November 2020 Newsletter #23
Giving thanks, in such a hostile environment, is not the first reaction people have. It’s more about questions and reactions to situations they were thrown into as 2020 evolved. We can all complain because that comes so much easier for us but to truly be thankful takes reflection and a microscopic look into our lives. Grand scheme thrown out of the window, we must therefore dive into small moments, seconds, hours and days instead of weeks or months or even this year as a total. When we take a sample from a pond and put it under a microscope, we reveal a beautiful microcosm. So too can we take just a day and break it down into small moments that we can be thankful for and that we can say is beautiful? A thank you, a random act of kindness (no matter how small), catching the sunrise or sunset as it creates a canvas of wonder across the sky, a baby’s laugh, a touch, a look; it can all be chalked up as thankful moments. Each of us can experience these moments and can offer them to those around us as well. Creating a thankful moment for others to experience in this time of trouble could actually be a life or death situation. So, wave someone into traffic, pay for someone’s meal in a drive-thru, just do something random but do something to make others thankful for that moment, that moment they may reflect on at the end of their day. Who knows, doing acts of kindness may be your thankful moment at the end of your day too.
Switching from one MLS system to another can be pretty hectic but we are in constant contact with both our old MLS Paragon and our new MLS Navica to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible. We have gleaned information from our neighbors to the North of us (LAAR), as they will be going through the same changes we are. Not only will it be a change for you the consumer/ agent but staff will be going through some major changes as well. To compliment our new MLS, Navica has a great Association Management Software that we will be using in concert with the MLS. Here is a list of benefits we will be implementing shortly after the new MLS is up and running.
Billing: Billing/ Invoices will be done through this new system and will send notifications on screen and through email about current dues. This system will also allow you to pay directly through it.
Calendar: This system will have an attached calendar of events for classes, committee meetings, events, billings and more.
Event Planning: Currently, we use Eventbrite to plan events such as classes. This will be a thing of the past because this new system allows us to create events and take payments for those events as soon as you enroll.
Voting and Polls: With this new system we can send out polls and set up elections. We can choose certain groups, like Designated Brokers to receive the poll or only our primary members. Hopefully this will help engage the membership even more than before.
NAR/TAR: This new system automatically communicates to the NAR NRDS database. Any changes done in our database will make changes in theirs. Vice versa, when someone logs into NRDS and changes info there, it changes ours. This will improve member information and keep things more consistent across the entire network.
The goal of this change is to increase the reliability, effectiveness and efficiency of our association for you, our members. We look forward to seeing how this change will improve the member experience.
Tuesday November 17th: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. PSA Pricing Strategies with Susan Barnette
Go to our website’s education page for more information on this class and to sign up.
Tuesday November 24th: 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. Home Warranties with Maryann Azambuja
Go to our website’s education page for more information on this class and to sign up.
Thursday and Friday November 26th & 27th Office is Closed for Thanksgiving
Monday and Tuesday December 7th & 8th New Construction and Buyer Representation with Robert Morris
This class will be added to the education page and open for sign ups on November 23rd
This will be the only chance for education for the rest of the year.
If you need more than what we have been able to offer, then we encourage you to go to The CE Shop.
To check your education on your license, go to verify.tn.gov
To renew your license, do transfers, etc. Go to core.tn.gov
Remember to start the renewal process early due to TREC being very backlogged right now.
Navica Switch: We will be switching from Paragon to Navica in January.
Further information on training and exact dates will be announced later.
We are asking for one person per office to sign up as the office’s liaison for training. If you know someone or
would want to be a trainer for your office, contact Kathy Leedy Kathy@gsmar.org. You or they would
come to the association and receive training on the new Navica MLS and
go back and train others how to use it.
New Transaction Desk Training Videos
What is Transaction Desk?
"Instanet Solutions focuses on providing cloud based applications real estate professionals can use to manage real estate transactions online. Instanet’s comprehensive platform includes online contract, document and file management, electronic signature, transaction management and online faxing solutions. Instanet’s customers use its solutions to efficiently manage their transactions online from the time they write a listing, sale or lease contract to the day of close. These cloud based applications allow real estate professionals to manage transactions from their computers, tablets and smartphone anywhere, anytime. Built in collaboration tools allow agents to interact with their clients, other agents, their brokerages and others, such as title companies, all through the online system. Powerful brokerage tools allow companies to manage all transaction files online, work interactively with their staff and their agents to receive review and approve forms and transaction files." quote from Instanet website
Logging In
The system helps brokerages mitigate risk through online checklists, enforcing business rules, robust reporting and automatically created audit trails.
Getting into Transaction Desk is easy, in Paragon, go to the Resources tab and go to the bottom and click on Instanet or go to TNREALTORS, you must create an account, go under the members tab and click on Transaction Desk.
New Training Videos
Once you are logged into it, go to the help section on the bottom left (?). Once in the help section you have multiple options. The pre-recorded webinar videos are a great resource for any REALTOR.
Check out these Helpful articles for New Agents or one that needs some freshening up!
You do know that Navica will be our new MLS provider beginning sometime in January? Here are some of the questions you have generated that Navica has answered for us.
Will logins and passwords remain the same?
SEI: Login and passwords will be decided when the user logs in for the first time so they could enter their old login name and password but they do not have to.
Will the agent be able to take a look at all emails they have sent to prospective buyers?
SEI: Navica allows for the user to click and use their own email program so they would have all emails in their sent folder in their email program. If they choose to send with NMail there is a copy of the email sent to the user.
Will we have the ability to set guidelines for price reductions before they show on a “hot sheet?
SEI: Navica shows any price changes on the Hot Sheet, not certain price changes but all activity and all price changes.
Do you know yet when the training will be? How many times offered? How long will each training session be? Could there be any special training for some agents designated as “go to” people to help staff in the transition?
SEI: I will be working on a schedule towards the end of this month, once we get a little further through the data work, that will answer these questions.
Chair Kathryn Lovell is finalizing the 501(c)3 non-profit status for REALTORS® Care. GSMAR is very excited about this effort and looks forward to being able to help our community through the following sub-committees:
Craig Stephenson – Community Involvement. The golf tournament was a big success this year. Look for even more next year. If you have an idea for Community Involvement contact Craig.
Kitty Freire – Fundraising. Kitty did a great job fundraising for GSMAR a few years ago, and we are excited to welcome her back as chair this year. If history is any indicator, this will be a banner fundraising year!
Chris Wood – Helping Hands. Helping Hands = Realtors® helping Realtors®. If you know of a fellow Realtor® who needs assistance, please let Chris know.
Scholarship – Scott Cline. The $1,000 scholarships have gone to the graduating seniors. By next month we will have the winners of the kindergarten grants. This has been a busy year for Scholarship.
Co-Chairs Kim Shinlever and Kathryn Lovell are pleased to announce the 2020 GSMAR Major Investors (in no particular order):
1. Craig Stephenson
2. Kim Shinlever
3. Chris Gonzalez
4. Jerry Sandifer
5. Steve Lane
6. Kathryn Lovell
7. Vickie Stanton
8. Neva Waite
9. Leonard Waring
10. Bryan Kendrick
11. Terri Williams
12. Penny Cowell
13. Randy Hobbs
14. Faye DeRobertis
15. Diane Farr
Gifts have been ordered for each and will be available soon. A huge thank you to our MI’s and the RPAC Committee. As of the last data from the State, GSMAR was at 135% of dollar goal.
Definition of thanks:
Give thanks - express gratitude or show appreciation to thank. acknowledge, recognize - express obligation, thanks, or gratitude for; "We must acknowledge the kindness she showed towards us"
Why is it important to give thanks?
Being thankful helps you bond. Research by U.S. psychologists Sara Algoe and Baldwin Way indicates that gratitude also can lead to better relationships. The explanation may be connected to increased production of oxytocin, sometimes called the “bonding hormone” because it fosters calm and security in relationships.
It sounds so simple yet seems so difficult to do. As the season of “Thanksgiving” approaches, let’s promise ourselves to be internally thankful for what we have and externally thankful by remembering to acknowledge and appreciate those around us by letting them know!
Our theme this month is giving thanks. I have so much to be thankful for coming from my REALTOR relationships. I am thankful I had the opportunity to serve as your 2020 President. I am thankful that you will have an excellent President next year in Jerry Sandifer and the following year in Penny Cowell. Your new leadership team will rock it and work hard on your behalf.
I am beyond thankful for the love, words of encouragement, and support I have received from so many of you. It has been an exceedingly difficult year and honestly the one thing I am not thankful for is the fact I was unable to see you guys in person.
On the other hand, I am thankful I was able to learn a new technology – Zoom! I have enjoyed every single zoom meeting in which I have been privileged to participate. It is a great opportunity to focus face to face with someone. Usually in class, someone you would like to see or speak to is far across the room and with Zoom, I have felt like I could reach out and touch you.
So, either with Zoom or in person, I am thankfully looking forward to seeing your smiling faces again soon!
Happy Thanksgiving
Vickie Stanton
YOUR
2020 GSMAR President