Author: Linda Alcocer

The 2024 Bay East Annual Report highlights the progress, innovation, and member-focused efforts that shaped the year. It’s a quick and engaging way to see how the association supported your business, advanced the industry, and invested in your success. View the report here.

Join the REALTOR® Party on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Learn about state legislation that impacts your business and attend a luncheon with your fellow REALTORS® from the East Bay. For more information, please email leadership@bayeast.org. NOTE: Due to on-going construction in the Capitol Building, we may not be able to meet one-on-one with our elected officials. We will provide a more complete day-of itinerary as it gets closer.

Legislative Day is held at the Sacramento Convention Center and attended by hundreds of REALTORS® from throughout the state of California. Your Legislative Day experience may consist of the following activities:

  • 9am – Legislative Day Briefing and Keynote Speaker in the Sacramento Convention Center.
  • 11:30am – Legislative Day Region 5/6 Luncheon in the Sacramento Convention Center. 
  • (Optional) 1:30pm – Capitol Building Tour at the Capitol.
  • (Optional) 1:30pm – One-on-one meetings with Elected Officials. PLEASE NOTE: Due to on-going construction in the Capitol Building, we may not be able to meet one-on-one with our elected officials. We will provide a more complete day-of itinerary as it gets closer

Register online by April 14, 2025.

Please contact leadership@bayeast.org for more questions.

What is RealReports – and Why Bay East Offers It as a Member Benefit (Launching April 22)

In today’s market, agents are under more pressure than ever to show their value to clients. That’s where RealReports comes in.

Think of it like a Carfax for homes—RealReports pulls together details from over 60 trusted industry sources to create one easy-to-read, all-in-one property report. It includes valuable info such as:
• Permit history
• Climate and flood risk
• Estimated flood insurance costs
• Property liens
• Zoning and land use details
• And much more

Each RealReport is powered by Aiden, a smart AI property advisor that can instantly answer questions, explain documents, and provide insights for both agents and clients.
Bay East provides RealReports as a free member benefit because we know how important it is for our members to stand out, save time, and provide clients with fast, accurate property information.

Register for a live webinar to learn more:
• Tuesday April 29 at 10a PT
• Tuesday April 29 at 1p PT

Helpful links
• RealReports website
• Welcome video
• Education Hub (FAQs, tutorials, use cases, etc.)

Your RentSpree link is featured on your listing across top rental sites!

RentSpree, a highly-rated tenant screening service, streamlines the process with its comprehensive suite of features, including rental applications, background checks, credit reports, online income verification, and eviction histories—all in one place. And now, it’s getting even better! 

Starting April 22, when you select “Yes” for RentSpree Online Application field when entering a rental listing, the ApplyLink will automatically appear at the end of Public Remarks section. This makes it even easier for potential renters to apply directly from public-facing Rental websites. Interested renters can simply copy and paste the link on a browser to begin the screening process. 

Rest assured; this update won’t interfere with the public remarks of your listings. You’ll still be able to include all relevant information as usual. This enhancement helps make the rental application process quicker and more seamless for everyone! 

Join us on April 16, 2025, for an insightful panel discussion on lead generation strategies both classic and cutting edge! Learn from industry experts as they dive into the power of mailers, social media, open houses, and door knocking to grow your business. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable tips and network with fellow professionals!

Register here.

As of April 03, 2025, the Trackxi program will no longer be available to Bay East members due to low adoption rate. Utilizing the Transaction Manager module on zipForm is a great option. Log onto your zipForm account and click on Dashboard to access.

We are continually listening to your feedback to ensure our policies best support your business needs while maintaining compliance and transparency within the MLS. Based on your valuable input, changes have been made to our Coming Soon policy to provide more clarity and flexibility.

MLS Rule Section 10.1.1 Coming Soon Listings.

It shall be the responsibility of the Broker Participant (Section 4.1.1) and Real Estate Subscriber (Section 4.2.1) to follow said rules when placing a property in the Coming Soon section of the multiple listings service (MLS). Broker Participant and Real Estate Subscriber shall only place a property in the Coming Soon section of the MLS if the Participant/Subscriber has met the necessary criteria for MLS input as described in Sections 7.5, 7.6, and 8.1.

1. It is optional to place your listing into the Coming Soon Status.

2. Listing agent must have a signed written listing agreement in place to enter a “Coming Soon” listing which explains the limitations of the “Coming Soon” status.

3. Coming Soon listings will be viewable to all MLS Participants.

4. Coming Soon listings will not be syndicated unless approved by MMG.

5. Coming Soon listings will not be included in the IDX and data feeds.

6. Coming Soon listings are not allowed to be placed into open house or broker tour modules with MLS. .

7. Coming Soon listings are only searchable within the Paragon MLS.

8. Once a listing has been moved from Coming Soon to Active status by the agent, it cannot revert to Coming Soon with that same broker.

9. Days on Market (DOM) re-sets when the status is changed to New/Active.

10. Agent showing is allowed.

11. Once Coming Soon status is entered, public marketing is allowed.

12. Allow Coming Soon data to be in Broker back-office feeds (no front-facing data component) (Brokerages own data only)

13. Photos are optional.

Starting March 3, 2025, Paragon will introduce a new optional field called “Property Faces” on the listing input screen. This field allows listing agents to specify the property’s directional orientation, with selection options including East, North, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast, Southwest, and West.

While this field is not required, buyer agents can incorporate it into their search criteria when provided, making it easier to find properties that meet their clients’ preferences. Additionally, the selected direction will be displayed in Listing Reports, offering greater insight to potential homebuyers.

This enhancement is designed to provide more valuable details to assist buyers in their home search. We encourage listing agents to take advantage of this new feature to better showcase their properties!

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has issued a warning about a rising real estate scam targeting agents and escrow professionals. In the past 30 days, their office has received multiple complaints about fraudulent transactions involving fake property owners and falsified documents.

How the Scam Works

Fraudsters pose as distressed property owners, claiming they need to sell or lease land quickly due to urgent out-of-state medical expenses—most recently, cancer treatment in Texas. Their goal is to create pressure, bypass verification, and rush transactions through before red flags are noticed.

Red Flags to Watch For:

  • Avoiding in-person meetings – Scammers claim medical restrictions prevent face-to-face interactions, making it impossible for escrow notaries to verify their identity.
  • Communicating only via email or phone – They refuse video calls or in-person meetings.
  • Providing fraudulent documents – They submit falsified notary stamps, signatures, and other paperwork to make transactions appear legitimate.

How to Protect Yourself & Your Clients

  • Verify identities in person – Always require a government-issued photo ID before proceeding with a transaction.
  • Be cautious of urgent sales tied to medical emergencies – While some may be real, fraudsters often use urgency as a tactic.
  • Strengthen escrow verification protocols:

·         Independently confirm the property owner’s identity.

·         Verify ABA routing numbers to ensure they match the correct bank and address.

Why Vigilance Matters

Real estate fraud can lead to financial loss, legal liability, and reputational damage for agents and brokers. By staying alert and implementing strong verification practices, we can help prevent these scams and protect our clients.

For more details, read the official warning from the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office here:
🔗 Alameda County DA’s Real Estate Fraud Alert

We want to inform you of an important update to the MLS rules regarding Coming Soon listings in Broker back-office feeds.

Previous Rule:
“Allow Coming Soon data to be in Broker back-office feeds (no front-facing data component) (Brokerages own data only).”

Updated Rule:

“Upon request all Paragon MLS Coming Soon data can be in Broker back-office data feeds. However, Coming Soon listings may not be displayed or integrated into any public-facing products or websites, except for listings belonging to the listing brokerage.”

This update clarifies that broker back-office data feeds include all Paragon-generated Coming Soon data. It also outlines how this data can be used within broker back-office systems and what Coming Soon information, if any, can be publicly displayed.

If you have any questions about this change, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at mlsservices@bayeast.org