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The Real Estate

GuidE07

Better Technology

6 Creative Web Gems (Try them today!)

Hot new ways to market using the Web. Here are some great options! by Bridget McCrea

14 It’s Web-ariffic! Learn from this year’s Web site contest

winners. by Richard Westlund

18 Can’t-Live-Without-It Tech Gadgets (Heard here first!)

Techno overload? Sales associates share their must-haves. by Dan Rafter

Better Marketing

26 10 Ways to Sell a Home Fast (And we mean speedy!)

You’ve heard it a million times—the market is changing. What are you doing to sell your listings fast? by Bridget McCrea

34 6 Outside-the-Box Promo Ideas (Some are wacky but they work!)

In a tight buyers’ market, your name can easily blur gray among an endless list of sales associates. Find out how these Realtors® pop and sparkle.

by Heidi Russell Rafferty

Better Business

40 8 Broker Challenges (Including the solutions you’re craving!)

Hiring quality sales associates, maintaining profitability—typical challenges when you own or manage a brokerage. Here are common issues and thoughtful solutions.

by G.M. Filisko

46 Help Wanted: 10 Types of Personal Assistants

Just aren’t enough hours in the day? Try these tested strategies for hiring help.

by Bridget McCrea

You...

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You…Only Funnier

60 Laugh-Out-Loud Tales from the Field

Showings can be unpredictable and entertaining, as these sales associates reveal.

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� The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 �

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� The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007

Publisher Jeffrey M. Zipper

EDITORIALFlorida Realtor Magazine Editor in Chief Doug Damerst

Real Estate Solutions Guide Editor in Chief Tracey C. Velt Associate Editor Leslie C. Stone

DESIGNCreative Director Jim Angel

Art Director Tracey M. FlanaganSenior Designer Sean Kiem

Production Specialist Tracy Bardwell

ADVERTISINGAssociate Publisher-Advertising Joseph A. Bono

Advertising/Marketing Assistant Gina Wittenhagen

Communications Committee Chairperson Lydia Pisano

2006 FAR OFFICERSPresident: Michael A. Dooley, 9148 S.E. Bridge Rd., Hobe Sound, FL 33455, (772) 546-5250; [email protected]; Pres-Elect: Nancy J. Riley, 3401 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33704, (727) 560-2000; [email protected]; Treasurer: Maggie Morris, 15690 Briarcliff Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33912, (239) 229-7069; [email protected]; Secretary: Bob S. Hudgens, 111 Beal Parkway S.E., Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548, (850) 244-2100; [email protected]

2006 DISTRICT VICE PRESIDENTSDistrict 1: G. Matthew Wilson, (800) 226-3130; District 2: Shawn Goepfert, (386) 304-3033; District 3: Nancy Cardone, (561) 743-2331; District 4: Israel V. Ameijeiras, (954) 885-4990; District 5: Betty Jean Christensen, (239) 992-3392; District 6: Bob Memoli, (727) 372-6611; District 7: John T. Barnes, (352) 628-2410; District 8: Penny Herman, (850) 980-0951; District 9: Benjamin F. Anderson, (850) 654-5300; District 10: Vera Tungate, (863) 688-2822; District 11: Larry Rowe, (954) 763-6764; District 12: Lydia Pisano, (407) 579-0760; District 13: Darla Furst, (941) 966-8000

Florida Realtor (ISSN 0199-5839) (USPS 522-170) is published monthly except August by the Florida Association of RealtoRs. Postmaster: Send address changes to Florida Realtor, Attn. Membership, PO Box 725025, Orlando, FL 32872-5025. Periodi-cals postage paid at Orlando and additional mailing offices.

Annual dues of every Realtor member of the Florida Association of RealtoRs include $3.50, for a one-year subscription to Florida Realtor. Additional member subscriptions, $3.50. Subscription rate to others, $19.95 annually.

Opinions expressed in signed feature articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Florida Association of RealtoRs. Advertising of property or products does not imply endorsement.

Copyright© 2006 by the Florida Association of RealtoRs. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

To communicate via a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call Florida Relay Service, (800) 955-8771 (long-distance phone charges apply).

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Solutions_FAR2006.qxp 9/13/06 9:40 AM Page 1

Navigating the ever-changing real estate profession requires a flexible sales associate and an adaptable marketing program. From off-the-wall promotions to how to hire personal assistants, we offer scores of solutions in three main sections—Better Technology, Better Marketing and Better Business—and then create your go-to list of industry-leading suppliers. See our exclusive Real Estate Pro’s Source (page 48).

Here are shortcuts to supercharge your business.

To be you, only better, we’ve got hot tips and tricks in our 2007 Real Estate Solutions Guide.

Get a Sharper Edge

Blogs 8Branding 27, 28Broker Profitability 41

Brokers, offer services that prove your

sales associates are worth what they charge.

Community Web sites 9Cost-saving Tips 43

Digital Cameras 22, 24 With a digital camera and

presentation software set yourself apart.

Find out how.GPS (global positioning systems) 24Laptops 18, 21Lead Capture Systems 45Listing Promotions 28Multiple Listing Service (MLS) 30

Online Classifieds 9, 12, 36 Improve your position in a Google search

by entering your listings free into Google Base. Check it out.

Open Houses 32Personal Assistants 46Personal Digital Assistants 20

Personal Marketing 35, 37, 38, 39, 42 A fancy bus, a soccer

dad and band-aids are madcap ways sales

associates are getting their names out.

Podcasting 10Property Marketing 29, 30, 36Real Estate Teams 48Sales Associate Retention 44Staging 32Transaction Management Systems 43, 59

Virtual Assistants 50, 51Overloaded at work?

Consider hiring a virtual assistant on a per-project

basis. You can focus on selling.

Virtual Tours 27Web sites 9, 14, 15Wireless Technology 18, 20, 21

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The Internet can be a complicated place for sales associates who know the majority of their customers go there first for homebuying information, but who don’t always know how to best harness those buyers. To help you weave through the maze, we’ve come up with five new ways to use the Web in your own business. Here they are:

Ways to

looking for hot new ways to market using the Web? here are some great options!

(Try them today!)5InnovativeUse the Web

by bridget Mccrea

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Eagar, complete with home photos and listing links. They can also use blogs to increase Web site rankings in the search engines, due to their content-rich nature.

“A blog offers your own commen-tary on issues of the day or even of a ‘how-to’ nature, and are invalu-able for getting input from clients, prospects and viewers in general,” says Eagar. “Once prospects find an interesting blog site, they’re much more likely to bookmark you to see ongoing discussions.”

2 Community SitesSponsored by sales associates, community sites are online ven-

ues that contain information about specific neighborhoods and commu-nities. On a global level, MySpace.com and Craigslist.org stand as the two most popular community sites online today.

Craigslist is a classified service where sales associates can promote their listings and services, while MySpace.com allows users to post almost anything they wish about themselves as well as comments about other topics and reviews of interest.

Drilling down to the community level, Eagar says community sites can be particularly useful for sales associates looking to do target mar-keting. On ConnectingNeighbors.com, for example, consumers can find information on 10,000 neighbor-hood Web sites that cover topics like choosing a neighborhood, or buying or selling a home.

“Community sites are very effec-tive at reaching communities from the

international to the local neighbor-hood,” says Eagar. “Agents can create their own local community Web site for the use of their neighborhood farm area, for example, and can place in-formation to raise awareness of their business services.”

Consumers can then use the sites to rate, review, recommend and reach the real estate professional. “Local community sites are a great place for the real estate community to spend a little bit of time and listen to what folks are talking about,” says Eagar.

3 RSS FeedsRSS is a family of XML-based Web feeds that are used for Web

syndication. Used by Web sites, blogs and podcasts, RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and provides Web content (or summaries of Web content) along with links to the full versions of the content. “Think of [using] an RSS feed as [being similar to a newspaper’s use of] UPI (United Press International) or API (Associ-ated Press International),” says Eagar. “These feeds come to them direct, and the paper has a decision as to whether to use the information or not.”

But where a newspaper pays for these feeds, Eagar says, RSS feeds are almost always free. Real estate profes-sionals use a program known as a feed reader or aggregator to check a list of feeds on behalf of a user (in this case, the home buyer or seller) and display any updated articles that it comes across online. There’s no software to install, and the feeds are available on any computer that has Internet access.

“Once an RSS feed has been imple-

“Once an RSS feed has been implemented into your Web site, it requires no further work on your part,” says technology trainer Randy Eagar. “The [news] feed simply comes in and changes daily or weekly.”

1 BlogsA Web site where regular entries are made in a journal-

or diary-like format, a Weblog (or simply, “blog”) offers commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, real estate or local news. Blogs combine text, images and links to other blogs, Web sites and ad-ditional content related to a specific topic. Some also include photos, videos and audio features. Accord-ing to Randy Eagar, president of Salt Lake City–based Computer Camp (computercamp.net), cybersurfers

use search engines like Blogdigger.com, Feedster.com and Technorati.com to search for blog content, with sites like Google Trends (google.com/trends) allowing for tracking and comparison of the popularity of search terms over time.

Blogs are simple to set up (using a service like Blogger.com, for example), cost next to nothing to maintain and are updated with just a few para-graphs of text on a regular basis (ide-ally four to five times a week).

Real estate professionals can place blogs on their own Web sites, says

Blogs are simple to set up, cost next to nothing to maintain and can be updated with just a few paragraphs of text on a regular basis.

10 The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007

Better

$50 a month in the podcast, which is updated several times a week. On it, she discusses the housing market, statistics, insurance and other top-ics of relevance to home buyers and sellers.

According to Eagar, a podcast typically features one type of “show,” with new episodes released either spo-radically or at planned intervals, such as daily or weekly. In addition, there are podcast networks that feature multiple programs on the same feed.

Podcasts can also be used for more sophisticated users who want to go beyond the technologies of blogs or

Broker Sharon Simms uses podcasts to discuss the housing market, statistics, insurance and other topics of relevance to home buyers and sellers.

mented into your Web site, it requires no further work on your part,” says Eagar. “The feed simply comes in and changes daily or weekly.”

4 Podcasting A method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio

programs or music videos, over the Internet, podcasting stands as a way to promote yourself as a profes-sional. Sharon Simms, a broker-as-sociate with RE/MAX Metro in St. Petersburg, became a podcaster a few months ago, and uses a service of-fered by RealPro. She invests about

Better

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RSS feeds. “For example, multimedia presentations of agents, their listings, communities and other personalized presentations can be given more ef-fectively,” says Eagar. “For the viewer, it’s just a simple download.”

5 Google Base Google Base is a free new prod-uct that allows users to submit

content that Google hosts and then makes searchable to the rest of the world. An online database, Google Base (http://base.google.com) allows users to add just about any type of content, with a major component of the service centered around a clas-sified ads service, says Eagar, “How-ever, it has also been used for such items as protein structures, current events, real estate, recipes and more.”

Supported by advertisers, Google Base matches ads to the user search

(much as the main Google site does), with advertisers purchasing a Google ad and paying online when a user clicks on it. Real estate pro-fessionals can submit information about all types of online and offline content to Google Base, using either a standard Web form or—if there are more than 10 items to submit—a bulk upload option.

Google Base allows users to add attributes describing their content,

so that searchers can easily find it. The more popular individual attri-butes become, the more often Google Base will suggest them when others post the same items. Similarly, items that become more popular will show up as suggested item types in the “choose an existing item type” drop-down menu.

Bridget McCrea is a Clearwater-based freelance writer.

An online database, Google Base allows users to add just about any type of content, with a major component of the service centered around a classified ads service.

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by richard westlund

learn from the winners of the 2006 Florida Realtor® Magazine/Florida Real Estate Headlines Web Site contest.

Zev Freidus says there’s no substi-tute for a clear vision when it comes to building a successful company Web site. “It’s essential to get the design, the contents and the functionality just right,” says Freidus, broker-owner of Boca Executive Realty in Boca Raton.

Freidus launched his site in Au-gust 2005 in conjunction with the company’s opening. “I wanted a site that looks different to the consumer,” he says.”

Freidus says he used a graphic designer, but developed the navigation approach and site functions himself, drawing on his background as a for-mer product marketing manager for General Electric.

One of the keys to the company’s success, he says, was signing an agree-ment to have multiple listing service (MLS) data sent directly to the site rather than through an IDX (Internet Data Exchange) provider. “That lets us maintain our own database and present the data in a format custom-ized for our visitors,” he says.

Judge Randy Eagar praises the site’s focus on local residential communi-ties, which includes satellite maps

that show all listings and streets from a bird’s-eye view.

Judges Dan Gooder Rich-ard and Ira Ser-kes say the site’s 10-button navigation makes it simple for visitors to find information and conduct searches. “The home page puts the consumer first, and is almost entirely dedicated to property searches by type, then by area,” says Richard.

For the first few months, Freidus provided site visitors with free, open access to property searches. “We had tons of hits, but very few calls,” he says. “Then we decided to implement a registration program, and that’s re-ally worked well for us.”

“We send weekly e-mails and en-courage them to come back and look for more properties.”

Freidus says regular follow-up is essential because people searching for property on the Internet may not remember the sites they have visited. “They don’t want to start over from

Top 10 Company Web sites1. www.BocaExecutiveRealty.com Boca Executive Realty, Boca Raton

2. www.JohnRWood.com John R. Wood Realtors®, Naples

3. www.MarcoRealtySource.com RE/MAX Results Realty, Marco Island

4. www.DunawayMckenzie.com Dunaway McKenzie Realtors®, Key West

5. www.KeysResortRealty.com Resort Realty & Appraisals, Key West

6. www.RealEstateInvestments bonita.com Babon Group Real Estate Co., Bonita Springs

7. www.AventuraForSale.com AventuraForSale.com Real Estate Co., Aventura

8. www.GraytonCoastProperties.com Grayton Coast Properties, Grayton Beach

9. www.BlueOneRealty.com Blue One Realty, Doral

10. www.1stOrlandoRealEstate.com Century 21 Real Estate Professionals, Orlando

10WinningWeb SitesCompany

No.1: BocaExecutiveRealty.comSite Designed to Sell

scratch—and you don’t want them to have to Google your site again,” he says. “So, we use e-mail to bring them back to our site.”

Top 10 Sales Associate Web Sites1. www.OrlandoHomeowner.com Ken Thompson and Alisha Weisser, Keller Williams Classic Realty, Orlando

2. www.MySanibelRealEstate.com Eric Pfeifer, VIP Realty Group Inc., Sanibel

3. www.OrlandoHomesandEstates.com Patty Willis, Stirling | Sotheby’s International Realty, Orlando

4. www.SarasotaHomes4Sale.com Debra Pitell, Michael Saunders & Co., Sarasota

5. www.KassanRealty.com Elizabeth Kassan, RE/MAX Direct, West Palm Beach

6. www.GingersDestinConnection.com Ginger Lundstrom, Platinum Realty, Destin

7. www.GregEllingson.com Greg Ellingson, Golden Realty, Rockledge

8. www.DeborahBeacham.com Deborah Beacham, Coldwell Banker Residential, Sarasota

9. www.FineHomesofSarasota.com Robin DiSabatino, Michael Saunders & Co., Sarasota

10. www.Powerhouse-Team.com Jody Rydell and Caroline Dowling, Keller Williams Realty, Miami

“This is truly an outstanding Web site,” says Dan Gooder Richard, one of the national experts who judged the Florida contest. “The content [on www.orlandohomeowner.com] is so substantial and exhaustive, it is almost overwhelming.”

Ken Thompson and Alisha Weisser, associates with Keller Williams Clas-sic Realty, Orlando, redesigned the site after teaming up in early 2005.

While the site is based on a tem-plate by WebAgentSolutions, Thomp-son says there are almost no limits on the customization of design and images.

“We want to acquaint people with the market, especially buyers from outside the area,” says Weisser. “We include new construction as well, giving visitors a good idea of the price ranges in different areas.”

Judge Randy Eagar praises the site’s layout for presenting so much content “in an organized manner.” Judges Ira Serkes and Richard agree that the site’s numerous lead-generation links are vital to its success. Referring to the extensive list of buyer and seller

Web-ariffic!Web Sites10Associate

Super Sales

No.1:lead-capture special re-ports, Rich-ard says, “I stopped count-ing when I got to 40.”

Weisser says the site has been extremely effective in generating online leads, which account for a high percentage of the team’s business.

Thompson and Weisser also use a “pay-per-click” marketing strategy to ensure their site appears as a spon-sored link when prospects type in certain keywords using major search engines like Google and Yahoo.

Weisser adds that she and Thomp-son also follow up personally. “It’s more time consuming than using an automated system, but we get a good response that way,” she says. “Most people today start their search on the Internet, and you want to capture their interest in an early stage. But you have to be patient, because it may take six months or more to develop a relationship that leads to the sale.”

Better

OrlandoHomeowner.com: Substantial and Effective

Weisser and ThompsonFreidus

Meet the JudgesRandy Eagar, CRS, is founder of Computer Camp, a computer training center in Salt Lake City and is a senior instructor for the Residential Sales Council. www.computercamp.net

Dan Gooder Richard is founder of the Gooder Group and is an authority in real estate marketing and lead manage-ment. www.goodergroup.com

Ira Serkes is a Realtor® and broker with RE/MAX Real Estate in Berkeley, Calif. He is an instructor who teaches other sales associates how to use computers to better serve clients. www.berkeleyhomes.com

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What technology do successful sales associates recommend? We spoke with five sales associates who told us that BlackBerrys, smart-phones, laptop computers, Tablet PCs, digital cameras, presentation software and big computer power are the tech tools that you should have at your disposal. What did we find? We learned that the average associate uses technology judiciously. What you read here may not be innovative or earth shattering, but it can help you decide what technology to em-brace and what to ditch. Here’s a look at these must-have tools:

Portable Power Tracy Wisneski couldn’t do busi-

ness without her laptop computer or her smartphone. The sales associate with Tampa-based Keller Williams Tampa Properties relies on her mobile technology to create and display high-tech listing presentations to potential clients. With just a few clicks, she can use it to search the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) while she’s on the road. And, she can send her customers intriguing listings as soon as she dis-covers them, no matter how far she is from her office and desktop computer.

Wisneski has her listing presenta-tion loaded onto her laptop, and she brings the laptop to all her prospec-tive client meetings. Her PowerPoint

adgetsgTechno overload? Sales associates share their must-haves.

Better

by dan rafter

Live WithoutYou Can’t

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presentation includes samples of the mar-keting materials she creates for sellers, her bio and price statistics for the area surround-ing the seller’s property.

Wisneski is reminded daily of how important technology is to her career. Recently, a buyer from Utah was looking for a house in Tampa, and Wisneski took her to see several homes on the market. The buyer saw one house that she didn’t like, but instantly fell in love with the commu-nity that the house was in.

After dropping off the buyer, Wisneski connected to the MLS with her smartphone and quickly scanned other listings in the area. When she found possible matches, she text messaged them to the buyer. Within hours, the buyer found a house she liked and made an offer, which was accepted. “She was ecstatic,” Wisneski says. “That deal never could have hap-pened before we had this technology.”

The expert weighs in: Stephen Canale (canale.com), technology expert and trainer, says, “For most salespeople, the days of needing a desktop computer are over. Today’s notebooks have more than enough power to run entire businesses, and can also plug into all of the commonly desired accessories such as: monitors, keyboards, printers, scanners, backup drives, etc. As long as you’re running a Pentium III–class machine (or the

equivalent AMD K3) and have an “active” display, you can operate as a truly mobile professional.”

The BlackBerryYou’ll never catch Cyndi Andrews

without her BlackBerry. The sales associate with the Dav-

enport office of Florida Real Moves Realty brings the device with her ev-

graphic area, so I spend a majority of my time in my car. The BlackBerry helps me do business while I’m on the road.”

Andrews works with several international clients, and must juggle different time zones to serve them. Thanks to her BlackBerry, she can communicate with these clients at hours that are convenient to them.

erywhere. The BlackBerry allows her to pull up listings

from the MLS, send and receive e-mail messages, check appoint-

ments and, of course, make phone calls, all without being tied to any

wires or land lines. “It’s like having a little computer in my car,” Andrews says. “ [Central Florida] is a huge geo-

In fact, recently a client from Ire-land sent Andrews an e-mail message requesting information about a con-dominium he had purchased from her in 2005. He needed the information in less than an hour. Instead of racing back to her office, she pulled over to the side of the road, found the infor-mation on her BlackBerry and sent the client a quick e-mail, long before he needed it.

This kind of service, made possible by technology, explains why Andrews’ business is constantly growing. “I can communicate back and forth with my clients so easily with my BlackBerry,” she says.

The expert weighs in: Allen Hainge, founder of the real estate Cyber Stars group of sales associates, says, “Today, cell phones incorporate everything from basic cell phone service to e-mail and the Internet, to productivity tools like cameras (both still and video), calendars, calculators, text messaging and MLS access (the latter of which typically has to be set up with the local MLS).”

Working from Anywhere Doreen Clark doesn’t spend much

time in her real estate office. She doesn’t have to. Thanks to wireless technology and her Tablet PC, Clark can transform any space into an office—the park, a restaurant and

Tracy WisneskiKeller Williams

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Laptop Computers

1. Inspiron E1705, Dell— from $1,199, (800) 449-3355; www.dell.com2. MacBook Pro, Apple—from $1,999, (800) 692-7753; http://store.apple.com3. Pavilion dv8000, Hewlett-Packard—$1,080, (888) 999-4747; www.hp.com

4. Qosimo G35-AV600, Toshiba—from $2,399, (800) 316-0920; www.toshiba.com

Digital Cameras

1. PowerShot A620, Canon—from $298, (800) 652-2666, www.canon.com2. EasyShare Z740, Kodak—from $250, (800) 235-6325, www.kodak.com

3. Nikon D50, Nikon—$700, (800) 645-6687; www.nikon.com4. Olympus Stylus 800, Olympus —from $250 to $350, (888) 553-4448, www.olympus.com

E-mail Providers and Software

1. AOL, America Online—$23.90 monthly,

(888) 698-6892; www.aol.com2. Earthlink, Earthlink Network Inc.—from $12.95 monthly, (888) 327-8454; www.earthlink.net3. Eudora 7, QUALCOMM In-corporated— $49.95 annually, (800) 238-3672; www.eudora.com4. Outlook, Microsoft—$109, (800) 936-4900; www.microsoft.com

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)

1. Axim X51, Dell—from $308, (800) 999-3355; www.dell.com.2. iPAQ Pocket PC, Hewlett-Packard—from $299.99, (800) 888-0262; www.hp.com.3. Tungsten E2, Palm—from $199, (800) 881-7256; www.palm.com/us

4. T/X, Palm—from $299, (800) 881-7256; www.palm.com/us

Smartphones (PDA with phones)

1. BlackBerry 7130c, Research In Motion Limit-ed—$499.99, (519) 888-7465; www.blackberry.com2. Moto Q, Motorola—from $199.99, (866) 289-6686;

www.motorola.com/us3. Treo 700w, Palm, Inc.—from $399, (800) 881-7256; http://www.palm.com/us

Tablet PCs

1. Compaq tc4200, Hewlett-Packard—from $1,499, (888) 999-4747; www.hp.com2. Gateway Convertible Notebook, Gateway—from

$1,400, (888) 888-2075; www.gateway.com3. LE1600, Motion Computing Inc.— from $1,999, (866) 682-2538; www.motioncomputing.com4. ThinkPad X Series, Lenovo—from $1,499, (866) 968-4465; www.lenovo.com/us

�� The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007

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even her car. Clark, a sales associate

with Amerivest Realty in Naples, relies on a Blue-tooth wireless headset to communicate with her clients and customers. She uses her BlackBerry to send and receive e-mail messages on the road, to log onto the Internet and to connect to home list-ings. She uses her Tablet PC to draw up contracts wherever she is, and then she prints them out with her portable printer.

In May, she met with a customer interested in a property. She brought with her three versions of a contract on her Tablet PC. After making changes to one, she printed it out on her portable printer. She then scanned the signed document into her computer and e-mailed it to the title company, buyer and seller.

This gave the title company the opportunity to get started quickly. The customer had three weeks to get a jumbo loan and close the purchase. Every day Clark could shave off the process, thanks to technology, was important, she says.

“I was able to get everyone on the same page in minutes,” she says. “That’s better than running around

The expert weighs in: Rolf

Anderson, CRS, a national technology

speaker, writes in the Hewlett-Packard Real Estate Center (www.hp.com/sbso/solutions/real): “With your Tablet PC you can easily navigate your e-mail program with the digi-tal pen and write in your own handwriting. The ‘thank-you note’ takes on a new digital facelift. And, every time I send an e-mail in my own handwriting, it makes such an impression on the recipient. Impressive. Try that with a regular Notebook PC.”

Making Digital Art Barb Malz is a real estate

professional and a photo-grapher. Her photos have appeared in local magazines and newspapers.

For Malz, a sales associate with RE/MAX Realty One

in Inverness, few pieces of technology are as important as her Cannon Rebel digital camera and Microsoft Publisher presentation software. By using these two pieces of technology skillfully, Malz sets herself apart from other sales associates trying to nab listings.

“It’s hard to think about going back to days past where you had to develop film and use those big MLS books. It’s so much easier now,” she says.

Web Development Applications

1. Dreamweaver 8, Adobe®—$399, (800) 833-6687; www.adobe.com/ products/dreamweaver 2. GoLive® CS2, Adobe®—$399, (800) 833-6687; www.adobe.com/products/golive3. Microsoft® Office FrontPage 2003, Microsoft—$146-$199,

(800) 426-9400; www.microsoft.com

Presentation Software1. HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant, Hewlett- Packard—$99, (888) 999-4747; www.hp.com2. PowerPoint 2002, Microsoft—from $223, (800) 936-4900; www.microsoft.com

3. Publisher 2003, Microsoft—$169, (800) 936-4900; www.microsoft.com4. The Print Shop® Pro Publisher™ Deluxe 22, Broderbund—$99, (800) 395-0277; www.broderbund.com

GPS Systems1. EZ Road GPS Pocket Navigator, Pharo—from $489, (310) 212-7088; www.pharos-gps.com

2. Garmin iQ3600, Garmin—from $549, (800) 800-1020; www.garmin.com3. RoadMate 300, Magella—from $399, (800) 669-4477; www.magellangps.com4. StreetPilot i3, Garmin—from $325, (800) 800-1020; www.garmin.com5. TomTom Navigator 5, TomTom—from $299, (866) 486-6866; www.tomtom.com

or delivering things by snail mail. In 48 hours, I received documentation back from the title company. We were a week ahead, and we started the pro-cess less than 48 hours earlier.”

The biggest surprise to Clark? Not all sales associates are as connected. “I’m amazed that not all [sales associates] rely on this technology,” she says. “I’m amazed, but I’m also thrilled to death. It gives me a competitive advantage.”

Barbara Malz RE/MAX Realty OneInverness

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Good photos are essential to getting a house sold. By snapping her photos with her digital camera and then up-loading them to the MLS, Malz makes sure that customers see her listings in their best light possible. And she makes sure her photos do justice to her properties. Out-of-focus shots? Bad angles? Poor lighting? You won’t see any of that with her listings.

Malz also uses Microsoft Publisher, in conjunction with her digital cam-era, to create professional marketing materials. She takes samples with her on listing presentations, so her poten-tial clients can see how good she can make their homes look.

“It makes such a difference in list-ing presentations,” Malz says. “The clients really like seeing what I can do to promote their homes. Having really good photos that people can look at online makes a big difference when you’re trying to sell a house.”

The expert weighs in: Hainge says, “[A digital camera] is my favorite method [of marketing]. You can get good resolution (get a camera with at least 640x480 resolution), and get the ‘Wow!’ effect when you use it in front of buyers or sellers. It’s a tremendous listing and selling tool. My favorite at the moment? The Polaroid PDC 800: pcm card storage, high resolution, LCD viewfinder, and the ability to re-cord a small sound file to each picture you take.”

Finding His WayTodd Thompson hasn’t gotten lost

in more than half a year. And, he thanks his new global positioning system (GPS) for that.

Slightly more than six months ago, Thompson bought a Magellan 300 GPS. Now he simply tells his GPS where he wants to go, and the system provides him with accurate direc-tions. Should Thompson miss a turn, his Magellan 300 automatically figures a new route for him.

Thompson, an investment associ-

ate with the Orlando office of Real Net USA of Central Florida, consid-ers his purchase money well-spent, especially since he paid just $250 for his GPS on eBay.

If he spells a street name wrong, the GPS will help him find the right address. If he doesn’t know an exact address, Thompson can punch in in-tersections or points of interest to find his appointment location. The ma-chine also stores up to 50 previously inputted addresses.

“Mapquest printouts are so messy and cumbersome,” he says. “I always had to print out each comp address I was using to formulate my CMA. It wasted time and money.”

Thompson’s GPS has even made him money. Recently, he was out in the field and needed to look at an in-vestment property that a competitor was already heading toward. Using his GPS, Thompson was able to input the property’s address, find a short cut and reach the property within minutes, before his competition

arrived. Thompson made an offer on the property immediately, he says and gave thanks for his GPS, which he estimates paid for itself 10 times over that day.

“I’m surprised that more people don’t rely on GPS,” Thompson says. “The ones [who] don’t [own a GPS] don’t understand the true advantage it gives you”

The expert weighs in: Randy Eagar, technology trainer and founder of Computer Camp (www.computer-camp.net) says, “I think Todd’s very wise in buying a stand-alone GPS rather than buying it built into the car. For a new car, it’s a $3,000 op-tion. While that’s nice, what Todd has done is better because you can save.

Other than being able to find hous-es quickly, I see the biggest benefit to having a GPS is the buyers’ reaction. It’s one impressive tool.”

Dan Rafter is a Chicago-based freelance writer.

PhoTo By dEBi haRBin

Todd Thompson Real Net USA Orlando


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The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 ��

Whether your market is booming or things are slowing down, it’s smart business to get back to basics. Since homes are staying on the market longer these days, even where sales are steady, it’s

vital for you to put more of an effort into getting your listings sold quickly, and at the highest possible price.

So, blow the dust off your digital camera and create your own virtual tours. Or, do what one enterprising sales associate is doing: Climb into an airplane to snap aerial photos of your listings. And, you can always create gimmicks, offer incentives and bonuses, and maximize the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to its fullest potential.

Here are 10 tried-and-tested ways that sales associates are making their listings move quickly:

1 Shoot My Good Side, PleaseWhen the market began stabiliz-ing last fall, Jenny Wemert knew

she’d have to start doing more to get her listings noticed and sold. A Real-tor® with Keller Williams Advantage Realty in Orlando, Wemert pulled out her digital camera and started shoot-ing her own virtual tours. “When we were in a seller’s market, I didn’t even have time to get a virtual tour done on a home before it sold,” Wemert 10

by bridget Mccrea

you’ve heard it a million times—the market is changing. What are you doing to sell your listings fast? We’ve got answers.

illuSTRaTionS By alEc Sacui

Better

(And we mean speedy!)Ways to Sell a Home Fast

�� The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 ��

Executives Keys, knew he had to do something special to get potential buy-ers interested in the property. When he learned that back in the 1870s the property was owned by a dairy farmer and known as “Cold’s Milk Farm,” a light bulb went on over his head.

“We put a life-sized, plastic cow out on the sidewalk to draw people into our open houses,” says Smith, who has loaned the cow out to several local entities (such as the tax assessor’s office, for a surprise birthday party), and used the gimmick to attract other brokers to show the property. “I vis-ited their offices carrying a milk pail, distributing postcards and Milky Way candy bars.”

Priced at $2.4 million, the property hasn’t sold yet, but Smith is hopeful that when it does, the cow will have played a role in attracting the right buyer. “Everyone loves the cow,” says

explains. “We saw a shift in [the mar-ket], and now all of my listings have virtual tours.”

But they’re not your typical tours. Intent on highlighting the best as-pects of her listings, Wemert shoots her own tours, then uploads them to VisualTour.com. “When a virtual tour company comes in and does a 360-degree tour, you get what you get,” says Wemert.

To maximize the virtual tours, Wemert incorporates photos (that she takes) of the community and informa-tion into them, and e-mails them to clients for distribution through a virtual marketing–type network. “The sellers send them to everyone, who in turn forward them to even more people,” says Wemert. “That not only helps sell the home, but also results in more referrals.”

2 Once Upon a Time Intimate knowledge of Orange County’s historic and lake

homes has helped Michael Derenthal sell properties faster in the current market. A broker-owner at Derenthal Realty Group in Winter Park, he and his three-person team have extensive experience renovating older and his-toric homes. They’ve tapped that ex-perience to help create a viable niche

in residential real estate sales.“We can look someone in the eye

and know that we have more exper-tise in older homes than most [sales associates] out there,” says Deren-thal, who plays up the homes’ unique points, as compared to many of the newer tract homes available in the area. In addition, Derenthal always has a story to tell about the historic

homes for sale.Take the

lakefront home that started as a fishing camp in the 1930s, and was later owned by an eccentric politician who incorporated European architec-tural elements into it. Instead of positioning it as “just another lake-front home,” Derenthal marketed the property—under contract at press time—as a piece of Orlando’s his-

tory. “We played that up, and piqued people’s interest,” he says. “That gets them in the door and helps the home sell itself.”

3 Kitsch Marketing When 823 White Street in Key West’s Old Town Historic Dis-

trict went on the market recently, Jim Smith, broker-associate with Realty

“We can look someone in the eye and know that we have more expertise in older homes than most [sales associates] out there,” says broker-owner Michael Derenthal, who spends time learning about the history of older homes in his market.

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Smith, “and the property is very nice too.”

4 Throw in a Tee Time Because Dave Cullen works primarily in golf communities, it

only makes sense that he would shape his marketing strategy around the sport. A sales associate with Century 21 Horizon Properties in Port St. Lucie, Cullen says one buyer incen-tive that’s gone over well is a one-year membership to a local country club.

“Assuming that most interested buyers will be golfers, we reasoned that having somewhere to play for a year as the homeowners acclimate themselves to their new surround-ings would have a positive effect,” says Cullen, who just started using the strategy, which costs him about $2,000 per family.

“I’ve seen a slight increase in the number of showings on my listings,” says Cullen. “When I talk to people about the listing, the first thing they want details about is the golf membership.”

In your rush to get the transaction closed, it’s vital not to overlook the very ethics to which the National Asso-ciation of RealtoRs and state licensing groups require you to adhere.

Blaming the slowing market and the huge number of inexperienced sales associates who entered the market in the last five years, Michael Deren-thal says comments like “Look Mike, this is just the first round, give us the counter,” are common, yet unethical and potentially harmful to the buyer. “It can take thousands of dollars out of someone’s pocket,” says Derenthal.

Jim Smith, who sits on his Board of Realtors’ grievance committee, points to simple moves, like Photoshop- doctoring of photos, as possibly being unethical. “How much can you really remove or change from a property photo before you slip into unethical practices?” he asks.

Basic courtesy also comes into play in the industry, where sales associates are expected to cooperate in the best interest of their clients.

Here are a few of the most common misconceptions when it comes to ad-hering to the Realtor Code of Ethics.

1 If You Can’t Say Something Nice. “Article 15 of the Realtor Code of

Ethics says that you aren’t supposed to say anything bad about another Re-altor,” says Linda Dix, owner of Linda Dix Realty in Tallahassee and a Code of Ethics instructor. “That pertains to speaking badly about flat fee and discount brokers as well. What they’re doing is legal and ethical.”

� Just the Facts. Don’t take a guess when you’re entering

property descriptions into the multiple listing service (MLS), says Rus Saboe, a sales associate with RE/MAX Oceans-ide in Flagler Beach and chair of the Flagler County Association of RealtoR’s Professional Standards Committee. “We have a case where a [sales as-sociate] entered a home into the MLS and said it was block and stucco con-struction when, in fact, it was a wood

frame house. This case still hasn’t been resolved.” Saboe recommends that you know your facts before filling out any property description in the MLS. Don’t guess on square footage, construction or lot size, to name a few.

� Let the Sellers Do It. Saboe also cautions that sales as-

sociates aren’t allowed to fill in the sellers’ disclosure form. “Real estate agents routinely assist sellers with-out realizing that it’s not allowed,” he says. And, says Saboe, don’t forget, “Even if a roof leak has been re-paired, it should still be disclosed.”

� Stick With What You Know. According to Article 11 of the Re-

altor Code of Ethics, sales associates are supposed to inform a customer or client up front what type of property (residential or commercial) in which they specialize, says Dix. “If I have a client come to buy a commercial property, I must disclose that I don’t specialize in commercial,” says Dix. “You can still go forward with the transaction as long as the client un-derstands [and agrees with] this. And, you must disclose this to the buyer even if you’ve dealt with this person before on another transaction.”

“The best results come when Realtors work together with their customers’ [and clients’] best inter-ests in mind, and work in the spirit of cooperation and fairness to get the transaction to closing,” says Char-lene DeWitt, a sales associate with Dean and DeWitt Properties in St. Petersburg.

Got a question about the Realtor Code of Ethics? You can view the Code of Ethics online at www.realtor.org/realtororg.nsf/pages/narcode or call Kristy Harrington at FAR’s Legal Hotline, 407-438-1409, Mon. through Fri. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please have your real estate license number avail-able when you call.

Play NiceThe Legal Eagle says...


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5 The Devil Is in the Details Sometimes all it takes is atten-tion to detail and a professional

attitude to get the job done right, according to Janie Coffey, broker/co-owner of Papillon Properties in Coral Gables. Take basic spelling and grammar, for example. After review-ing current MLS listings in her area, Coffey estimates that well over 50 percent of them contained misspelled words, with some lacking any prop-erty description at all. On many of the listings, she says, photos are either sparse or of poor quality.

If you want people to show your listings, she says, it’s smart to use the MLS to your full advantage. That

means lots of quality pictures, careful-ly worded property descriptions and filled-in blanks on the MLS form.

And, it goes without saying that all sales associates should return phone calls, have a working knowledge of their listings and show up for appoint-ments, says Coffey, who says she takes the high road by acting professionally at all times and by treating all con-tacts and colleagues with respect.

Those values go a long way in helping this Realtor sell her listings quickly and professionally, she says.

6 Take Great Photos, and Use Them The MLS can be a sales associ-

ate’s best friend, if used properly. By using all its features and options to highlight properties, Coffey says, sales associates can maximize their listing exposure while also standing head and shoulders above many of their competitors.

“This may seem elementary, but a

quick review of posted listings will prove that many [sales associates] fail to observe this basic principle,” says Coffey, who advises sales associates to use all the photos they can and to carefully select a variety of good shots in an effort to add to the impression the potential buyer receives.

“In the last month alone, I’ve seen fuzzy pictures, toilet seats up, pictures of computer screens (because they couldn’t figure how to get the image to the MLS), groceries on counters, im-ages turned sideways and even shots with taxidermy (this alone could rule out a showing),” says Coffey.

If the listing doesn’t have eight great shots, Coffey suggests using an aerial

view, a floor plan or other informa-tive images that draw the buyer in. “If you have a condo listing, make every effort to get in and take pictures of the actual unit,” says Coffey. “If you only show the building exterior and the amenities, the message comes through that the unit itself is outdated or in poor condition.”

7 Deal or No Deal?No one can resist a free give-away, even when buying higher-

end homes priced at $500,000 and up in the Fort Lauderdale area, says Erica Stowers. Knowing this, the sales as-sociate with RE/MAX Alliance offers buyer’s brokers a $5,000 bonus for selling her listings (on top of the ne-gotiated commission rate). On certain transactions—particularly for first-time homebuyers—Stowers will also offer to pay some of the closing costs.

She says she does it in the name of getting maximum exposure for higher-end listings, which aren’t moving as

9 More Ways to Manage the Listing1. Price it right. Prices aren’t

appreciating as they once were. Keep that in mind when helping the seller price the home.

2. Make it look good. From planting flowers and adding mulch to the flower beds to clearing up the clutter inside the house, starting with a clean palette will help a new listing sell faster.

3. Use the Multiple Listing Service. Market the house with lots of pictures and complete information in the MLS.

4. Use alternative methods. Consider an auction for a quick sale.

5. Multiply your marketing. Try more than just a couple of postcards. Create virtual tours, use the newspaper, have an open house. Multiple marketing methods will give the seller more exposure.

6. Get back to basics. Take sales associates on caravan to view new listings.

7. Specialize. Use your knowledge of a neighborhood or specific type of home to your advantage.

8. Sell it to your peers. When marketing the property, don’t forget to talk it up to other sales associates.

9. Know your financing. Brush up on creative financing so you can explain to buyers alternatives to the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage.

“If you want people to show your listings,” says broker-associate Janie Coffey, “it’s smart to use the MLS to your full advantage.”

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quickly as they were a year ago.Stowers says her full-service ap-

proach, combined with the incentives, has kept her business on track.

8 He Flies Through the Air …Not all sales associates can get into the seat of an airplane and

fly over their listings to take aerial photographs of them, but Cliff Clo-ver can. A licensed pilot, this sales associate, with Watson Realty Corp. in Kissimmee, takes to the air once a week to snap photos of all his listings. Clover started using the strategy three years ago, and he incorporates the home itself plus the surroundings into the photos, which he then publishes online and uses in his marketing materials.

“It gets the phone ringing, and tells the story upfront for the other [sales associates] who would bring a buyer,” says Clover, who has about $20,000 invested in camera equipment and flying time. “It’s just one of the things I do for clients outside of the normal realm of things, and it really helps me—and the properties themselves—stand out in the marketplace.”

9 Dress It UpPerception is everything in resi-dential real estate, where small

flaws, bad color schemes and ugly car-peting can turn off buyers. To make sure each of her listings is presented in the best way possible, Charlene DeWitt, a broker with Dean & DeWitt Properties in St Petersburg, recently began offering home-showcasing ser-vices to her clients.

From a local decorating consultant who charges $100 an hour, DeWitt and her sellers receive a prioritized list of recommendations for pre-paring the house for sale and cost estimates (for the implementation of each suggestion).

Before scheduling the consultant, DeWitt asks clients if they’re willing to do what it takes to get the maxi-mum sales price for their property. “Then, by employing a neutral third party with expertise in decorating

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and preparing a home for sale,” says DeWitt, “we get a better response from the customer, regarding open-ness to change and investing in improvements.”

10 Open Up the House Buyers may be starting their home searches on the Inter-

net, but Terri Steck knows that when it comes right down to it, what they really want to do is see homes in an up-close and personal way that only a showing or open house can provide. “I hold open houses virtually every day,” says Steck, a sales associate with Windermere Realty Group Inc. in Central Florida.

“I approach open houses, not as a courtesy to sellers but as a viable part of the buying/selling process,” says Steck, who also drills into her clients’ heads the fact that their properties are less of a “home” and more of an “in-vestment” that needs to be kept open house–ready throughout the length of the listing agreement.

To get foot traffic at her open houses, Steck uses helium balloon bouquets on her directional signs and stocks the home with fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, cold bottled water and juice for the kids. She also uses four-color fliers that highlight the property and include floor plans, color photos, feature lists, buyer incen-tives, seller contributions, a location guide, a school list, information about taxes and homeowners’ association fees, the year built, nearby recreation and shopping information, as well as professional affiliations and how-to-contact information for Steck and for her broker.

“I’ve [put] all of this information on one sheet of paper because I invest in the services of a professional graphic designer,” says Steck. “High-profile companies are memorable because their ‘look’ is consistent. That’s my goal too.”

Bridget McCrea is a Clearwater-based freelance writer.

Attention Florida Realtors:

You may not be getting all thecommissions you deserve.

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Call 877-389-3501 or visit

�� The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 �5

“In a very competitive marketplace; it’s always a challenge to be creative. But what I’ve seen is that the tried and true always win out,” says Dr. Charles Matthews, director of the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Education & Research in Cincinnati. “Folks who have always been in the marketplace are always keeping their name out there in the community, and [those] who are knowledgeable are the most successful.” Your goal is to assure that people can easily dredge your name from memory, he says. “You need to come up with something unique so that when people sell or buy, they think of you first.”

Some Florida sales associates have done just that. From wacky to won-derful, here are some ideas.

1 The Guy with the BusIn rural Blountstown (popula-tion: 15,000), it’d be hard to miss “The Christmas Bus.”

Every December, Danny Ryals, broker of Danny Ryals Real Estate, decorates the 1972 Partridge- Family-era bus with lights and holi-

day themes—or whatever else strikes his fancy—along with his real estate advertisements. He gives free nighttime rides to community groups so that they can enjoy the sea-

sonal lights and go caroling in style.

And everyone remembers his name.

(Some are wacky but they work!)

6real estate

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by heidi russell rafferty

in a tight buyers’ market, your name can easily blur gray among an endless list of sales associates. Find out how these Realtors® pop and sparkle.

Better

Outside-the-box

Promotional Ideas

More important, they call him when they’re ready to buy or sell a house.

“People stop me all the time,” he says. “In the grocery store, I’ve got-ten business and referrals. They say, ‘You’re the guy with the bus!’ [Some] of them don’t say it, but I know that’s how they got my name.”

He bought the bus in 1980 for $600. Although it’s old in years, it’s been driven only 53,000 miles. “I only drive it a few hundred miles a year, so this bus will outlast me,” he says.

Because Ryals transports the public, insurance is high—up to $1,500 per year. Even so, it’s worth it, he says. The bus has taken on a marketing life of its own; Ryals prints Christmas cards with a bus photo, and his 7- and 9-year-old children and their friends throw more than 100 pounds of candy from the bus during neighborhood rides (cost: several hundred dollars, which includes new lights, too). He also takes out a $250 ad to get the bus on the front cover of local home maga-zine, “Buy a Home.” And he drives it in the local Christmas parade. Busi-ness advertising signs that he displays on the bus cost $100 each.

“There’s nothing I do as far as advertising that gets our name out bet-ter,” Ryals says.

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Danny Ryals, Danny Ryals Real Estate, Blountstown


get a lot of tire kickers, but that’s fine.”Here’s how it works: While most

eBay listings are auctions, Remele’s is a straight advertisement. He puts together a photo show with $69 soft-ware called Nero. One ad takes hours to assemble, he says, “but it only takes one person to make it worth-while,” he adds.

When he gets a bite, he points the potential buyer to his Web site and continues to build a relationship. “Both of us are online at the same time, so I’m speaking to them while they’re surfing my site,” he says.

Although Remele discourages people from buying proper-ties sight unseen, some do it anyway. One of his condo listings sold for $128,000 to an Ohio woman who saw the property for the first time on closing day.

“About 78 percent of homebuyers shop the Internet. So in my opinion, 78 percent of real estate associates need a good Web site. You’re missing the boat by not participating,” he says.

4 The Soccer Dad Jim Manning,

a broker-associate at RE/MAX South Shore Realty in Tampa, calls himself the “team owner” of two enterpris-es—the “BestBrokerFlorida Thunder” and the “BestBrokerFlorida Sharks.”

Yes, they’re his kids’ teams—11-year-old Jesse’s and 5-year-old Lucy’s. This year during the December-to-March soccer season, Manning sponsored each team’s uniforms and

outfitted them with his “BestBroker-Florida” slogan. During the games, he takes digital photos of the team play-ers and e-mails them to their parents. “So they’re getting a subliminal mes-sage!” he says.

Manning also strategically placed an 8- by 3-foot banner at the entrance of the soccer complex that announces: “BestBrokerFlorida Kicks It with Brandon Soccer.” Other team spon-

Ready to put together a promo-tion? Anything beyond the required office sign can be considered an advertisement. This includes busi-ness cards, letterhead, yard signs, billboards, newspaper ads, name tags, television and radio commer-cials... and yes, even first-aid kits and soccer banners, among other promotions. Keep in mind these legal requirements:

1In any ad, you must include the licensed name of the broker-

age firm. If it’s not obvious from the name of the firm that you are in the real estate business, for example if your firm name does not include Realty or Real Estate, you should also include some additional dis-closure so that a reasonable person would know they’re dealing with a licensee. This could include your Realtor® designation (i.e., Realtor or Realtor-Associate), or the inclusion of the phrase (below the firm name) “licensed real estate brokerage.”

�You don’t have to include your name in an advertisement, but, if

you do, then at the very least, you’re required to include your last name as registered with the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC). As long as your last name is used, you may use your first name or a nickname on the sign.

� In August 2005, the Florida Real Estate Commission approved a

change to its advertising rule—61J2-10.025—to require that all real estate advertisements include not only the licensed name of the brokerage firm but the phone number as well. But don’t start replacing yard signs, newspaper ads, business cards and other materials just yet. At press time, the Florida Real Estate Com-mission decided not to enforce the rule change until after a workshop on implementation of the rule is held. Watch for updates in Florida Realtor magazine.

Questions? Call FAR’s Legal Hotline, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (407) 438-1409. Please have your real estate license number available when you call.

2 The Downtown Mural ArtistAmy Rosebush had never taken

a painting class in her life. That didn’t matter to officials who gave her an award for her 19- by 18-foot mural on the side of a historic downtown build-ing in St. Cloud.

It earned her a lot of free press. Not only was she touted as the mural art-ist, but in interviews she was also able to publicize that she was a real estate professional. Rosebush, a sales associ-ate with Sapphire Realty Services Inc. in Kissimmee, puts the mural image on her business cards and Web site. She pays about $200 for 1,000 cards.

“I saw a pickup in business after I did the mural,” she says. “I would hand out my business card and men-tion that the painting on it was one I had done for St. Cloud. People would say, ‘I know that painting!’ I imme-diately click with them as a human being. It helps me break the ice.”

One of her clients, a man from New York, had visited the mural with his daughter. He told Rosebush that he was excited to be working with the sales associate who had created it.

Now Rosebush is expanding on the idea. She’s targeted a high-end neighborhood with a mailing, saying that, if they list with her, she’ll create paintings of those owners’ homes as a memory keepsake after they sell. She spent about $300 on the mailing.

“I will pay for everything, the canvas and frame and paint, and I’ll do the painting in any size. These are million-dollar homes, so even if I spend part of my commission on the painting, someone will have friends [that they can refer to me]. It works for me if I get my foot in the door and create a relationship,” she says.

3 The eBay GuyFor $150 a month, Vance Remele gets worldwide exposure

to more than 181 million shoppers in 35 countries—on eBay. Since Novem-ber, Remele, a sales associate with Southern Realty Enterprises in Long-wood, has closed five sales, averaging $190,000 each, from his eBay listings.

“It’s $150 well spent. You can’t get that kind of exposure even on TV. I’ve had contact from people in Israel, Belgium, Sweden, Chad and Puerto Rico,” says Remele. “The traffic that comes in on eBay is phenomenal. You

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“The traffic that comes in from eBay is phenomenal,” says sales associate Vince Remele. “I’ve had contact with people in Israel, Belgium, Sweden, Chad and Puerto Rico.”

Jim Manning, RE/MAX South Shore Realty, TampaPhoTo By MaRk WEMPlE

Amy Rosebush, Sapphire Realty Services Inc., Kissimmee Ph

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sors’ banners weren’t as colorful, he says. He designed it and worked with a Kinko’s graphic artist to put it together. All told, he spent about four hours on it. He paid $700 for both teams’ uniforms, plus $200 for the banner.

“At RE/MAX, you’re encouraged to create a sub-brand, so I spent a lot of

ExemplaryBehavior

Advice from the Legal Eagle...


“When I moved to the area, I had difficulty finding a [sales associate] who knew where the trail was,” she says. So she parlayed her hobby into a business-getting opportunity.

Smith sponsors riders in the Clean Air Ride for the American Lung Association and the annual October Rails to Trails Ride. Each participant receives a goody bag that includes a T-shirt, power bar and water bottle. Local businesses can also contribute to the bags, so Smith contributes first-aid kits.

The kits are small and include a Band-Aid, an alcohol swab, a dose of Excedrin—and Smith’s business card, which is orange and touts her as the “On-the-Trail Specialist.”

Each kit, ordered from Branders.com, is also imprinted with her logo. They cost $1.70 each, and Smith orders 1,000 per ride, plus an extra 200 so that she can offer them in her office.

She also provides riders with a county map, which she buys from her broker, already stamped with the company logo. She marks each with the location of her office in relation to the trail. The cost is $400 per 1,000. “If I have to e-mail [participants], and

Come Up with Something Great!How can you think beyond the obvious approach and come up with a promotional idea that will catch the public by storm? Here are a few sugges-tions from Dr. Charles Matthews, director of the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Education & Research in Cincinnati.

1. Offer yourself as an expert. Teach free informational courses at the public library or a local community college. “The customer values information. You may not be getting business immediately, but eventually people will value and appreciate you,” Matthews says.

2. Offer a memorable or humorous service. Danny Ryals’ Christmas bus is a perfect example, Matthew says. “It’s a winning combination. It’s not direct, but it gets your name out there because people like to laugh, especially at themselves.”

3. Don’t be gimmicky. “There’s consistency and then there’s over-the-top consistency,” Matthews says. “Consistency usually wins out. People remember it—a catch phrase is oftentimes the best approach.”

5 The On-the-Trail SpecialistCyclists comprise a tight com-

munity, especially those who regularly use the Withlacoochee Trail State Park. The 46-mile trek is the longest paved trail in Florida.

Cynthia Smith, a sales associate with Cridland & Cridland PA GMAC Real Estate in Inverness, fell in love with cycling three years ago and moved from a home near the ocean in St. Augustine to Citrus County so that she could use the trail regularly.

they want information about the area, hopefully they’ve kept their map,” Smith says.

“I believe you can best sell what you know and love.”

6 Shhhh ...Getting people to recognize you as a real estate specialist be-

comes easier once you find the venue in which to display your knowledge. Lidya Gongage, a sales associate with Stirling/Sotheby’s International Realty in Winter Park, is organizing free classes in conjunction with the Seminole County Public Library.

“The library is a friendly, neutral environment, and we’re not selling anything—just giving information,” Gongage says.

Gongage plans for a mortgage banker (usually her daughter, Michelle, of The Mortgage Firm in Winter Park) to teach a class to first-time homebuyers. “There are a lot of young people who can’t af-ford to get started, and she helps people bring their credit up so that they can buy a house,” Gongage says.

She has also lined up a representa-tive from First American Title Co. to do an informational session on Internal Revenue Service Code 1031 for investment property buyers.

“I’ll be in attendance to shake hands and bring refreshments. I’m a good cook, so I’ll make some special European cookies,” she says.

In addition, Gongage and two other sales associates in her office have paid $2,300 each to get their contact infor-mation on shopping carts at the local Albertsons supermarket. Ad Carts Co. designs the ads and puts them in jackets in each cart.

“It’s all about name recognition. Maybe someone will recall my name, but won’t be able to place where they heard it. But they’ll still contact me. At this point in my career, it’s worth it,” she says.

Heidi Russell Rafferty is a Georgia-based freelance writer.

time honing in on ‘BestBrokerFlorida,’” he says.

Manning notes that the complex has 12 fields and that daily attendance is “huge.” “Every day, there are tons of kids and games and parents. There are traveling squads of teams,” he says.

He hasn’t been able to directly tie any sales to his efforts yet, but he expects them to pay off soon. He notes that socializing with other parents builds rapport.

“The costs are relatively low for the amount of exposure I get,” he says.

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Cynthia Smith Cridland & Cridland PA GMAC

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lead generation, hiring quality sales associates, maintaining profitability—typical challenges when you own or manage a brokerage. here are some common issues and some thoughtful solutions.

Challenges(Including the solutions you’re craving!)

Fighting to maintain your compa-ny’s profitability? Facing consumers who demand that your agents lower commissions? If you’re like most brokers, you’re dealing with these challenges and many others.

We can help. We talked to brokers and experts about what they consider the biggest challenges for brokers in the next several years and what they consider to be the best ways to solve them. Here’s their wisdom and advice.

Challenge 1: Everyone wants a piece of your pie.

There isn’t a broker in the country who isn’t trying to maintain profit-ability in the face of demands from consumers to lower their commissions and from agents to raise theirs.

“There’s a ‘scissors’ effect,” says Linda Sherrer, president and CEO of Prudential Network Realty in Jacksonville. “Consumers are trying to lower commissions, agents’ com-missions are higher and the broker’s caught in the middle. No matter what company, what part of the country, that’s the biggest outcry from bro-kers,” she says.

Phil Wood, CEO of John R. Wood, Realtors® in Naples, says he’s facing the pressure from sales associates, and he’s willing to give a little more. “We can afford to pay agents what they want if we deliver a lot of services and grow enough,” he says. “Although our margin might be lower, we’ve got enough profit in the long run.”

Wood also says paying sales associ-

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with sellers, they have to be far more prepared with facts and figures about the reality of the market to help sellers make intelligent, informed decisions on pricing and how to prepare the house for sale,” he says. “Agents need to be more informative, consultative and reality based.”

Market changes are “very healthy,”

says Sherrer. “Companies like ours live to see this happen because it makes everybody stretch and be better.”

Challenge 3: Brokerages need to tighten their belts.

Intertwined with a changing mar-ket is the issue of rising costs. Murray says that as time on market increases, brokers will have higher advertising and carrying costs, which will chip away at profitability.

That’s true, says Wood, and he’s reining in costs, including marketing expenses. He says newspapers pro-duce less than 10 percent of sales for the industry, so his company is work-ing to reduce its newspaper advertis-ing while increasing its presence on the Internet.

“Personnel and facilities are also becoming very costly to us,” he says. “The cost to build or rent a new office is extremely high.” That’s led to the company expanding its “cyber-agent” program so that about 40 percent of the company’s sales associates now work out of their homes.

In response to these rising costs, many brokers are focusing on increas-ing revenue from mortgage, title and other nonbrokerage services. “That’s not the end answer,” advises Murray. “You’re not going to be able to say,

‘We’re going to get more mortgage and title business, and that’ll fix the problem.’ You have to fix the whole business.”

Fixing the whole business requires that brokers learn to say no, he says. “One word brokers never use is no. You’ve got to decide what kind of business you’re going to run. What

will you stand for in terms of service, culture and other things? Then, you need to say, ‘No, we won’t provide a full set of services at a discount price. No, we won’t give agents higher splits on top of more service. No, increased advertising isn’t the answer to every problem.’”

“You’re going to have to run a finan-cially tight ship by saying no,” says Murray.

Challenge 4: You’ve got to know what type of business you’ll operate.

Tied in with tightening your belt is a more fundamental issue. Before you can decide where to best put your endangered resources, you must de-termine what type of business you’ll operate.

“A lot of brokers have gone through fluctuations [in their identity],” says Sherrer. “There are so many differ-ent business models, and you need to sort out the profile of the consumer you’re going to work with and how your business model answers that consumer.”

Her company has done just that. “We’re 17 years old, and we took a hard look at ourselves and asked what our true business model is,” she says. “We decided we’re extremely full

TransactionDesk:FAR Offers Transaction Management

What if you had the power to eas-ily share and manage a real estate transaction with your clients and customers, the building inspector, appraiser, lender, contractor— anyone and everyone involved? What if you could do it all online using electronic postmarks and signatures? What if you could start using this ultimate power tool for managing your online business today? With TransactionDesk, a Web-based real estate transaction and document management solu-tion free to FAR members, you can.

TransactionDesk provides users the ability to manage real estate transactions online from any com-puter that has a Web browser with Adobe Acrobat installed; users can securely manage their transactions, contracts and forms. The program doesn’t require any software instal-lation prior to use.

You also can access all FAR and FAR/BAR contracts and forms for the transaction, or you can add your company’s own forms and contracts. A “Super User” account for brokers and office managers gives you access to all your associ-ates‚ TransactionDesk accounts so you can monitor the transactions and even make corrections to the contracts.

With the recent launch of AuthentiSign, an easy-to-use online document-signing service that uses the U.S. Postal Service Electronic Postmark technology, Instanet Solutions offer a truly integrated transaction platform incorporating a full-featured transaction manage-ment system, electronic forms and a digital-signing solution.

To start using the program, simply log in to TransactionDesk on the home page of Planet Realtor® at http://planetrealtor.com. Still have questions? Call FAR’s Technology Help Line at (407) 587-1450. Trans-actionDesk is powered by Real Estate Industry Solutions (REIS), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Florida Association of RealtoRs.

ates more is smart business. “Profit-ability is important, but if we don’t make quite as much as the broker down the street, that’s OK,” he says. “We want to see our personnel have a good family life and income, and when that happens, it’s a win-win. They stay with us longer and are more productive.”

On the consumer side, the explo-sion of the number of real estate

to resist the price of the commission, not the percentage. It’s one thing to pay a $12,000-$13,000 commission on a $200,000 home, but in a lot of markets, the commission is $35,000-$50,000, and those numbers get people’s attention.”

Wood says a key way to address consumers’ demands for lower com-missions is to educate them about your value. “A lot of online companies put out the message that they can help consumers find a property, which can result in paying less to real estate agents,” he says. “Finding the prop-erty is only a tenth of the way there. The rest is holding the transaction to-gether. We’ve not done a very good job of communicating to customers that we do a lot more than find properties.”

Challenge 2: It’s challenging to adjust to a normal market.

Right up there with the commis-sion crunch is adjusting to markets that are slowing after years of frenzy. “What we’re seeing now is a market that’s normalizing,” says Alex Perri-ello, president and CEO of the Realogy Franchise Group in Parsippany, N.J. “As the market changes, agents and brokers need to change their strategy because most agents who’ve been in the business for the last 10 years have seen the market only one way, and that’s up.”

Mike Pappas, president of The Keyes Co./Realtors in Miami, says newer sales associates need training to help them transition to today’s mar-ket. “For the last four years, we had a real estate market on steroids, and you didn’t need skill to sell,” he says. “Now, we’re communicating more aggressively with associates and going back to the fundamentals because this market requires a new set of negotia-tion skills. Before, it was speed, and we took orders from customers, and now, it’s managing clients and offering expertise in things like managing the listing and positioning the property properly.”

Perriello agrees. “When agents deal

Broker Phil Wood says he’s reining in costs including marketing expenses. “Newspapers produce less than 10 percent of sales for the industry, so we’re a company working to reduce its newspaper advertising while increasing our presence on the Internet.”

practitioners combined with fewer listings over the past 10 years has led to “a whole lot more people chasing a smaller piece of business, so you’re going to get price competition,” says Steve Murray, president of REAL Trends, an industry research com-pany in Denver. “The lack of measur-able differentiation among brokers and agents leaves most with little to compete on except price,” he says. Pressure from consumers has also come, Murray says, because of the “much greater availability of discount brokerage alternatives than there ever has been before,” he says.

“From our studies,” Murray says, “we know that consumers are starting


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service, so if consumers want only someone who can stick a sign in the yard, we’re not that company.”

Challenge 5: Keep quality sales associates on board.

Where would you be tomorrow if your top sales associates left your company today? In hot water, no doubt. That’s why brokers say another challenge is holding onto their best associates.

“Our assets walk out the door every night,” says Sherrer. “You have to be very mindful of the people who brought you to the dance, so to speak. They helped you get where you are.”

Being mindful includes reminding them what you do for them, she says. It’s normal, when markets change and income is harder to sustain, for sales associates to ask whether the problem is something they’re doing or their company’s doing. “They assess

putting out fires and never getting into a proactive thinking mode.”

Pappas says his company wouldn’t have been able to grow if he hadn’t made the tough decision to hire people to do things his former man-agement team didn’t have the time or expertise to handle.

“We were doing everything with our family, and we definitely would have tapped out,” he says. “We’ve added a chief financial officer, another marketing director, an information technology director and regional man-agers. Once you start delegating, it’s easier to clearly define your goals and manage expectations.”

The toughest part of expanding your management team, says Pap-pas, is dealing with the responsibility it brings. “If you bring on all those people, you’d better deliver,” he says. “I feel more responsible for the busi-ness than I ever did.”

Challenge 7: Capture online leads.

“In researching online lead- generation firms like RealEstate.com, ZipRealty.com and HouseValues.com, we’ve seen national close rates in the single-digit range, typically around 4 to 6 percent,” says Murray. “Those brokers who actively work the leads, however, are reporting close rates of 15 to 20 percent.”

Based on REAL Trends research, Murray says, the leads themselves aren’t lacking, but the brokers and associates working them are. “The broker who allocates a certain amount of personnel and resources to setting up, managing and diligently working those leads will see the more profit-able 15 to 20 percent capture rate,” he says. “The lack of capture rate from Internet inquiries lies not in the fact that these are junk leads, but in the fact that the brokerage industry as a whole has yet to build the proper in-frastructure for servicing those leads.”

Enter a new wave of technology, companies whose mission is to help brokers and associates make better use of leads coming at them from

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things,” says Sherrer, “and you have to show them your value and that you appreciate them.”

For instance, Sherrer has an advisory group of sales associates from each of-fice whose input she values. “Recently, they started saying, ‘We need back-to-basics training and advice on how to address this market,’” she says. “Within two weeks, we had our trainers doing workshops office to office, and we’ve had resounding applause from that. They know we’re listening.”

Challenge 6: Lay the groundwork for growth.

Bringing great leaders into your company is another challenge, says Pappas. “Your organization is only as good as your leadership team,” he says. “You’ve got to have the structure and organization for growth by hiring the right people as part of your leader-ship team.”

“Brokers tend to think they can do it all,” he says, “but you’ve got to delegate, or you’ll spend all your time

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by bridget Mccrea

Types of Personal Assistants(You’ve got options!)

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Just aren’t enough hours in the day to get your work done? Try these tested strategies for hiring help.

Elaine Wren was at the end of her rope. In real estate for eight years, she’d been handling her entire work-load on her own. She was ready to hire someone who could help her manage the day-to-day business activities while also upping her sales volume. After talking to her business coach about the issue, this broker-associate with Century 21 Dynasty Ocean in Hallandale decided to hire a full-time assistant to handle specific projects.

Wren immediately realized that she should have made the move eight years earlier. “If I knew then what I know now, I never would have started in this business without an assistant,” says Wren, who sold $10 million in properties last year. She’s gone through four assistants since 1998, and is happy with the licensed buyer’s agent who’s working for her now on a salary-plus-bonus basis.

The first three didn’t work out as well. “My first assistant was so taken with my business and lifestyle that she tried to be me,” says Wren. “She wanted to do everything that I did, but nothing that I asked her to do.” When hiring and training that assistant’s successors, Wren ran into a few more challenges. For example, she says “letting go” was one of the tougher obstacles to overcome.

“When you’re used to doing every-thing yourself, you always think you can do it a little better than anyone else,” Wren explains. “It was a little rough for some of my assistants, until I learned to just turn it over.” These days, Wren “turns over” a number of important tasks to her assistant, including telemarketing, computer work (such as searching the MLS for new listings), appointment setting, e-mail monitoring and responses, and showing properties.

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“Our businesses were identical, so we got together and built our practices on identical business plans, market-ing plans and systems,” says Wemert. “Yet, we’ve maintained our indi-vidual brands (The Wemert Team and Philbeck & Associates), and we don’t share sales.”

From the outside looking in, Philbeck says, he and Wemert function just like any other real estate team. Marketing materials feature both Realtors®’ photos and contact information. And when important business decisions need to be made, the Realtors turn to each other for support and advice. “We consider ourselves business partners,” says

Philbeck, who sold $10 million in properties last year.

Both Philbeck and Wemert, who sold $12 million in prop-erties last year, have their own

(Type 3) full-time licensed assistants, and continue

to use the services of the office transaction coordinator. Their licensed assistants

have been trained as experts in the transaction itself, taking care of the basic steps that need to be taken prior to closing, such as client and customer support, documentation, obtaining signatures, working with third-party service providers and other key tasks. They also handle phone calls, mes-sages, showing coordination and other day-to-day tasks that free up Philbeck and Wemert to sell properties. The transaction coordinator takes over once a purchase agreement has been accepted. She handles everything from scheduling home inspections and appraisals to ensuring that all docu-ments are signed in an orderly, timely fashion for closing day.

Just a few months into their alli-ance, the pair expects higher sales volume for both practices this year, despite the cooling market. “Our list-ings have quadrupled since pairing up,” says Wemert. “Whereas in the past we had individually reached our limits at 40 transactions a year, now there is no longer a ceiling in terms of listing management.”

As a broker, the fact that sales associates with your brokerage hire assistants affects you too. FAR attorneys advise you to be aware of the following:

1 If a licensed assistant is going to perform licensed real estate

activities, then the assistant’s real estate license must be placed with the broker/brokerage firm for whom they are performing these activities.

� If a licensed assistant is per-forming real estate work that

requires a license, then the com-pensation paid to the assistant in connection with the licensed activity must come from the broker/broker-age and not the sales associate or broker associate for whom they are acting as an assistant.

Concerns or questions? Call FAR’s Legal Hotline at (407) 438-1409. Calls are answered Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please have your real estate license number available when you call.

Looking for help figuring out whether or not you’re hiring the right person for the job? While gut instincts can be accurate, you may con-sider a more scientific method.

Rebekah Rivers, as broker–co-owner of Keller Wil-liams Town and Country Realty in Tallahassee and Jacksonville uses the principles laid out by the DISC Profile (an assessment tool that helps you explore a recruit’s personal styles, including his or her ap-proach to home and work life, communication style and motivation, and particular strengths) to size up potential recruits and decide quickly which positions would suit them best. The approximately 40-page test is telling, says Rivers, who when hiring buyer’s agents looks for high I’s and high D’s—scores that tell her they are influencers and dominant personality types. Office staff and tech types should score high S’s and C’s, she says, who are steady, conscientious team players

1. Team up with another sales asso-ciate. Use each other for support.

2. Transaction/closing coordinators can help you manage the sale paperwork.

3. A virtual assistant can be indis-pensable for marketing cam-paigns and other duties.

4. A buyer’s agent can show proper-ties while you focus on getting listings.

5. On the flip side, a listing special-ist can generate listings while you focus on buyers.

6. The unlicensed administrative assistant can be useful for placing your ads, stuffing envelopes and handling phone calls.

Having worked with four different assistants, Wren says she’s learned to conduct in-depth interviews when recruiting. During those interviews, she looks for those who are already licensed or willing to become licensed quickly.

“If I want to take a day off, I need to know that someone can legally show properties for me,” says Wren, who also seeks out people who seem willing to work hard in the real estate business, which she knows isn’t for everyone. “Being a real estate assistant isn’t a job that you’re going to get rich from right away, but if they apply themselves, they’ll make good money at it.”

Type 1: The Team Concept Across the real estate industry, sales

associates are finding creative ways to maximize the limited number of hours in a day that they have to run their businesses. Some, like Wren, have found success by working with one or more licensed or unli-censed assistants who work part time or full time, handling the day-to-day tasks that tend to weigh down a busy professional. Others find relief in virtual assistants, or independent contractors who work off site, han-dling tasks like transaction management and marketing coordination, while some prefer to join forces with other sales associates to cre-ate both formal and informal teams and partnerships.

George Philbeck and Jenny Wemert chose the latter and haven’t looked back since. Already working with a (Type 2) transaction coor-dinator who is employed by Orlando-based Keller Williams Advantage Realty, Philbeck and Wemert paired up in August 2005 after realizing just how synergistic their two businesses were.

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who tend to be compliant and mindful about details.

Listing specialists should be high I’s, she says, who tend to be likable, yet firm and able to get their points across to sellers. “They need to be very force-ful at listing appointments,” says Rivers,

who considers the DISC to be an effective tool for sizing up job candidates before hiring them. “It tells me what the person is like, and also the dos and don’ts of dealing with them,” she says. “It’s very insightful.”

More about DISC Profiles: Used by many recruiters and

job placement professionals, DISC provides insight into individual styles that helps employers pre-dict the likely future behaviors of potential employees. Learn more online at www.discprofile.com.

“Sales associates with good communication skills and the ability to delegate tasks in a clear, succinct manner tend to be the best match for a virtual assistant, says Omni Support Services president Michele Sharrieff.

Riv

ers

PhoTo By REy villavicEncio

10Types of

7. Call coordinators follow up with past clients and customers as well as returning phone calls.

8. Online/database manager: This person inputs your listings into the MLS and online sites as well as following up with any online leads.

9. Marketing assistant/director: From building your campaign to coming up with innovative promotions, this person serves as your cre-ative mastermind.

10. A licensed personal assistant can serve as a jack-of-all-trades.

Personal Assistants

Sizing ‘em Up

What BrokersNeed to Know

Advice from the Legal Eagle...

Jenny Wemert (in black, center left) and George Philbeck (in black, center right) and their team of real estate assistants.

50 The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 51

on new-home listings), a resale listing coordinator (works solely on resale listings), a marketing assistant (who supports and executes marketing activi-ties), two closing coordinators and two runners (who work with all the others, delivering documents and transferring pertinent files among the designated parties). Among them, only the Riverses and the buyer’s agents, listing coordi-nators and team leader are licensed. Compensation structures vary, with administrative personnel working on salaries and buyer’s agents operating on 50-50 commission splits.

Rebekah Rivers, whose Tallahassee office posted $70 million in property sales last year, says she hired her first assistant in 1990. That position slowly split into two jobs, one centered on closing and the other on listing. A buyer’s agent soon followed, as did several administrative personnel. “As we got bigger and bigger, we had to separate jobs and hire new employees to fill them,” says Rivers. “It’s been quite a process.”

• You need help on a per-project basis that doesn’t warrant a full- or part-time staff member.

• You need more time to sell property.

• You aren’t focusing on your core competencies (sales, consultations, investments, etc.).

• You have limited space available in your office for additional staff members.

• You’re totally overwhelmed in your business and aren’t able to keep up with the details.

• You’re willing to delegate and give up some control over noncore tasks to an off-site assistant.

• You’re a people person who doesn’t like hanging around the office doing paperwork.

everyone is on board and comfort-able,” says Sharrieff. “After that, the virtual assistant pretty much goes on automatic.”

Covering All the Bases

For Gene and Rebekah Rivers, the ability to delegate important tasks to professionals who specialize in certain areas of the transaction has been an extremely effective business strategy. As broker-owners of Keller Williams Town and Country Realty in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Rebekah Rivers says, after 17 years in the real estate business, they’re at the point where they no lon-ger list and sell, but instead direct their team to success.

For Rebekah Rivers, who runs the 209-agent Tallahassee office, that team includes (Types 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10) one team leader (who coordinates the entire team and manages the office), five buyer’s agents, two listing specialists, one database manager/call coordinator (who coordinates and manages inbound and outbound contacts), a marketing director (who handles the company’s marketing efforts), a new-construction listing coordinator (who works solely

e-mailed, handling transaction man-agement from afar is fairly seamless, she says, and can be orchestrated by a virtual assistant who is well versed in the basics of transaction management.

And while Sharrieff’s firm special-izes in that aspect of the business, some virtual assistants offer basic support services (phone answering, e-mail monitoring, etc.) and others pro-vide marketing coordination (prepar-ing fliers and postcards, creating and e-mailing online newsletters, etc.).

Sharrieff says Realtors with good communication skills and the ability to delegate tasks in a clear, succinct manner tend to be the best match for a virtual assistant. By the time the third transaction rolls around, she says the relationship begins to “gel” well, with both parties becoming comfortable with the process. “By that third sale,

Better

Type 4: Going VirtualA growing number of sales associ-

ates are finding virtual assistants to be a good middle ground between working solo and hiring full-time as-sistants who need desks, benefits and steady paychecks. Working virtually with the assistance of technology, these independent contractors handle myriad tasks for busy professionals, including comparative market analy-sis development, virtual tour assembly and posting, drip e-mail campaign creation, e-mail inquiry filtering and Web site maintenance.

“Literally anything can be done from a distance,” says Michael Russer, CEO of REVA Teams, a Pleasanton, Calif.–based virtual assistant organi-zation for the real estate industry, and president of Russer Communications in Santa Barbara, Calif. He says sales

• You’re a brand-new sales associate who has experienced early success and needs assistance, but is not ready to hire full-time help.

• You don’t have the time to handle all the necessary marketing tasks that need to be done.

• You’re not technology oriented, and would rather have someone else handle responsibilities like updating accounting software and creating virtual tours.

• You know what needs to be done, but you just don’t have time to do it all.

• After months of training your last on-site assistant, he or she became your competitor.

If you’re curious about whether a virtual assistant is right for you, check out these clues, which might help you make the final decision:

Virtual assistants can handle myriad tasks for busy professionals, including virtual tour assembly and posting, drip e-mail campaign creation, e-mail inquiry filtering and Web site maintenance.

• Organize your goals and systems first so you can easily decide what type of help you need and can train someone quickly to meet your needs.

• Don’t hire someone just like you; hire someone who balances your weaknesses. You need someone who can handle the part of the business you don’t want to do.

• Hire someone from inside your brokerage or from another

To sales associates looking to hire their first assistants or add to an exist-ing team, Rivers says simply: Hire slowly, and fire quickly. “Hiring out of need is just not a good thing. Even if you need immediate relief, you should take your time with hiring and find someone who truly fits your busi-ness.” She points to college students or interns as good choices for those who need help, but who may be apprehen-sive about the financial commitment and training involved with hiring employees.

“Even if you just hire a college student to handle mundane tasks like putting up signs, making fliers and running around checking lockboxes, you’ll be in good shape,” says Rivers. “That $8 an hour that you pay that person will be well worth it. Just look at how much money you’ll save if you don’t have to do all of those things.”

Bridget McCrea is Clearwater-based freelance writer.

company who already knows about real estate or at least someone who knows real estate terms.

• Consider an administrative assistant who loves real estate but doesn’t want to be a full-time Realtor. He or she will be interested in the work, but won’t use you to jump start his or her career — however, that’s not always a bad thing.

• Once you find the right assistant, it’s important to compensate that person

Of the assistants, only the buyer’s agents, listing coordinators and team leader are licensed, says broker-owner Rebekah Rivers. Compensation structures vary, with administrative personnel working on salaries and buyer’s agents operating on 50-50 commission splits.

well and partner with him or her to create loyalty.

• If you have more than one assis-tant, cross-train them so you won’t be at a loss when someone leaves or goes on vacation.

• If you’re not ready to take the step to hire a part-time or full-time as-sistant, consider delegating some services to a virtual assistant or to a mailing company.

Is It Time?

7 Tips for Hiring a Helper

associates generally pay either $250 to $350 per transaction or $25 to $45 per hour, depending on the scope of the project.

In Central Florida, Michele Shar-rieff has been providing virtual trans-action coordination services to real estate professionals since 2003. As president of Orlando-based Omni Sup-port Services, Sharrieff says her firm manages all contract details—from purchase contract signing to closing day. Fees are paid on a per-transaction basis, and the coordinators them-selves generally do not hold real estate licenses.

Sharrieff says virtual assistants can be invaluable for the sales associate who doesn’t want to hire and manage on-site employees, but who needs help managing his or her workload. Be-cause most documents can be faxed or

Virtual AssistantsVirtual assistants can help you with a variety of marketing and general tasks. Here are a few to call:

1. Allie Milicevic, www.virtualresourc-es.net, e-mail: [email protected], (321) 206-1277

2. Anna Baron, www.TheVirtualLink.com, e-mail: [email protected], (972) 359-9655

3. Jeri Winkler, www.secretassistant.com, e-mail: [email protected], (315) 482-6819

4. Kim Hughes, www.KimHughes.com, e-mail: [email protected], (903) 569-6763

5. Omni Support Services, Michele Sharrieff, (407) 656-7519

6. Pro Step Marketing, Tricia Fink Andreassen, e-mail [email protected], (866) 799-9888, ext. 81

7. REVA Teams, www.revateams.com, e-mail: [email protected], (888) 842-3232, ext. 8000

8. The 24 Hour Secretary, Sharon Williams, e-mail: [email protected], (410) 521-7001

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�00� REAL ESTATE InDUSTRY DIRECTORY

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David Knox Productions Inc7300 Metro Blvd, Suite 120Minneapolis MN 55439800-822-4221 • 952-835-1878 FAXwww.davidknox.com

Ed Hatch Seminars2012 Huntcliff Dr, Gambrills MD 21054800-334-2824 • 410-451-8785 FAXwww.edhatch.com

Hobbs/Herder Training2240 University Dr, Suite 200Newport Beach CA 92660800-999-6090 • 949-515-5005 FAXwww.hobbsherdertraining.com

IFREC Real Estate Schools5029 Edgewater Dr, Orlando FL 32810888-647-7277 • 407-647-5227 FAXwww.IFREC.com

The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing1409 S Lamar St Suite 215, Dallas TX 75215214-485-3000 • 214-485-3310 FAXwww.luxuryhomemarketing.com

Jerry Bresser Institute400 Maple Park Blvd, Suite 401St Clair Shores MI 48081586-776-8800 • 586-776-8900 FAXwww.jerrybresser.com

Mike Ferry Organization1100 Main St Irvine CA 92614800-448-8423 • 949-852-0210 FAXwww.mikeferry.com

Pat Zaby Seminars & Systems5023 Sea Pines Dr, Dallas TX 75287972-407-1337 • 972-407-0780 FAXwww.patzaby.com

Richard Robbins International Inc302 Town Centre Boulevard, Suite 400Markham Ontario L3R 0E8 CANADA800-298-9587 • 905-477-3684 FAXwww.richardrobbins.com

Roger Butcher2851 Gold Tailings CtRancho Cordova CA 95670800-422-1462 • 916-340-0844www.rogerbutcher.com

Star Power Systems4772 Walnut St Suite 200, Boulder CO 80301800-635-6750 • 303-449-4222 FAXwww.gostarpower.com

Thomson Learning5191 Natorp Blvd, Mason OH 45040800-543-0487 • 513-229-1020 FAXwww.thomsonedu.com

Wally Conway Seminars12708-2 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville FL 32223800-270-9791 • 904-268-8213 FAXwww.wallyconway.com

FranchiseAmerivest Realty10001 Tamiami Trl N, Naples FL 34108800-966-4356 • 239-593-3121 FAXwww.amerivestrealty.com

Avalar Network Inc6430 Medical Center St, Suite 100Las Vegas NV 89148877-895-8988 • 702-895-8998 FAXwww.avalar.biz

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Inc5951 Cattleridge Ave, Sarasota FL 34232888-937-6426 • 941-342-2990 FAXwww.floridamoves.com

Coral Shores Realty2699 East Oakland Park BlvdFort Lauderdale FL 33306866-476-1331 • 954-566-3288 FAXwww.coralshoresrealty.com

Crye-Leike Franchises Inc5111 Maryland Way Brentwood TN 37027-7513866-603-2470 • 615-221-0445 FAXwww.crye-leike.com

EXIT Realty Corporation2345 Argentia Rd, Suite 200Mississauga Ontario L5N 8K4 CANADA888-668-3948 • 905-363-4060 FAXwww.exitrealty.com

EXIT Realty Florida701 Northpoint Pkwy, Suite 150West Palm Beach FL 33407800-305-2711 • 561-681-1433 FAXwww.exitrealtyflorida.com

Help-U-Sell Real Estate900 West Castelton Rd, Suite 230Castle Rock CO 80109800-366-1177 • 303-814-3400 FAXwww.helpusell.com

Keller Williams Realty International807 Las Cimas Pkwy, Suite 200 Austin TX 78746512-327-3070 • 512-328-1433 FAXwww.kellerwilliams.comSee display ad on p. 13

Prudential Florida WCI Realty800-386-1554www.prudentialfloridawci.com

Affiliated OrganizationsCouncil of Residential Specialists (CRS)430 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611800-462-8841 • 312-329-8882www.crs.com

National Association of RealtoRs® (NAR)430 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611800-874-6500 • 312-329-5960 FAXwww.realtor.org

Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC)430 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611800-648-6224 • 312-329-8632 FAXwww.rebac.net

Women’s Council of RealtoRs® (WCR)430 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611800-245-8512 • 312-329-3290 FAXwww.wcr.org

Contract PreparationAlta Star7700 North Kendall Dr, Suite 612Miami FL 33156877-279-8898 • 305-279-7188 FAXwww.farforms.com

Forms On-Line Gold800-668-8768www.instanetforms.com

Formulator — Realigent, Inc101 Academy, Suite 200Irvine CA 92617800-336-1027 • 949-777-2901www.formulator.com

RealfastP O Box 4700, Frisco CO 80443800-571-0277 • 970-668-0268 FAXwww.realfast.comSee display ad on Inside Front Cover

TrueForms1880 Industrial Circle, Suite DLongmont CO 80501800-499-9612 • 303-774-7160 FAXSee display ad on opposite page

ZipFormPO Box 130, Fraser MI 48026866-693-6767 • 586-790-7582 FAXSee display ad on p. 10

Do-Not-Call ComplianceCall Command11500 Northlake Dr, Suite 240Cincinnati OH 45249800-464-8500 • 513-792-9212 FAXwww.callcommand.com

Call Compliance90 Pratt OvalGlen Cove NY 11542888-674-6774 • 513-676-2420 FAXwww.callcompliance.com

Contact Center Compliance Corp350 E Street, Suite 300ASanta Rosa CA 95404866-362-5478 • 707-571-0271 FAXwww.dnc.com

Gryphon Networks249 Vanderbilt Ave, Norwood MA 02062866-366-6822 • 781-255-7209 FAXwww.gryphonnetworks.com

PossibleNOW4375 River Green Pkwy, Suite 200Duluth GA 30096800-585-4888 • 770-255-1025 FAXwww.possiblenow.com

Education & Professional DevelopmentBert Rodgers Schools1855 Porter Lake DrSarasota FL 34240800-432-0320 • 941-378-3883 FAXwww.bertrodgers.com

Buffini Systems5770 Armada Dr, Carlsbad CA 92008800-945-3485 • 760-476-9072 FAXwww.brianbuffini.com

Darryl Davis Seminars4 Ring Neck Court, Wading River NY 11792800-395-3905www.darryldavis.com

Dave Beson Seminars7200 W 78th St, Minneapolis MN 55439800-242-3031 • 952-947-9110 FAXwww.davebeson.com

now there’s a one-stop directory of businesses who offer real estate solutions and products for the real estate professional. Whether you want help marketing, managing your business or upgrading your technology, you’ll find vendors in this directory from around the nation whose mission is to satisfy your needs.

Keep this directory handy throughout the year. it’s your connection to an army of industry-leading suppliers.

directory Index

Affiliated Organizations & Associations ............................................52Contract Preparation ..................................52Do-Not-Call Compliance .............................52Education & Professional Development ..............................................52Franchise ...................................................53Insurance ...................................................54Mortgage ....................................................54Multiple Listing Service ..............................54Sales Promotion .........................................54Home Guides ..............................................55Leads .........................................................55Magazines ..................................................55Newspapers ...............................................56Maps ..........................................................56Newsletters ................................................56Postcards ...................................................56Premiums & Incentives ...............................56Signs ..........................................................57Technology .................................................58

The Real Estate Pro’s

This directory is offered for information purposes only. The Florida Association of RealtoRs® does not endorse or recommend any of these companies unless otherwise noted.

Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc3333 Michelson Dr, Suite 1000 Irvine CA 92612800-666-6634 • 949-794-7036 FAXwww.prudential.com

RE/MAX International Inc8390 E Crescent Pkwy, Suite 600Greenwood village CO 80111800-525-7452 • 303-796-3599 FAXwww.remax.comSee display ad on p. 5

Real Living Inc77 East Nationwide Blvd, Columbus OH 43215866-438-7325 • 614-459-5417 FAXwww.realliving.com

Realogy Corporation1 Campus Dr, Parsippany NJ 07054973-407-2709 • 973-496-7188 FAXwww.realogy.com

Realty Executives International Inc2398 E Camelback Rd, Suite 900Phoenix AZ 85016800-252-3366 • 602-224-5542 FAXwww.realtyexecutives.comSee display ad on p. 45

Realty World America Inc1503 S Coast Dr, Suite 111Costa Mesa CA 92626800-685-4984 • 714-436-9010 FAXwww.realtyworld.comSee display ad on p. 39

Sellstate Realty Systems Network Inc12800 University Dr, Suite 575Fort Myers FL 33907866-661-3847 • 239-437-0890 FAXwww.sellstate.comSee display ad on p. 25

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates Inc225 Littleton Rd, Morris Plains NJ 07950877-533-9007www.weichertaffiliates.com

The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 5� 5� The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007

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InsuranceErrors & Omissions

REO Advisors Inc1881 University Dr, Suite 110Coral Springs FL 33071800-753-3557 • 800-228-5525 FAXwww.reoadvisors.comSee display ad on p. 57

MortgageAmerican Home Mortgage759 S Federal Hwy, Suite 219Stuart FL 34994772-781-2575 • 877-304-3100www.americanhm.comSee display ad on p. 11

Bank of America100 N Tryon St, Charlotte NC 28255800-432-1000www.bankofamerica.com

Chase Home Finance800-873-6577homeloan.chase.com

Countrywide Home Loans4500 Park Granada, Calabasas CA 91302800-556-9568realtors.countrywide.com

E-Loan6230 Stoneridge Mall RoadPleasanton CA 94588800-356-2622 • 925-847-0831 FAXwww.eloan.com

First Franklin Financial2150 N First St, San Jose CA 95131800-464-8203www.ff.com

GMAC Mortgage800-888-4622ww.gmacmortgage.com

Genworth Financial800-444-5664homeopeners.gemortgageinsurance.com

NationPoint25530 Commerce Centre DrLake Forest CA 92630800-770-4277 • 866-744-4970 FAXwww.nationpoint.com

Olde Marco Mortgage144 Royal Palm Drive, Marco Island FL 34145877-389-3501 • 239-642-9614 FAXwww.oldemarcomortgage.comSee display ad on p. 33

QuickMortgageLoan.com999 Berkshire Blvd, Wyomissing PA 19610800-650-4301 • 610-376-4223 FAXwww.quickmortgageloan.com

Washington Mutual888-926-8536www.wamuhomeloans.comSee display ad on p. 1

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage800-869-3557www.wellsfargo.com

Multiple Listing Service1st Team Technology548 Mary Esther Cut Off NW, Suite 258Fort Walton Beach FL 32548775-363-3263 • 775-361-5776 FAXwww.1st-team.com

Advanced Marketing Services Inc1150 Hancock St, Suite 400Quincy MA 02169800-428-0004 • 617-769-0445www.internetmls.com

ARIS Inc124 N Main St Suite C, Berlin MD 21811888-657-2747www.arismls.com

dynaConnections Corp1101 S Capital of Texas HighwaySuite 130-H, Austin TX 78746866-306-9898 • 512-306-9869www.dynaconnections.com

EZList – MLS Systems Real Estate Technologies Inc18215 Paulson Dr, Port Charlotte FL 33954866-472-6600 • 218-844-5332 FAXwww.ezlistmls.com

Fidelity MLS Systems & Solutions17300 W 119th St, Olathe KS 66061800-468-6221 • 913-693-0020 FAX www.fidelitymlsolutions.com

MostHome Technologies CorporationUnit 1 -11491 Kingston StMaple Ridge, British Columbia V2X 0Y6CANADA800-347-4701 • 604-460-7681 FAXwww.mosthomewireless.com

Offutt Systems Inc405 Pomona Dr, Greensboro NC 27407800-334-0831 • 336-547-2723 FAXwww.getoffutt.com

Promatch Inc2251 Arbor Blvd, Dayton OH 45401877-299-0185 • 937-299-3520 FAXwww.promatchinc.com

Rapattoni Corporation98 W Cochran St, Simi Valley CA 93065800-722-7338 • 805-520-9894 FAXwww.rapattoni.com

Real Edge Inc446 S Anaheim Hills Rd, Suite 212Anaheim CA 92807800-848-3343 • 714-844-4811 FAXwww.realedge.com

RealGo Inc2000 S College Ave, Suite 306Fort Collins CO 80525970-493-5177 • 970-484-3965 FAXwww.realgo.com

Showingtime11 E Adams St, Suite 600Chicago IL 60603800-746-9464 • 312-222-9740 FAXwww.showingtime.com

Solid Earth Geographics109-B N Jefferson St, Huntsville AL 35801800-335-0228 • 509-461-0413 FAXwww.solidearth.com

Stratus Data Systems400 Columbus Ave, Valhalla NY 10595800-822-2588 • 914-747-3582 FAXwww.stratusdata.com

Systems Engineering IncP O Box 8709, Greensboro NC 27419800-367-8756 • 336-664-0023 FAXwww.seisystems.com

Tarasoft Corporation206-2537 Beacon AveSidney, British Columbia V8L 1Y3 CANADA800-899-8470 • 250-656-4988 FAXwww.tarasoft.com

Threewide Corporation709 Beechurst Ave, Suite 1BMorgantown WV 26505877-847-3394 • 304-296-9433 FAXwww.threewide.com

Sales PromotionBusiness Cards

Aardvark Labels8964 Excelsior Blvd E, Hopkins MN 55343800-553-2856 • 952-894-5271 FAXwww.aardvarklabels.com

Beyondee Corporation2730 Monterey St, Suite 107Torrance CA 90503877-333-9988 • 310-212-5990 FAXwww.beyondee.com

Bizvine Printing Inc2281 W 205th St, Suite 107 Torrance CA 90501866-782-9888 • 310-782-9870 FAXwww.bizvineprinting.com

Colour Tech Marketing356 Sonwil Dr, Buffalo NY 14225800-939-2520 • 716-206-0477 FAXwww.colourtechusa.com

Direct Color Inc3120 W 84 St Unit 6, Hialeah FL 33018800-545-6698 • 305-819-3879 FAXwww.direct-color.com

Discounted Printing20115 Corporate DriveBoynton Beach FL 33426561-740-7399 • 561-740-9783 FAXwww.discountedprinting.com

DPI, Digital Printers International16200 NE 13th AveNorth Miami Beach FL 33162877-774-6847 • 305-947-7695 FAXwww.dpibizcards.com

expresscopy.com6623 NE 59th Place, Portland OR 97218866-397-2679 • 503-234-5562 FAXwww.pulsemailing.com

Harris Printers3320 W Vernon AvenuePhoenix AZ 85009800-258-7746 • 800-316-2379 FAXwww.harrisprinters.com

Lifestyle Media USA Inc131 Dummer St, Suite CBrookline MA 02446877-314-1889 • 416-977-5365 FAXwww.realestate.lifestylemedia.ca

The Personal Marketing Company11843 W 83rd Terrace, Lenexa KS 66214800-458-8245 • 800-234-9423 FAXwww.tpmco.com

Power Broker Printing1498 NW 3rd St, Deerfield Beach FL 33442888-453-4820 • 954-247-0084 FAXwww.powerbrokerprinting.com

Calendars

Beach House LogosPO Box 204, Pittstown NJ 08867866-232-2402 • 908-713-0945 FAXwww.beachhouselogos.com

Direct Color Inc3120 W 84 St Unit 6, Miami FL 33018800-545-6698 • 305-819-3879 FAXwww.direct-color.com

Magnetic Attractions2700 Angier Ave, Durham NC 27703800-421-3251 • 866-339-3996 FAXwww.magneticattractions.com

Magnets USA817 Connecticut Ave NE, Roanoke VA 24012800-869-7562 • 800-788-6872 FAXwww.magnetsusa.com

Magnetstreet4325 Pheasant Ridge Dr, Suite 602Blaine MN 55449800-788-8633 • 763-786-9393 FAXwww.magnetstreet.com

Melco Marketing IncPO Box 1578, Manassas VA 20108800-854-8669 • 703-369-0492 FAXwww.melcocalendars.com

Sellsmart3400 E McDowell Rd, Phoenix AZ 85008800-522-0852 • 866-914-4262 FAXwww.sellsmart.com

Superior Real Estate Supply20805 N 19th Ave Suite 11, Phoenix AZ 85027800-234-0095 • 623-516-9209 FAXwww.erealtysupply.com

Teldon Print Media925 Boblett Street Unit B, Blaine WA 98230866-280-9347 • 800-983-5366 FAXwww.teldon.com

Closing Gifts

The CD Guys566 Mainstream Dr, Suite 500Nashville TN 37228888-448-6410 • 888-448-4393 FAXwww.thecdguys.com

Hickory Furniture Mart2220 Hwy 70 SE, Hickory NC 28602800-462-6278 • 828-322-1132 FAXwww.hickoryfurniture.com

Creature Comforts Toys Inc203-2428 King George HighwaySurrey, British Columbia V4P 1H5 CANADA888-228-5001 • 888-228-4888 FAXwww.cctoyscustom.com

Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse1000 Lowes Blvd, Mooresville NC 28117888-913-6060www.lowes.com

Perfect Closing Gift567 Camino Mercado, Suite AArroyo Grande CA 93420800-782-6790 • 805-474-1238 FAXwww.perfectclosinggift.com

Ross-Smith Premium Pecans800-841-5503 • 229-859-2382www.ross-smith-pecans.com

Home GuidesAdwriter Inc165 E Washington Row, Suite 312Sandusky OK 44870800-646-7323 • 419-621-2134 FAXwww.adwriter.com

Harmon Homes888-638-8713 www.harmonhomes.com www.usahomes.org

The Real Estate Book2305 Newpoint Pkwy, Lawrenceville GA 30043800-643-1174 • 770-822-4313 FAXwww.realestatebook.comSee display ad on Back Cover

LeadsLead Conversion

Home Hub ConnectAdigida Solutions, 401 N 3rd St, Suite 601Minneapolis MN 55401866-234-4432 • 612-341-0768 FAXwww.adigida.com

Lead Generation

Rainmaker Lead SystemGooder Group, 2724 Dorr AvenueFairfax VA 22031703-698-7750 ext 1476 • 703-698-8597 FAXwww.goodergroup.com/1476

MagazinesDupont Registry3051 Tech Dr, St Petersburg FL 33716800-233-1731 • 727-572-5523 FAXwww.dupontregistry.com

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5� The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 The Real Estate Solutions Guide 2007 55

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Estates West Magazine8132 N 87th Place, Scottsdale AZ 85258480-460-5203 • 480-460-2345 FAXwww.estateswest.com

Florida Realtor Magazine7025 Augusta National Dr, Orlando FL 32822407-438-1400 • 407-438-1411 FAXwww.floridarealtormagazine.com

HistoricProperties.com2523 Grove Ave, Richmond VA 23220888-507-0501www.historicproperties.com

Home By Design Magazine11626 N Tracey Rd, Hayden ID 83835877-423-4567 • 208-772-8061 FAXwww.homebydesign.com

Homes & Land Magazine1830 E Park Ave, Tallahassee FL 32301800-458-9520 • 850-575-9567 FAXwww.homesandland.com

Preservation Magazine1785 Massachusetts Ave NWWashington DC 20036800-944-6847 • 202-588-6172 FAXwww.preservationonline.org

Unique Homes Magazine720 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 205Santa Monica CA 90401800-732-4092 • 310-393-4804 FAXwww.uniquehomes.com

NewspapersThe New York Times Company229 W 43rd St, New York NY 10036212-556-7777 • 212-556-7787 FAXwww.nytimes.com

The Wall Street Journal1155 Ave of the Americas, New York NY 10036800-366-3975 • 212-597-5744 FAXwww.realestatejournal.com

MapsDolph Map Company430 North Federal HighwayFort Lauderdale FL 33301800-877-3649 • 954-763-3518 FAXwww.dolphmap.com

iMapp Inc5660 W Cypress St, Suite HTampa FL 33607888-462-7701 • 813-289-3035 FAXwww.imapp.com

Moving Services

Two Men And A TruckCall the location nearest youwww.twomenandatruck.comSee display ad on p. 44

NewslettersCustom House Publishers6797 N High St Suite 213Worthington OH 43085888-493-7059 • 614-431-3324 FAXwww.customhousepublishers.com


Gooder Group2724 Dorr Ave Suite 103, Fairfax VA 22150703-698-7750 • 703-698-8597 FAXwww.goodergroup.com

Nostalgic America Inc100 E King St, Edenton NC 27932888-212-0207 • 800-214-2434 FAXwww.nostalgicamerica.com

Planner Systems320 108th Ave NE, Suite 520Bellevue WA 98004800-752-6448 • 800-243-1390 FAXwww.plannersystems.com


Resulti.com13750 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 206Sherman Oaks CA 91423www.resulti.com

Sellsmart3400 E McDowell Rd, Phoenix AZ 85008800-522-0852 • 800-522-8329 FAXwww.sellsmart.com

TrueWire1880 Industrial Circle, Suite DLongmont CO 80501800-499-9612 • 303-774-7160 FAXwww.truewire.comSee display ad on p. 55

PostcardsBeyondee Corporation2730 Monterey St, Suite 107 Torrance CA 90503877-333-9988 • 310-212-5990 FAXwww.beyondee.com

Colour Tech Marketing356 Sonwil Dr, Buffalo NY 14225800-939-2520 • 716-206-0477 FAXwww.colourtechusa.com

Direct Color Inc3120 W 84 St Unit 6, Miami FL 33018800-545-6698 • 305-819-3879 FAXwww.direct-color.com


expresscopy.com6623 NE 59th Place, Portland OR 97218866-397-2679 • 503-234-5562 FAXwww.pulsemailing.com

Harris Printers3320 W Vernon AvenuePhoenix AZ 85009800-258-7746 • 800-316-2379 FAXwww.harrisprinters.com

Lentz Design Postcards21605 Tiffany Court, Kildeer IL 60047800-773-0095 www.lentzdesign.com

The Personal Marketing Company11843 W 83rd Terrace, Lenexa KS 66214800-458-8245 • 800-234-9423 FAXwww.tpmco.com

Planner Systems320 108th Ave NE, Suite 520Bellevue WA 98004800-752-6448 • 800-243-1390 FAXwww.plannersystems.com

Postcards 4 You6 East Main St, Wentzville MO 63385888-458-3400 • 636-639-3002 FAXwww.postcards4you.com


QuantumMail.comP O Box 140825, Austin TX 78714800-637-7373 • 512-837-2777 FAXwww.quantummail.com

Premiums & IncentivesBeach House LogosPO Box 204, Pittstown NJ 08867866-232-2402 • 908-713-0945 FAXwww.beachhouselogos.com

The CD Guys566 Mainstream Dr, Suite 500Nashville TN 37228888-448-6410 • 888-448-4393 FAXwww.thecdguys.com

Magnetic Attractions2700 Angier Ave, Durham NC 27703800-421-3251 • 919-598-3996 FAXwww.magneticattractions.com

Sutter’s Mill Specialties2249 W Fairmont Dr Suite 2, Tempe AZ 85282800-824-0594 • 602-437-5551 FAXwww.suttersmill.com

Signs1-800-THE-SIGN2381 Griffin Rd, Fort Lauderdale FL 33312800-843-7446 • 954-989-9099 FAXwww.1800thesign.com

Aztec Marking Company601 Wilbeck Dr, South Hutchinson KS 67505800-835-2548 • 800-321-7265 FAXwww.aztecsigns.com

Britt Kennedy Signs Inc100 E Chestnut St, Amite LA 70422800-535-5680 • 985-718-6246 FAXwww.brittkennedysigns.com

Dee Sign Company6163 Allen Rd, West Chester OH 45069800-333-7446 • 513-779-3344 FAXwww.deesigncompany.com

Excel Sign & Decal1485 N Milpitas Blvd, Milpitas CA 95035800-747-0445 • 408-942-6928 FAXwww.excelteam.net

Lowen Sign Company1302 N Grand St, Hutchinson KS 67501800-545-5505 • 800-846-4466 FAXwww.lowensign.com

Oakley Signs & Graphics3497 All American Blvd, Orlando FL 32810800-373-5330 • 407-581-2148 FAXwww.oakleysign.com

Reichert’s Signs Inc150 E Stevens Ave, Santa Ana CA 92707800-513-9199 • 714-513-9192 FAXwww.rsisigns.com

Superior Real Estate Supply20805 N 19th Ave Suite 11, Phoenix AZ 85027800-234-0095 • 623-516-9209 FAXwww.erealtysupply.com

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TechnologyComputer Hardware

Dell IncOne Dell Way, Round Rock TX 78682877-648-3355www.dell.com

Gateway7565 Irvine Center Dr, Irvine CA 92618888-888-1094www.gateway.com

Hewlett-Packard3000 Hanover St, Palo Alto CA 94304800-888-8177www.hp.com/go/realestate

Lenovo 9229 Delegates Row, Indianapolis IN 46240800-426-7235 ext 3887www.ibm.com/businesscenter/nar

Office Depot2200 Old Germantown RdDelray Beach FL 33445800-463-3768 • 800-685-5010 FAXwww.officedepot.com

MappingAerials Express LLC7855 S River Pkwy Suite 205Tempe AZ 85284888-482-2336 • 480-777-9966 FAXwww.aerials-express.com

AirphotoUSA7122 N 27th Ave, Phoenix AZ 85051866-278-2378 • 602-864-3420 FAXwww.airphotousa.com

Dolph Map Company430 North Federal HwyFort Lauderdale FL 33301800-877-3649 • 954-763-3518 FAXwww.dolphmap.com

Geojet E-Mapping910 7th Ave SW, Suite 740Calgary Alberta T2P 3N8 CANADA866-243-6538 • 403-262-7861 FAXwww.e-mapping.com

iMapp Inc5660 W Cypress St Suite H, Tampa FL 33607888-462-7701 • 813-289-3035 FAXwww.imapp.com

Mapmuse Inc1326 14th St NW, Washington DC 20005202-387-3857 • 202-387-3245 FAXwww.mapmuse.com

Offutt Systems Inc405 Pomona Dr, Greensboro NC 27407800-334-0831 • 336-547-2723 FAXwww.getoffutt.com

Real Edge Inc446 S Anaheim Hills Rd Suite 212Anaheim CA 92807800-848-3343 • 714-844-4811 FAXwww.realedge.com

MultimediaFloorplanonline SMP O Box 1782, Issaquah WA 98027866-810-3816 • 206-260-3155 FAXwww.floorplanonline.net

Imprev IncP O Box 53346, Bellevue WA 98015800-809-3356 • 425-458-4801 FAXwww.imprev.com

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Lifestyle Media Inc131 Dummer St Suite CBrookline MA 02446877-314-1889 • 416-977-5365 FAXwww.realestate.lifestylemedia.ca

TrainingREIS Innovations Technology TrainingReal Estate Industry Solutions LLCc/o Florida Association of RealtoRs® 7025 Augusta National Dr, Orlando FL 32822888-784-5404www.reisinnovations.comSee display ad on p. 23

Virtual ToursCirclePix.com1159 South 800 East, Orem UT 84097877-390-6630 • 801-818-2749 FAXwww.circlepix.com

Obeo57 West 200 South, Suite 550Salt Lake City UT 84101800-729-6236 • 801-524-9848 FAXwww.360house.com

RealBiz36014175 W Indian School Road Suite B4-613Goodyear AZ 85338888-732-5249 • 888-276-4494 FAXwww.realbiz360.comSee display ad on p. 57

Real Tour Vision160 E State St, Suite 103Traverse City MI 49684866-947-8687 • 231-947-4248 FAXwww.realtourvision.com

VisualTour.com10235 West Sample Road, Suite 200Coral Springs FL 33065800-873-0700 • 954-345-9703 FAXwww.visualtour.com

Transaction ManagementTransactionDesk1105 Lorrain Street Austin TX 78703800-668-8768 • 800-533-2230 FAXwww.transactiondesk.com See display ad on p. 31

Web Sitesa la mode800-252-6633www.alamode.comSee display ad on p. 16 & 17

Advanced Access8101 East Kaiser Blvd, Suite 300Anaheim CA 92808800-902-4653 • 714-923-1950 FAXwww.advancedaccess.comSee display ad on Inside Back Cover

CyberSunshine Inc12811 Kenwood Ln, Suite 105Fort Myers FL 33907239-949-0012 • 614-573-7180 FAXwww.cybersunshine.com

EasyRealtySites.com4414 NW 69th StGainesville FL 32606888-693-2797 ext 801 • 888-693-2797www.easyrealtysites.com

Homes.com866-500-857 • 866-600-5857 FAXwww.homes.comSee display ad on p. 12

iHouse Web Solutions2030 Franklin St, Suite 500Oakland CA 94612866-645-7702 • 530-753-7033 FAXwwwihouseweb.com

Myers Internet2160 Lundy Avenue, Suite 128San Jose CA 95131800-693-7730 • 408-425-9961 FAXwww.myers.com

Pullan Communications10680 West Pico Blvd, Suite 250Los Angeles CA 90064866-578-5526 • 310-945-2029 FAXwww.pullan.com

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various online sources. Introduced in January 2005, the National Associa-tion of RealtoRs’ Messenger service (which is free to members) uses voice synthesis to convert consumer queries received from real estate Web sites into voice messages, which are then sent to a subscribing member’s cell phone based on geographic infor-mation. NAR members may down-load the software at no charge.

Other options include Most Home Corp.’s ClientBuilder, which helps brokers attract more traffic to their Web sites, then tracks the leads generated from the time of capture up until clos-ing; Wolfnet Technologies’ lead-manage-ment and -tracking system; BirdView’s BirdTalk centralized lead-management platform; Reply! Inc.’s lead-validation program (which reviews, qualifies and validates all leads); and Katabat’s lead-generation, lead-management and Web site solutions.

Challenge 8: Manage the transaction online.

Online transaction-management systems are electronic applications ac-cessed through the Internet that help brokers and sales associates manage the information and communications that comprise a real estate transac-tion. Such systems were defined in a 2005 Clareity report on the state of the transaction-management industry as “an online platform and tool that supports (the following) basic func-tions as they relate to residential real estate brokerage transactions:

• task to-do tracking and management,

• digital document management,• participant setup and security,• communication, notification

and logging,• service ordering and• transaction management

(searching and reporting).”Brokers and sales associates have

been watching these systems for some time, but many have been reluctant to implement them if only because transaction-management companies

have been frantically trying to inte-grate title companies, MLS systems, back-end accounting and other functions into the programs. It’s all starting to come together. “2005 was pretty instrumental in that a lot of the moving parts of the transac-tion have started to come together,” says Mike Lancaster, executive vice president of sales/client manage-ment for First American Residential Group in Irvine, Calif. “Integration is happening with back-end accounting systems and front-end lead-manage-ment systems. If you look back five or six years ago, it seemed like it would be an easy thing to bring to adoption, but it’s been a slow evolution.”

Despite these tough challenges, Murray is optimistic about the future. “There are opportunities for brokers,” he says. “I believe the best days of the industry are still ahead of us, not behind us.”

G.M. Filisko is a Chicago-based free-lance writer.

Broker Challenges(continued from page 45)

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body up out of the chair or rip off the headphones. She covered her torso with her hands, slumped back into the half-folded chair, laughing, and asked for help. “It took us a minute or so to get her hair out of the hinges and unfold the chair so she could roll out of it,” laughs McGlade.

Her husband, who was on the boat, missed the entire incident. “As I finished showing the property, her husband came off the boat and asked if I had seen his wife,” says McGlade. “I answered, ‘Yes, as a matter of fact I have.’”

Screaming LinensAna Trinque, a broker-associate

with RE/MAX Showcase in Brooks-ville, showed her buyer a house while the owners were home. The wife let them in while the husband worked on

Pete McGlade’s sellers left town for the week, and friends were liv-ing aboard a boat tied at their Key Largo home’s dock. When McGlade, with RE/MAX Tropical Realty in Key Largo, arrived with buyers, he left them at the front door and went around back. “As I rounded the house, I saw a woman lounging on a folding beach chair,” he says. “I called out to her. She didn’t respond, [but] as I got closer, I could see she was wear-ing MP2 player headphones.” After spotting McGlade, the startled woman tried to jump up. “I could see she was wearing only a bikini bottom,” says McGlade.

The folding chair partially col-lapsed, tangling her long blond hair in the hinges and causing her to fall back into a position where she was unable to untangle her hair, pull her

a project in the garage. She dutifully went room to room exploring all doors.

When she opened what she thought was a linen closet at the end of the hallway, they saw the owners’ col-lege-age son sitting stark naked on a toilet reading a magazine. “Everyone yelled at one time, including the young man,” says Trinque. “You never saw anyone close a door so fast!”

Breathtaking ShowingJamie DiSalvatore, a sales associate

with Realty Executives in Orlando, always arrives prepared for anything, but one recent showing gave her the shock of her life.

While touring listings with an in-vestor, DiSalvatore stopped at a down-town property that looked promising. DiSalvatore looked around the lower level while the buyer checked upstairs. Suddenly, the buyer yelled that there was a dead man in a room!

Stunned and breathless from vault-ing up the stairs, DiSalvatore peeked in the room, walked over to the man and put her hand on his chest. He was breathing!

“He never woke up,” says DiSalva-tore. “We tiptoed out of the room and left the house in a hurry!”

A Broken TaleIt’s a floor-time daydream—a couple

walked in, Joan Crothers (now a sales associate with Wilson Realty in North Redington Beach) took them to her listing (in Pennsylvania, where she lived and worked at the time), and they wrote a contract on site.

As though still dreaming, she “proceeded down an inclined drive-way, turned to shake hands with the buyers and fell flat on my posterior,” says Crothers, who deduced that fresh sleet had formed a sheet of black ice on the driveway. “When paramedics placed me in the ambulance, I insist-ed they put my briefcase right by my side,” she says.

Diagnosed with a broken tailbone, Crothers got a hospital nurse to dial the seller’s number, and the seller came to the hospital to sign the pur-chase agreement. “I then called my broker to let her know I truly ‘broke my butt’ on the sale!”

Coming Unhinged

Laugh-Out-Loud TalesReady for a chuckle? Showings can be unpredictable and entertaining, as these tales from Florida sales associates reveal.

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