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Updated Guidelines in California for Real Estate Open Houses – May 2021
On May 12, 2021, the California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH) updated its guidance on open houses to allow in-person showings of properties, such as open houses. The guidance…
Selling a Home with an Above-Ground Pool
Swimming pools are becoming more popular as families look for recreational activities in their own backyard. Since the pandemic, orders for pools have skyrocketed in the United States,…
Denver City Council Bill 21-420 Effect on the Real Estate Market
Recently, the Denver City Council passed Bill 21-0420, which imposes licensing requirements on property owners offering long-term rentals within Denver County. The City Council’s passage of Bill 21-0420…
Dealing with Transaction Coordinators
If you’re a busy real estate agent juggling many listings, you may feel overwhelmed by all the complex legal paperwork that comes with transactions. A Transaction Coordinator can…
Avoid Being Sued for Discrimination — Follow Fair Housing Act Standards in Real Estate Ads
Real estate licensees, property managers and leasing agents: you can inadvertently and unintentionally become liable for racial discrimination if you aren’t careful in advertising for housing, whether in…
6 Compliance Items to Review to Protect Your Real Estate Brokerage This Year
Now that 2021 is well underway, it’s a good time to review any risks and vulnerabilities within your business. Here are 6 things that every broker should review…
Top 10 Mistakes Real Estate Agents Make That Leave Them Vulnerable to a Lawsuit
As a real estate professional, you want to do everything you can to minimize your risk and protect yourself from potential lawsuits. Here are the Top 10 mistakes…
Working Closely with Your Real Estate Clients While Apart
The way we work has changed as a result of the pandemic. People who work in industries that have traditionally had a lot of personal contact now must…
Proper Screening of Tenant Applicants in California by a Landlord or Property Manager
A landlord or his or her property manager in California at most can charge a potential tenant fifty- dollars and ninety-four cents ($50.94) as an application fee where…
Pitfalls for Colorado Brokers in a Seller’s Real Estate Market
Colorado is experiencing unprecedented market conditions that favor sellers of real property. The heavily favorable sellers’ real estate market is due to a combination of factors, including the…
How to Help Your Buyers Avoid Post-Winter Water Damaged Homes
There have been some harsh weather conditions across several states in America this winter, especially in places like Colorado. This not only takes its toll on residents, but…
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Understanding Obligations and E&O Issues for Real Estate Brokers
In this webinar, Mark Carlson, attorney from Carlson Law Group and Dave Miller, Regional Vice-President with Fidelity National Home Warranty, discuss real estate broker obligations. They provide valuable…
Understanding COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Directives and How to Minimize Your Risk as a Property Manager
It’s a challenging time for all real estate professionals with rapidly changing directives due to COVID-19. One of these directives is the moratorium on evictions. For Property Managers…
Tips and Pointers for Professional Property Managers in Colorado
1. Property Manager experience: The leasing and management of real estate for a fee or compensation requires a real estate broker license and must be conducted through a…
California Escrow Risk Management Protocols
Over the years, I have seen an increase in claims and litigation arising out of the way an escrow was handled ranging from wire fraud transfer of funds,…
Real Estate Brokers: How to Communicate With Your Agents About Seller’s E&O
As a real estate professional, you know the importance of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. It’s professional liability insurance that protects you and your team against potential lawsuits. …
Disclaimers, Waivers and COVID-Related Clauses in Real Estate Contracts — How to Minimize Your Risk as a Broker
As COVID-19 continues to impact the world, it also continues to make its mark on the real estate industry across our nation. Many “business as usual” activities, such…
How to Handle a Real Estate Buyer with a Criminal Background
You’re the listing agent, and your seller gets a cash offer $2000 over asking price. Nobody has signed anything yet, but your client is pretty happy! And then…
Selling Real Estate in ‘Qualified Opportunity Zones’ — Tips and Risks
The Qualified Opportunity Zones Program was introduced with the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The program aims to boost economic growth to disadvantaged and ‘economically distressed’ communities.…
The Pitfalls Of “Love Letters” from Potential Buyers Or Renters
In today’s competitive California real estate market, I have seen buyers attempt to obtain an edge on their competition by writing and sending letters to the sellers. These…
Managing Foreign Investment Sales
Although foreign buyers only account for a small portion of all home sales in the United States, $74 billion worth of property was sold to foreign buyers from…
Dealing with Clients with Allergies and Illnesses During the Pandemic
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the USA and more than 50 million Americans experience…
Ways Real Estate Pros Can Use Home Staging to Boost Sales
Did you know that 83% of buyer’s agents said staging a home made it easier for the buyer to visualize the property as their future home, according to…
5 Common Pitfalls in the Residential Purchase Agreement + Handling Dual Agency
The Residential Purchase Agreement is the most important form in a real estate transaction. But it’s also the cause of most of the litigation that occurs in real…
How to Help Out-of-State Real Estate Buyers During the Pandemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that Americans limit travel at this time, because it can increase the chance of spreading and getting COVID-19. CDC…
Real Estate Brokers: Here’s What to Know About Mask-Wearing and Sanitation for Apartment and Condo Sales
Apartments and condominiums are of particular risk during this COVID-19 pandemic because there are often hundreds of people living in the same building. That means hundreds of people…
How to Use Seller Seminars To Drive Sales During the Pandemic
Selling a home can be overwhelming at the best of times, but being in the midst of a pandemic adds additional challenges for sellers. Understandably, some sellers struggle…
The Dangers of Legionella: Assessing Safety Risks for Recently Opened Buildings
The NAR recently warned real estate agents about the risks of Legionella bacteria in recently-opened buildings. It’s a challenge that many property owners and real estate professionals haven’t…
7 Tips to Keep Your Agents Motivated During Slow Sales Periods
Real estate is a bustling and busy industry, but sometimes slow sales periods happen. How can you keep your team motivated during quieter times? Here are 7 tips…
What to Do When Buyers Discover Post-Closing Issues
Everything looked great in the house. You closed. The buyers were happy. And then … they discovered a leaky pipe and a hole in the floor. The buyer…
Fraud Alert – Seller Carry Back Loan Scams
Fraud Alert #1: Full Price Offer, Minimal Deposit, Large Carryback Be aware of this pattern, typically with residential homes priced from $2 million to $3 million. Here’s how…
Selling a Home Where There’s an Active Neighbor Dispute
Neighbor disputes are relatively common. From boundary disputes to barking dogs, relationships between neighbors aren’t always on friendly terms. While living with neighbor disputes is problematic for many…
Foreclosures with Tenants — How to Comply with the Law and Minimize Your Risk of a Lawsuit
The National Multifamily Housing Council estimates that around 43 million households or 109 million people are renters in the United States. So it’s likely that at some stage…
The Pitfalls of Failing to Disclose in Real Estate: a CRES Risk Management Video Webinar
The majority of real estate E&O lawsuits are a result of failures to disclose. In this webinar, Mark Carlson, attorney from Carlson Law Group and Dave Miller, Regional…
Property Managers: Rental Scams and How To Avoid Them
Fraudsters are unfortunately taking full advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a real estate professional, you need to keep on top of rental scams and take action to…
What Precautions Are Real Estate Agents Responsible For When Selling Property in a COVID Environment?
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across the world, and the laws and best practices to deal with it seem to be changing almost every day. Keeping up can be…
8 Ways Your Real Estate Agents Can Improve the Customer Service Experience for Home Sales
As a real estate broker, it’s important to keep your team motivated to provide exceptional customer service to your clients. COVID-19 has brought some unexpected challenges this year,…
Covid-19 Safety Tips All Real Estate Brokers Should Share with Your Team
The Covid-19 crisis continues to impact health and the economy throughout our country, but for many real estate agents, business is booming. With favorable interest rates, there are…
Property Managers: How to Handle Broken Solar on Rental Property
Many homeowners are seeing benefits from installing solar, but does it make sense to add solar panels to a rental unit? Property owners need to consider different options…
Know the Risks of Selling Real Estate Property in an Unfamiliar Area
Clients choose a real estate agent based on a number of factors, but one is their knowledge of the area. If you're selling property in an unfamiliar area,…
CRES Risk Management Webinar: How to Reduce Property Management Risks in a COVID World
Like many other industries, real estate has been significantly affected by COVID-19. Property management is one area in particular, which is experiencing much pandemic-related change. There’s no doubt…
Covid-19 Precautions Real Estate Agents Need to Take Now
We’d all love the pandemic to be over and business to get back to usual, but we’re not there yet. While many states are phasing in reopening and…
How to Avoid Problems with Leased Solar Panels When Selling a Home
Solar panels can be a great selling point. Studies show they can increase the value of a home as much as $15,000, and may be appealing to home…
CRES Risk Management Webinar: COVID-19 Forms and Best Practice for California Real Estate Professionals
COVID-19 has brought a great deal of challenges to the real estate industry. Keeping up with exactly what forms should be used in transactions is one of those…
Managing the Risks of Remote or Drive-Thru Real Estate Closings
Many people have been severely affected by the coronavirus through illness, job losses, and business closures. As a result, some clients, understandably, will want to cancel transactions because…
Reducing the Risks Of Managing a Remote Real Estate Team
Did you know that approximately 42% of the labor force in the United States is working from home right now? There were many benefits of having your team…
How to Avoid Misinterpretations When Working Remotely With Real Estate Clients
The current pandemic has increased the physical distance between all of us to ensure public safety. There are also various state orders that govern social distancing, stay-at-home orders…
Insurance Checklist for Real Estate Professionals: What you need to run your business
As a real estate professional running a business, you face risks every day. The best plan of action is to take a proactive approach and manage that risk,…
Taking Your Virtual Property Tours to the Next Level
Virtual property tours have been around for a while — but are now more important than ever. Although many real estate professionals (and prospective buyers) may favor in-person…
How to Keep Real Estate Customers Loyal During the Pandemic
As COVID-19 continues to impact the United States, businesses are grappling with how to move forward in this “new normal”. In your real estate business, there are some…
How Real Estate Brokers Can Find New Opportunities in a Pandemic
There’s no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic has caused trauma to the United States economy. However, out of crisis also comes some opportunity. Many companies across the country are…
Is Your Website ADA Compliant? – Better Safe Than Sorry
With the ongoing national Covid-19 crisis, real estate brokers, agents, and property managers are more reliant than ever on the internet as a means of marketing and communication. …
Texas Real Estate Risk Management & Compliance Newsletter | COVID-19 Updates – June 26, 2020
On Friday, June 26, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued his Executive Order GA-28. This Order supersedes Executive Order GA-26 which was issued on June 3, 2020, at a time when…
CRES Real Estate E&O Per Transaction Policies
Running a real estate or mortgage brokerage business can be costly, especially in tough economic times like now. When you need to pay real estate Errors and Omissions…
What to Do When a Tenant is COVID-19 Positive
Given the widespread nature of COVID-19, property managers shouldn’t be surprised to hear that one or more tenants are symptomatic or have tested positive. The question, of course,…
Protecting Yourself and Your Real Estate Team During the Pandemic
COVID-19 has had an impact on the world that none of us could have foreseen. Here we are several months into the pandemic, and the business community is…
Tenants Who Cannot Pay Due to COVID-19
The impact of COVID-19 on the world economy is unprecedented. GDP has dropped some 4.8% for the first quarter of 2020, the stock market has taken a hit,…
Managing Short Sales
Short sales don’t happen every day, but they’re relatively common in real estate. Some sellers who struggle to pay their mortgages will take a lower price for their…
How Real Estate Professionals Should Respond to a Deposition Subpoena to Produce Documents
When there is a legal dispute between the buyer and seller, you may be served with a deposition subpoena to produce documents. This is a normal procedure for…
Managing the Risks of Facebook® Live
With 2.5 billion monthly active users, Facebook offers a wealth of opportunity for your real estate business. More than 1.6 billion Facebook users log on daily and those…
