This is a popular question we have been receiving over the past few weeks. This article will help clarify this and is a good refresher on brokerage relationships.

FREC adopted a rule to implement a portion of Senate Bill 264 entitled Interests of Foreign Countries.

In the ever-evolving landscape of real estate marketing, transparency and authenticity are paramount. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) plays a crucial role in ensuring fair business practices and consumer protection. For the real estate industry, the FTC's Endorsement Guidelines hold significant importance, particularly in navigating the use of endorsements, testimonials, and reviews.

Several updates have occurred related to Senate Bill 264. A summary of those updates is below.

A U.S. District Court Judge dismissed REX’s antitrust claims against NAR and Zillow with prejudice on Wednesday after finding that REX didn’t adequately make its case that both entities conspired to steer buyers away from non-NAR-connected listings on Zillow’s website. 

There have been numerous recent law changes and updates affecting the real estate industry. This article summarizes some of the top key changes to help keep you informed.

The new Interests of Foreign Countries law (SB 264) goes into effect July 1.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 264, Interests of Foreign Countries, effective July 1, 2023. The law, in part, limits and regulates the sale, purchase and ownership of certain properties in Florida by foreign principals, persons and entities described in Part III of Chapter 692, Florida Statutes.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) was enacted in 1968 to protect individuals from housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. However, there are certain exemptions under the law. One such exemption is “housing for older persons.”

We are excited to share that our BeachesMLS disclosure form for tidally influenced areas is now available. It can be found within Form Simplicity and TransactionDesk on your Realtor® Dash.

The condominium and cooperative riders will be updated on March 20 due to changes in law. The revisions are limited and address new documents buyers of certain condominiums and cooperatives are entitled to receive from sellers.

We have been notified of fraudulent commission advance applicants who are targeting brokerages in Florida. As there has been an increase in these scams locally, we are sharing this information with all members.

As a result of the Surfside condominium building collapse, the Florida Senate recently passed Bill 4D to protect condominium residents and ensure structural integrity of their homes. The bill requires mandatory milestone structural inspections and structural integrity reserve studies.

There has been a recent wave of lawsuits filed against Realtors® by “testers,” which are groups that call Realtors® just to see if the Realtor® will violate a provision of the Fair Housing Act (FHA), even though the tester has no relationship with the Realtor® and is not interested in buying or renting the listed property. Courts have found that these testers have standing to sue as they have suffered injury.

Federal efforts have decreased the number of phone scams, but criminals focus now on text scams. The 1B spam texts sent in July 2021 increased to 12B this June.

The Department of Justice published guidance today on web accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Describe the property, not the potential buyer or tenant. “Ideal for empty nesters” or “perfect for students” raises red flags; “easy walk to train” does not.

This April, Realtors® celebrate the 54th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act with special events that symbolize their recommitment to expanding equal access to housing.

A local sheriff's office has contacted us about email scams that are targeting business owners, real estate agents, title agents and attorneys. As there has been a significant increase in these scams locally, we will be sharing this information with your agents in the near future.

So, you’re looking to generate interest in your business and create leads. Why not share another agent's listings on social media — there’s no harm in that, right?

A listing agent told a buyer’s agent that they’d call back to follow up. But they didn’t. Is there a cooperation requirement that says an agent should always return calls and texts?

Chapter 475 oversees real estate licensees, but Fla. licensees also have other obligations under Chapter 455. It’s a growing problem for licensees called before FREC, because “I didn’t know I had to report that” doesn’t carry much weight.

Scam alert: The pandemic led to an increase in online transactions, giving scammers a new window of opportunity: They’re contacting members as sellers who want to list their “home” – but it’s for a property they don’t actually own.

According to some cybersecurity experts there were two pandemics last year, one was COVID-19 and the other was cyberfraud. With organizations operating more through remote systems, cybercriminals have tried to exploit vulnerabilities and engaged in ransomware attacks in records numbers.

I thought MLS offers of compensation were unilateral and unconditional, but I’m seeing more conditions, such as full compensation only for full-price offers submitted within a set number of days. What does “unconditional” mean?

Moving “brokers” may entice relocators with low-ball estimates and promise to “handle all the details,” then subcontract the actual move to dicey third-party vendors.

A condo board denied a tenant’s dog that was 30 pounds above their weight limit, but she later got documentation showing it’s an emotional support animal.

The president is launching a first-ever interagency effort to address “home appraisal inequities” and recommend rules to “aggressively combat housing discrimination.”

Buyer demand has created a hot market, but multiple-offer situations can lead to some bumps in the road. To help you avoid complaints and fair housing issues, here are four key areas of risk real estate professionals should be mindful of.