Event Coverage
SILVAR Members Will Receive Proxio, a New Member Benefit, and No Dues Increase in 2014
More than 400 members gathered at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View yesterday for SILVAR's annual Economic Seminar & General Membership Meeting. The meeting commenced with greetings from SILVAR President Carolyn Miller, followed by reports from Executive Officer Paul Cardus, Government Affairs Director Jessica Epstein, and remarks from special guest, California Association of REALTORS® President Don Faught.
Miller welcomed members to the annual event. She acknowledged SILVAR past presidents, board members and staff. She encouraged members to get involved in the Association.
Cardus thanked members for choosing SILVAR as their Association of REALTORS®. He noted while REALTORS® need to be members of C.A.R. and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), they can choose their local Board.
Cardus told members why SILVAR is the right choice for an Association, but not before paying tribute to a couple of important REALTORS® who made a mark on the industry, but passed on this year. They included John Lazar, longtime member and a founder of SILVAR, and 2012 President of the California Association of REALTORS® LeFrancis Arnold, who was an inspiration to all who worked with him, and a good friend of SILVAR.
"We stand on the shoulders of giants," said Cardus. It's thanks to the contributions of REALTORS® like them and other members of SILVAR that the Association is solid and has come as far as it has.
The meeting was upbeat for many reasons. Cardus said the Association continues to maintain a 12-member staff and a high standard of customer service, while membership has grown despite the recent hard times in the industry. Cardus announced SILVAR now has 4,407 REALTORS®, 4,120 of whom are primary REALTOR® members and 287 secondary REALTOR® members, experiencing a steady year-to-year increase, up from 4,269 REALTORS® in 2012, 4,290 in 2011, 4,313 in 2010, and 4,255 in 2009. SILVAR has 243 affiliated professionals.
Thanks to the wisdom and judgment of its Budget &Finance Committee, SILVAR maintains a solid financial footing, supported largely by wise investments in fully leased commercial properties, investment accounts, and member dues. Cardus announced once again this year that SILVAR will not be increasing dues in 2014. The Association has not increased dues since 2002.
The third piece of good news Cardus announced is that SILVAR is taking the MLS to the next level by providing members another free benefit, access to Proxio, a leading global marketing and networking platform. Proxio is an exclusive international network that enables real estate agents to share listings in more than 115 countries. Foreign listings are translated into 19 languages, 30 currencies and metric measurements. The network allows U.S.- based agents to connect with other agents internationally, providing them and their listings global visibility.
SILVAR's Proxio bundle includes a member's profile in the network of over 500,000 real estate professionals across the U.S. and in over 100 countries, and international MLS exposure for members' listings, presented in 19 languages. The bundle also includes two upgrades - the Multicultural IDX (M-IDX) widget for a member's website, which includes a full MLS search in 19 languages, and the Proxio SocialSearch Facebook app for a member's business page, with full IDX in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.
SILVAR is the only REALTOR® Association in the state of California to provide members with Proxio. This membership will be funded by SILVAR for all REALTOR® members and joins the long list of other member benefits like the DocBox™ and DocBox2Go™ document management system, the E-SIGN and UETA compliant signature solution Authentisign™ and Authentisign2Go™, PRDS Forms on Instanet and PRDSForms on tablets.
PRDS has released 11 new and revised PRDS forms this year, including substantive revisions to the Purchase Contract (RDS), the San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties Advisory (RSMSCA), the Supplemental Seller's Checklist (RSSCL), and Exclusion from the MLS (REXMLS). There also have been new forms releases covering private wells (RPWS), notices to perform (RNPBS & RNPSB), agency relationships (RAD), and an addendum regarding repairs, corrections or other activities (RARC). The PRDS Broker and Salesperson's Visual Inspection Statement and PRDS Walkthrough will be coming soon.
Government Affairs Director Jessica Epstein followed Cardus and thanked members for responding to SILVAR, C.A.R. and NAR Calls for Action and Red Alerts. SILVAR is the 13th largest association in the state, but has always finished first in REALTOR® Action Fund (RAF) contributions and first or second in member participation rate over the past six years. Epstein gave an update on point of sale and changes to flood insurance rates. She also reminded members to vote on November 5 because every person's vote counts.
In his remarks to members, C.A.R. President Don Faught stressed the importance of trust, integrity and excellence, and working together for the common good. He urged members to get involved in their local Association and step up to leadership positions.
"You get to bring your voice forward when you are in leadership. We all take our turn and serve. Get out of your comfort zone … When you stand up and speak up you get to affect the policies," said Faught. "Get engaged. For most people, it will only make your business better."
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The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.