NYSCAR August 2026 president’s message - by Mercedes Brien

Education is the foundation for success. A premiere member benefit for NYSCAR members is the opportunity to take advantage of free commercial education via Zoom with quality instructors! Courses that also fulfill the required courses for NYS continuing education (CE) license renewal are also offered free of charge.

Over 50 hours of CE credit will be offered in 2026, something for everyone – including new courses!

It is the licensee’s responsibility to keep track of their CE credits. NYSCAR has made it easy by providing a CE worksheet which can be found at nyscar.org/tools and resources/professional development. Please be sure to take the appropriate courses to fulfill the NYS licensing requirements so you are not placing your license in jeopardy. 

Below is a listing of course offerings for September.

As you may know, NYSCAR has seven local chapters throughout the state: Western NY, Rochester Area, Syracuse Area, So. Tier, Greater Capital, Hudson Valley and NYC/LI. Please be sure to keep up on their activities and events by visiting nyscar.org.

“Introduction to Cost Segregation” 

Frank Giudici

September 18, 2026

9:00 am – 11:00 am via Zoom

2-hour elective course

September 25, 2026 900 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. via Zoom

Benefits of embracing cost segregation:

Solidify client relationships… this is a tremendous tax savings value-add to offer clients who may not know any better.

A legitimate reason to reconnect with clients (past/present/future), cost segregation is retroactive which means anyone who owns commercial real estate (yes, both residential and commercial uses) dating back to the early 2000’s can still take advantage as part of their 2025 taxes without having to amend previous years’ tax filings,

Generate more brokerage business… understanding how cost segregation works will allow brokers representing both buyers and sellers to close more business, and at a minimum, generate property interest,

Personal gain,… as licensed brokers you are considered Real Estate Professionals (REP), a special designation on one’s taxes that allows for depreciation deductions from the ownership of CRE to be used to offset any/all types of income including your spouse… REPs are able to take full advantage of cost segregation.

“Safety and Security for Real Estate Professionals”

NYS Trooper Steven Rothwein 

1.5 hours elective course

In this course we will discuss safety and security at your office, ways to react to an emergency situation and safety tips when showing properties to clients. We will finish by discussing real life scenarios and how best to respond to them.

New Course Offering!

Date: September 28 and 29, 2026 4-hour elective course

Advanced Financial Literacy for Investment Real Estate 

Joseph Larkin, CCIM, SIOR

Advanced Financial Literacy for Investment Real Estate provides the essential knowledge and ability to understand, analyze and manage the economic aspects of real estate investments and transactions. This comprehensive two-part course covers advanced financial concepts and mathematical tools essential for decision-making in commercial real estate.

Students will learn how to calculate and apply amortization strategies, develop sinking funds, determine the internal rate of return (IRR) and calculate net present value (NPV) in real-world contexts.

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.