New Federal Aviation Administration rules that make it easier to get clearance to use drones for commercial purposes took effect Aug. 29. Watch a video about how one real estate practitioner is using footage shot from a drone to market a listing. Click here to learn more about the rules.

Pending home sales expanded in most of the country in July and reached their second highest reading in over a decade, according to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR).In the Northeast, the index moved up 0.8 percent to 96.8 in July and is now 1.1 percent above a year ago.To read the entire NAR press release, click here.

New York State Association of REALTORS member Susan Gruen Helsinger from Merrick, NY was named a finalist for the National Association of REALTORS’ Good Neighbor Awards! The public can vote for their favorite of the 10 Good Neighbor finalists. The finalist who gets the most votes - the Web Choice Winner - will take home an additional $1,000 donation. Help Susan get the recognition she deserves for her good works, and help her win a grant to advance her efforts. Voting is open until Sept. 26. Click here to vote today!

NYSAR has launched an online media campaign designed to show the benefits of working with a New York State REALTOR when selling a home. The humorous, shareable video casts the REALTOR as a "trusted wingman" in guiding consumers to make good decisions. An online advertising campaign is being used to drive video shares and ultimately bring consumers to the new NYSAR.com consumer "Wingman" landing page. There they can learn more about the value of working with a REALTOR and use our Find a REALTOR tool to connect with members in their area. You can help us promote New York’s REALTORS by sharing the video with your clients and customers through your social media networks.

On Tuesday, Aug. 30, the New York State Senate convened for the first of several water quality hearings across the state. During the hearing chaired by Sen. Kathy Marchione, both the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health commissioners provided testimony and answered questions. The EPA, who failed to appear at the hearing, was criticized by both those providing testimony and the senators presiding over the hearing. The next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 7 in Albany. More information can be found here.

As the Nov. 8 general election nears, many of New York’s largest labor unions are crossing party lines when it comes to campaign contributions. While some unions such as the New York State Communications Workers of America donated exclusively to the Democrats and the New York State Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association donated only to Republicans, large unions including AFL-CIO and NYSUT have contributed to both major political parties' campaigns. See all of the numbers here.

The Tuesday, Sept. 20, NYSAR Radio show will cover common commission issues. Tune in at 10 a.m. on Sept. 20 on your PC or Mac by using the player on the NYSAR Radio page. You will need to be logged in to listen. If you have not yet created your account with the website, you will need to click on "New User" on the Member Login page and follow the prompts. Find more information here.

The New York State Association of REALTORS will hold its annual Fall Business Meetings Sept. 25-28 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. NYSAR encourages all members to participate as many of the sessions do not require official committee service. Watch a video about what you can expect from the Fall Business Meetings here. For more information or to register for the meetings, click here.

The GRI-7 Property course will be offered Sept. 13 at the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS in Goshen, NY. Discover the myriad elements that affect property value including: types of housing; appraisals and inspections; neighborhoods and amenities; energy efficiency and environmental issues; lender requirements; and much more.

Register online today or call 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.

The GRI-6 Sellers course will be offered Sept. 14 at the Buffalo Niagara Association of REALTORS in Buffalo, NY. Get a competitive advantage with strategies to: gain more listings; get clients to price to sell; enhance your marketing; avoid Fair Housing violations and safety concerns.

Register online today or call 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.

The Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) course will be offered Sept. 14-15 at the Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS in Syracuse, NY. Become a proficient and profitable buyer’s representative, serving with quality, fidelity and confidence. You will gain a thorough understanding of agency relationships, policy options and disclosure requirements.

Register online today or call 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.

NYSAR Member Perks partner Mailify is an email marketing software application that helps you create, send and track beautiful and effective email campaigns and newsletters. With mobile-responsive email templates specifically designed for real estate, live personal support and the best deliverability in the industry, Mailify will take your email marketing to the next level. Brokers can even set up a master account and give agents access to shared credits and templates. NYSAR members save 20 percent and your first 5,000 email credits are free with member code "NYSAR." Click here for more information.

NYSAR's partnership with UPS gives you access to exclusive shipping discounts – up to 30 percent! Enroll today to start saving on every package you send. Visit www.savewithups.com/nysar or call 800-325-7000 to enroll.

Local board RPAC events have already raised $120,000 for RPAC so far this year. Thank you to those boards that have already stepped up and hosted an RPAC event! The summer RPAC fundraising season remains HOT! For a complete list of the summer RPAC events still on the calendar, click here.

Test your trivia knowledge while raising funds to support RPAC during the RPAC Trivia Night on Monday, Sept. 26, from 7:30-11 p.m. at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. In addition to the trivia tournament, there will be live and silent auctions, a selection of your favorite hot pub foods, and a cash bar. Tickets are $50 and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Register online to attend NYSAR’s Fall Business Meetings and the RPAC Trivia Night today. Or, simply download, complete and return the registration form to NYSAR via fax at 518-462-5474. Questions? Contact Derick King at dking@nysar.com or 518-463-0300 x238.

Once again NYSAR will be featuring live and silent auction items as part of the RPAC Trivia Night fundraiser via our talented auctioneer, Matt Arnold. If local boards or individual members would like to donate auction items, please contact Derick King at dking@nysar.com or 518-463-0300 x238 with a description of the item and the value by Friday, Sept. 16. Local boards and individual members will receive RPAC credit for auction item donations!