1. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business In This Week’s “The EDGE” Home Sales and Prices Climb Again in July NAR Call for Action: Stop Patent Trolls Houston Market Movements CRB. As Easy as ABC… “The Edge” is a weekly tool for managers to use to inform their agents and stay current and up-to-date with important real estate industry issues. Brought to you by the HAR Communications Department.

2. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business The July 2015 MLS statistics will be released this Wednesday, August 12, and here are some highlights of the report: Houston home sales rose 6.7 percent year-over-year in July, with a total of 8,147 single-family units sold versus 7,637 a year earlier. Months of inventory grew to a 3.4-months supply compared to a 3.0-months supply in July 2014. For perspective, housing inventory nationally stands at a 5.0-months supply. The single-family home average price was $293,790 while the median price was $220,000. Both figures represent record highs for a July. July rentals of single-family homes jumped 11.8 percent year-over- year, while the cost of renting those homes increased 3.0 percent to $1,864. For more detailed information, please visit the HAR Online Newsroom for this and all other HAR news releases.HAR Online Newsroom Home Sales and Prices Climb Again in July

3. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business NAR Call for Action: Stop Patent Trolls Tell your U.S. Representative to support H.R. 9, the Innovation Act, to stop patent trolls and protect the real estate industry from frivolous lawsuits. REALTORS® across the country receive threatening demand letters and lawsuits alleging patent infringement based on the use of common business tools such as drop down menus or search alert functions on websites and the scanner function on a copier. These patent trolls buy vague patents and use them to turn everyday business practices into potential lawsuits. H.R. 9 is scheduled for House floor consideration later this summer. Congress must pass this common-sense, comprehensive patent litigation reform to protect Main Street businesses and REALTORS® from patent troll abuse. More information is available at http://bit.ly/1HYJt6i.http://bit.ly/1HYJt6i

4. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business According to a recent study, housing starts are expected to be slightly over a million for the U.S. in 2015, with more than half of those being single-family homes. New home sales are expected to increase by at least 20 percent compared to last year. An increase in housing starts hints at a state of homeostasis for the residential real estate market. More homes means more choices for buyers, from first-timers to upgraders. In the Houston region, for the week ending August 2: New Listings increased 10.4% to 2,890 Pending Sales increased 17.4% to 2,097 Closed Sales increased 2.6% to 2,463 Houston Market Movements

5. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business CRB: The Power Negotiator’s Playbook You will soon realize that the "win-win" objective is merely a perception. Power comes from leveraging your options and alternatives so that the client has the best possible choices to consider and knows what the downside could be for each choice presented. The real estate professional will learn when and how to negotiate, how to craft a plan/strategy for any situation while recognizing the patterns and negotiation tactics being used. Communication styles, principles of persuasion, effectively negotiating face-to-face, on the phone or through email and other media will be discussed. Train the license holder on how to negotiate from a position of strength for the benefit of their client. In preparation, being open to options and knowing how to effectively work with trade-offs. Learn to compromise without giving away essential components of the deal while reaching a resolution that’s acceptable to the client. Please confirm your eligibility and review the requirements necessary to earn this designation by visiting the designation holder’s site or contacting HAR’s Professional Development Dept. Date: Thursday, August 13 Location: HAR Central Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Investment: $129 Register at www.har.com/eduQuestions? Call 713.629.1900 ext. 6www.har.com/edu CRB. As Easy as ABC…