CANOPY REALTOR® ASSOCIATIONCelebrating our members, industry and community impact

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FROM RIBBON

CUTTING TOREBRANDING

Since 1993, the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association, now doing business as Canopy Realtor®

Association, has made strategic investments, including purchasing land and buildings along Harding

Place and Greenwood Cliff in midtown Charlotte. That same year, the Association moved into 1201

Greenwood Cliff – a building dating back to the 60s – where it continued to operate for 25 years.

In 2012, the Greenwood Cliff Task Force was created to examine the current facilities, determine

investment required to make necessary improvements that would maximize the use of the campus, and

make sure that the Association remained financially stable and viable to its members. Based on the

task force feasibility study recommendations, the Association Board of Directors voted to remain on the

campus, build a new headquarters and parking deck, and sell the remaining property. As a result of

strong leadership, the Association was able to inject 85% equity into the finished building, leaving only

15% to be financed.

Today, the 58,697 square foot headquarters and 209 space parking deck is ideally situated across from

Pearl Street Park and offers members a modern setting with comfortable furniture, charging stations

and coffee bars. Education and training sessions have been greatly enhanced with state-of-the-art

classrooms and a tech training center. The building has also achieved LEED Silver certification with

its green vehicle parking spaces, electric charging stations, energy monitoring systems, low-emitting

materials, and energy-efficient mechanical and lighting systems.

2019 Canopy Realtor® Association/

Canopy MLS President Brenda Hayden

and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles officially

open the building September 26, 2019

We have a strong commitment to lead, educate and equip our members to be productive. We offer professional development, continuing education, member services, a Realtor® Store/notary, leadership development, access to networks, advocacy and community service.

Real estate professionals count on Canopy MLS to provide reliable, up-to-date market information. Canopy MLS is a dual state MLS and is now the largest regional MLS between Northern Virginia and Atlanta. Canopy MLS serves the Charlotte region (including counties in South Carolina) and the Asheville region.valuable tool.

Provides all the education, support and networking you need, from entering the profession to building a life-long career in the industry.

Works diligently with individuals, organizations and corporate partners to strengthen our community to address unmet housing needs and advocate for fair and affordable housing.

REBRAND Building a new headquarters presented the perfect opportunity to unify our brand. Our four entities (Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association, CarolinaMLS, Mingle School of Real Estate and Housing Opportunity Foundation) were all unified under the Canopy name.

Our new name pays tribute to our area’s greatest natural asset and celebrates our identity as a top urban forest in the nation. Our new logo symbolizes a door and rooftop, representing homeownership and the real estate profession.

Just as a canopy provides coverage and protection, we’re the professional trade association focused on providing the “coverage and protection” our members need to succeed.

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Opportunity resides here.

WHY USE A REALTOR®? REALTORS® ARE IN THE KNOW

It’s a complex business A Realtor® explaining and taking you through the whole process will save you time and reduce stress. It’s so much more than going under contract and getting to closing – it’s everything that happens in between. Don’t discount your investment or the process.

Consider this The average sales price of a home in the Charlotte region in 2019 was $303,722. If you were facing a lawsuit for that amount, would you hire an attorney?  Or if the IRS called with a tax issue of that amount, would you bring your accountant into the conversation?  These are potentially negative situations, but buying a home – one of the largest investments many of us make – should be as positive and risk-free as possible. This is why the professional and ethical support Realtors® bring to the home-buying process is invaluable.

While people have more and more data and information available to them regarding the home buying and selling process, they still need a

professional to help them analyze that data. They need a Realtor® who can accurately price their home and who can negotiate for their best interests, all the way from contract to close. 

Conversely, buyers – especially first-time buyers – need the guidance and education Realtors® provide about the process and accuracy the MLS provides regarding listings.

People use technology daily, and so do Realtors®. In fact, the advanced technology platforms that Canopy MLS provides its subscribers ensure that your Realtor® is knowledgeable and responsive, empowering Realtors® to excel and provide accurate, real-time information to clients.

Advice for BuyersIn markets where inventory is being absorbed almost as fast as it is listed, buyers will need to be well-prepared. Mortgage pre-approval and Realtor® representation are great ways for buyers to put themselves

in the best position in strong seller’s markets.

Advice for SellersEven though the market currently favors sellers, homes still need to be priced appropriately from the start in order to sell. And if sellers are looking for the highest and best offer, then the home needs to show well and be in good condition. Realtors® have resources, tools and insight to ensure your home is priced to sell.

Real estate agents earn their license to practice Real estate agents in North Carolina must pass a rigorous 75-hour course and pass the licensing exam. They also need to complete a criminal background check.

After initial licensure, agents must complete an additional 90 hours of post-licensing education to remove the “provisional” status of the license. Agents must also complete eight hours of continuing education every year.

They are experts Real estate agents earn their commissions by analyzing housing data, pricing homes, negotiating on your behalf, presenting offers, connecting you to lenders and other resources, and managing the process that gets you from contract to closing.

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Canopy Real Estate Institute offers affordable and convenient day, weekend and evening classes in a state-of-the-art facility with award-winning instructors.

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Realtors® are members of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

The term REALTOR® has come to connote competency, fairness and high integrity resulting from adherence to a lofty ideal of moral conduct in business relations. No inducement of profit and no instruction from clients ever can justify departure from this ideal.

Real estate agents earn various designations and certificationsFor example, the Workforce Housing Certificate Program was specifically developed to educate Realtors® about working with first-time homebuyers and consumers who purchase in an affordable price range (roughly 80 percent of the median income).

This program helps families and individuals experience the pride of long-term homeownership. Programs include: Creative Lending Programs for Workforce Housing, Foreclosure Prevention, Military Relocation, Working with Housing Nonprofits and the Workforce Housing event.

For more information on a real estate career, visit www.canopyreinstitute.com.

In 1992, the Association purchased the Mingle School of Real Estate. In 2019, the name was changed to Canopy Real Estate Institute. The institute is known for its vast resources, pre- and post-licensing classes and continuing education.

$255,000Median SalesPrice (YTD)

$303,722Average Sales

Price (YTD)

50,854Closings (YTD)

1.7Months of Supply

(as of Jan. 5)

7,416Inventory

(as of Jan. 5)

43Days on Market

(YTD)

John Kindbom 2020 Canopy Realtor® Association/Canopy MLS President

“Charlotte’s 2020 housing market is poised to perform well. Locally, we continue to see positive job creation and companies expanding and moving into our region, and that means more buyers competing for homes that averaged 43 days on market until sale in 2019. And because of the momentum in sales activity created in the last half of 2019, we expect to still be challenged by a solid seller’s market that will continue to push buyers into the suburbs and bedroom communities surrounding the city.”

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CHARLOTTEA TOP 10 MARKETCharlotte is one of 10 markets in the country that the National Association of REALTORS® expects will outperform the national average in home price appreciation over the next three to five years.

$255,000Median SalesPrice (YTD)

$303,722Average Sales

Price (YTD)

50,854Closings (YTD)

1.7Months of Supply

(as of Jan. 5)

7,416Inventory

(as of Jan. 5)

43Days on Market

(YTD)

Source: Canopy MLS

2019 SNAPSHOT

7,856 people from New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

3,832 people from Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

3,635 people from Columbia, SC

3,566 people from Winston-Salem, NC

3,545 people from Raleigh, NC

3,320 people from Greensboro-High Point, NC

3,067 people from Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

2,438 people from Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

1,869 people from Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

1,725 people from Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

“Some markets are clearly positioned for exceptional longer-term performance due to

housing affordability combined with solid local economic expansion; potential buyers will find conditions especially favorable to purchase a

home going into the next decade.”

Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist National Association of REALTORS®

56% of the recent movers who are renters can afford to buy the typical home in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (assuming 20% down payment).

Homeowners typically live in their homes for 11 years in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. 366,084

Number of recent movers

$265,800 Median value of homes that

recent movers bought

Origin ofrecent movers

17 a

nd b

elow

18-2

4

25-3

4

35-4

4

45-5

4

55-6

4

65+

23%

16%

24%

13%

10%

7% 7%

29 Median age

49% 51% Male Female

MIGRATIONWHO IS MOVING HERE?

Source: National Association of REALTORS®

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WHY USE A REALTOR®?REALTORS® ARE IN THE COMMUNITYRealtors® through the Canopy Housing Foundation are in our community working to make a difference each and every day. Individually and collectively, we continue to be involved in countless philanthropic activities.

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Realtors® Care Day is the Foundation’s annual all-day home repairproject to assist homeowners with critical exterior home repairs and provide adaptive and safety modifications for the elderly and disabled in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties. Launched in 2009, Realtors® Care Day brings hundreds of volunteers together each year to repair multiple homes and help change the lives of the homeowners living in them. To date, 271 families and nonprofit organizations have received assistance.

Community Grants Programs The Community Grants Program was formalized in 2009 to address unmet housing needs in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties. $42,000 was granted to 16 nonprofits in 2019.

Habitat Support ProgramFormalized in 2007, this program currently funds Habitat organizations in Mecklenburg, Iredell, Cabarrus, Gaston, Stanly, Anson, Union and Lincoln counties. $23,000 was granted in 2019 to eight Habitat for Humanity organizations.

Total distributed through both grant programs since inception: $497,999.70

Strides for Shelter 5K Run/Walk Open to the community. The Strides for Shelter 5K Run/Walk is one of the only local races dedicated to housing issues. More than 500 runners participate each year in the community-wide race. Each year the race benefits a local housing non-profit, and more than $65,000 has been distributed to date.

This year’s race is June 20, 2020. Register at stridesforshelter.raceroster.com

The 2019 race beneficiary was The Relatives, who received $25,222,22 to fund a new van to provide transportation for residents.

YES Award Mykia and Zarriah WhiteIn 2019, the Foundation launched the YES (Youth Excellence in Service) Award to recognize and highlight area youth ages 10-18 who are engaged in significantly improving the quality of life in this region. Two sisters, Mykia and Zarriah White, were the first recipients of the award and were able to designate $500 from the Foundation to fund Turning Point Teen Club in Monroe, which they started.

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Humanitarian Award Amy and Nancy DeCaronCanopy Housing Foundation named Amy and Nancy DeCaron, a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law team from Mooresville, as the 2019 Humanitarians of the Year.  The DeCarons and their small army of volunteers raised $300,000 to build and open Hope of Mooresville (HOMe), the only temporary housing facility for homeless women in the Mooresville area.

RECOGNIZINGREALTORS®

Lamar Kellar 2019 Realtor® of the Year Lamar Kellar, Realtor®/broker with Jerry Kellar Real Estate and long-time Canopy MLS Board of Directors member representing Gaston Association of Realtors®, was named the 2019 Realtor® of the Year. The award is the highest honor given by the Association and recognizes a Realtor® member who has made outstanding contributions to both the real estate profession and the community.  Kellar, a multi-million-dollar producer whose service to the industry spans more than 40 years, has represented the Association and MLS on the national, state and local level serving on a number of industry-related committees. 

Abby Wilson 2019 Rookie of the YearAbby Wilson, Realtor®/broker with Keller Williams Ballantyne, was named the 2019 Vane Mingle Rookie of the Year.  The award is presented annually to new Realtors® who excel in their new profession.  Winners must have been members of Canopy Realtor® Association for at least 12 months and must have closed at least 10 transactions within their first 12 months as Realtors®.  Winners must also be involved in charitable and civic organizations. Wilson joined the Association in 2018 and closed 11 sales during her first 12 months of membership while maintaining a busy volunteer schedule over the course of the year.

Joan Goode 2019 Committee Chair of the YearJoan Goode, Realtor®/broker with Dickens Mitchener & Associates, received the Committee Chair of the Year award. The award is given annually at the president’s discretion to a chairperson who goes above and beyond the call of duty. Goode, an avid runner and creator of the Canopy Housing Foundation’s Strides for Shelter 5K Walk/Run, has served as the chair of the Strides for Shelter 5K committee for the past four years.

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Canopy Real Estate Institute is the new name for Mingle School of Real Estate. Today we’re more than a school, we’re a real estate institute providing all the coverage you need for your career development and professional growth. Real estate pre-licensing classes are affordable and taught by award-winning instructors. Start your career at 1120 Pearl Park Way. Everything you need to succeed is under our canopy. Learn more at canopyreinstitute.com.

Convenient day, weekend and evening classes

LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER? REAL ESTATE CAREERS START AT 1120 PEARL PARK WAY

• Four story, 58,697 square foot building• 2,217 square feet of retail space (available)• 210 parking spaces in the connecting deck • 11 green parking spaces and 6 electric charging stations• 3 classrooms for Canopy Real Estate Institute • LEED Silver certified• Green vehicle parking spaces and electric charging stations• Energy-efficient mechanical and lighting systems• Low-emitting materials• Outdoor/indoor water use reductions• Heat island reductions (cool roof)• Advanced energy metering• Bicycle facilities

HEADQUARTERS BY THE NUMBERS

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1120 Pearl Park Way

Suite 200

Charlotte, NC 28204

704-372-0911 CarolinaHome.com