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Get the Facts 04.23.24

Register for the Legal Symposium Today!

It’s Legal Symposium time, REALTORS®! Join us on May 30th from 9am to 4pm and get ready for a day packed with education, and hear from some of the leading industry lawyers in Washington:
 
🎤 Lars Neste, Demco Law Firm, P.S. 
🎤 Mike Spence, Helsell Fetterman LLP 
🎤 Erin Varriano, John L. Scott General Counsel 
🎤 Jeannie Simpson, Northwest MLS General Counsel 
🎤 Andy Mathews, Stoel Rives LLP 
🎤 Annie Fitzsimmons, Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer
 
These professionals will live-debate a variety of scenarios and provide expert information on the latest legal issues facing the real estate industry. And that's not all – enjoy a delicious lunch and hassle-free parking on us, plus, earn 7 clock hours!
 
Trust us, you won't want to miss this event!

Register Here 

Preliminary Approval of Settlement Agreement Granted: FAQs    Today, Judge Bough granted that motion which means that as of today, the settlement agreement is preliminarily approved. Settlement class members are now enjoined from filing complaints or prosecuting any claims based on the type of conduct at issue in Sitzer-Burnett and the other settled Actions on behalf of home sellers related to broker commissions against NAR or other parties that are released under the settlement.

The settlement is still subject to final court approval, and plaintiffs have requested a hearing on final approval of the settlement to be held on November 26, 2024. For a more comprehensive view of what’s ahead, please see an estimated timeline here.

See a list of helpful FAQs and resources from NAR's General Counsel, Katie Johnson, at the link below.

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Congratulations to WR's Newly Elected Officers! Help us congratulate and thank our newly elected Washington REALTORS® officers! Several wonderful individuals were elected into office last week at the Spring Business Conference Board of Directors meeting. Their volunteerism and service to the association is inspiring: we can't wait to work with them in 2025 and beyond!

View Officers

Honor Fair Housing Month by Taking the Bias Override Course! 
April is Fair Housing Month - take this course to learn the roots of bias in Real Estate! This 3.0 clock-hour class is included in your WR membership and will cover how to master strategies to sidestep fair housing pitfalls & much more. Not sure how this class will benefit you? Our members say it best! See what Miranda O'Callaghan had to say after attending:
 
"I have taken this class twice and what a great class! There are so many implicit biases we are unaware of until they are brought to light. This was not a space to say you are doing something wrong but a safe space to come into with an open mind and heart to make our interactions with clients a better experience for all. It touches on cultural awareness and so many things I wasn’t aware of prior to. I left with multiple takeaways to remain conscious of and will likely take it a third time".
 
-Miranda O’Callaghan, Spokane REALTOR®

Register Here

Congratulations Award Winners, Nominees & Finalists! 
Help us as we continue congratulating our Washington REALTOR® Award winners, nominees & finalists!

These are all passionate, dedicated individuals who work hard every day on behalf of their consumers, colleagues, and communities. Thank you ALL for your commitment and service to our industry! 
 
Photos from the Awards Ceremony held during last week's Spring Business conference can be downloaded here and from our Award Nominees page below!

View Winners, Nominees & Finalists

NAR Releases 2023 ESG+R Report 
The Environmental, Social, Governance and Resilience (ESG+R) report reviews and aggregates the major sustainability accomplishments and activities for NAR in the 2023 calendar year. The report outlines four major areas based on the NAR Sustainability and Resilience Plan and the goal of this report is to track their progress over time and tell the association’s sustainability story through various actions and goals.

View Report

Legal Hotline Q & A of the Week 

04.23.24 Q & A