALTOR® assistants or new REALTOR® members.
 
Check out the links below for more helpful information:
DIRECTIONS FOR CHOOSING THE PAYMENT PLAN OPTION  (For Primary REALTOR® Members ONLY). 
SPAARky says:

Stranger danger. Tell your clients not to show their home by themselves. Suggest all inquiries are first referred to you. Not all agents, buyers and sellers are who they say they are. Predators come in all shapes and sizes. Share this information with your clients to ensure their safety.

SPAAR members have shared some great tips, too, including:

" Arrive a few minutes early so you're in control when your clients arrive to a home. It's professional, and it shows you're on your game."
What is your #1 safety tip to share?

In keeping with the safety theme introduced in this newsletter, what is your #1 safety tip?

Share your safety tip and provide your name and email by sending an email to Jennifer at jkovacich@spaar.com and you will be entered into a $25 drawing at the end of September. The winner of the August drawing from those who submitted tips will be announced on Sept. 10. Stay tuned!

We've had so many GREAT safety tips shared since SPAAR began its weekly focus on safety. Please go ahead and share one of your tips if you haven't already.

THANK YOU to all who have provided safety tips. Please keep them coming!
SPAAR is hiring!

SPAAR has two open positions and welcomes members to share the news. If you know someone who would be a good fit for a role in member services or events and education, please share this information with those who may be interested.

While SPAAR appreciates someone having real estate knowledge or experience, SPAAR staff members cannot have an active real estate license while working for the association. Interested applicants may send an email and cover letter to hr@spaar.com.
RealSatisfied: a new benefit for SPAAR members
"RealSatisfied allows me to show my professionalism without having to pester clients. The feedback and referrals that I've received as a result of this system are awesome!"
 
     -Bob Clark, SPAAR member and past president
How is RealSatisfied working for you?

SPAAR now provides RealSatisfied as a free, member-only benefit. Rolled out to all members in February, this tool is designed to help REALTORS® be more competitive in the real estate marketplace.

Brokerages and managers are not required to take any action to implement RealSatisfied, as the tool has been purchased by SPAAR for individual SPAAR members; however, if an office wants broker access the broker dashboard may be purchased for $600 per office annually.

RealSatisfied has information to get started and tutorials to learn how the tool works.
SPAAR in the news
See SPAAR in the news? We'd love to know about it. Please let us know if you see articles in your local paper about SPAAR members, events or other news. You can send an email to jkovacich@spaar.com or mail to Jennifer Kovacich at SPAAR (325 Roselawn Ave E, St. Paul, MN  55117) or simply let us know the station or publication. Thank you!
Housing Market Statistics

Get up-to-date housing market information here. SPAAR provides four different types of reports so you can offer your clients the most accurate housing data available. Click below to see how the market is doing.

Note: Due to Labor Day, updated statistics will not be available until the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 4. Go to www.spaar.com and under the Members tab choose Statistics to find out the latest information.
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