Jeanne has a quick letter for members with exciting updates on CCOR, Realtor.com+, Communities, our growing team, Coco, professional portrait sessions, and upcoming member opportunities.
Upcoming at BER - April 17th
Jeanne has a quick letter for members with exciting updates on CCOR, Realtor.com+, Communities, our growing team, Coco, professional portrait sessions, and upcoming member opportunities.
Jeanne Drath
2026 BER/CCOR President
To Our Members,
There is so much excitement to share that I couldn’t wait for the next magazine. First, for those who may have missed it on our members Facebook page, NAR has officially approved our name change to Coconut Coast Organization of REALTORS® (CCOR). That is a major milestone for our organization, and we are thrilled to be moving into the next phase as we finalize the remaining state and IRS filings and move closer to making it all official.
We are also a little over a month into Realtor.com+, and we are proud that BER was there from the ground floor of this launch. We’ve been actively gathering member feedback, sharing resources, and helping shape the experience so it becomes a product our members value and use with confidence. It’s exciting to be part of something this early and to help ensure our market has a voice in how it grows.
We’re also strengthening our team to better serve you. We’re excited to welcome Mariam as our new Director of Member Experience, while Jenna moves into her new role as Director of Executive Operations to support Meighan so she can spend more time out of the office meeting members where they are. Growing our team in this way gives us more capacity to support members, improve processes, and create a stronger day-to-day experience across the organization.
On top of that, we are launching Communities through your Member Portal, giving committees and groups a better way to stay connected in one place. You’ll be able to communicate directly inside your groups, access agendas and shared documents, keep track of relevant resources, and make collaboration easier without adding yet another login to your password app. Realtors® and Affiliates, when you have a few moments, please fill out your profile so members can connect with you more easily. Stay tuned for updates as we progress.
We’re especially excited about how Coco will connect with the support experience we’re already building. Members can already submit a support ticket online, and as Coco rolls out, it will help answer common questions while also guiding members into a tracked support flow when needed. That means issues can be submitted, monitored through the life of the request, and supported with updates and reminders for both staff and members so nothing gets lost along the way.
And last but certainly not least, we’ve collected some amazing feedback from our March Open House Weekend, made thoughtful improvements, and scheduled our next one for May 1–3. Between the CCOR transition, better member tools, a growing team, and stronger support systems, this is such an exciting season for BER — and we’re just getting started.
Joyfully Serving You...
CCOR Update
Watch Jeanne and Meighan share the breaking news and what comes next as we move toward our official CCOR rollout in May.
Realtor.com+ Resources
Explore the BER launch announcement, BER video resources, and support materials so you can get more out of the platform.
Communities gives our committees and groups a branded space to stay connected year-round. It makes it easier to host discussions, share updates and resources, organize topic-based groups, support richer member profiles, and even run live sessions with built-in engagement tools and archives. Best of all, it ties into the Member Portal experience you already use.
How to Access Communities
We’ve included a few quick screenshots below so you can see where to find it and get started.
Coming Soon: Meet Coco
Coco is our new member help tool, and it is currently being trained to answer many of the everyday questions members ask most often. Need help reserving the truck, making a dues payment, or requesting a letter of good standing? Coco will be there to help point you in the right direction. And when a question needs hands-on help, members can submit a support ticket and have that issue tracked with updates and follow-through so both staff and members can stay informed from start to finish.
May Open House Weekend Returns
We collected great feedback from our March Open House Weekend, made some smart tweaks, and scheduled the next one for May 1–3, 2026. This free member benefit includes targeted digital display ads and a Bonita Banner print ad through Naples Daily News, all driving consumers to our public Open House page.
To take advantage of the full campaign, be sure to add your open house to the MLS as soon as possible. For the best chance to be included in the promotion, make sure it is added by Thursday, April 23 for digital consideration and Friday, April 24 for print consideration.
Once consumers land on the public page, they can browse participating open houses and continue into the BER REALTOR® Directory, giving this promotion value beyond a single weekend.
If your current headshot is outdated, overly casual, or just not doing your brand any favors, this is an easy opportunity to refresh it. A polished portrait can strengthen your MLS profile, social media presence, website bio, marketing materials, business cards, and first impression across the board.
David Michael Photography will be on-site for professional business portraits with sessions lasting up to 30 minutes. You will be able to preview your images on the spot, choose from different backdrops, and receive special attention to retouching — plus full copyright ownership of your images.
Why It’s Worth It
A clean, current portrait makes your brand feel more polished and more trustworthy everywhere members and consumers find you.
What’s Included
Instant previewing, different backdrop options, retouch attention, and full copyright ownership of your final portraits.
Special Pricing
One-day special: $99 plus tax Regularly $175
📅 Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
📍 Bonita Estero Board of Realtors
📸 Appointments last up to 30 minutes | Instant previewing | Different backdrop choices | Special attention to portrait retouch
Step away from the desk and into one of District 5’s most fun nights of the year. The 2026 District 5 Bowling Tournament is your chance to enjoy a relaxed, high-energy evening with fellow members while showing off your association pride on the lanes.
Expect a lively mix of networking, music, friendly competition, and team spirit—plus the easy appeal of an event where everything is already built in. Registration includes pizza, salad, shoe rental, and two games, so all you need to do is grab your team and get ready for a memorable night out.
Build a stronger business while strengthening the way you serve today’s market. At Home With Diversity helps you increase cultural awareness, better understand personal bias, and develop more effective inclusive marketing strategies that can help you connect with a broader range of clients.
This one-day certification also delivers substantial professional value: it satisfies the NAR Fair Housing requirement, completes a C2EX task, and provides elective credit toward ABR®, CIPS, and GRI. For BER members, it is an even easier yes with FREE registration.
📅 Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 BER Office
🏷️ Includes ABR®, CIPS, and GRI elective credit, C2EX task completion, and NAR Fair Housing requirement fulfillment
Get ready to tee off at one of BER’s signature spring events. The 33rd Annual BER Golf Challenge brings together a full day of friendly competition, networking, and fun at Spring Run Golf Club, with exciting prizes and a strong field of members and supporters.
Gather your foursome and register for $520 per team, with registration opening at 7:15 AM for an 8:00 AM shotgun start. Affiliates, this is also a great visibility opportunity—sponsorships are still available, including Founding Corporate Sponsor, Lunch Sponsor, Mulligan Sponsor, Vehicle Sponsorship, Pin Flag Sponsor, Networking Table Sponsor, Beverage Cart Sponsor, Registration Table Sponsor, Fairway GPS, and On the Green GPS.
📅 Friday, May 8, 2026 | Registration: 7:15 AM | Shotgun Start: 8:00 AM
📍 Spring Run Golf Club
⛳ $520 per team | Affiliate sponsorships still available
Doing Good Deeds: How to Take Title to Residential & Commercial Real Estate in Florida (2CE)-ZOOM
April 21st, 2026 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EST)
Joint tenants with rights of survivorship? Tenancy by the entirety? Tenants in Common? Lady Bird Deed? Florida LLC? Out of state LLC? S Corporation? C Corporation? Revocable Living Trust? Florida Land Trust? What else? The manner in which a buyer takes title to real estate in Florida can have an enormous impact on homestead, estate planning, asset protection, privacy, and taxes. In this informative 2 CE hour Zoom class, board certified real estate attorney Ned Hale explains the pros and cons of the most common methods to take title. This class will help you guide your customers to "do a good deed."
Talk Deals, Not Desperation: How Affiliates Attract Agents Without Begging for Business
April 22th, 2026
10 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)
In Talk Deals, Not Desperation, affiliates will learn how to position themselves as valuable partners (not needy vendors) by shifting from salesy scripts to strategic conversations. This class teaches the mindset, messaging, and methods that win over agents and business partners.
Completing an Effective Purchase and Sales Contract (4CE)
April 22th, 2026
10 AM - 2 PM (EST)
This course helps real estate professionals strengthen their skills in completing Purchase and Sales Contracts from start to finish, treating the contract as a tool to support closing, not just a document. Students learn how to reduce litigation risk, understand why consumers sometimes back out, and bring hesitant clients back to the table through study groups and role reversal. By the end, students can explain the agreement to clients, time execution correctly with proper disclosures, and write a solid, binding contract. Instructor: Caroline Boland
March 2026 Southwest Florida Real Estate Market Update: Sales Surge, Inventory Tightens, Prices Stay Selective
April 9th, 2026
March 2026 delivered a clear peak-season signal: closed sales rose sharply, inventory tightened, and prices stayed selective across Bonita/Estero, Naples, and Fort Myers.
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