Integrity

Good Neighbors are REALTORS® and Affiliates that dedicate themselves to volunteer service. They donate gifts, money, and – most importantly –  a lot of time to their charity.

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Congratulations to Michael Skolnick, one of five GAAR Good Neighbor recipients for 2019. Michael is an integral part of the Del Norte Rotary Club raising thousands of dollars for their non-profit Foundation. Each year, Michael raises an average of $40,000 which has culminated to over $500,000 throughout the years. These funds are then distributed to a variety of local charities throughout Albuquerque. In addition, Michael has volunteered his time to chair the Del Norte Rotary Club Golf Tournament for 23 years! GAAR members are proud to recognize Michael Skolnick as a

Successful burglars have lots in common — home owners who unwittingly give invitations to robbery. Here’s how thieves thank you for your generosity.

You come home to an open front door, a ransacked house, and missing valuables. How did a burglar know you’d be gone? How did they get in?

In these 10 thank-you notes, your friendly neighborhood burglars share advice on how to stop lending them a helping hand.

1. Thanks for the Ladder!

Call me a social climber if you will, but I did discover a ladder in your back yard. Thank you for leaving it where I could lean it against your home and easily reach a second-story window. I really love it when upper story openings aren’t wired to a home security system! 

So, if you want to keep me out, store your

The Greater Albuquerque Association of Realtors, are not only here to help you buy and sell a home, they are constantly working to build better neighborhoods and communities in the Albuquerque area.

Each year the GAAR Good Neighbors program recognizes four Realtors in our community that go above and beyond in volunteer service to a local charity. This program is designed to help showcase how Realtors help build the community. We were able to meet a couple of the recipients of this year’s program from the Southwest Women’s Law Center.

2016 Recipient:

Jackie Bregman, Bregman Real Estate

The  Southwest Women’s Law Center's vision is to harness the power of law, research, and creative collaborations to change these realities and to create

Last week, over 150 joined the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® at the KiMo Theatre for our first public REinvent Speaker Series..."Become the Change" with Arun Gandhi.

With humor and humility, the soft-spoken Arun Gandhi shared his personal stories and valuable lessons learned from his grandfather, the legendary Mahatma Gandhi. 

Mr. Gandhi explained how living with his grandfather in his early years influenced his life. After Mahatma’s assassination, Arun also shared how he was inspired follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, sharing his message of peace, nonviolence and respect.

With the underlying message that we all contribute directly or indirectly to the violence we see in the world, Mr. Gandhi explained how we each have the

Danielle Clemens of Logic Real Estate was a 2015 GAAR Good Neighbor Award Recipients for her work with LifeQuest USA, a charity that helps mentor at-risk youth in detention centers and when they get out to help provide them with the job and life-skills training they need.

LifeQuest USA Inc. is a 501c3 Public Charity, non-profit ministry to high-risk adjudicated youth in the juvenile justice system.  This includes youth on probation, in detention and on parole.  Secondary to this population, we will work with any youth that could be considered “at-risk”.  This could include, but is not limited to, youth that are in the protective custody system (foster care).

LifeQuest, working with the local church, provides mentoring relationships to

Kristine Cannady of Ida Kelly Realtors, LLC was a 2015 GAAR Good Neighbor Award Recipient  for her work as a trained volunteer with New Mexico Kids Matter, a charity where she helps to offset the over-burdoned child welfare system by being a court appointed special advocate (CASA) for children that have been abused and neglected and are in the foster care system.

New Mexico Kids Matter 's mission is to serve children who have been abused or neglected, by training volunteers to advocate for them in courts, in schools and in our community to help them find safe, permanent and loving homes.

Since 1985, New Mexico Kids Matter CASA program has provided advocates for Albuquerque children and over 1,200 community members just like you have

By Heidi Sergel, Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS®

1. #debtfree

Avoid student loans. You can become a REALTOR® for under $3,000.

2. Fast track your career

Start your career in a few months instead of a few years. 

3. Be yourself

Enough said. 

4.  Hard work pays off

You don’t have to wait for a promotion.

5. Help make a difference in your community

Local REALTORS® have had a hand in building our community since 1921.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a REALTOR®, check out the related links below.

Not every licensed real estate broker is a REALTOR®.

A real estate professional can only call themselves a REALTOR® if they belong to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), one of the the largest and oldest profession trade groups in the US.

When they join NAR, the REALTOR® commits to being held to a higher ethical standard and must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics. First established in 1913, the REALTOR® Code of Ethics was the precursor to state licensing and is enforced by the local or state REALTOR® associations, like the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® or the REALTOR® Association of New Mexico.

Qualified Brokers vs. Associate Brokers

Here in New Mexico, some REALTORS® are associate brokers, while others are

1. Establishing ethical standards for real estate practitioners was the reason for organizing the National Association REALTORS® (NAR).
2. The Code of Ethics—adopted in 1913—was one of the first codifications of ethical duties adopted by any business group and was modeled on ethical codes of physicians, engineers, and lawyers.
3. The Code was the precursor to state license laws.
4. The Code embodies the "Golden Rule."
5. The Code ensures that consumers are served by requiring REALTORS® to cooperate with each other in furthering their clients’ best interests.
6. The Code demands respect for others’ exclusive relationships with clients.
7. The Code keeps disputes out of court and between members "in the family" by requiring them to arbitrate.
8. The

Articles 15 - 17 establish that a REALTOR® has specific duties to their fellow REALTORS® to be Positive, Respectful and Honest!

REALTORS® WILL...

• Not interfere with other REALTORS® business relationships.
• Be kind to others and won’t say untruthful things about others.
• First utilize the alternative dispute resolution process available (Arbitration / Mediation) in order to keep ‘in house’ disputes out of the courtroom.

These codes allow REALTORS® to focus more on the client’s best interest than fighting competition.