Wade Corbett
We’re all guilty of working too much on occasion. It’s absolutely inevitable if you have the drive to challenge yourself and succeed at all costs… and we all have that, right? I’ll be the first to admit sometimes my vision for success overshadows my need for rest. But just as being lazy won’t get you anywhere, overworking yourself can be just as bad.
How do we create that perfect balance between work and play? Well, if you’re like me, you probably have a small panic attack when you can’t access your phone at any given moment. Do you sleep with your phone by your pillow? E-mail during meetings? Rest your phone on your bathroom counter when showering? Don’t do it!
If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only take one item, it would be my iPhone. I wouldn’t even take it to call for help, but to make sure that I didn’t get behind on my e-mails. Don’t think you’re that addicted? Next time you’re sitting still, notice how often you instinctively reach to check your phone for missed alerts. Continue reading »
Brooke Wolford
By Brooke Wolford
We have all gotten sucked into this world of technology. We do everything we can to stay on top of what’s new and hot and purchase the latest iAnything. Even I can’t help but admit that that I do like the “shiny” things in life. However, the other evening, I looked over at my 10-year-old son. My son has his own laptop, iPod, cellphone, and every gaming system imaginable. He’s learning a ton about technology and is even dabbling in learning how to code. Being the techie that I am, I feel proud. But while watching him type on his computer, listen to his iPod, and simultaneously check his cellphone, I began to think about the possibility that he was missing out on basic relationship building opportunities. I think for many of us, we are heading down the same path.
Recently, at the St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS® YPN Smarty Pants Tech Bar, a lot of agents were asking technology-related questions like, “What apps should I be using?” and “Why and how should I use social media?” Many seemed overwhelmed. They all wanted to know, “What gadget or social media site will solve my latest business problem?” I sat at the gathering knowing that it was this question itself that was their greatest problem of all. Continue reading »
Dolores Esanu
By Dolores Esanu
I was at a friend’s wedding a few weeks ago. After a few moments of small talk, one of the guests asked, “Are all REALTORS® so personable?” I answered, “I like to think so, but one thing we are always is patient.”
Patience is probably the most pivotal catalyst towards managing clients and coworkers. We patiently wait on callbacks, patiently wait on feedback and patiently wait on documents. The one aspect the patience attribute I often find challenging is working with those who are not up to date with technology. Growing up in a generation where I can access the world through my fingertips is not only compelling, but can be challenging as well.
REALTORS® range in a variety of ages, from Millennials to Generation Xers to Baby Boomers. Being a Millennial who has adapted to the ever-changing world of technology can cause a lack of patience towards the more seasoned adults who are unaware of the tech resources that make daily transactions so much easier. The whole, “Why drive 20 miles to drop off a contract, when you can just scan and email?” mentality makes sense to me, but may not to agents who were raised without computers and scanners.
So what does one do when encountering agents lacking a general knowledge of technology? Teach ‘em! Living in a retirement community, I often find myself showing other agents how to set up Dropbox, download Realtor.com apps, and even discover the mysterious “spam” folder they didn’t know existed. It can be a little humorous. But the rewarding feeling of knowing that I helped make someone’s job easier by opening their eyes through the benefits of technology is worth more than gold.
Our industry is an ever-changing, fast moving business that we engage in. REALTORS® are movers and shakers, we get things done. Time is a luxury, and I find we do our best to utilize time management to its full potential. Prioritizing dates and tasks is crucial, but if you happen to encounter a fellow coworker, client, or friend who asks, “How do I upload these pictures, again?” Give them a little bit of your time, because in the long run, they may end up saving you a lot of time.
Dolores Esanu is a REALTOR@ and executive assistant for Trademark Real Estate in Hot Springs, Ark. Connect with her at: @doeesanu, www.trademarkrealestate.com, or doloresesanu@gmail.com
Marianne Guenther Bornhoft
By Marianne Guenther Bornhoft
1982 was a year like no other. It created the Y generation. What’s so special about this group of people? A lot. Its members aren’t afraid to tell you why.
The name Generation Y first appeared in an August 1993 Ad Age editorial to describe people born 1982-2001 to Baby Boomers and early Generation Xers. Neil Howe and William Strauss — leading experts in the history of generations and authors of “Generations” — describe this echo boom generation “Millennials.” Whatever you call it, the Gen Y/Millennial group is ready to take over and the rest of us better be ready.
Growing up in a world where technology and ease of use of the Internet is second nature, Gen Yers are a breed of folks who expect a lot more than their predecessors. Millennials want information, not only instantly, but also with the ease that it should be accessible at their convenience with all of the normal benefits of a face-to-face meeting. A survey by CareerBuilder and Harris Interactive shows almost half (49 percent) Gen Yers prefer to communicate through technology (blogs, instant messaging and text messaging, for example) as opposed to having face-to-face or phone conversations, which are the preferred methods of Baby Boomers and Generation X.
A savvy REALTOR® who understands this age bracket can more easily understand and relate to meeting those demands. For example, a Gen Y client who sends a text to his/her agent after “normal” business hours might be driving home from an event and see a new house for sale. They expect an answer back quickly, just as if he or she would have called the REALTOR® directly. Likewise, a Facebook post about a unique looking staircase in a house for sale might generate enough buzz that a person, not necessarily looking, might click on the link in the post. After looking at the virtual tour of the property, that person may e-mail the listing agent about the house. This new way of advertising, called “murketing,” is an advertising strategy that avoids direct sales of a product and focuses instead on a simple thought or image, communicating how that product makes you feel or how others can relate to it. Author Rob Walker coined this marketing buzz term, a portmanteau of “murky” and “marketing.” This business tactic targets the three-quarters of Millennials who, according to the Pew Research Center, have created a profile on a social networking site. Continue reading »
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.
Marianne Guenther Bornhoft
By Marianne Guenther Bornhoft
A new study just released from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism indicate that half of American adults have mobile Internet access via a tablet or smartphone. This is a major shift on how we as REALTORS® might want to review how we price our listings. Now more than ever, it is important to identify how potential buyers are using new technology to find their dream home.
At the center of this growth phenomenon is the tablet computer. The report states that nearly a quarter of U.S. adults — 22 percent — now own a tablet device-double the number from a year earlier. Another 3 percent of adults regularly use a tablet owned by someone else in their home. And nearly a quarter of those who don’t have a tablet, 23 percent, plan to get one in the next six months. In addition, 44 percent of U.S. adults have smartphones, which, according to the survey, is up from 35 percent from May 2011.
Most buyers start their home search by looking at listings online, or most often, on a real estate app specifically designed for a smart phone or tablet. This search tool allows the person to search for very detailed criteria. For example, the app will prompt the buyer to select the price grid they desire. For example, on the REALTOR.com® app, a typical price starts from a no minimum amount up to $300,000 with a $25,000 price spread between the two different price brackets. Most apps follow this rule. Some are only $25,000 between the price brackets and some real estate apps use a $50,000 price spread.
So let’s say you’re a seller and you would normally price your house at $224,999, now with the specific price brackets in mind, you might want to price it at $225,000 exactly. That way it will show up in both searches. Specifically, the search criteria a buyer might pick has house prices that go up to $225,000 or some would rather start from the $225,000 price bracket and search higher.
Remember, the real estate app only gives you exactly what you ask it to produce. So a seller might actually be losing a buyer who could afford a higher price home by pricing it out of targeted range. It would have been better if they would have priced it precisely the amount of one of the specific price brackets on the desired real estate app.
Rethinking how we expose the listings to the public is crucial as technology becomes more advanced and different ways to search for a house develop. We must learn to adapt to this change or be left behind.
Marianne Guenther Bornhoft is a broker at Windermere Manito in Spokane, Wash. Connect with her at www.SpokaneHouse.com , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marianneguentherbornhoft or on Twitter @spokanehouse or www.linkedin.com/in/marianneguentherbornhoft.
Maura Neill
By Maura Neill
If you’re looking for one more reason to attend the REALTORS® Conference and Expo next month in Orlando, check this out: You can take Day One of the newly-redesigned e-PRO® course for FREE.
The course is a $149 value, but you can get it for free, nada, nothing, no dinero…simply because you’re a YPN member. It’s that simple.
The course will be offered on Thursday, November 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. After you complete Day One, you will need to register for and complete Day Two online in order to receive your e-PRO® certification. For more information and to register, visit www.epronar.com/ypn.cfm.
I’ll be co-teaching with Bill Lublin, one of the co-creators of the new e-PRO®. Bill and I are really looking forward to the opportunity to give you this education at no cost.
If you’re not already a member of your local YPN Network, click here for an interactive map that can help you to locate the network closest to you and put you in touch with them. Joining is free, too, so this is a no-brainer!
The course is by invitation only (consider this my personal invitation to you!) and spaces are filling up, so be sure you register to attend today! Hope to see you there!
Maura Neill is a second-generation REALTOR® and works with RE/MAX Around Atlanta. Maura can be found online through her blog, her websites www.BuySellLiveAtlanta.com and www.MauraNeill.com, or on Twitter @MauraNeill.
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 »
Subhi J. Gharbieh
By Subhi Gharbieh
No Matter how hard we try to keep up with all the latest trends and technology, it is virtually impossible to use every single real estate-related mobile application in our business today. There is just too many of them! My fellow MetroTex (Dallas) YPN member- Justin Levitch and I have been teaching what we call our “iPads, Smart Phones, and Real Estate Apps Course” to diverse crowds of REALTORS® all over the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. We highlight hundreds of apps that could potentially boost your business, or just make you look like the most rock star, tech savvy real estate agent in town. Here are a few of my favorite apps that I use in my business today. Now, I’m already the coolest REALTOR® in town, but these definitely put me way ahead of the competition. 
1. MagicPlan (iOS – free) - MagicPlan measures your rooms and draws your floor plan just by taking pictures. You can then get your floor plan in PDF, JPG and DXF format or publish an interactive floor plan on the Web. With MagicPlan, everyone can create a floor plan in just a few minutes. Example use: Draw a floor plan for your listing to show an out of town buyer the house layout.
2. Cards (iOS – free) – Create and mail beautifully crafted, real greeting cards personalized with your own text and photos – right from your iPhone. Your Apple ID is charged $2.99 for each postcard you send. Incredible, way better than a Hallmark! Example use: Post-closing thank yous.
3.Videolicious (iOS – free) – Turn raw video clips and photos into tightly-edited masterpieces to share with your friends in just three simple steps. Example use: 20-second buyer testimonial videos to use as commercials.
4. Dropbox or Box (iOS, Android – free) – Dropbox or Box lets you bring all your photos, documents, and videos anywhere. Any file you save to your Dropbox or Box will automatically save to all your computers, your Android or iOS device, and even the Dropbox or Box website! Example use: Share files too large to e-mail with your clients, backup your photos and/or files in the cloud to have access while mobile. Access contracts or photos on your iPad without using up all your iPad memory.
5. Glympse (iOS, Android – free) Continue reading »
Stefanie Hahn
By Stefanie Hahn
What does getting it done mean? My “it” goes something like this…I want to work hard, be kind, and have a life. In order for me to be kind and have a life, I have to get it done. Working hard is weaved right in there. Here are a few of the apps that I use each day to get it done. *Bonus – all of these apps are free!
Assistant (Android) | SpeakToIt (Apple)
I spend a ton of time in the car – I got an Assistant to help me use this time effectively. The Assistant app can open apps, search for answers and addresses, compose an e-mail or text, read news, e-mails, and texts, play voicemails, save “to do” list items, and more. The voice transcriptions are some of the best I’ve seen in apps of this ilk, which makes using the Assistant fast and easy (and hands free)!
Any.Do (Android, Apple, Chrome add-on and Web)
Using lists helps me keep it together and accomplish what I need to each day. Any.Do works on my phone and has a fun little Chrome add-on that I use on my laptop. Of course, like most of these “to do” list apps Any.Do allows you to cross off items that you’ve completed. Additionally, you can set priorities, display and file under multiple lists, set alarms, add notes, and share your “to do” items.
Business Calendar Free (Android only) Continue reading »
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