Skip to content
Bay East Association of Realtors logo
  • Join
  • Paragon/MLS
  • zipForm®
  • Tech Support
  • BE on Demand
  • My Bay East Portal
  • About Us

    About Bay East

    • The Bay East Culture
    • Staff Directory
    • Careers
    • Annual Report
    • Bay East in the News
    • Bay East Foundation

    Advocacy

    • Your Voice in Government
    • Fair Housing
    • Housing + Public Policy Statement
    • REALTOR® Action Fund

    Volunteer Leadership

    • Board of Directors
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Bay East Foundation Trustees
    • Leadership Opportunities
    • Past Presidents
  • Membership

    Join Bay East

    • Become A Member
    • Honorary Membership
    • Member Benefits

    Resources

    • Affiliate Resources
    • Broker Resources
    • New Member Resources
    • Newsletter / Video Gallery
    • REALTOR® Safety
    • Store

    Forms

    • Transfer Forms etc

    C.A.R. Resources

    NAR Resources

    Dre Resources

    Professional Standards

    • Professional Standards Programs
    • Professional Standards Support
    • NAR Code of Ethics
    • Using REALTOR® Trademark
    • Commitment to Excellence
  • MLS and Tools

    Disclosures and Disclaimers

    Community and Statistics

    • City Information
    • Real Estate Market Statistics

    mls

    • What's New
    • Tools
    • Tech Support
    • MLS Classes and Training
    • IDX Services
    • Data Share Coverage
    • Rules and Forms
    • Supra Key and Lockbox

    Marketing Meetings

    • Meeting Information
    • AIMM
    • CCMG
    • REAL
    • TCMC
    • VREN
    • TOURSHEETS
  • Education

    Education Program

    • Bay East on Demand
    • Education Advantage
    • MLS Classes

    C.a.R. Online Courses

    NAR Designations

    Instructors

    • Meet the Instructors
    • Instructor Application
  • Consumers

    Why Use A REALTOR®?

    Discover the value a REALTOR® brings to your real estate journey. From expert guidance to trusted advocacy, REALTORS® help you make informed decisions with confidence.

    Learn More

    Find a REALTOR®

    Find a Home

    CONSUMER GUIDES TO HOME BUYING AND SELLING

    Find an Affilitate

    • Affiliate Services Guide

    REALTOR® Ethics

    • File Ethics Complaint
    • Code of Ethics

    Bay East Foundation

    • About the Foundation
    • Scholarships
    • Support Foundation
    • Get Involved
  • Networks/Events

    Marketing Meetings

    • Meeting Information
    • AIMM
    • CCMG
    • REAL
    • TCMC
    • VREN
    • TOURSHEET

    Global Networks

    Foundation

    • About Foundation
    • Members Helping Members
    • Scholarships
    • Get Involved
    • Support the Foundation

    Events

    • Bay East Blood Drive - July 8
    • REAL Back to School Auction 2025 - July 17
    • Innovation 2025 - September 25

    Sponsorships

    • Innovation 2025
  • Calendar

Category: News

Bay East urges members to stay alert as new and evolving fraud schemes continue to impact the real estate profession. From devastating cryptocurrency scams to a rise in deed fraud, these threats underscore the importance of vigilance and awareness in your daily business practices.

Members should be aware of recent fraudulent practices targeting real estate professionals.

A new cryptocurrency scam has emerged, specifically aimed at agents. The U.S. Secret Service has notified organized real estate of this scheme, in which some agents have lost significant sums—including their entire retirement accounts.

Deed fraud is also on the rise. An informal survey conducted by NAR among Government Affairs Directors, state counsel, and Association Executives found:

  • 63% of respondents were aware of deed fraud incidents in their markets within the past 12 months.
  • 76% reported that efforts to combat title fraud and deed theft are in place, primarily through internal REALTOR® association policies and state-level legislation.
  • 83% believe that an electronic notification system for property owners is the most effective solution.

As these scams grow in sophistication, it’s critical for members to remain informed and take proactive steps to protect themselves and their clients.

Visit NAR’s article for more information – https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/deed-and-title-fraud-survey

NAR members are encountering deceptive mailers that mimic invoices for domain registration and renewal. These communications are not from NAR and have no bearing on your .realtor or .realestate domain registration. This scam aims to trick people into sharing personal or financial details. Members should report these mailers to the Federal Trade Commission, Internet Crime Complaint Center and state consumer protection offices. For further guidance on protecting personal information and online safety, check out NAR’s Data Security and Privacy Toolkit. Other concerns? Contact NAR Member Support at 800-874-6500 or via live chat or email.

As of August 17, the “class notice” has likely begun reaching consumers. Real estate professionals should be prepared to respond to inquiries.

This notice is part of a court-approved process informing home sellers (who sold a home through an MLS in the U.S. during the eligible dates and paid a commission) about NAR’s proposed settlement of the Sitzer-Burnett case. Notices are being sent via mail and electronically, outlining the rights and options available to class members.

Consumers might have already received notices from other brokerage settlements, but this one specifically addresses NAR’s settlement.

It’s important to note that NAR does not manage the class notice process. If consumers have questions, direct them to the settlement website or the settlement administrator at 888-995-0207. NAR members should avoid providing further advice on the matter.

NAR has a new guide about what must be included in a buyer agreement and have updated the information about steering in questions 46-49 and listing agreements in questions 50-53 in their settlement FAQs.

The California Association of REALTORS® is speaking up about changes that are coming to the real estate profession by publishing a letter to the editor in major newspapers and launching a new series of television ads you can see here.

The NAR Buyer’s Agent Toolkit has resources including social media posts, video concepts, and printed materials, to show your clients how much value and relevance you bring to the homebuying process.

REALTOR.COM is launching a national campaign to promote how agents help their clients before, during and after the homebuying process.  More information and resources for your marketing activities are here. 

NAR is correcting the record about the proposed settlement to resolve nationwide claims brought by home sellers.

C.A.R. has new information about how real estate practices may be changing in response to the proposed NAR class action lawsuits settlement.

NAR has announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac confirmed that buyers whose agent is compensated by the seller can access financing through those institutions. 

Posts navigation

Older posts

Recent Posts

  • ❉ June 2025 Market Statistics Available Now
  • ❉ 2025 Membership Survey
  • ❉ Bay East Closed – Independence Day – July 4
  • ❉ MLS Rule Update – Effective 6/23/2025, Seller Credits & Concessions Now Permitted in Remarks
  • ❉ New Cloud CMA Feature: iBuyer Connect Now Available

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019

    Categories

    • Bay East
    • Benefit
    • Event
    • Foundation
    • MLS
    • News
    • Uncategorized

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Bay East Association of Realtors logo Copyright 2021 © Bay East Association of REALTORS®
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • DMCA Notice
    • Accessibility Assistance
    • Webmaster

    7021 Koll Center Parkway

    Pleasanton, CA 94566

    925 730 4060

    Get Directions »

    • Contact Us
    • Media Resources
    • Sitemap
    • Feedback
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Linkedin