With how much information is out there nowadays, it can be hard to keep up -- and even more difficult to separate fact from fiction. National Association of REALTORS® Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research Dr. Jessica Lautz joins Emily in this episode of the ScratchThat podcast to provide unique insight into the shifting markets we are seeing locally and nationally. So, listen in, scratch what you’ve heard, and start reading between the headlines.

🎙Visit https://www.ScratchPodcast.com for more information and listen in on all major podcasting platforms!

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IG https://www.instagram.com/ABoR_REALTORS

Kirk Watson is no stranger to politics. The former Mayor of Austin and Texas State Senator is throwing his hat in the ring once again, running to serve as Austin’s Mayor. In this episode of ScratchThat he joins Emily Chenevert to map out his plans to prioritize housing if he is elected Mayor of Austin again come November. 

Visit ABoR's Voter Hub at ABoR.com/Vote for more resources, including the 2022 REALTOR® Voter Guide with endorsed candidates and information about local bond propositions.

Learn more about Kirk at KirkWatson.com/meet-kirk/

Watch this interview on YouTube. You can check out all of our ScratchThat episodes on Anchor, SoundCloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play. Subscribe today!

Pamela Benson Owens is the President and CEO of Edge of Your Seat Consulting, Inc and is acting Executive Director of Six Square. For nearly 25 years, Pam has helped organizations manage perceptions around complex and challenging issues with courage and strategic passion. At the Austin Board of REALTORS®, she is an instrumental partner in ensuring we maintain a thriving staff culture that champions belonging and inclusion, with bold vision and courageous leadership. Pam is also the host of the Rooted podcast, which you can find on Apple Podcasts.

Don't miss this unfiltered, real-talk conversation with Pam and Emily about the business of belonging, and all the ways that leaders and organizations often get it wrong, when they believe they're doing everything right

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Meet Zachary Maurais, co-founder of Favor and now Sunroom Rentals. He solved our basic needs for grocery delivery and wings on a Friday with Favor. Now he’s focused on helping consumers navigate the leasing process while giving property managers and owners tools to market their properties more efficiently.

You can follow Zac on Instagram @zacadooo and stay up to date with Sunroom by following them on Instagram at @sunroom and online at sunroomrentals.com.

Watch this interview on YouTube.  You can check out all of our ScratchThat episodes on Anchor, SoundCloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play. Subscribe today!

Meredith Broussard is dispelling the myth that computers are intelligent, impartial players in decision making. A data journalist and associate professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University, research director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology, and the author of Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World, Broussard is dedicated to helping people avoid AI in social decisions in order to break the chain of systemic bias she believes is baked into many software programs. Because many programs rely on historical data, which itself includes bias, she believes many programs - especially those used in social decisions - end up perpetuating inequity. And, some of these programs could get users into legal trouble. 

In this discussion, Meredith warns REALTORS® to avoid programs that could hold them legally liable and create bias in their decisions, what to look for when using artificial intelligence and the kind of questions you need to ask vendors before using their products.

You can follow Meredith on Twitter @merbroussard and check her work as well as stay updated on upcoming books at meredithbroussard.com.

It's been almost two years since New York Newsday conducted an investigation that found REALTORS® engaged in discriminatory talk and practices. This investigation rattled the industry and led to some serious discussions and changes. It also happened around the same time Bryan Greene, who had spent his career at HUD, joined the organization as NAR’s Director of Fair Housing Policy. He immediately took action, working on not only recognizing the agency’s past history of discrimination but addressing the biases that still exist.

In this conversation, Bryan discusses how REALTORS® can take ownership of their own bias through educational programs, such as NAR’s simulation Fairhaven, which challenges a player to achieve their goals while navigating discrimination—both overt and subtle—while still obtaining the objective. Bryan also talks about what’s on the legislative agenda regarding fair housing and the policies NAR is helping push with the current presidential administration.

Follow Bryan on LinkedIn here. And in the spirit of Fair Housing Month, play Fairhaven here and see how you “fare” when it comes to fair housing.

Michelle Mills Clement is healing wounds through her job. As CEO of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®, she hit the ground running when she proposed a resolution to formally apologize to the community for past discrimination against minorities, such as redlining policies. For Michelle, undoing history that did not promote Fair Housing in Chicago was personal. She was leading an organization that only decades ago wouldn’t have even let her become a member. Part of her mission now is to undo the damage of the past by redefining the culture of CAR through training and creating space to have uncomfortable conversations in an effort to bring more equity to housing access.

In this empowering conversation with Emily, Michelle shares her philosophy of what has motivated her organization’s decisions, the impact those moves have had on the community, and how powerful the role of a REALTOR® really is. Learn how having empathetic “Yes, and…” conversations transformed CAR and added value to its membership, making Chicago a better city.

You can learn more about Michelle here, and by following her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter at @Fly_AsAMother.

Watch this interview on YouTube. You can check out all of our ScratchThat episodes on Anchor, SoundCloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play. Subscribe today!

Get out some pen and paper to learn productivity secrets from bestselling author and life coach Hal Elrod! In this special episode, he shares insights into building a morning routine that can set you up for success. Author of “The Morning Miracle” and “The Morning Miracle for Real Estate Agents,” Hal has helped countless people change their career success and their lives by helping them develop some simple habits. At a time where markets are booming, inventory is low and agents are working around the clock to serve their clients, Hal talks about how you can find balance and create the life you want to have. It just starts with six simple steps in the morning.

Interested in hearing more? Hal Elrod will be a featured speaker at ABoR’s ThinkUp LIVE on March 23, where he will specifically talk about how his tools can work for those in the real estate industry—both professionally and personally.

Learn more about Hal and The Miracle Morning through his website or by following Hal on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Plus, be sure to check his new documentary, The Miracle Morning Movie.

Watch this interview on YouTube. You can check out all of our ScratchThat episodes on Anchor, SoundCloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play. Subscribe today!

When NAR amended its Code of Ethics to directly address hate speech, it sparked a fury of complaints throughout the REALTOR® community, as some felt it would be used as a weapon against those with conservative political beliefs. One of its most outspoken critics is Rob Hahn (who we interviewed on this show back in 2019), Managing Partner of 7DS Associates and producer and writer of the blog and information site NotoriousROB. Hahn believes Canada came up with a better solution to tackling egregious behavior with its “conduct unbecoming” clause which casts a broad net as to what constitutes unbecoming behavior for an industry professional. 

In this episode, Emily sits down with Rob and Tim Hudak, CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association, to see if Canada is really effective in stopping egregious behavior by asking them what lessons we could learn from our neighbor up North. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution and this conversation shows just how much tension there still is in a highly politicized environment, even when it comes to real estate. 

Check out Rob’s blog at notorious-rob.com and on Twitter at @robhahn and on LinkedIn. Follow Tim on Twitter at @timhudak. 

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Matt Difanis, the 2020 Chair for the National Association of REALTORS®’ Professional Standards Committee, is helping change the landscape for people of color in the industry. As racial injustice made headlines across the country in 2020, Difanis helped lead the charge for NAR to amend its Code of Ethics, making hate speech a violation of the organization’s standards of ethics—not only in professional settings but in private arenas, as well. After a heated debate with multiple members weighing in on whether REALTORS® were living up to their obligation to help find housing for all, NAR voted to pass the Professional Standard Committee’s recommendations on November 13, 2020.

In this candid discussion, Matt shares some of his own experiences helping his friends of color combat racism, what this new policy means for REALTORS®, and his hopes for the future of real estate. Learn more about the policy and how it affects REALTORS®, you can visit NAR’s website section dedicated to the topic.