Subhi J. Gharbieh
By Subhi Gharbieh
Now that I have sort of become known as the “Real Estate Technology Geek,” I receive calls and e-mails daily about how REALTORS® can become paperless. I highly doubt that it is possible to be 100 percent paperless in our business, but here are three tips that will get you darn near close to never using a printer, ever again.
1. Daily Real Estate Task: Printing “Agent Full Report” from MLS. It is something that we must have when showing a property. It has the details that customers/clients don’t have in their “Customer Full Report,” such as days on the market, the listing agent’s contact info, private remarks, etc.
For PC users — Instead of printing this report, download a program called CutePDF. It is a free PDF converter that will set up as a printer in your print menu, BUT… drum-roll, please… it will not print! It will save your report as a PDF. This program is great and saves you the hundreds of dollars it would cost to purchase a similar Adobe product. I simply save the reports in Dropbox or Box (another must-have) and simply open it up on my iPhone or iPad.
For my fellow Apple/Mac users — Simply click print, and in the bottom left corner there will be a tab that says “PDF,” click on that to save your report as a PDF. No third-party program necessary.
2. Contracts/Addendum: Instead of printing the contracts/addenda you create in zipForm (or any other forms software that you may use): From your iPad, open the document with Box (an app that must be downloaded) and save it in your Box Cloud. Once you have it saved, Go to DocuSign (an app that must also be downloaded) and link your Box account directly to DocuSign. From there, you will be able to open the documents you saved in Box, place initials/signatures, assign recipients, and send the documents for signatures — getting your document signed without it ever being printed or scanned.
3. Listing Presentations: Instead of printing and binding a fancy listing presentation to give to your potential sellers, create a presentation in Keynote or Powerpoint, with fun graphics and the information you want your customer to see. Hand your clients your iPad/Tablet and let them flip through it while you ramble on about how you’re the best REALTOR® in town. They will love it, and if it’s done right, they will be sold on you immediately.
Subhi J. Gharbieh is the broker/owner at Gharbieh & Associates in Dallas. Connect with him at www.Gharbieh.com or on Twitter @subhig.
Peter Lamandre
By Peter N. Lamandre
No Apple event would be complete without a post from me, the self-proclaimed “Über Apple Fan-boy.” iOS 6 is finally here and the new features are aplenty…
I will rundown a few of the super cool new things iPhone/iPad users can now do.
Let’s start with the new maps app replacing the previous map application, which was a Google product. It’s clear that Google was holding back some of the cool features in the iOS version of their product as the Android version had far superior features. Can you really blame Google though? Would you really provide your competitor with a “great product” or a “just okay” one? So Apple took the bull by the horns and created a new map app from the ground up, and I must say, so far this is a killer app. With all the iOS users out there, I can not see how the GPS companies will stay in business. The turn by turn is smooth, and so far it is accurate — hopefully it won’t send me into a corn field as I test in in some rural areas in the next few days. I took a spin on the highway and the anonymous crowd-sourced data to determine traffic patterns seems to be spot-on.
Mail received a facelift with the ability to now directly insert pictures and movies from the mail screen. Seems like a simple idea, but the insertion of videos and pictures was previously a cumbersome task, now it’s easy peasy lemon squeezy. I frequently read messages then mark them as “unread” in order to remind me to go back and do something with the email… I know I can flag them but I prefer to mark as unread so I was a bit scared when I could not find the “Mark as unread” link where it normally is. You can now find it in the lower left hand corner of your screen under the flag icon.
In the camera and photo features, there is now a built in panorama shooting mode in the iPhone, but not the iPad. I have used many panoramic apps over the years, and this one is fast, easy, and the sticking works very well. The photo app has noticeably faster loading, which I’m sure all the users can appreciate. The addition of a multiple photo stream will allow users to quickly share specific photos either publicly or privately by invitation only. I can think of numerous real estate-related uses for this feature.
As REALTORS®, we are always in meetings with clients, or in committee meetings where phones can be a distraction. Continue reading »
Stefanie Hahn
By Stefanie Hahn
Not an avid Apple user? You can still make the iPad work for you! Here are a few apps, cloud computing services, and workflow ideas that can help you make the most of your iPad experience — especially helpful for those hardcore Google users. Sneak peek: SugarSync.
Watch my tutorial to learn more.
Stefanie Hahn is the education director for Coldwell Banker Hearthside, REALTORS® in Collegeville, Pa. Visit her Web site: www.StefanieHahn.com.
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
*OK, I was at the midnight premiere of the Muppet Movie—alone—because no one else would go with me. But the movie did serve as inspiration for the title of this post.
I am not a hemp-wearing tree hugger, but I do care for the environment. I’m not environmentally-friendly for business reasons, I do it for myself. It’s like a game to see how much “trash” I can keep out of the garage can or how I can reduce my monthly expenses.
Here are some of my tips to help make you green and save you green:
Print your showing information to PDF and use PDF Expert to view it (and write on it) on your iPad while showing buyers. You can even go a step further — do the same for your clients; hand them an iPad with all the MLS printouts, allow them to take notes and then email the document to them after showings.
Quit buying bottled water. Invest the $5 in a water bottle (without the straw please, that’s yucky) and fill it with water from your Brita Pitcher. Wash it and use it again! I bought some BPA-free, recycled, compostable water bottles with my logo. I fill them with distilled water (that I “brew” myself, I don’t buy it) and let them take the bottle at the end of our first showing. The second showing I have another set of bottles there, but I ask they leave the bottle so I can reuse it the next time. When they close on their home they get their bottles, and a Brita pitcher, as part of their closing gift.
Buy recycled, compostable, or reused promotional products. Continue reading »
Michelle Flaherty
By Michelle Flaherty
Now that we’re on to day two of the REALTORS® Conference & Expo, and my mind and body are beginning to adjust to west coast time, the pieces of information that I will bring back home with me are becoming much more clear.
First, it is becoming abundantly clear that I need an iPad. Every class I’ve attended so far has opened my eyes to at least one new tip, trick, or app to enrich my clients’ experience and make my job easier and more fun. Nobu Hata (2012 chair of the YPN Subcommittee) in the “follow me” class made a point to say it was THE single tool that agents need to have to improve their businesses. And when it came time to write this blog post, I’m embarrassed to say that I had to ask my MOM to borrow hers so I wouldn’t have to go get my laptop in the hotel room. Yes, I’m embarrassed to say that the Gen-Y is the technology dinosaur in this family real estate team.
Second, in a world full of social media and advertising noise, people in the community appreciate when you recognize or mention an ad they placed in the newspaper, an award they received, or an accomplishment that earned them a place in the news. Both the “marketing without money” and “selling luxury property” class instructors suggested clipping articles and reaching out to people personally when their names or businesses are in the news (assuming the story is positive). A great reminder that real estate is and will always be a business built around real relationships. Continue reading »
Stefanie Hahn
By Stefanie Hahn
I have a new favorite. I think you will love it too. Evernote is more than just a tool for note-taking. Evernote is a cloud productivity tool where I can write, save, tag, share and sync my notes. I started using Evernote on my iPad, then installed it on my laptop and grabbed the app for my Android. A note I start on my iPad can be edited on my Android and finished on my laptop. Seamless. Truly. Awesome.
There are 4 ways to take a note:
1. Write it out
2. Record your voice
3. Take a photo note
4. Grab a Web clip
Writing (or typing) is the most common way I take a note. I use Evernote to start most of my blog posts now. Even a video post requires a bit of planning, so starting here makes sense. This works like a charm if you are taking notes in a meeting or class too! Taking notes while hammering out a deal over the phone? Write them in Evernote. Even email them to the other agent.
I use the voice record notes when I’m in my car, which is all the time. These are perfect for recording ideas, things to remember, and to-do lists. Continue reading »
Subhi J. Gharbieh
By Subhi Gharbieh
Have you ever thought about some things you can incorporate into your listing presentation that will really juice it up? Here are a few tips to help you get your listing presentation looking like Barry Bonds.
Show them:
1. Graphs, Charts, Tables of Market Data. Comps, recent sales, and anything that can be explained with numbers, make it visual! (If you’re a Mac user, I strongly recommend Numbers for Mac.
Very easy to use and make your numbers “pop.”)
2. Marketing. Show them your property flyers with your amazing photos. Show them your blog, videos, advertisements, postcards, etc. They want to see what you have done in the past and what you will do for them now.
3. Social Media. Show them your Facebook business page. Twitter. Show them the different avenues you use to reach out to your following and how you market your listings on those networks.
4. Technology. If you have an iPad, make or upload your listing presentation in Keynote (Hands down, best Mac program to use when making presentations.) Bring an actual binded, professional looking listing presentation to the appointment, and bring your iPad also. Hand the iPad to the Seller and let them flip through the presentation on there while you go through the paper version. That alone will sell them. Continue reading »
Stefanie Hahn
By Stefanie Hahn
This video outlines the pros and cons of the iPad and covers the basics that all real estate practitioners should consider before they make their purchase.
Stefanie Hahn is the education director for Coldwell Banker Hearthside, REALTORS® in Malvern, Pa. Visit her Web site: www.StefanieHahn.com.
Don’t miss your chance to win an iPad or $150 Visa gift card in the REALTOR® Build-Your-Business Sweepstakes. Just log into the REALTOR® Content Resource daily with your NRDS ID and submit the entry form to be eligible for the monthly drawings for an iPad and weekly drawings for a $150 Visa gift card.
While you’re there, view the just-released video that walks you through the enhancements that let you to share free home ownership articles with consumers via Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail directly from the REALTOR® Content Resource.
The REALTOR® Content Resource, brought to you by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, is an exclusive member benefit that entitles you to download free home ownership content from HouseLogic to your marketing materials. Besides simple sharing of articles with your social network, the enhancements allow you to search more easily for content by themes (formerly “Collections”) or keywords.
HouseLogic is the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS’® comprehensive consumer Web site geared to helping home owners make smart decisions to enhance, maintain, and protect the value of their home.
Drew Burks
By Drew Burks
Are You Distracted?
In today’s world most of us are overwhelmed with information, new products, and services, most of which provide little more than distraction to the average person.
As a REALTOR®, it is definitely easy to get caught up in the hype of the latest technologies; after all, most of them are very appealing with the promises of making our lives easier and more profitable. Last week I attended the CAR Tech Tuesday event in Anaheim, Calif. and while there I had many great conversations with REALTORS®, but one really stood out in my mind …
“How does one cut through all of the noise that we are bombarded with to get to the dollar-producing activities?”
CAR added a fun twist to the event this year, they had a “meet the speakers” during a “speed networking” session. This was by far the best part of the day for me. Those of us who spoke at the event got the chance to do 4-minute sessions with approx 25-30 groups of approximately 30 people. The common questions asked by the REALTOR® attendees in these different groups were things like: Continue reading »
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