John Hall & Associates - Phoenix Real Estate Brokerage

On June 1st, Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) sent out annual bills to over 36,000 members.  They gave all the recipients until July 8th to get their payment in before shutting them off.  Even with over a month to pay, last Tuesday evening ARMLS created minor heart attacks across the entire Valley of the Sun. 

Forethoughtfully, Bob Bemis bumped up his call center staff on the following days expecting a barrage of phone calls from agents wondering what had happened.  They were right, on the 9th and 10th ARMLS reinstated 1,358 members and expect to reinstate another 1,300 before the wave passes. 

All in all - they are anticipating a 15% reduction of membership to about 31,000 active members.

The ARMLS listing database that is.  Nobody is going to be able to change/update/add/delete any listing information from July 25th to the 27th.  Freezing the database allows flexmls® Web to convert the last of the data from Tempo to their system.  Staples and OfficeMax have stocked up on notepads expecting a heavy run from real estate agents needing to write down listing edits so they don’t forget.  

On Monday the 28th, if all goes as planned, you will begin changing/updating/adding/deleting listing information in the new flexmls system.  As you may know, Tempo will never thaw out.  It will remain frozen and will no longer have updated listing information.  You will be able to access Tempo for about a month to give you a chance to get all your saved searches transferred over. 

We know you won’t panic on July 25th, but we’re worried about the thousands of ARMLS members that don’t read our blog.  They might be surprised to find their MLS shutting off this vital feature.  So help us spread the word and encourage others to sign-up for a flexmls class.

At this weeks office meeting in Tempe the question came up about when the new input forms/profile sheets were going to be available. Since input into the new system has changed, the forms are going to change with it. Here is a sneak peek of the 7 different forms - (from newARMLS.com)

Residential Profile Sheet - Class 1
Residential Rental Profile Sheet - Class 2
Lots & Land Profile Sheet - Class 3
Commercial & Industrial Buildings for Sale Profile Sheet - Class 4
Commercial & Industrial Buildings For Lease Profile Sheet - Class 5
Multiple Dwellings Profile Sheet - Class 6
Business Opportunity Profile Sheet - Class 7

The new hardcopy profile sheets for classes 1 and 2 should be available at your associations sometime next week. Zipforms is still working on developing their copies. You can not input listings to flexmls until July 28th.

Bob Bemis, CEO for ARMLS had the pleasure of speaking with Channel 12 news this morning at 5:40 and 6:40. They stopped by to ask how the Phoenix housing market is doing. Bemis commented on the declining prices, high pending sales, and shrinking inventory. He also talked about the highest priced listing in ARMLS - any guesses of the price?

Here’s the video.

After playing with flexmls for about a week, we need to re-emphasize the importance of signing up for some flexmls training sessions. Being that this is a new system with many more bells and whistles than Marketlinx, our fear is that you may get frustrated attempting to do some basic functions. That’s why it is our recommendation to attend training classes as soon as possible. Your login is suppose to go live next week, and so is the training done by LandAmerica.

After speaking with Cynthia Lujan, we learned that LandAmerica is teaching a 100-minute beginners class (similar to ARMLS) repeatedly all around the valley starting on June 30th. Not only will they have access to the same handouts ARMLS has, they have made some of their own. For example, here is their Saved Search Worksheet. Each of their trainers will also be providing support for the new system starting June 30th. ARMLS support will begin July 15th.

Follow the links for the schedules and online sign-up forms.

Flexmls training in Chandler

Flexmls training in Glendale

Flexmls training in Mesa

Flexmls training in Scottsdale

Flexmls training in Surprise

Flexmls training in West Phoenix

Cynthia and her training partner Kathie have set up a blog dedicated to answering questions that come up in the class. Check it out - Flexin’ with LandAmerica.

Have you signed up for the flexmls training yet?  It’s filling up!  At yesterday’s train-the-trainers meeting, Barbara Hoffman with ARMLS said they have 6,000 agents signed-up and 18 sessions are already full!

Register now for a session!  You don’t want to be caught off guard when the new system goes live on July 28th!

Thanks to Diane Scherer (our newest contributing author!) we got word that Palm is offering a FREE vehicle charger and carrying pouch when you purchase their Palm Centro from At&T or Sprint. This offer is only for …straight from the flyer…

Real estate agents or real estate associates subscribing to GE Security services in the United States.

That means us real estate agents or associates here in Phoenix - if you are a Supra subscriber. So, if you have bought the Centro between May 15th and December 31st of 2008 fill-out the form, send it in and return the car charger you probably already purchased. ;)

Have you ever wondered where our single family residence median sales price would have been with a more normal appreciation? Maybe compared to where the median is currently?

Here’s a graph for you showing them both over the last four years.

UPDATE: And here is a graph showing them both over the last three years.

Words, even a single word, can create an image or give us ideas.  Corporations and trade organizations go to untold lengths and spend millions to give you a particular image when you use “their” word.  What word do you use for a cola drink, a copy machine, tissue or a light beer? 

When did you become a REALTOR®?  When you were born? When you passed your state exam for a real estate license?  When you were hired by a real estate firm?  Nope, nope and nope.  If you are a REALTOR®, you became a REALTOR® when you applied for and completed the membership requirements of a local association of REALTORS®.

“REALTOR®” is a collective membership mark owned by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).   The REALTOR® organization is unique in that when a real estate licensee joins a local association, completes their orientation and Code of Ethics requirement and becomes a REALTOR® member they are a member at all three levels of the REALTOR® family - local, state and national. REALTOR® members not only take Code of Ethics training but are held to that higher standard by both their peers and the public.  For licensees that are not REALTORS® they are not accountable to the REALTOR® organization. 

REALTOR® membership is a voluntary individual membership.  For that reason there is limited usage of the word REALTOR® in a firm name.  It is not allowed to be contained in the firms actual name, including either the corporate or fictitious name.  The word REALTOR® can only be used “with” the name, not as a part of a name AND some form of punctuation must be used to separate the term REALTORS® from the company name.    

REALTOR® members may use the term REALTOR® as part of an email address or domain name to distinguish themselves; however , rules governing the proper use of the REALTOR® mark must be adhered to at all times regardless of the media used.  An individual may use their name and the word REALTOR® such as JohnDoeREALTOR@xyz.com or JDoeREALTOR@abc.net or john@jdoerealtor.com.   Descriptive words used in combination with the word REALTOR® are never allowed, for example, PhoenixREALTOR@webnetservices.com , GreatREALTOR@johndoe.com, TheBestREALTOR@bestrealtor.com. 

The preferred way for the word REALTOR® or REALTORS® is always in all capital letters with a registration mark.  When that is not possible, the term REATOR may appear in all upper case letters without the registration or with only initial upper case “R” and the registration symbol.   There are two exceptions (1) on the internet, which has adopted the use of lower case only letters without symbols and (2) when in newspapers and print media.  In news media it is permissible (not preferable) for Realtor® to appear in upper and lower case without the registration mark.  

The REALTOR® trademark distinguishes REALTORS® from all other real estate licensees in the real estate profession.  A group of real estate licensees should never be called REALTORS® unless you intend to identify them as Members of a REALTOR® Association and every member of the group is indeed a REALTOR®.   Firm’s marketing their products and services to real estate agents should not use the term REALTOR® unless it is in reference to a particular member.   Generally speaking, it is inappropriate for firms soliciting real estate agents to use the word REALTOR® in their advertising campaigns.   If a private firm, such as an insurance company or carpet firm,  is having a networking breakfast, it can not be entitled “REALTOR® Breakfast”  just as any organization outside the REALTOR® organization is prohibited from giving an award named “REALTOR® of the Year”.   The “REALTOR® of the Year” award is one of the most prestigious and highly sought after awards in any REALTOR® Association.

Oh and by the way, did you know that when you hear the term REALTOR® it could be someone other than a real estate licensee?  For example, a principal, partner or corporate officer of a real estate firm or a licensed or certified appraiser? 

So, have I changed your view of the word REALTOR®?

 By:     Diane Scherer, CEO Phoenix Association of REALTORS®

This cycle affects all REALTORS® that got into the business before January 1, 2005.    For those that became REALTORS® more recent than 1/1/05, you have already taken the course.  (UPDATE: There are exceptions to the rule.  We recommend double-checking with your Association.)  New REALTORS® are given 60 day provisional license membership (thanks @dscherer) that requires they take the ethics class before receiving an active license.  Once they show their Association proof of attendance, their provisional license is automatically switched.  

If you are in the more seasoned group and haven’t met the requirement, NAR offers an online class.  For those that aren’t sure if you have taken a class or not, call your Association and they be able to tell you. 

If you are a member of the Phoenix Association of REALTORS®, you can check online.  Also, PAR members should be aware they plan on printing the names in their monthly publication of all the REALTORS® who have not met the requirement by July 1, 2008.