LCBR BULLETIN BOARD

   EMAIL: litch.b.r@snet.net

During the event, the following new members were presented: REALTOR® Member Jon Sheaffer of Prudential CT Realty; Affiliate Member Attorney John E. Hudson of Law Office of John Hudson; Affiliate Member Brian Piers of Tiger Home & Building Inspections; and Affiliate Member Jason Girardin of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

Scholarship Presentation:  Michael Magistrali discussed the renaming of our scholarship to the TJ Zappulla, REALTOR® Scholarship Grant and the impact TJ had on the Board and his community.  The Awards Committee presented this year's scholarship recipient with a check in the amount of $2,459.00.  The recipient Steven Woodruff will attend Tufts University in the fall; he is the son of Diane Woodruff of Fahey Associates, REALTORS®.  Magistrali Video; Presentation Video

REALTOR® Anniversary Pin Presentations:

10 Years - Laura Bartlett, Realty Executives Northwest; Dorothy Beckley, D. Beckley Realty; Denise Cohn, Elyse Harney Real Estate; Michael Conlogue, Klemm Real Estate; Michele DaSilva, DaSilva Properties, LLC; William Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Real Estate; Jem Fortier, ERA Property Center; Wieslawa Fretto, Cohen Agency; Linda Ganem, Borla  & Associates, LLC; Ira Goldspiel, Litchfield Hills Sothebys International Realty; Jacqueline Hornish, William Raveis Real Estate; Kristin LeBlanc, Mary LeBlanc Realty; Kim-Mai Mahon, William Raveis Real Estate; Judy Maley, Sullivan Real Estate; Joyce Miles, CENTURY 21 Command Realty; Linda Ober, Prudential Premier Homes; Arthur Parrish, Arthur Parrish Appraiser; Sherrill Scoville, Sherrill Scoville Broker; Susan Smith, Marrin Santore Realty, LLC; Robert Sullivan, Sullivan Real Estate; Patricia Thurman, Best & Cavallaro; and Wendy Westcott, Klemm Real Estate.

20 Years - Janet Clossen, William Raveis Real Estate; Grace Franjola, Litchfield Hills Sotheby's International Realty; James Hiltz, Hiltz & Bowling; James Kaniewski, Town & Country Real Estate; Kathleen Logan, Showcase Realty, Inc.; and Martha Olin, Litchfield Hills Sotheby’s International Realty.

25 Years - Mary Clancey, Litchfield Hills Sotheby's International Realty; Patricia Keparutis, Bayberry Realty; Ellie Peterson, Future Realty, LLC; and Jack Potter, Cohen Agency.

30 Years - Annesa Borla, Borla  & Associates, LLC; William Downes, Gooseboro Realty; Judith Hammer, Gooseboro Realty; and Debbie Videtto, Prudential Premier Homes.

35 Years - Palmer Marrin, Marrin Santore Realty, LLC; and Nate Zimmerman, Prudential Premier Homes

40 Years - David Bain, Bain Real Estate; and David Dean, Litchfield County Commercial - Chris Garrity of Bain Real Estate roasted David Bain and Ted Murphy of EJ Murphy Realty roasted David Dean for the 40 years as a REALTOR member. Bain Roast Video; Bain Video; Dean Roast Video; Dean Video

Affiliate Recognition: The Awards Committee discussed the numerous ways Affiliate members support the Board such as sponsoring programs, providing door prizes, serving on committees, etc.  They expressed the Board's appreciation for all of our Affiliate members!

Unsung Hero Award: Watch Video... The Awards Committee surprised Ted Murphy of EJ Murphy Realty by presenting him the Unsung Hero Award for the never-ending support he has shown the REALTOR organization on the local and state level.

Chocolate Award Presentations:

Dedication Award: Public Relations Committee Chair, Linda Hull was presented with the Dedication Chocolate Award which was in the shape of a house for her UNWAVERING dedication to her committee's programs such as the Habitat for Humanity Work Day and REALTORS® Have a Heart for Kids.

Hot Ticket Award: Watch Video... It was announced that REALTOR® member Colleen Platt with The Washington Agency won the Hot Ticket Chocolate Award which was in the shape of a ticket. It was noted that Colleen "...will make you laugh, bring a smile to your face when you need it, and cheer you on." 

Social Butterfly Award: It was announced that REALTOR® member Donna Molon with Donna Molon, Broker won the Social Butterfly Chocolate Award which was in the shape of, you guessed it...a butterfly.  It was noted that Donna is thought of as "...friendly, talkative, always says hello, nice smile on her face..."

Digital Diva Award: REALTOR® member Toni Osterhout of Elite Realty was presented with the Digital Diva Chocolate Award which was in the shape of a camera for the numerous videos she has voluntarily created for the Board.

Attended the Most 2012 Membership Meetings Award: Watch Video... There was a two-way tie for this award! Both Sandra Becker with Coldwell Banker Res Brokerage and David A. Luzi with EJ Murphy Realty were presented with this heart shaped award.

Traveled the Farthest to Attend Board Functions: REALTOR® member Alison Lundie with William Raveis Real Estate was presented with this car shaped award for traveling a very long way to attend Board functions.

REALTOR® of the Year Award:  Watch Video... The deserving nominees for the 2013 REALTOR® of the Year Award were Linda Hull of Coldwell Banker Realty 2000 and David A. Luzi of EJ Murphy Realty.   The recipient of the 2013 REALTOR of the Year Award was.....David A. Luzi.   It was noted that David "...has given countless hours to our Board and also on the state level."

T-Shirts Giveaways: The following REALTOR t-shirt were awarded to the: First REALTOR member to arrive...Marcus Santore; 100th Awards Night Registrant...Mary Reeve; Attendee with Closest Birthday...Erin Ogrean; 40 Year Pin Roasters...Chris Garrity and Ted Murphy; and Scholarship Recipient's Mother...Diane Woodruff.

Door Prizes: Freda Rogers-Shaw of Prudential Premier Homes won a $30 Citgo Gas Card which was donated by The Real Estate Book and Terry McCue of Future Realty won a $100 Best Buy Gift Card which was donated by LCBR.

 

FUSION MLS: Access to Fusion is already available to CTMLS users! Fusion is cross platform and browser compatible, therefore, you may use it on a PC or MAC and you may use any browser such as Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla, etc. To access Fusion, please visit http://ctmls.fusionmls.com/ and login with your MLXchange User ID and Password.

Function Availability in Fusion - Everyone needs to understand that while they can access Fusion now, it is still under construction; therefore, while the vast majority of features available in MLXchange are currently available in Fusion there are the following exceptions:  CMA Function; Portions of Listing Maintenance - Attachments & Map Location; Agent Web Page Management; Scheduler/Tasks/Action Plans; and Outlook Sync. Eventually, the these functions will be available in Fusion. In the meantime, users will have to utilize the them through MLXchange.

Using MLXchange & Fusion - VERY important! CTMLS users may NOT login to MLXchange and Fusion at the same time. Be sure to log out of one before logging into the other, do not just close the browser. Any user that doesn't logout of one system before logging into the other will receive an error message and will be locked out of the system for a period of approximately twenty minutes.

Windows 8 - Fusion is compatible with Windows 8 in Desktop Mode, however, it is NOT compatible with Metro Mode (both Modes are included with an install of Windows 8).

Windows 8 Slate Tablet - As of the moment Fusion is NOT compatible with the new Windows 8 Slate Tablet.

Fusion on the iPad - You may access Fusion on your iPad by using "Core Logic Fusion Experience" App which you may download for FREE from the App Store. Please note, the Print function is not available in the app, therefore, you will not be able to print any listings, reports, etc. from your iPad.

Fusion on (Most) Mobile Phones - You may access Fusion on most mobile devices, including, iPhone, iPad, Android, and more by using the "CTReal Mobile" App which you may download from the App Store or Google Play. Features include robust search options, current listing details and photos, advanced mapping, saved searches, social media and more.  CTMLS agents and broker have a secure login that provides access to member-only information.

Homebuyers may also download and use the FREE "CTReal Mobile" App, however,  they will only have the ability to search listings just as they would on CTREAL.com.

Fusion on Blackberry & Windows Mobile Phones - You may access Fusion on a Blackberry or Windows mobile phone through a web-based version of "CTReal Mobile" which is available at http://www.ctrealmobile.com/.

Fusion Online Training - CTMLS offers several live webinars every month on various topics including Fusion.  To view the current schedule, click here.

Fusion In-Office Training - You may schedule an appointment for a CTMLS Trainer to come to your office to give a Fusion Training presentation, provided you have at least five agents that will attend the presentation.  To schedule an appoint you may email Lauren Egan at lauren@ctreal.com or call her at 203-697-1006.

Other Fusion Training Resources - You may find other training resources by logging into Fusion, clicking the Help tab  and then the On-line Help tab.  A new window will open showing several icons.  Click the Tutorials and Videos icon or the Documents icon to access Fusion Manuals and Guides.

Fusion Tech Support Hotline - You may access tech support for Fusion or MLXchange by calling 888-825-5472 on Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM and on Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM.

Fusion MLS Guide - Visit this Guide to Fusion for easy access to information about Fusion online training, frequently asked questions, etc.
 

IMPROVE YOUR TECH SKILLS AT NAR’S TECH EDGE: NAR is hosting several one-day technology conferences across North America, starting in April. NAR Tech Edge is geared toward agents who are eager to learn how current web-based and mobile technologies can benefit their business and clients. Visit the e-PRO® website for current event dates, details and registration information.
 

TenantTracks: Litchfield County Board of REALTORS®, Inc. is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership agreement with the Greater Waterbury Board of REALTORS®, Inc. to bring you TenantTracks, a CT Based Tenant Screening service that offers better data than other screening companies, EFFECTIVE APRIL 1ST.  Best of all, LCBR will receive a portion of the proceeds from every report purchased by our members!   When applying enter LCBR in the Discount Code Field to receive the rate of $59 for a TenantTracks membership. 
 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2014 NAR COMMITTEES - The National Association is now accepting recommendations for committee service in 2014! All committee recommendations must be submitted via the Online Committee Recommendation Database on REALTOR.org.  Deadline for submission is May 24, 2013.  Using the database, members can recommend themselves or other suitable candidates. We are encouraging members to seek recommendations from colleagues with whom they have worked closely, and in particular members of leadership at the national, state and local level.

When submitting a recommendation you will be required to include relevant comments that highlight the candidate's skills and qualifications for consideration.  All comments are confidential, so feel free to be candid.

Follow these steps to access the Committee Recommendation Database*:

1. Log-on to REALTOR.org
2. Click the “About NAR” tab at the top of the page
3. Click “Governance” in the left hand side of the page
4. Beneath that, select "Committees"
5. In the center screen click "Submit Recommendations for 2014 Committees"

The link below may also be used to access the recommendation database directly on REALTOR.org.

http://gms.realtor.org/comrecords.nsf/ComSelMbrHome?ReadForm

Things to Consider when Submitting Recommendations

Each committee is different.  Some are large, others small.  Some meet off-cycle (not at the Midyear or Annual Meetings).  Some require specific background to be considered for appointment.  To determine which committee is right for you, please review the committee structure which lists each committee's purpose statement, composition (how many members), length of term you would be expected to serve, and specific qualifications for consideration.  Please keep in mind that if appointed to a committee you will be expected to attend all of its meetings and serve the full length of your term.  Furthermore, please keep in mind that forums are open to all members; so you need not recommend yourself for appointment to a forum unless you are seeking the position of chair or vice chair. 

Individual committee structure* can be found by clicking “View Committee Information” on the committee recommendations homepage (link provided above). 

*Note: This is the current (2013) committee structure.  The 2014 committee structure will be approved at the Midyear Meetings in May, 2013.

Have You  Completed/Updated Your Expertise Profile?

NAR's Expertise Profile Database was designed to provide all levels of the REALTOR® family (including the Local, State and National Associations) with key information about you and your professional experience. The information that you will provide in this profile will be used as a resource in a variety of ways, including identification of members with certain expertise to serve on committees, working groups, presidential advisory groups; also, to respond to surveys about association issues, products, services etc.  

Individuals interested in serving on NAR's committees are encouraged to create and/or update their expertise profiles.  However, they are not required. Please note: Completing an expertise profile is NOT the same as submitting a recommendation for yourself!  If you wish to serve on a committee you still must submit a recommendation via the online Committee Recommendation Database on REALTOR.org. 

Follow these steps to access the Expertise Profile page*:
1. Click “Enter Your Expertise Profile” on the committee recommendations homepage

FREE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES - Litchfield County Board of REALTORS®, Inc. has scheduled four 3-hour continuing education modules for 2014 Connecticut salesperson or broker real estate license renewal, these courses do not apply for appraiser license renewal.  Currently the course titles are not available, however the dates have been scheduled for September 10, 2013, September 17, 2013, September 24, 2013 and October 1, 2013.  These four courses and ONLY these four courses will be offered to Litchfield County Board of REALTORS®, Inc. active REALTOR® members at no cost; no substitutions will be allowed.  To be considered a LCBR member you must be an active LCBR REALTOR® member at the time of the class which includes the payment of 2013 REALTOR® Board dues to Litchfield County Board of REALTORS®, Inc.
 

ONLINE CONTINUING EDUCATION - LCBR is partnered with The CE Shop to provide CE training in an easy to use on-line format; you can access great online continuing education courses that are state approved and 100% accredited!  Additionally, once you complete the course you can access your certificate instantly and The CE Shop manages all reporting to the state.  As an ADDED BONUS: at checkout enter the promotional code MAY15 to receive 15% off your purchase when you enroll in any online CE  course taken through our online course catalog! This promotion expires May 31, 2013.     You must use the following link to  register for these courses, click here to register. 

REAL LIFE 365 VIDEOS - The CE Shop offers several free videos designed to educate real estate professionals on a variety of topic.  This month's topics are: "Relationships to Referrals" and "Get the Listing Every Time". To view this FREE video click here.