Membership

It is with sadness that we inform our members that Joan Ryan has passed away. Ryan was the first executive officer of the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS (SAMCAR) after the merger of four local boards in 1995. She led the association until 1998 upon her retirement. Prior to her role as SAMCAR CEO, she was the executive of the former North Board from 1981 until the formation of SAMCAR.

It is with sadness that we inform our members that Susan Wang has passed away. She joined the association on 01/25/88 and was with the Coldwell Banker San Carlos and San Mateo offices. SAMCAR was notified of Susan's passing by her brokerage. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, February 20 at 3 PM at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple on S Claremont.

It is with sadness that we inform our members that Eddie Chow passed away in April 2025. He joined the association on 01/08/76 and was the Broker of Ed Chow & Company. SAMCAR was notified of Eddie's passing by his family.

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 18) – The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) has installed its 2026 Leadership Team. C.A.R. President Tamara Suminski, a Southern California real estate broker, will lead the team. Serving with Suminski are President-elect Mark Peterson, Treasurer Nikki Coppa and Chief Executive Officer Phil Hawkins. The 2026 officers begin their official term this week at the close of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®' (NAR) Conference and Expo held in Houston, Texas. (Read the full press release on the C.A.R. website.)

The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) and Department of Real Estate (DRE) are concerned about a business practice in which a real estate broker instructs a settlement agent1 through a Commission Disbursement Authorization (CDA) to pay the real estate broker's personal or business expenses or an unlicensed entity or individual who may have engaged in activity requiring a license in a real estate transaction.

July is Disability Pride Month, a worldwide celebration of people with disabilities, their identities, culture, resilience and contributions to society. Originated in the United States, this month-long event commemorates the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990. At SAMCAR, we take this opportunity to acknowledge a remarkable colleague from the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS (SILVAR), Karen Trolan. In 2009, Trolan, a SILVAR past president, real estate manager and mother of three was piloting her family's Cessna out of the Truckee airport on Labor Day Weekend when the plane crashed. Her life changed in a moment. Trolan became paraplegic. From that day forward her activities revolved around months of rehab and learning a new way of living, but her pain and injuries didn't stop her. Trolan went on to write a book about her experience, "I CAN STILL DO IT!: The Unstoppable Spirit of a Plane Crash Survivor", and goes on speaking engagements telling her story. We are honored to share Trolan's story in a republished profile "Karen Trolan on Overcoming the Impossible" written by former SILVAR Public Affairs Director Rose Meily in 2023.