FETY S - Maryland REALTORS®

mdrealtor.org / marylandhomeownership.com

MARYLAND REALTORS® The Voice For Real Estate® In Maryland

VOLUME LIV NUMBER 5 / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

Pg. 12

REALTOR® FETY

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18 The Future of Meetings

8

Dee Dee Miller: Our Next President

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Protect Yourself from Fraud and Scams

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THANK YOU!We are extremely honored to receive this prestigious award and would

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www.mdrealtor.org MARYLAND REALTOR® AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 1

MEETING TECH

OPPORTUNITIESMARYLAND REALTORS® GRI PROGRAM 7

FEATURESDEE DEE MILLER: OUR NEXT PRESIDENT 8

REALTOR® SAFETY 12

RACE AND REALTOR® SAFETY 17

THE FUTURE OF MEETINGS 18

PLAN NOW FOR MARYLAND REALTORS’® 2021 ANNUAL CONFERENCE 22

MEETING TECH: INSIGHTS FOR YOUR NEXT VIRTUAL MEETING 23

DEPARTMENTSPRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE 4

COVID HEROES 6

SELL MORE WITH MARYLAND 26

COMMISSIONER’S CORNER 28

BRIGHT MLS 29

HOTLINE 30

2312REALTOR SAFETY THE FUTURE

OF MEETINGS

18

DEE DEE MILLER: OUR NEXT PRESIDENT

8

FINALLYsay yes to success.

You deserve a supportive and collaborative office culture. From weekly communication, with up-to-date information, to business planning activities, annual awards and plenty of recognition for your achievements, you’ll be plugged into a team that will help your career thrive. Plus up your game with weekly webinars, in-person workshops, and Weichert University e-learning courses to help you stand out from the competition.

Get the support you need from your brokerage. And the career you deserve. Give your local Weichert office a call today or visit jobs.Weichert.com

Positive culture. Better career.

Each Weichert ® franchised office is independently owned and operated. ©2020 Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. Weichert is a federally registered trademark owned by Weichert Co. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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2020 Maryland REALTORS®

Leadership Team

John A. HarrisonPresidentRE/MAX Executive8432 Veterans Highway, Suite AMillersville, MD [email protected]

Dee Dee MillerPresident-ElectLong & Foster Real Estate541B Baltimore Annapolis BoulevardSeverna Park, MD [email protected]

Dale RossTreasurerPioneer Realty, Inc.7917 Declaration LanePotomac, MD [email protected]

Merry TobinImmediate Past PresidentRE/MAX Executive1919 Main StreetChester, MD [email protected]

Chuck Kasky, RCEChief Executive OfficerMaryland REALTORS®

200 Harry S Truman Parkway, Suite 200Annapolis, MD [email protected]

Maryland REALTORS®

200 Harry S Truman Parkway | Suite 200Annapolis, MD 21401-7348

443.716.3500 | www.mdrealtor.org

Leadership TeamJohn A. Harrison | President

Dee Dee Miller | President-ElectDale Ross | TreasurerCraig Wolf | Secretary

Merry Tobin | Immediate Past PresidentChuck Kasky, RCE | Chief Executive Officer

EditorDaniel Patrell | [email protected]

Advisory CommitteeElisabeth Yeager | Chair

AdvertisingArlene Braithwaite | 410.772.0820

Publication DesignHBP, Inc., 952 Frederick Street, Hagerstown, MD 21741

800.638.3508 | www.hbp.com

Mission StatementMaryland REALTORS® exists to support all segments of its membership and their specialties. Maryland REALTORS®, through collective efforts with local boards/associations and the National Association of REALTORS®:■ Develops and delivers programs, services and related products

that maintain and elevate the high standards of the real estate business and the professional conduct of its practitioners;

■ Assists members in ethically and professionally serving the public;■ Promotes and preserves the right to own, transfer and use real

property; and■ Protects the right of members to conduct business within a

framework of fair and reasonable laws and government regulations.

In principle and in practice, Maryland REALTORS® values and seeks diversity and inclusive participation within the field of real estate and recognizes each member as a unique individual.

Maryland REALTOR® (USPS 0016-017) is published bimonthly by Maryland REALTORS®, Suite 200, 200 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401-7348. Periodical postage paid at Annapolis and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to: Maryland REALTOR®, Suite 200, 200 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401-7348.Member subscriptions of $3.81 are paid with annual dues.This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. It is offered with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Articles that appear in Maryland REALTOR® are an informational service to members. Their contents are the opinions of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent those of Maryland REALTORS®.Permission to reprint articles appearing in Maryland REALTOR® magazine must be requested in writing. Also include purpose for request.While this magazine makes a reasonable effort to establish the integrity of its advertisers, it does not endorse advertised products or services unless specifically stated. ©2020 Maryland REALTORS®, Inc.

®REALTORS

Craig WolfSecretaryAmerican Home Shield907 Autumn View CourtBel Air, MD [email protected]

2 MARYLAND REALTOR® AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 www.mdrealtor.org

FINALLYsay yes to success.

You deserve a supportive and collaborative office culture. From weekly communication, with up-to-date information, to business planning activities, annual awards and plenty of recognition for your achievements, you’ll be plugged into a team that will help your career thrive. Plus up your game with weekly webinars, in-person workshops, and Weichert University e-learning courses to help you stand out from the competition.

Get the support you need from your brokerage. And the career you deserve. Give your local Weichert office a call today or visit jobs.Weichert.com

Positive culture. Better career.

Each Weichert ® franchised office is independently owned and operated. ©2020 Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. Weichert is a federally registered trademark owned by Weichert Co. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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President’s Perspective B Y J O H N A . H A R R I S O N

Closing the Gap in Homeownership


The warm weather has always reminded us of a more leisurely pace of life—a time for relaxation, vacations, and connecting with our loved ones.

With travel restrictions still in place and the pandemic still raging across much of the country, we need to be mindful of staying safe, keeping up with the latest real estate industry news, and looking for opportunities to highlight the positive.

One of my initiatives has been to increase awareness of REALTOR® safety. Please turn to page 12 for a discussion of safety, including open houses.

It is undeniable that none of us have been through anything resembling the times we find ourselves in now—and we’re grateful that real estate is one of the bright spots within the larger economy. As I write this, we are wrapping up June, designated as Homeownership Month, as we celebrate Americans who are #CreatingHome. By becoming homeowners, they are one step closer to the American Dream.

At the same time, we are witnessing fundamental societal shifts in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and are now, rightfully, focusing on larger issues, such economic justice. One way to address economic disparity is to address housing opportunity.

While the interest in homebuying is strong, there is not enough supply to meet demand. Before the pandemic, America faced a housing shortage of around 5 to 6 million homes. Now, in the middle of 2020, this shortage has only intensified. Consequently, home prices will be pushed higher, making ownership opportunities for many potential buyers more difficult.

With much of the nation’s attention focused on combating racial inequality, we need to develop meaningful plans that can increase the number of

minority homeowners and help close the persistent gap in homeownership rates. People within the Black and Hispanic communities are less likely to own homes; they more often miss out on the powerful wealth-building tool of making mortgage payments to build equity.

In 1976, 68 percent of white families owned their home, compared to 44 percent of Black families and 43 percent of Hispanic families. By 2016, the homeownership gap had narrowed slightly for Hispanics but widened for the Black community. These communities were also less likely to own homes than white families with similar incomes.

Maryland REALTORS® is committed to addressing these disparities by advocating for increased new construction, increased access to down payment assistance, expanding housing options in Opportunity Zones, and more flexible zoning laws, among other initiatives. We are actively seeking coalition partners to develop meaningful and specific proposals that will make a difference.

On top of all that, we are doing it remotely. Who would have thought that virtual meeting technology would so quickly become the norm? At Maryland REALTORS® we are quickly scaling up our ability to host meetings in person, virtually, or a hybrid of both, which I believe will become the “new normal.” Our rapid adoption of these new technologies will permanently change how we work and volunteer. Enabling remote participation in REALTOR® association affairs will greatly expand those opportunities and eliminate unnecessary travel.

Together, we can leverage our collective efforts to ensure these meaningful changes are part of a new and better future.

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Maryland REALTORS® would like to recognize the many REALTORS® who are helping their community in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you for all you do! If you know of a REALTOR® who is helping her or his community and supporting first-responders and healthcare workers, please send the story and an image of the REALTOR® to [email protected], with “COVID-19 Heroes” in the subject line. We may share the story in Maryland REALTOR® magazine or in our social media!

IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19HEROES

Jan Gallart and Marla JohnsonFrederick County Association of REALTORS® members Jan Gallart (left) and Marla Johnson (right) organized a “Stock the Shelves” food drive in Frederick. Thank you for your efforts!

ERA Martin AssociatesERA Martin Associates in Salisbury, members of the Coastal Association of REALTORS®, did something a little different. They started “tabs” at local restaurants for doctors, nurses, and first-responders to receive a well-deserved meal. The upshot? The tabs also helped to support local restaurants during this pandemic!

Whitehead Real Estate ExecutivesWhitehead Real Estate Executives of Salisbury, members of Coastal Association of REALTORS®, has also contributed to local organizations who are serving the community during this pandemic. Said Megan Powell of Whitehead, “From every transaction our agents do, they give back a portion so that we can make donations to the local organizations in our community. Each month, our team picks a local organization to donate.” Local beneficiaries include Hope and Life Outreach, Main Street Gym, and Emmanuel Wesleyan Church. Motivated as well by ERA Martin Associates, Whitehead also started tabs at four local restaurants for first-responders.

Maryland REALTORS®

Annapolis 800-638-6425

October 6, 7, 13 & 14

Maryland REALTORS®


November 10, 12, 17, & 19

Maryland REALTORS®


September 2, 3, 11, 17, 18 & 24

Maryland REALTORS®


October 1, 2, 20, 22, 27 & 29,

Coastal Association 410-641-4409

September 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 & 29

GRI Program2020

Earn your GrI – Work SmartEr, not HardEr! no annual duES!

The GRI (Graduate, REALTOR® Institute) designation is NAR’s nationally recognized designation, which is administered through state associations. The Maryland program consists of 72 hours, broken into two 36-hour series (i.e. Series 100 and 200). Series 100 and 200 can be taken in any order and can be taken anywhere within Maryland to suit your personal calendar. Series 100 & 200 features six modules, each six hours in length. Each module may be taken independently.

Class topics range from fair housing, agency, finance, business development, ethical conduct, and laws affecting business practice, and procedures to strengthen your skills and your business for a well-rounded real estate foundation.

You have five years to complete the 72-hour program (Series 100 and 200) to obtain the designation.

Maryland REALTORS® offers the additional Series 300 & 400 for those interested in pursuing their broker’s or associate broker’s license. Series 300 & 400 consist of four days each. When you complete all four series, you will meet the education requirements to sit for the broker/associate broker’s exam.

It’s never been a better time to sign up for GRI! See the Maryland REALTORS® course offerings below. To register visit mdrealtor.org/education/programs/realtor-institute-GRI.

LOOK WHAT YOU GET:•Nationally recognized credibility• Professional speakers•Continuing education credits• Increased knowledge, skill, and professionalism to

better serve customers and clients• Increased income potential• Sets you apart from the competition• Increased visibility toward your commitment to

provide superior professional services• Educational credit toward Maryland’s Broker or

Associate Broker’s license

SERIES 100 SERIES 200 SERIES 300 SERIES 400

To learn more, go to mdrealtor.org/Education/Programs/Realtor-Institute-GRI or scan this QR code.



Two areas of Dee Dee Miller’s life helped prepare her for a successful career in real estate: teaching music and being a

military spouse.

Raised on a farm in Virginia, Miller started playing piano at six-years old and the trumpet in sixth grade. During her high school years, she played in a swing band, The Old Pros, with her father. They booked gigs playing Saturday night dances for older adults.

While earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of South Carolina, Miller had to learn how to play multiple instruments like the flute, saxophone, and trombone, as well as master an understanding of different music genres. She went on to teach band at a South Carolina middle school for three years.

“You juggle a lot of different things being an educator and music director and being the actual conductor,” she recalls. Having competencies in multiple areas, Miller

believes that “directly translates to all the things that can come up in

real estate throughout a transaction or just knowing your market.” Teachers also tend to be good real estate agents because they know how to explain and help people understand transactions.

With her husband Chad in the U.S. Navy, the couple deployed to Guam for just under two years. Unable to find a full-time teaching position, she saw a “Get Your Real Estate License” newspaper ad. “I thought it might be fun,” she recalls. “Why not?”

Being a military spouse, Miller notes the experience helped her learn organizational skills, the ability to prioritize, and preparing for the unexpected; all three traits serve real estate extremely well.

After Chad left the Navy in 2000, the couple settled in Annapolis after watching an A&E “Top Places to Live in the U.S.” program. The home of The U.S. Naval Academy ranked fourth on the list. Though the couple knew no one in Maryland’s capital, the city was geographically halfway between both of their families.

Joining Long and Foster’s Severna Park office 20 years ago, Miller built her business client-by-client doing open houses and getting referrals from other agents. “Other

agents in the office would see that I was there and motivated,” she says.

In 2005, she began serving on boards for local, state, and national organizations, including her service as Past President of the Anne Arundel County Association of REALTORS®. Now, after serving two years as treasurer, one for secretary, and another as president-elect, Miller will begin her term as President of Maryland REALTORS® in the fall.

A lifetime of experiences has brought Dee Dee Miller to the presidential role she’ll now occupy.

B Y G I N A G A L L U C C I - W H I T E

Leader of the Band

REALTOR®’s financial stability. With a tight inventory market, some REALTORS® continue to bring in clients while others have seen a significant drop in business. Miller’s main initiative toward an agents’ financial stability aims to help them create a cushion to sustain

themselves when an unexpected crisis hits the industry.

The real estate industry always seems to be able to reinvent and progress and move forward for the benefit of our industry and the clients we serve,” Miller says. “I am immensely proud of our membership and the industry as a whole

and how they have tackled a situation that nobody had a playbook for. I think there are a lot of people that have risen to the top, jumped in and helped, and created a new environment for us to be successful as an industry.”

Continuing her love of music, Miller plays trumpet and serves as business manager of the Chesapeake Bay Community Band. She also conducts the handbell choir at Kent Island United Methodist Church. A lover of animals, she takes in fosters through Lab Rescue.

Miller is driven in her life by “the satisfaction in knowing that you have made a difference in people’s lives, and you can help them and lead them to the success they are looking for,” she says.

www.mdrealtor.org

Though the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to add challenges to everyday life, Miller and the association are working to create unique solutions and opportunities from the experience.

With an upgrade of technology in the office, meetings were held via Zoom and most likely will move to a hybrid model with some staff onsite but others working remotely. Now, members from further away jurisdictions like Garrett or Worcester counties do not have to drive multiple hours to attend meetings. “I think that is a game changer for us as an association, to have more involvement from a wider scale of our membership now and in the future,” Miller says.

Staff has also started developing a series of recorded webinars that members may access to keep them better informed on association and industry news. Coming soon will be other new modes of communications, including a podcast. “Nobody wanted COVID-19, but there are some great new tools and techniques that we will adopt and continue to utilize from now on,” she says.

Mller’s main initiative will be to focus on agents’ financial stability. One aspect, creating a strong foundation, will examine tools and tips needed to build and sustain a successful, viable business. Retirement planning will also be a focal point. An agent’s ability to fund themselves financially for the long haul, as well as packaging the

business to sell to someone else with the ability to earn residuals, can help to create a

viable retirement.

COVID-19 has also highlighted the importance of a

“There are a lot of people that have risen to the top, jumped in and helped, and created a new environ-ment for us to be successful as an industry.”

REALTOR® FETY

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MARYLAND REALTOR® AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 13

Stay Safe!REALTOR® Safety begins with steps you can take nowB Y L A U R I E B E N N E R , D I R E C T O R O F H O U S I N G P R O G R A M S

Most people would never consider meeting a stranger in a vacant

house, but that’s the reality of doing business for many REALTORS®.

Due to an unfortunate number of violent—and sometimes fatal—attacks, there has been an increased awareness of safety strategies and precautions for those working in the real estate industry.

After the tragic kidnapping and murder of Arkansas REALTOR® Beverly Carter in September of 2014, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) launched a member survey, which indicated that 40 percent of respondents had experienced a situation that made

them fear for their safety. NAR reacted by designating the month of September as REALTOR® Safety Month and creating safety resources that included best practices for listing and showing appointments, how to handle threats, mitigating safety risks, and safety systems and tools. In an updated 2019 survey, the percentage of agents who experienced a potentially unsafe situation fell to 33 percent— perhaps a testament to the effectiveness of the campaign.

2020 Maryland REALTORS® President, John A. Harrison, a former Prince George’s County police officer, made REALTOR® Safety one of his primary initiatives.

“The single most important thing a REALTOR® can do to remain safe is to be aware of their surroundings at all times.” – John A. Harrison, 2020 Maryland REALTORS® President

and former Prince George’s County police officer


A member of NAR’s REALTOR® Safety Advisory Committee, he emphasizes how critical it is for both male and female REALTORS® to develop a personal safety plan.

“The single most important thing a REALTOR® can do to remain safe is to be aware of their surroundings at all times—not only when showing properties but when going about daily activities such as shopping and outdoor fitness,” says Harrison.

Although the chances of being robbed or attacked are statistically low, the very nature of working

as a real estate agent puts you at an increased risk. These commonsense tips will help you avoid potentially dangerous situations:

1. Avoid meeting prospective clients while alone in the office. If you must, make sure a “buddy” knows who you are meeting and when.

2. Ask each new client or prospect to come into the office to fill out a Prospect Identification Form and ask to make a copy of his or her

driver’s license—preferably during business hours or in the presence of an associate.

3. Open Houses: Check all the rooms prior to locking the house. If the house is in a remote area, have an associate accompany you.

4. Meet the client at the home you’re showing rather than driving them. Leave your wallet and any valuables locked in your car, and don’t park in such a way that it’s possible to be blocked in.

In a 2019 NAR survey, one-third of responding REALTORS® experienced an unsafe situation on the job. What are you doing to ensure your personal safety?


5. Use a code word, code phrase, or emoji when calling or texting your office or colleagues to serve as an alert when you are in potential danger, without alarming a would-be assailant.

6. Before attending a listing appointment, research to make sure those you are meeting are the true owners of the home, and that it seems like a legitimate prospect.

7. When in a vacant house, leave the front door open if possible and let the client lead the way.

Don’t put yourself in a position to be trapped in an enclosed area like a basement.

8. Go with your gut: If something doesn’t feel right about a person or situation, have an excuse ready to leave or find a more comfortable location for your meeting.

There are many products and smartphone apps that can be excellent supplements to your personal safety strategies. Agents using Homesnap Pro can set a timer when they go to a listing or

showing appointment. When the timer expires, a message is sent to designated contacts to let them know that you may be in distress, while providing your exact location. SentriKey™, Apple Find My iPhone, and GPS Phone Track for Android all have options to notify emergency contacts.

It’s important to note that some apps will be useless if the phone is disabled. There are also personal safety jewelry options such as ORA, InvisaWear, and V.ALRT which contain GPS technology to alert others that you are in danger.

Many smartphones have a phone tracking system that has options to notify emergency contacts of your whereabouts. Pictured here is a screen shot from the Apple Find My iPhone app.

Homesnap Pro features a timer for agents when they go to a listing. When the timer expires, a message is sent, which alerts a designated contact that you may be in distress and where you are located.


Forewarn is a robust real estate app that allows you to be instantly notified about a potential client’s criminal history, property and vehicle ownership, and financials risks like bankruptcies and liens. While these options can be valuable, the best safety plan is one that helps you avoid risks in the first place.

It is imperative to encourage a culture of safety and awareness within your office. If you are a broker or office manager, consider having a company policy that makes it easy for agents to follow safety precautions and enforce set procedures with their clients. Sponsoring a self-defense course is also an excellent way to start a dialog about safety techniques and protocols. Enforce best practices with new agents; incorporate training and resources into office meetings.

Maryland REALTORS® continues to share weekly safety tips through its social media channels. Make sure to follow the association on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the most up-to-date safety information.

State and local associations can use NAR’s Safety Program Reimbursement Grant to fund projects and initiatives to keep safety awareness a top priority for members. Please review the agent resources of the Beverly Carter Foundation, named after the late REALTOR®. You can learn more at http://beverlycarterfoundation.org.

InvisaWear features a line of jewelry with state-of-the-art technology, to allow you to send an S-O-S to selected emergency contacts. As part of your Member Benefits, follow this exclusive link to the InvisaWear line, https://bit.ly/InvisaWear, and use the promo code MDREALTOR for an exclusive 15% off the InvisaWear line.

For more information, please contact Laurie Benner at [email protected] or visit https://www.nar.realtor/safety.

V.ALRT provides a Bluetooth-enabled wearable button. When pressed, your smartphone sends a message and GPS location to selected contacts.


REALTOR® Safety B Y K O K I A D A S I

The Challenges of Being a Black REALTOR®

On a sunny, Sunday afternoon in a small town in Georgia, 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery was out for his usual run. Seeing a house under

construction, Ahmaud quickly peeked into the new home before continuing on his way.

Less than an hour later, Ahmaud lie face down in the middle of the street, gunned down by a trio of men who felt he “didn’t belong.”

What happened to Ahmaud shook me to my core. Ahmaud was an African American man. I, too, am an African American man. Ahmaud was 25-years-old and living with his mother when he was killed. When I was 25, I was also living at home with my parents as I worked to get my new real estate career off the ground. Ahmaud was a former high school athlete who ran to stay in shape. I too, am a former high school (and college) athlete who hits the pavement twice a week to make sure my mind, body, and spirit stay sharp.

I couldn’t help but think, “What if someone gunned me down in my neighborhood while I was out for my morning run?” The story of Ahmaud brought awareness to the fact that even simple activities pose a risk to Black people to which others are unaccustomed. Black people live in a state of constant threat. That risk follows me from my morning 8-mile run to my listing appointments and buyer showings. Every time I arrive early to a client meeting I can’t help but worry about someone calling the police on a “suspicious black man sitting in a car, who doesn’t belong.” A Tesla may be gas-proof, but it’s not bullet-proof. Despite often being the only one dressed in a suit when I’m out with my clients, people rarely assume I’m the REALTOR®, unconvinced that I’m the professional. More than once I’ve been pulled over by the police for no other reason than being Black in an affluent neighborhood.

I share these things with you not to solicit pity or compassion. I’ve been a Black man much longer than I have been a REALTOR®, so unfortunately, I am used to

dealing with racism and micro-aggressions in all shapes and sizes. My reason for sharing is because I believe it’s important to know that many of your colleagues who look different from you are confronted with safety concerns and challenges in our industry every day.

For the past 15 years, I have enjoyed the honor of serving as a REALTOR® in and around our nation’s capital, working in an industry I absolutely love. I hope

that all of us who have built our careers on the foundations of loyalty, confidentiality, disclosure, obedience, reasonable care and diligence, and accounting can enjoy the freedom of being a REALTOR® without concern for their own safety and well-being.

As you go about your typical REALTOR® duties, please think about how your experience differs from that of your colleagues. As the world awakens to the truths about being Black in this country, we have an opportunity to grow and evolve towards a fairer and safer existence.

We’re all in this together! Stay safe!

Koki Adasi is a licensed REALTOR® in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. He is the 2020 Immediate Past President of the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®.

“It’s important to know that many of your colleagues who look different from you are confronted with safety concerns and challenges in our industry every day.”


Heidi Henning, NAR’s Vice President for Meetings and Events has been a major force at NAR for 27 years. Henning has organized educational events nationally and internationally, while also developing live and online designation programs for members. When COVID-19 struck it was Henning and others at NAR who pivoted on the spot to turn May’s Legislative meetings from a live, in-person event to NAR’s first ever virtual Legislative meetings.

Maryland REALTORS®: Before we discuss the 2020 Legislative meetings, tell us about the 2019 event.

Heidi Henning: In 2019 we hosted the REALTORS’® Legislative Meeting and Trade Expo. We had 9,500 attendees in 2019 and that was a record number, mainly because President Trump spoke last year, which was the first time we had a president address REALTORS® at the legislative meeting in almost 15 years. Many of the members who attended the REALTORS®’ Legislative Meeting and Trade Expo are involved either at the committee level, or they are

involved in legislative activities and come to meet with their representatives on Capitol Hill. This leads to very engaged members for that meeting.

Maryland REALTORS®: And then COVID-19 struck in 2020. You had some decisions to make.

Henning: It was the Leadership Team that decided this. They determined that we needed to hold our committee meetings and our Board of Directors meetings. We also had a contested election that was going to be voted upon, so the meeting needed to be held.

An Interview with Heidi Henning, NAR Vice President for Meetings and Events

The Future of Meetings

Heidi Henning


Maryland REALTORS®: What was your process, from transforming a live event to a virtual one?

Henning: Based on the directives from Leadership there were several things that we needed to focus on. The first was a secure environment—this was the height of “Zoom bombings.” Also, that we would have to create a viable schedule to support an engaging set of governance meetings. Third, we needed to provide a safe voting platform for our 900-person Board of Directors because of that contested election. Also, we needed to deliver relevant content to help our members in this crisis, while also providing an elevated production experience.

We developed security protocols for Zoom, tested them, and communicated them. Those protocols were critical in convincing Congressional speakers and government officials that they were safe to speak live with us. We also decided to spread the committee meetings out over three weeks instead of the one usual week.

Maryland REALTORS®: To make it more manageable?

Henning: Yes, which allowed us to focus on execution and shortened days on Zoom. We weren’t constrained by physical presence, so we spread the meetings out, and it worked well. We decided to highlight nine key forums and education programs as the focus of the conference. Not everyone could participate in the committee meetings, and to get everyone’s attention and to sign up for a focused period of time, we curated nine key meetings, which included NAR 360, our general session, our residential economic issues and trends forum, a few of the others, the federal legislative and political forum—and then we added three education sessions with topics of immediate concern, or benefit, to our members during this pandemic. We tested voting software tools to ensure a safe voting environment. We also worked closely with advocacy groups to change conference session topics with the Congressional and government speakers so that we could reflect what our members needed to know due to COVID-19.


Maryland REALTORS®: What impact did all these efforts make?

Henning: We had 28,500 registrants—three times the usual number, which was fantastic. We were able to engage so many more members than we would have in a live environment. That was the most exciting thing about this. The virtual crowds were not all watching the programs at the same time. NAR 360, for example, had over 5,000 unique views when it was live, and then there were over 10,000 additional views on Facebook and YouTube. So, we reached a much larger audience.

Maryland REALTORS®: How did you alter the meeting content in a way to accommodate a virtual session?

Henning: The committee meetings were spread out, and many of the committee meetings were shortened to avoid Zoom fatigue. For the committee meetings, Zoom worked well and helped to facilitate discussion because some of the committee meetings had break-out rooms. For the conference sessions, we shortened the days. We did three one-hour sessions for the three days of conference sessions.

Planning to Host a Large Virtual Meeting?For your next large virtual gathering, consider advice from Heidi Henning:

Choose the right meeting software vendor. Choosing the right vendor is important. There are many different options, and things are changing. The right vendor now might not be the right vendor in six months because of new applications and developments that are continually being introduced into available platforms.

Test! Testing the software platform is critical. While the event is not in a hotel or convention facility, the things you’d need to be aware of for a live event still apply in the technical sphere you’re considering. What will be the member’s journey using this software? What is the experience?

Beware Speaker Contracts. Are your speaker contracts compliant with your streaming format? Have you overcome any objections to sharing the stream via social media? If your platform is password-protected, how do you accommodate the speaker? For many speakers, streaming has not been allowed, but look to this changing in this new age of virtual.

Communicate. According to Henning, it’s important to provide a clear description of how attendees navigate the sessions and what the processes are. Everyone has different comfort levels with technology; make sure your communications speak to everyone involved.


Maryland REALTORS®: Face-to-face gatherings can provide things that virtual sessions cannot. Likewise, virtual sessions have their unique strengths. What do you see as the unique strengths of each format?

Henning: With live, obviously, the [big strength is] networking and connection with other attendees. If I heard it once I heard it a hundred times following a virtual session, a member saying to another member: “I wish I could give you a hug!” Our members rely on these relationships, and it was something they missed.

For virtual, a big strength is in engaging your members. That is key. For example, we normally have over 100 international real estate practitioners attend the Washington, D.C. meetings. During our virtual sessions, there were more than 500 attendees from over 66 countries. More countries participated, so that was exciting. Virtual can also be more economical. Obviously, there are costs tied to production and things like that, but it is a different cost than holding an in-person meeting. Also, the metrics are impressive. You can track metrics more easily in the virtual environment.

Maryland REALTORS®: Sooner or later, we will get past COVID-19. How do you think live gatherings will change moving forward?

Henning: I do think that this is affording an opportunity to really look at how you can present your content and an experience. We’re in the process of doing that. We are looking at different ways of offering our live content in the future because we were able to do things differently, and we were able to pivot very quickly to this. I think a virtual component could be included with live events. You don’t take that virtual component away just because you’re going live.

Maryland REALTORS®: Please say that buffets are a thing of the past.

Henning: You know what’s interesting? Some of the facilities are offering buffets, but people going through cannot touch any of the food or serve themselves—like a cafeteria. Servers with masks and gloves will serve guests in the buffet line. So that still is an option, but self-service buffets—they seem to have gone by the wayside.

B Y V I C K I H A R M O N , C H A I R , A N N U A L C O N F E R E N C E C O M M I T T E E

Maryland REALTORS® and its Annual Conference Committee is proud to announce the dates of the next Annual Conference. Please mark October 12–14, 2021, on your calendar for an exceptional real estate event. One-of-a-kind learning opportunities, face-to-face networking (remember what that is?), amazing and inspirational speakers, exciting entertainment—this will be a much-needed opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues.

While this program is still in the works, the Annual Conference Committee has created a three-day conference that will provide ideas, innovation, and inspiration, while also drilling down into specialized educational opportunities for newer agents, experienced agents, brokers and managers, commercial and property management, and others.

We look forward to providing more updates in the next issue of the Maryland REALTOR® magazine!

Save the Save the Dates! Dates!

October October 12–14, 202112–14, 2021

Technology B Y M I C H A E L C U N N I N G H A M

Building Infrastructure for the New Office


No one knows what the REALTOR® office of 2021 will look like. Does a physical office still have a place, and if so what roles will it play? How can

we better enable REALTORS®, teams, and support staff towards productivity, regardless of location?

The best solution is to create a flexible framework that decouples infrastructure from location. This allows

a company to be equally effective no matter where its team is physically located. A REALTOR® should be able to walk into the office/coffee shop/home office and have the same tools and resources available on their phone or laptop at any location.

Cloud-based tools also allow companies to scale based on organizational size without heavy capital investments. While these services have few upfront costs, monthly costs are based on staff size, so overhead costs remain proportional.

InternetAlmost all services (Voice, Fax, Data, Teleconferencing) can now be routed over an Internet connection. Stable internet access is a must. Upgrading to a high-speed connection, 150Mbs or better, is a good starting point. Get business-class WIFI access points installed to cover your building; hire a professional to ensure they are secure.

Make sure REALTORS® working from home also have a quality Internet connection in their home office and an unlimited data cellular plan for the road.

PhonesCloud-based PBX phone systems allow you to use desk phones, smartphones, softphones, or any combination without any internal infrastructure. Using a professional integrator, you can dynamically set up team hunt groups, call flows, direct dial numbers, telepresence, and more, regardless of where your teams are physically located.

“The best solution is to create a flexible framework that decouples infrastructure from location. This allows a company to be equally effective no matter where its team is physically located.”

For wherever you work, stable Internet access is a must.

Cloud-based phone systems provide professional communications no matter where the team is located.


Vendors like 8x8, Ring Central, and Nextiva can replicate your existing phone system and add a variety of new features that are not available on traditional PBX systems. Plans start around $10 per user.

Video ConferencingIt only took a global pandemic to make it happen, but, yes, video conferencing has become a standard way of doing business. Services like Zoom have, well, “zoomed” overnight; most of us are having more virtual meetings than we ever had face to face.

While there are differences in the services, most of the top names have a similar feature sets including online meetings, chats, calls, screensharing, file sharing, and easy-to-set-up clients. The most important factor with this type of software is ease-of-use. It’s possible to train staff to use a more complex piece of software but when scheduling meetings with clients, simple is better.

Zoom is probably the most ubiquitous of the services. It captured market share because of its simple, easy- to-deploy meetings that anyone could join with a single click. This ease of use came with security flaws that were widely publicized. Most of these flaws have been corrected, and Zoom continues to grow rapidly in the small/medium business segment. Zoom offers a free version which is limited to 40-minute meetings and lower quality video; the pro packages start at $15 per month.

Microsoft Teams is the successor to Skype for Business, and its strong ties to the Office 365 ecosystem allow for powerful collaboration, such as group editing of Word and Excel Files. If you already have the Office 365 suite, Teams is included with all subscription levels. A free version is available, with limited features.

WebEx from Cisco is another strong contender that has one of the most feature-filled products on the market, thanks to its long-term experience in the space. Usability, however, gets sacrificed to this complexity: next to many of its competitors, it is harder to use. Subscriptions start at $13.50; a free version is available, with limited features.

There are other solutions including GoToMeeting (expensive), Google Meet (lacking features), and others competing in the space.

File AccessModern real estate software manages many of the transaction documents in the cloud already, but like any modern workplace there are always files that need to be kept secure and backed up. It is never a good idea to store these files long term on a laptop or workstation. Shared file storage in the cloud, however, can be challenging for many small businesses.

Microsoft Teams.

Your Maryland REALTORS® team has met frequently via Zoom since the beginning of the pandemic.


One option is to maintain a local file server and provide VPN access to remote users. VPN allows users to access

the local network regardless of where they are physically located, provided the user has a reliable Internet connection. If implemented properly it is very secure and gives you a great deal of flexibility. The downside of a local file system is that you are maintaining a server in the office and are responsible for your own backups and security, which normally requires at least a part-time IT staff person or contractor.

Hybrid solutions like Egnyte’s Hybrid Cloud offer cloud-

“One option is to maintain a local file server and provide VPN access to remote users. VPN allows users to access the local network regardless of where they are physically located.”

based file servers that act like local file servers to staff but are managed by an outside company. You can set permissions for individual users and groups just like a local file server and the cloud files simply “show up” like another drive. You can choose whether to keep local copies of the files for offline use as well.

Finally, collaboration software like Microsoft Teams and Google Drive offer cloud-based file sharing. Files can be shared with other individuals within the organization or to outside users in a secure way. These services can be purchased as stand-alone licenses or as part of a suite of tools.

REALTORS® have always been early adopters of technology and are some of the earliest telecommuters. Digital tools such as VOIP phone systems, customer management software, and remote learning already have widespread adoption in many REALTOR® offices—and that trend has accelerated due to the current pandemic.

If provided the proper infrastructure—software, Internet, file access—a REALTOR® office should be able to operate remotely anywhere with just their cell phones, laptops, and coffee makers.

Michael Cunningham, Maryland REALTORS® Director of Information Technology

A VPN solution allows you to access files on a local server, as long as you have an Internet connection where you are.

Microsoft Teams offers cloud-based file sharing across many devices.


On behalf of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP), I would like to extend a

round of applause to all Maryland REALTORS®.

Throughout the past couple of months our world and the housing industry have changed drastically, and we are extremely proud of the way our REALTOR® partners responded, adapted, and persevered. You’ve hosted virtual open house events; you’ve negotiated on behalf of your clients via video conferencing; you’ve managed documents; you’ve put on a mask and gloves and you’ve rolled up your sleeves. More than likely, you did all this while homeschooling, being a nurse, or maybe just trying to find toilet paper at your neighborhood grocery store. Pretty incredible!

Likewise, I am incredibly impressed and proud of how our staff at MMP have faced similar challenges. This team has not only survived, it has excelled. Throughout this COVID-19 crisis MMP has set record high performance marks while maintaining a remote work environment. Our team has kept up the highest level of customer service, learned new technologies, and have creatively addressed new challenges. We owe it all to the dedicated people of MMP. Whenever you talk or reach out to our professionals, please join me in thanking them for their efforts.

With all the congratulations out of the way, I do have a program update to share with you. This summer, we suspended the Maryland HomeCredit Program (MCCs). The resources used for that program are the same used in the 1st Time Advantage MMP product series. We feel these limited resources are better deployed to offer very attractive interest rates and down-payment and closing

cost assistance that buyers need to make the deal work, rather than tax benefits realized over years.

For reference, our most popular MMP 1st Time Advantage products are:

■ 1st Time Advantage Direct: No down payment assistance, but offers an extremely low interest rate, often below 3 percent!

■ MMP 1st Time Advantage 3% DPA Loan: Comes with down payment assistance equal to 3 percent of the first mortgage while still maintaining a low interest rate on the first mortgage.

Follow us on social:

facebook.com/MarylandMMP/

instagram.com/marylandMMP/

twitter.com/marylandmmp

Matthew Heckles Assistant Secretary Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development mmp.maryland.gov [email protected] 1-800-756-0119

Thank you, Maryland REALTORS®

mmp.Maryland.gov/Realtors

1ST TIME ADVANTAGE 3% LOAN Low interest rate, 3% DPA loan

1ST TIME ADVANTAGE DIRECT No DPA, but lowest MMP interest rate

The Maryland Mortgage Program is here to help REALTORS® accomplish their goals by making the homeownership dream a reality for Marylanders across the state. Our programs offer

attractive interest rates and options for downpayment and closing cost assistance to help make that dream work:

Learn more about how our programs can help you sell more:

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For more details check out ourBrand Guidelines.

Commissioner Corner B Y M I C H A E L K A S N I C

Important News About Your Real Estate License


The Maryland Real Estate Commission appreciates the many customers during the State of Emergency and Catastrophic Health Emergency

who have continued to accomplish their routine business, including renewals, transfers, status changes, and other requests through the Commission website. Current events have also highlighted how important it is to maintain accurate information in your licensing file, particularly updated emails and phone numbers, which can be accomplished online.

Every workday since March 13, while the building has been closed to the public, at least one staff member has been in the office for at least a portion of the day to accomplish the work that requires an in-person presence, such as processing and mailing certificates of licensure, processing out-of-state license recognition requests, handling complaints, and other duties.

Because of the reduction of in-office staffing, contacting the Commission by phone my have been more challenging, but we are not aware of any email that requested a call that wasn’t returned. If you need to contact the Commission, remember to include your license number and a contact phone number with your communication. While many inquiries can be answered quickly through email, some complex questions may be answered through a brief phone call, rather than multiple emails.

Many licensees are aware of the extensions to license expirations, as provided in Governor Hogan’s declaration of the State of Emergency and Catastrophic Health Emergency and the subsequent Executive Order Number 20-06-19-01 extending certain licensing expirations. Specifically, any license that was set to expire on March 5, 2020, through the end of the State

of Emergency is extended to the thirtieth day after the date by which the State of Emergency is terminated. While this extension assists many licensees in coping with the significant challenges presented by this pandemic, licensees should make themselves aware of additional information.

All licenses extended under the Executive Order will return to their prior expiration dates. For example, if one’s license was set to expire on April 1, 2020 and under the State of Emergency, it was extended to a later date (the end of the State of Emergency plus 30 days), the expiration date of the license after its renewal will be April 1, 2022.

Continuing education for your appropriate license type and supervision level still needs to be completed prior to renewing. The executive order extends the expiration of the license, which allows additional time to complete continuing education. Continuing education audits are ongoing. Recently the Commission has taken action to ensure that these and other education requirements can be met more easily. Specifically, education providers have been authorized to adopt additional means to conduct classes. All continuing education completed to renew for the current licensing period will count towards that licensing renewal (even if it was completed during the extension period), thus the normal 15 hours of CE will need to be completed during the next licensing cycle.

Michael Kasnic, Executive Director, Maryland Real Estate Commission

Three Ways to Stay Safe with Bright


During REALTOR® Safety Month, you may face a different set of concerns about staying safe and healthy considering the continuing presence of

COVID-19. Bright offers solutions to assist with your in-person or virtual work, to help you make sure you and your clients are as safe as possible.

1. Designate Live Video showings and Open Houses in BrightIf you or your clients are unable to offer in-person showings this fall, Bright offers a variety of ways to share the alternative showings and/or open houses that are being offered.

■ Include Live Video as your Showing Method on your listing

■ Designate your showings in ShowingTime as Virtual Appointments Only

■ Enter your upcoming Open House as Live Video, so interested buyers know to join and learn more about the property

2. Add a virtual tour to every listingVirtual tours offer 24/7 access to your listing. They give buyers the opportunity to “walk through” prior to a showing or in place of an in-person showing. Up to 20 Virtual Tours can be added to a listing in Bright Listing Management through the Virtual Tour field.

3. For in-person and even video streaming work use the Homesnap Pro Safety TimerIf you are doing in-person showings or open houses or are on-location to stream a live video showing or open house, Homesnap Pro offers a Safety Timer and Distress Alert feature that helps prevent a potentially dangerous situation from getting too far out of hand. It sends a message to your chosen contacts without alerting anyone in the vicinity of your phone that the message has been sent. Homesnap Pro is included with your Bright subscription. Download the app and register your Bright account today! For more information on the Safety Timer and Distress Alert, visit www.homesnap.com/pro/safety.

To learn more about these features and other Bright safety resources, visit BrightMLS.com/News. You can also register for an upcoming training class at BrightMLS/Training or request a call from your Customer Success Coach at BrightMLS.com/Coaches.


Hotline B Y K A T H L E E N D A R T E Z , E S Q .

This Scam Alert Brought to You by COVID-19

Q: Our industry has undergone significant changes recently. Over the past several months, virtual appointments and transactions conducted remotely have become much more

common. So, too, have frauds and scams seeking to exploit these new practices. Can you provide any guidance on how brokers and agents can protect themselves and promote their clients’ best interest during these changing times?

A: While fraud has always been a possibility in a real estate transaction, the techniques

and methods used by scammers to accomplish that fraud have changed with the times. By now, everyone is aware that fraudsters have hacked email accounts of various parties involved in the real estate transaction—clients, agents, title companies, and attorneys—to get the parties to transfer money to the scammers’ account.

We have previously provided guidance on these schemes, so we won’t address them in this article, other than to say that the previous guidance is sound. Continue to alert your clients of the dangers; Continue to use encryption. Instruct your clients to verify all wiring instructions and last-minute “changes.” Finally, don’t click on any suspicious links.

REALTORS® have an amazing ability to innovate and adjust their business practices to keep up

with (or get ahead of) enhanced technology and a changing market. The global COVID-19 pandemic is only the most recent example of this resiliency. Virtual meetings, showings, and open houses quickly became the norm. Even as we return to “normal,” we will continue to utilize these new techniques to balance health and safety concerns with our clients’ needs to sell or buy a home.

The Rise of FraudUnfortunately, REALTORS® aren’t the only ones who are innovative and creative. Scam artists have also adapted their schemes to take advantage of increased virtual showings, fewer in-person meetings, and an increased use of technology to facilitate remote transactions. Real estate practitioners need to be aware of the recent variations of the age-old scams.

Incidents of rental fraud have increased since the COVID-19

crisis hit. A recent article in REALTOR® magazine noted that application fraud has increased by 9 percent month-over-month since the pandemic began. Relying on data from Snappt, a real estate tech and fraud detection company, the article noted an increase in applicants both inflating their income and disguising the source of their income to qualify for a rental. A larger number of self-employed applicants use of online applications and the ability to submit fraudulent financial information contribute to the increase. In addition, state and local eviction moratoriums make this a more appealing scheme for potential fraud artists, as it will now likely take the landlord significantly longer to complete the eviction process.

Although the tenant is the perpetrator of the fraud in the previous example, there are several rental fraud scenarios where the


tenant/applicant is the intended victim. One scenario that has been around for a while (but is having a bit of a resurgence) is a scam where the perpetrator will copy listing information and photos for

a home listed for sale, use the information and photos to post an ad, identifying that property as a rental and identifying the perpetrator as the owner. The scammer will use a variety of reasons why the applicant can’t physically visit the home, and the possibility of COVID-19 may lend more credibility to the scheme. COVID-19 may also be used as justification for a request that the applicant sign the “lease” electronically and wire funds directly to the scammer. By the time the applicant realizes that the person they’ve been dealing with isn’t the owner, both the money and the scam artist are long gone.

“Scam artists have adapted their schemes to take advantage of increased virtual showings, fewer in-person meetings, and an increased use of technology to facilitate remote transactions.”

Reduce the RiskWhat can a listing agent do to minimize the chance of this occurring? One suggestion is to create a Google alert or to use an alternative tool to monitor online “mentions” for that property address. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides additional information on rental listing scams on its website (www.consumer.ftc.gov), including a recommendation that all such incidents be reported to local law enforcement and to the FTC.

In addition to these property-specific scams, we’ve heard of phishing scams involving Facebook,

32 MARYLAND REALTOR® AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 www.mdrealtor.org32 MARYLAND REALTOR® AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 www.mdrealtor.org

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Google, the IRS, and various banking institutions. The scam artist will send a text to your cell phone, attempting to get you to click on a link, providing login, password, or other information to the scammer. As an example, you may receive a text stating that your Facebook account will be disabled on a certain date if you fail to read the new Terms and Conditions. This may be immediately followed by a second message, with a link to login to Facebook. Spammers and scammers sometimes create phony emails or posts that look like they’re

from Facebook, and the notices can be very convincing.

Facebook will never ask you for your password in an email or send you a password as an attachment. The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers via text, email, or social media to request personal or financial information. If an email, text message, or post looks strange, don’t click any of the links in it or open any attachments. Instead, you should go to the official website (facebook.com; google.com; irs.gov) to determine whether the message is legitimate and report any phishing incidents to the company or agency.

Kathleen Dartez, Esquire, Maryland REALTORS® Director of Legal Affairs

“Incidents of rental fraud have increased since the COVID-19 crisis hit.”

Terms, conditions and fees for accounts, programs, products and services are subject to change. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Certain restrictions may apply on all programs. This offer contains information about U.S. domestic financial services provided by Citibank, N.A. and is intended for use domestically in the U.S. 1 Final commitment is subject to verification of information, receipt of a satisfactory sales contract on the home you wish to purchase, appraisal and title report, and meeting our customary closing conditions. There is no charge to receive a SureStart Pre-approval. However, standard application and commitment fees will apply for the mortgage loan application.

©2020 Citibank, N.A. NMLS# 412915. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Citi, Citi and Arc Design and other marks used herein are service marks of Citigroup Inc. or its affiliates, used and registered throughout the world.

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without a pre-approval• The ability to act quickly with a complimentary

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With a SureStart® Pre-approval1, your clients can benefit from:

272802 - Maryland Realtor Magazine Aug-Sep - Campbell.indd 1 6/30/2020 11:33:00 AM

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