Top 5 REALTOR® Updates | Week of November 9th

Check out these five real estate updates to help you stay in-the-know with the latest happenings in our industry.

1. NAR’s Realtors Property Resource® Executes Definitive Agreement with UPSTREAM™, Begins Development

The National Association of Realtors® and its wholly owned subsidiary, Realtors Property Resource®, have signed a technology agreement with UPSTREAM™, a revolutionary industry-owned and controlled data management company, to develop UPSTREAM™’s cross-industry, state-of-the-art platform for real estate data entry, collection and distribution for real estate brokers.  UPSTREAM™ will create a single entry point for brokers of all sizes to manage property data—including its distribution to multiple listing services, publishers and vendors—saving time, effort and expense and ensuring more accurate, consistent data. Read More...

2. Lowe's REALTOR® benefits come to an end

As of November 7, 2015 the Lowe’s Program for REALTORS® will no longer be available and Lowe’s will no longer be a REALTOR Benefits® Program partner. As part of the wind-down of the Lowe’s Program for REALTORS®, all NAR Members’ information, including any client information, provided to Lowe’s through the Lowe’s Program for REALTORS® will be destroyed by Lowe’s upon the conclusion of the program. However, NAR members, or clients of an NAR member, may continue to receive communications from Lowe’s if a separate customer relationship was established with Lowe’s independent of participation in the Lowe’s Program for REALTORS®. Download PDF Here...

3. Freddie Mac Warns Buyers of 3 Credit Scams

Freddie Mac issued a warning for home buyers about scams that try to entice them with promises of raising their credit score in exchange for money.  “Who doesn't want the highest credit score possible to garner the most-favored terms?” Freddie Mac notes on its website.  “For many Americans with consumer credit negatively impacted by the housing crisis and fluctuating economy, it's easy to be lured by the promise of a raised credit score. Schemes that falsely raise credit scores will land borrowers in scalding hot water -- as well as cost you time and money combating both origination- and servicing-related fraud.” Read More... 

4. News Corp Upbeat on Real Estate

In its latest earning call, media giant News Corp, also the owner of realtor.com®, singled out its stake in housing market investments as the bright spot in its earnings. News Corp’s income from continuing operations reached $143 million in the first quarter compared to $109 million in the prior year. “News Corp is on track in its transition to a more digital and global future, having successfully integrated several recent acquisitions and built a powerful platform for future growth,” said Robert Thomson, News Corp chief executive, on a recent earnings call. Read More...

5. How to Show Clients You're Credible

Your experience won’t likely win you more credibility with home buyers and sellers. “Your credibility is in you,” writes Liz Ryan, a columnist for Forbes. “It’s not in your connections, and the tired wheeze ‘it’s all about who you know’ as guidance for business people is insulting and false.” Instead, to become more credible in your business, Ryan says professionals need the following key traits: have a mission, name the elephant, understand the job in context, listen, and be honest. Read More...