Blog
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Non-Contingent Offers, Wire Fraud in New Ways, Home Hardening, Eviction Moratorium
The California real estate market has experienced extremely low inventory, but things have started to normalize in recent weeks. In this webinar, attorney Mark Carlson from the Carlson…
What Is a Subpoena when issued to a Real Estate Licensee?
A subpoena is an order issued by either an attorney, court clerk or a judge. Subpoenas in real estate are used to obtain records and information from people…
How to Help Your Real Estate Clients Avoid Deed Fraud and Scams
Deed fraud is on the rise, and real estate agents must be vigilant to help clients avoid these increasingly sophisticated scams. What is Deed Fraud? It typically involves…
5 Tips to Create an Effective Risk Management Framework for Your Brokerage
Every small business can benefit from having a risk management framework in place to minimize risk, liability and lawsuits. But for real estate brokers, it’s truly essential to…
6 Pitfalls When Selling Homes That Need to be Demolished
Selling homes that need to be demolished can be challenging for real estate agents. There are safety issues and other potential risks to consider. If you want to…
How To Prevent a Ransomware Attack
Your real estate brokerage, mortgage brokerage, property management company, or appraisal company is dependent upon electronics to function on a day-to- day basis from emails, online research, electronic…
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Risks to Real Estate Licensees Representing Sellers When Low Inventory
There are extremely low inventory levels for housing across multiple states right now. A significant portion of the real estate market are individuals who are simultaneously selling…
Selling Deceased Estates — 4 Reasons Agents Can Be Sued
If you’re used to working with sellers, selling deceased estates has some risks you may not be aware of. While some parts of the process are the same,…
Reimagining Your Real Estate Brokerage in a Post-Pandemic World
Things are opening up. Emergency orders have been lifted in many places. Rules about masking, social distancing, and group gatherings are changing. If the pandemic taught us anything,…
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Possible Pitfalls of Real Estate Whisper Listings
Video Summary Given the current Seller’s market and scarcity of homes for sale, office- exclusive listings (also called whisper listings) have become a more common occurrence. In…
6 Tips to Deal With Cluttered Properties and Minimize Your Risks
Clutter is a problem for 50% of Americans who say they’re overwhelmed with it. Clutter can mean a garage you can’t use for a car, money wasted on…
California’s Home Hardening Fire Disclosure Law
The State of California enacted legislation on 2019 effecting homeowners beginning January 1, 2020 who place their homes on the market to sell. Any seller after construction of…
CRES Webinar: Safer Practices for Rejecting Real Estate Offers
If you’re buried in offers (usually a good problem to have), this webinar covers some key points to know to stay out of trouble. (We talk with an…
Property Showings on Rainy Days — How to Minimize the Risks
Real estate professionals face risks every day, especially from property showings and open houses. And when you’re trying to conduct showings or open houses on rainy days, that…
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Escalation Clauses, Appraisal Addendums, and More
In this webinar, attorney Kathryn Holbert, from Farmer Case & Fedor, and Dave Miller, who manages the CRES Advantage Home Warranty Plan, discuss how real estate professionals can…
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Owner Licensing for Long-Term Rentals – Denver County
Owner Licensing for Long-Term Rentals – Denver County | RSS.com Denver City Council recently passed a new bill that imposes licensing restrictions on long-term rental property owners. In…
How to Sell Property Where Squatters Have Lived and Reduce Your Risks
Squatting is the unauthorized use of a property. It’s trespassing without the permission of the landowner, and usually over a significant period of time. If you’re a real…
4 Reasons Why You Need a Social Media Policy for Your Real Estate Brokerage
Recent research shows 72% of Americans use some form of social media. This is a significant increase of 67% since the Pew Research Center began tracking social media…
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Contingencies, Multiple Offers, Deadlines, and More — Preventing Claims in a Hot Real Estate Seller’s Market
Preventing Real Estate Claims in a Hot Seller’s Market, Part 1 | RSS.com In many markets right now, there's a limited amount of inventory and a surging…
How to Support New and Inexperienced Real Estate Licensees to Minimize Risk Exposure
In 2020, 17% of all real estate licensees had less than one year of experience, according to the NAR. You have to start somewhere, and recruiting and training…
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…
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
VIDEO WEBINAR SUMMARY 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…
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
VIDEO WEBINAR SUMMARY The majority of real estate E&O lawsuits are a result of failures to disclose. In this webinar, Mark Carlson, attorney from Carlson Law…
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,…
