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Volume 22, Issue 12 — december 2015  
Realtor News   |   Education   |   Events   |   Government Affairs  |   MLS  |   Membership  |   Appraiser  |   Commercial 

Top Stories

FINAL Dues Deadline is Thursday, December 31st

RANW Office Closures for Holidays

RANW Green Bay Holiday Party ~ Wednesday, December 9th

RANW Fond du Lac Holiday Party ~ Thursday, December 10th

MLS Areas Are Going Away - How To Search Without Them

Scroll down for additional stories-

REALTOR NEWS

2015 Management Conference ~ Dec. 10th, Waukesha

If you're a manager, owner or broker, the WRA's Management Conference is just for you! With several great sessions, you'll gain insight into the economy and your practice - relevant for today and tomorrow. You'll learn about boosting your firm's success with marketing, technology and more with information from various workshops offered at Management Conference.  Click here to register today!

FINAL Dues Deadline is Thursday, December 31st

The final dues deadline to maintain membership for 2016 is Thursday, December 31st.  Please add add $50 to the dues amount, as the early discount has passed.





Easy Ways to Pay
- Pay by VISA/MC online at
www.ranw.org - See red Pay Dues Online button
- Mail or drop off personal or certified check or money order made payable to RANW
- Please include the bottom portion of the statement in the return envelope provided
- If paying dues and RPAC together, company checks with INC, LLC, LLP, SC, cannot be accepted by law.    
- If making a separate RPAC donation:
  Personal check to: "RPAC-Wisconsin", 4801 Forest Run Rd, Ste 201, Madison, WI 53704-7337
   OR charge card online: Visit and log onto this site.  

Questions?  Please call Cheryl at RANW (920-739-9108) or email her at cdreger@ranw.org.

Get Found Online at realtor.com

New members can get a boost in visibility by using a free realtor.com agent profile. The profile also helps them manage what consumers learn about them.

Affiliates ~ Make Your Promotional Dollars Work While RANW Helps You "Connect" in 2016!

Now, more than ever, RANW understands the importance of making your advertising & marketing dollars work for you.  Click here to review the "RANW Connects" program and receive a 10% discount if you pay for the year in advance!
For more information, or to secure your space today, contact Kiley @ 920-739-9108 or by e-mail: kmroczynski@ranw.org.  
We at RANW, look forward to your company benefiting from some, or all of these programs in 2016!

RANW Office Closures for Holidays

The RANW office will be closed Thursday-Friday, December 24-25th and Thursday-Friday, December 31st-January 1st for the holidays. RANW Leadership and Staff wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season!

RANW will also close at 12 noon on Wednesday, December 16th for a staff holiday gathering.

REALTORS Vision Insurance Now Offered

NAR's Strategic Alliances Team is pleased to announce the introduction of a new offering which expands the REALTORS® Insurance Marketplace platform, under the Association's REALTOR Benefits® Program: REALTORS® Vision Insurance.
Vision insurance has long been one of our most requested member benefits. REALTORS® Vision Insurance is designed exclusively for members of the NATIONAL Association of REALTORS® and their families. There are two guaranteed-issue group plans from which to choose: a PPO option and a non-PPO option. Both provide great, competitive rates and include annual eye exam benefits and savings on frames, lenses, and contact lenses.
Click here for more information.

Be A Part of YOUR Association - Join a Committee in 2016!

RANW members are encouraged to become involved with the Association through participation on one or more of our various committees. To learn about 2016 RANW Committees and to sign up to be considered for a committee, please click here.

Education

RPR: Mapping Your Property's Story

It doesn't take long for a REALTOR® to access a map while researching properties on RPR. That's because maps serve such an important role in your quest to tell the property's complete story. From aerial, road, and overhead views, to schools, parcels, estimated values, heat maps, overlays and more, we'll show you how easy it is to draw or designate your map in ways that suit every type of interest or need. And since location is such a key factor in real estate, what better way is there to explore than on a dynamic map? To read the full article, please click here.

Events

RANW Green Bay Holiday Party ~ Wednesday, December 9th

Date:
Location:
Time:
Event:
Bring:
Cost:
RSVP:
Prizes:
Wednesday, December 9th
Titletown Brewery, 200 Dousman St, Green Bay
5 - 10 pm
Music, hors d'oeuvres and mingling
Please bring an unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots program
Due to the generosity of RANW Affiliate Companies, this party is free of charge
RSVP to kmroczynski@ranw.org 
RSVPs will be entered into prize drawings* - must be present to win!

RANW Fond du Lac Holiday Party ~ Thursday, December 10th

Date:
Location:
Time:
Event:
Bring:
Cost:
RSVP:
Thursday, December 10th
Whispering Springs Golf Course, 380 Whispering Springs Dr, Fond du Lac
5-10 pm
Dueling Pianos, appetizers and mingling
Please bring new children's snow pants, boots or jackets for all ages & sexes to be donated to the Solutions Center
Due to the generosity of RANW Affiliate Companies, this party is free of charge
RSVP to Kiley at kmroczynski@ranw.org

FV Chapter of Women's Council of REALTORS ~ Thursday, Dec. 17th

When:
Time:
Where:
What:
Cost:
RSVP:
Thursday, December 17th
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Sabre Lanes, Menasha
WCR Bowl-A-Thon Fundraiser
$25/bowler (includes bowling, shoes, food, drinks)
920-915-5358, 920-585-5400 or wcrfoxvalley@gmail.com

All are welcome.  Email wcrfoxvalley@gmail.com for more information on becoming a member.  

Questions? Please call the President of the Local Chapter at 920-915-5358.

WRA's Winter Convention ~ January 26-28, 2016

Join us for the WRA's best-kept secret: the winter convention! This convention will be held at Lake of the Torches in Lac du Flambeau. Whether you're interested in continuing education courses, networking, browsing exhibits, or having fun - you'll find it all here! With something for everyone in this three-day event, you'll gain insight and learn new ideas about technology, Web marketing, time management and more. And, you'll have time for fun, too with the Welcome Party, DJ and Chili Cook-off!

MLS

MLS Training Class Schedule

You can access the MLS Training Schedule by clicking herePlease call RANW to register and check the cancellation policy

New! Search Techniques Refresher Training Course

Members are invited to return to training for a refresher course on using InnoVia's many methods of choosing criteria for searches and prospects - while NOT using MLS Area numbers.
RANW MLS will be removing the MLS Area number field in the new year, which makes it very important for members to be familiar with the other options for choosing geographic area: County, Municipality, School District, Zip Code, Map-Based Searches, etc.
This 90-minute hands-on training class is for members who already have familiarity with using InnoVia, but would like a refresher on searching. This class does not require MLS Basics as a pre-requisite (in fact, the "how to search" information is already being covered in MLS Basics), but the Search Techniques refresher course will not take the place of MLS Basics as a pre-requisite for attending Listing Maintenance or Prospect Manager/Buyer Match training.
Classes will be offered two or three times per month through the spring. Registration is limited to 8 people per hands-on session - and in-house company trainers are especially invited to attend so they can share the information within their own offices. A training calendar will be posted in the new year.

MLS Areas Are Going Away - How To Search Without Them

The MLS Area field will disappear from the MLS early in 2016. This field will be removed from data sheets and listing maintenance input screens, and will no longer be searchable.
In preparation for this change, MLS recommends that members begin using other geographic search fields such as County, Municipality, Municipal Sub-Area, School District, Zip Code and/or a Map-Based Search for all saved searches including Prospects and Hotsheets.
Members can also set up saved searches with common parameters, such as selected municipalities or mapped areas. Having this information saved in the system will make it very easy to retrieve and build on, rather than having to enter the geographic area from scratch every time.
For general Search Criteria help, including how to use pick lists (County, Municipality, School District, Municipal Sub-Area), see our
How To Search document.
For additional information on the Drill Down tools used for County, Municipality and School District, see our Drill Down document.
For details on the Municipal Sub-Areas, which were designed to mimic some of the MLS Area Numbers, review this information here.
For instructions on how to Save and Retrieve Search Criteria, click here
The best way to pinpoint locations for your client's searches is to use a Map-Based Search. Using the Polygon, Circle, and Rectangle drawing tools allow you to specify an exact area (or multiple areas on the same map) where properties will be located in your search results. Map-Based Searches can be used for any property type search, for Hotsheets, AND for Prospect Manager!
Step-by-step instructions are found here.
Make sure YOUR listings are found when other members use Map-Based Searches! Check and manually save your listing's location via the Listing Inventory report

Why is RANW MLS Dropping The Data Field of MLS Area?

The RANW MLS Leadership has given and confirmed their directive to remove MLS Areas in order to meet overall changes in the real estate industry, with delivery and consumption of the data being much more map-driven and location-specific.
The reasons are fairly simple: these areas are "made up" by MLS, and can not be verified by other listing data.  At one time the MLS areas were the best geographic search tool members had, but the boundary lines are not real and the MLS Areas are often mis-reported, causing inaccurate search results.  The most important locator fields that are searchable, verifiable by the MLS from data reported with listings, and accurate if the listing agent reported them correctly are: taxing municipality, postal city, school district, county and the CORRECT (manually mapped) geo codes. 
A number of years ago, when technological advances were changing the way real estate software, apps, and websites were developed, the MLS with the help of member input put together what some call the MLS Drill-down search functionality in InnoVia which links together the County and Municipality fields, as well as the Municipality and School District fields for ease in criteria selection.  The addition of Sub-Area Codes for Municipalities was requested and added to InnoVia for the Cities of Appleton, De Pere, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, and Oshkosh.  These sub-areas are easy for members to determine because they are specific to water ways and roads. The Map-Based search has had a number of improvements, and is very accurate as long as members are manually mapping their listings to confirm or change the default location.
The expected date for this change is March 31, 2016.

MLS Stats

Don't forget - "MLS Stats" are available to MLS members - it allows members to quickly and easily pull statistical reports from the MLS data. Under the Misc menu, or by using the MLS Stats button on the right side of the My InnoVia screen, members will log in to the stats program with their InnoVia login and password, and then choose from a variety of reporting options.

Stats Talk

To view RANW MLS Year-to-Date, NAR Sales or WRA's comparison to MLS statistics, click on the links below.

MLS Monthly Stats 

NAR Sales Reports

WRA State Comparison


RANW MLS Statistical Reports Affiliate Subscription Contact
- order now!

Lockbox Program

Welcome to the Lockbox Program

#2559
#1383

Keller Williams Fox Cities
Watermolen Management

REALTOR® MLS
REALTOR® MLS

Appleton
Green Bay

Is Santa Bringing You A New Phone?

You can get an authorization code 24/7 via your SupraWEB account.
Here's a reminder of all the things you can do through the SupraWeb:
~ Obtain an Authorization Code to install the eKEY software on a new phone
~ Obtain an update code for a DisplayKEY or eKEY
~ View and send showing feedback
~ View, email and schedule activity reports
~ Manage your lockbox inventory
If you haven't already, please take a minute to set up your
SupraWEB account.

Membership

RANW Membership Changes

To view all the current membership changes for RANW, click here.

Congratulations , REALTOR Emeritus Dick Montgomery!

RANW would like to congratulate Dick Montgomery of Realon' in Green Bay as our newest REALTOR® Emeritus!
Any member who has held membership in the National Association as a REALTOR® for a cumulative period of 40 years in one or more Associations of REALTORS® and has served on a local, state or national association committee, is eligible for REALTOR® Emeritus status and a waiver of local, state and national dues.  If you think you may qualify and have documented proof, please contact Cheryl at cdreger@ranw.org.  Next approval session will be at the NAR meetings in May, 2016.

Congratulations on Your New Grandson!

Congratulations to Mary Spaay on the arrival of a new grandson.  Mary is a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group's John St office in Appleton.

Congratulations on Your Retirement!

RANW congratulates the following RANW members on their recent retirement:

~ Bob Chase, (REALTOR® Emeritus) Chase Appraisal Service, Greenville
~ Don Gallenberger, REALTOR®, Gallenberger Appraisal, Green Bay
~ Bil Roh, REALTOR®,Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group, Neenah

Sincere Condolences

RANW would like to extend its sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers of:

Jeff Beck, in the recent passing of his mother.  Jeff is a REALTOR® with Beiser Realty, LLC in Winneconne.

Dina Mitchell in the recent passing of her mother. Dina is a REALTOR® and Manager with Keller Williams Realty in Appleton.

Online Membership Directory - A Great Tool

The RANW Directory is available to members online 24/7! Member and company information is updated daily so you'll always have the most up-to-date information. Member and Company License number rosters have been added to assist members with the new TRID regulations!
If you haven't already registered to use the online directory, it's easy to do.
Click here to access.

 

Advertisers

Events At a Squint
December
New Member Orientation
GB Holiday Party
WRA Management Conf
FdL Holiday Party
RANW Closes at 12 Noon
WCR Bowl-A-Thon
RANW Closed for Holiday
RANW Closed for Holiday
FINAL DUES DEADLINE
RANW Closed for Holiday
03
09
10
10
16
17
24
25
31
31
January
RANW Closed for Holiday
WCR Meeting
WRA Winter Convention
01
21
26
February
WCR Meeting
18

2015 RANW
Board of Directors

President
Scott Swick

Treasurer/Secretary
Jim Smith

Past-President
Mari Timm-Reichel

Executive Vice President
Margery Chapman

Directors
Diane Campshure 
Debbie Gritt
Pat Kaster
Candace Kriner
Michael Kunesh
Charlene Maurer
Michael Sewell
Judd Stevenson


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