NYSCAR January 2026 president’s message - by Mercedes Brien

I am honored and excited to serve as president of the New York State Commercial Association of Realtors (NYSCAR) this year. It’s a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated group of professionals who share a passion for excellence and service in our industry.

As we look ahead, I encourage members to get involved by joining one of our committees. Your participation is the key to our continued success and helps shape the future of our industry. Whether your interests lie in education, advocacy, professional standards, communications, technology or the annual conference, there is a place for everyone to contribute and make a difference.

If you would like to volunteer, please email NYSCAR at [email protected] by January 30, with a subject line of “2026 NYSCAR committees.” Please indicate which committee you are interested in lending your talents.

Please mark your calendar for the 24^th Northeast Regional Marketing Session and Annual Conference, June 8 – 10, 2026 at Rivers Casino in Schenectady! It is always a great opportunity to learn, network and connect with colleagues. Sponsorship opportunities are available! Please go to https://nyscar.org/conference/ for details.

I’m also proud to share that we are continuing our premier member benefit of free education for the membership. Members have the opportunity to earn continuing education credit by taking commercial courses as well as required courses by New York State for license renewal. Providing high-quality learning opportunities remains a cornerstone of NYSCAR’s mission, helping the members stay informed and successful in an ever-changing marketplace.

I look forward to a fantastic year ahead and to seeing many of you at our upcoming meetings and events.

Please watch your email for course announcements and registration information as well as information on the Annual Conference.

Professional Development

2026 will bring you more opportunities to fulfill your c.e. requirements to renew your license. A partial list is as follows:

February 20, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon, how to invest in real estate wisely with instructor Russ Gullo, CCIM

The following three courses are instructed by Edward Smith, Jr. (9:00 am -12:45 pm)

• March 11 and 13, Working with office, retail and industrial buildings, leases and green concepts - 7.5 hours c.e.

• March 18 and 20, Working with investment properties: financial analysis, taxes and exchanges; discrimination issues in commercial real estate - 7.5 hours c.e.

[fulfills NYS fair housing (3 hours) requirement]

• March 25 and 27, ethics and agency, land and site development, comparing investments, brokerage issues and building your commercial business - 7.5 hours c.e.

[fulfills NYS ethical business practices (2.5 hours) and agency (1 hour)* requirement]

*2 hours needed, if it is your first renewal.

• July 9, 2-4 pm Realtor Hunger Games, Katheryn DeClerck

(fulfills 2 hour requirement for implicit bias).

Mercedes Brien, CEA, is a licensed real estate broker with Yaman Commercial, Cortland, NY and is the 2026 president of the NYS Commercial Assn. of Realtors (NYSCAR), Albany, NY.