Brokers Brief
The Voice of Real Estate — Your Partner In Success
Updates, Profiles & Insights to Help You Thrive
Dear EMTAR Broker,

February is a month of love, and we hope you've been feeling the love as you continue to make a difference in your firm and beyond. We appreciate all the ways you express love in your families, to your agents, with your clients, in our industry, and throughout our Eastern Middle Tennessee communities.

Please see below for a few timely updates and opportunities—including a Q&A with fellow EMTAR broker Kaileigh Dunn—and be sure to check the calendar on the EMTAR website for other upcoming events of interest.

Affectionately,
Your EMTAR Leadership
Course Focus: Great Choice Mortgage (4 hours CE)
Monday, Feb. 27 / 12:00 - 4:00 PM / Location: EMTAR / Instructor: Josh McKinney

Learn how to help your buyers overcome a major barrier by giving them an option to use down payment assistance. Become a hero to first-time homebuyers by saying yes when others have told them no. Learn the ins and outs of THDA's Great Choice program and make more deals work because you understand the rules and exceptions. By taking this 4-hour class you will earn the preferred THDA Realtor status for three years!
Broker Spotlight: Kaileigh Dunn
We are back with a Q&A to help you get to know your fellow EMTAR brokers.
Would you like to be in the spotlight? If so, please email Buzz Steele.
Kaileigh Dunn of Dunn Commercial Group
serves as a 2023 EMTAR board member.



“Learn as much as you can, and get a good mentor.”
How long have you been a member at EMTAR?
I joined EMTAR in 2016 and joined the Board of Directors in 2022.

How long total in real estate and as a broker?
I have had my real estate license since 2015 and jumped straight into commercial real estate. I have always only done commercial; residential terrifies me and I refer it all out! My husband, Russell Dunn, joined me in 2016. We started Dunn Commercial Group in 2017 and began our own brokerage in 2022.
 
What do you like most about our Eastern Middle Tennessee community?
It is a big small town that thrives on relationships.
 
What is a favorite thing about being a broker?
I love helping businesses navigate their commercial real estate needs to be able to thrive in their location. It’s so fun seeing companies move and grow to accommodate their successes. I truly get to be a small part of their business, which is cool.
 
What is a challenging thing about being a broker?
Constant uncertainty that hinges on other people’s changing needs.
 
What word of advice or encouragement would you give to newer brokers?
Take the full first year to learn as much as you can, and get a good mentor.
 
Is there anything else you'd like fellow EMTAR brokers to know about you?
I love helping agents learn about commercial real estate and feeling comfortable to either practice it or refer it out. I am also very involved in the community, so if you need a connection, I most likely can direct you to the right people.
MLS Updates On EMTAR.com
As a reminder, monthly local-market updates for Wilson, Smith and Dekalb counties are posted on the EMTAR website and our Facebook page. You can download the latest Infographics and Realtracs reports to share with your agents and others in your network.
Wilson Co. Honors Gwaltney at Mt. Juliet HS
Here's some news you might want to share. The Lebanon Democrat reports, "The Wilson County School Board voted unanimously to name the softball field at Mt. Juliet High School after the late former coach, teacher, administrator and school-board member Mike Gwaltney. Several members of the community stepped up to the podium [at the WCSB meeting] to request the naming of the field after Gwaltney."
Podcast: America's Commercial Real Estate Show
"Who's the best person to speak on a given topic? That's who Atlanta broker Michael Bull goes after for his long-running podcast, which both serves his business and helps other brokers and agents improve theirs."
You'll find an excellent list of more podcasts, along with a helpful description and/or review, at this link. Happy listening!
Realtor.com Offers Resources for Brokers, Agents
Realtor.com includes a broad range of products, training tools, success stories, and resources. Among them is a curated menu of industry insights, strategies, and marketing tips to grow your business. You might want to check these out and share some of the content with your agents.
In the News for Brokers . . .

Retaining Agents: One Size Does Not Fit All
Brokers say the key is to let agents with special skillsets and business models know you have what they need.
"The risk of agents jumping ship is always on brokers' mind. In recent years, as agent business models have evolved, brokers have had to think differently about retention, developing specific strategies for retaining high-profile salespeople. . . . The question for brokers is what value can you provide to agents who are already at the top of their game? The answer, according to a panel of brokers who spoke at NAR NXT in Orlando, Fla., is partnership and connection."

Broker Isn't Liable for Slip and Fall, Court Rules
Iowa Supreme Court says it all boils down to possession of the property
"One of the most common hazards at a showing? Slip and falls—and the lawsuits that might follow. But the particular circumstances of a case can have a big effect on the legal outcome, as demonstrated by a recent Iowa lawsuit in which a prospective buyer’s fall on the property didn’t result in broker liability."

How to Handle Buyer Love Letters
There are potential risks involved in this common tactic, including fair housing violations. Here are seven tips for tackling love letters with your clients.
"When the market is competitive, buyers will try everything to bring their A-game in hopes that sellers will accept their offer. In the past, writing their feelings about a home in a personal buyer’s love letter was a tactic used throughout the country. But those letters have made headlines, with REALTOR® associations across the country discouraging their use in the real estate industry."