Super Tuesday II or Mini-Tuesday, whatever you want to call it --- March 4th --- Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island. 

Did you get out today and vote? 

I did first thing this morning.  Not a big line - easy in and easy out.  And now, since I'm in Texas, I get to go to the "caucus" this evening.  I've been in Texas for 11 years and this is the first time that I've heard anything about a caucus.  It is a strange system.  You vote but you get to caucus too.  The only way to get into the caucus is to bring proof that you voted.  If you don't have your proof, you can get in but it takes longer for them to find the record of your vote.

 What about all you other Texans?  What are you doing this evening?????

When you go to Point2NLS and pull up your county what do you see?  Are you like me and see a bunch of people who say they are agents representing an area who probably don't even know where the county is on a map? 

When I pull up Taylor county in Texas, there are 51 agents listed.  Only 21 of those agents are actually here or near Taylor county. I know some say that they like to use this to catch referrals to send out but I don't like it - I just don't like it!  Don't you think that this "waters down" the visibility and effectiveness of those who actually are the local agents?  What on this beautiful earth does someone in Houston (over 6 hours away) or the Rio Grande Valley (even farther away) know about the Abilene area? 

What are your thoughts on this?  Do you feel the same way or does it not bother you at all?

It has started again.  Just had another call from homes dot com.  This time it was on the office voip line which isn't on the do no call list yet. This company has called me previously on my cell phone which is on the DNC.

It was really quite funny because he went out of his way to mention Point2 and how they didn't want to sell me what I already had.  He did, however, want to diss search engine placement and how my little HUD home listing in Snyder wasn't showing up on the first page of the google search.  He made a big deal that people aren't looking on Point2 unless someone local to where the prospect is located has a website and they would find Point2homes that way.  They are really going to start hitting hard on the Point2Homes and try to show that it doesn't do what Point2 says it will do.  A futile effort if you ask me but I guess their people have to have something to do all day.   

Snyder is an hour and a half away from my office .. one of my distant HUD counties that I handle so it isn't one of my usual areas for "normal" real estate.  Frankly, I don't care if it shows up in search engines because the most likely buyer is one who already lives in Snyder, someone who will probably be a driveby who sees my sign and then logs into the web direct.  That is where most of my traffic comes from anyway ... direct web address entry.  West Texas isn't exactly a hot spot for 2nd homes and certainly isn't a "move-to" area like Miami or resort cities.  I tried to be polite and tell him that I get plenty of traffic on my website.  Then he started talking about capturing information.  I told him that I get plenty of information about prospects who visit the website and that I don't have any trouble getting contact information from prospects who live anywhere in the world (gotta love those military bases).  I finally told him that I was not going to pay for any more services.  He then asked if I would mind referring him. I told him no, probably not and he said "no, of course not" real snotty.  I didn't let him go on, politely thanked him for calling and hung up.

From the Association for Homeowners Across America:

http://blog.ahaanow.org/ahaa/2007/10/as-we-have-repo.html

 Check out this link about AmeriDream being extended until February 29, 2008. 

The recent post about having a home space vs having a space at the office got me to thinking about this.  Right now our office is small....just the three of us.  I keep up with my agents by weekly conversations either in person, by phone, or email.  What I'm debating is whether or not to have weekly office meetings when our office grows.  I used to hate going to office meetings but run correctly they can be beneficial.  I really hated the weekly caravan so unless the agents really want it, I'm not going to have the caravan.  Does your office have weekly meetings?  Does your office still have the weekly caravan too?  Don't you think it would be just as easy to have a projector set up and let agents talk about their new listings using a virtual tour or just pics rather than a caravan?

What about mini-contests at your meetings?  The first office I was at had a "wheel" set up like the Wheel of Fortune.  For each new listing, new contract, or closing, you got a spin at the wheel.  There was one $50 spot and one $100 spot and the rest were $1, $5, $10 spots.  There was also a bankrupt, a free spin, and lose a spin.  It was fun and you made sure that you attended a meeting when you had a chance at the wheel. The second office I worked at had a drawing each week at the office meeting. You had to put your business card in the pot for the drawing.  Not as much fun but you could pick up lunch money that way. 

What are some of the slogans you have used?

There was a local agent who used one that I thought was nice....(name changed, of course,:D )...     "Victor Clark, Selling Abilene One Yard at a Time."  Then there's the company that evidently liked mine but, naturally, couldn't use it so they came up with .... "Let a Mouse Find Your House" ... don't think they are using it anymore.

"Find Your House with the Click of a Mouse!"

I'd like to ask the broker/owners out there to share some information with us.  So here I go with a whole list of questions again....

 I'm sure that most of you different orientation requirements for newly licensed agents compared to those with some experience.  How do you handle an agent's orientation to your office?  Do you have a checklist that gets dated when particular tasks are completed?  Do you walk them through office procedures yourself? Do you have a manager who handles these tasks for you?  Do you pair newly licensed agents with an experienced agent for whatever period of time?  Do you avoid hiring newly licensed agents entirely?  Do you require a "Paid" training session on how to handle phones, clients, and other office procedures?  Do you just set them down at a desk and tell them - go to it?  Anyone out there requiring more than just the licensing courses & exam to be an agent in your company (technology courses or X years of experience or a degree)?  Do you personally handle reviewing their contracts or do you have a manager who handles this?  Do you do splits or desk/office fees or a combination of both?   Did you try something that was a miserable failure?   I think it would be helpful when you answer these questions if you tell us the size of your office too.  Procedures can be very different if you have 2 agents or 200 agents   :) .  

We are small.  Just the three of us right now.  I had one agent who was experienced and joined the company in 2005. She wanted to work in her hometown 40 miles from here so I hardly ever see her but I'm always available for phone calls when she needs me.  I had one newly licensed agent who left in the spring because of his health but then I hired another agent at the same time who had a few years experience but not a lot of volume.  Since we are so small, I've been able to hold his hand without a lot of formality but I've never had a formal checklist for an "orientation."   I'd like to recruit more agents but I don't want to grow too fast.  I need to put something into place so everyone gets the same or at least similar treatment when they join us.  I don't warehouse desks.  I provide space where the agents can meet their clients and take floor time if they so choose (1 up desk and 2 areas to meet clients).  This keeps our floorspace and monthly costs down.  I'm not opposed to hiring part-timers but I'd rather not.  I have an extremely generous split so they can spend their money on themselves not paying my bills but I'm going to change the split a little for a newly licensed agent due to the amount of training they need.  I provide some office supplies, copier, internet access, training when needed, and we can run expenses through the office like board and advertising expenses.  We do not have secretarial support.  I originally intended to hire only 100% agents and charge an office access fee which I would still do if anyone shows interest.  Each agent regardless of split pays a $50 E/O & processing fee out of each transaction.

If you aren't a broker/owner but have something to share about your personal RE orientation experience, I'd like to hear that too.

The world does not revolve around real estate.  I know, shocking!  I've been drowning in everything real estate for about 3 months now and I'm ready for a long weekend - somewhere - anywhere - doing anything that has absolutely nothing to do with real estate. 

When you're having a bad day, week, year, do you go to your happy place and forget the rest of the world?  What do you do when you "get" there? 

Share with us please, just what makes you happy? 

I like curling up in the recliner on a rainy day (or any day actually) with a good book.

Music - I like listening to music but more relaxing is playing my flute even though I'm not as good as I used to be  .  I actually buy classical music cds, buy the sheet music if I don't already have it, and play along.  I like to sing (not a great vocalist either)  and since both playing my flute and singing are great therapy for my asthma, I can justify the torture that my cats endure once or twice a week.

Driving - Ok, it isn't wise to waste gas but sometimes I just like to get in the car and drive out of town and see something besides Abilene. 

This one is silly ----- Sometimes I will go buy a little kid coloring book and a box of crayons and color up a storm.

This one is just sick ---- I'll choose a topic (usually psychology related) and research it like I used to do in college for a paper.  I don't understand this one but is therapeutic for some reason.

I could go on but it is your turn now. Share with us.   

I must admit I've not always been diligent with my backups.  I've used an old laptop hard drive in a usb hard case but I'm tired of messing with it and I haven't been backing up on a regular basis either.  Fortunately, I've never had anything tragic happen that I couldn't fix given enough time.  Even though the stars have been kind to me, I've decided to not tempt fate anymore and try one of the online backup storage sites.  I'd heard of GeekSquad before but didn't realize that they had an online backup system until today.  They offer a 30 day trial and then it is only $49 a year.  I'm going to try it.  Has anyone else tried GeekSquad or another online service?  Do you do backups at all or do you just hope for the best????

I'm going to vent today!  This has been building up inside me for about 3 months now but today, I'm letting it out.

I'm no spring chicken but I do try to keep up with technology.  I know I'm not cutting edge and probably never will be and don't ever plan to be.  I like for the technology gurus to work the bugs out before I spend my hard earned money! 

No, no, no .....what is bothering me lately are agents and brokers (in particular) who don't keep up. They are stuck in 1975 and will forever be there!  There are brokers who don't know how to turn a computer on, let alone know how to use it.  Agents who wouldn't know what to do with an email even if they were able to get their email program open.  We actually have some who still use "the book."  Do you know who I'm talking about?  I believe every Board has them.  Trust me, these Old Fogies aren't necessarily the ones who have had their RE license since there was dirt.  Some are rookies and some, believe it or not, aren't as old as I am!  I'm finding that the RE agents in their 20's are OK with the technology that we use. There are some agents who need to retire from RE and you know what?  They aren't retirement age!  They need a job in which they will never have to change and everything will be priced just like it was back in 1975.

This really bothers me.  Does it bother you?  I've even started to believe that a technology course should be required for licensing. Absolutely nothing wrong with that!  For my Master's degree back in the ancient computer days of 1990/1991,  we had to show proof of technology proficiency by either testing out or taking a specific course that covered basic word processing, spreadsheets, publishing, computer usage, etc before the degree would be granted.  Why not require a similar techology proficiency for a RE license?

What do you think?

I'm looking for information once again so I'm looking to my Relib buds to provide it

I'd like some feedback from those of you who belong to Board/MLS associations that use Rappatoni, Ntreis, Tempo, or Paragon 3.9.  Do you use all the different functions or have you not ventured beyond property searches?  What do you like about the software?  What do you not like?  Is the contact module useful?  Do you have the mapping feature and do you like it?  Are taxes integrated with your package?  Have you used the CMA module and do you like it?  How are the property printouts that you give customers - organized and easy to read?  Do you find the reporting module up to snuff?  Is there an integrated transaction module and do you use it?  Do you feel that you are getting a good value for your monthly fee?  Have you had to contact support and were they quick to resolve the issue or at least tell you what it was going to take to fix it? What about the Wi-Fi access?  Do you use it and does it work the way you expect?  Anything that I missed that you really, really hate or really, really like?  One last thing to share - how many members in your board?

If your organization recently switched FROM one of these to a different software vendor, do you know why and can you share that with me (privately, of course)?

 Anyone going to be in Dallas Aug 22nd to see the Tempo 5.0 demonstration?

And, if you're a user who just turns on the computer, clicks on IE, expects your MLS database to just magically be there, never thinking about how it gets to you, you can share that also  

Thanks!

Just out of curiosity I'd like to ask a question. 

How long had you been in the business when you decided that this is something that you could do over the long haul?  Did you know right away or was it when you hit a certain $$$ production or a certain number of years in the biz?  Was it when you found a certain niche that you enjoyed working or making a certain dollar amount?  Did it have nothing to do with any of these but more of a feeling that you just liked what you were doing regardless of the dollar volume? 

When I first started, this is something that I found interesting in my discussions with other agents and found that everyone is very different in this respect. 

Does anyone use Settlement Room or other Transaction Management software?  What is your experience?  Is it a good value for what you are paying?  Is your TM software integrated with your MLS provider or stand alone?  Do you pay for it yourself or is it broker provided?

 Thanks!!!

A stray remark in another blog got me to thinking about something. 

What have you said or done that embarrassed you to no end and how did you wiggle your way out of it?  Doesn't have to be real estate related but so many of those RE moments are wonderfully juicy and laughable. 

I have a few but my favorite is something I did many years ago before I was in real estate or even thought about real estate. 

      Many years ago in a land far, far away,  I worked at a local vo-tech college in one of the offices.  I was at my desk  in the outer office talking with a student about her file.  She was a new student so I didn't really know her or anything about her.  We had just started reviewing her stuff.  My boss, a little old lady in her early 60's, was standing at the file cabinet pulling a folder on a student. She turned to me and asked a very specific question about the file she had in her hand.  We'll call him Robert X.  My boss wasn't very careful about privacy issues so it didn't bother her that I was talking with another student.  I didn't give it a second thought either because my boss was difficult to work with so it was always just easier to take care of whatever problem she had and then get on with whatever I was working on.  So I answered her question in detail but then I stupidly made another comment since part of it was related to his current problem with his file.  Well, Robert X had made comments to me in the past about his ex-wife and the problems she caused him and that she was a real "you-know-what."  And I did say "you-know-what" and not the other word.  I just had to share that little tidbit.

The student at my desk cocked her head sideways, and said "I'm his ex-wife." OMG!  My boss turned all different shades of red and went back into her office!  I was mortified and started telling her that I was so sorry and my comment totally uncalled for.  She grinned and said...."it's ok.  I am and he is a J***a** ! "  We were fine from then on but I was soooooo sick to my stomach.  I lucked out!  A different kind of person would have had my job for such a careless remark!

So, come on, tell us your stories and brighten up this afternoon!  I have some real work to do but I don't feel like doing it right now  :-)      Trust me, you will feel better once you unburden yourself.

Well, good morning everyone!  Here I am at a minute past midnight and I am in the pursuit of information.  I'd like to get info from you about your MLS provider.  Which company?  Do you know how long your board has been with its current provider?   What do you like and what do you dislike?  What would you like to see them improve?  How is their support staff?  You don't have to share how much it costs here publicly but I would like to know if you feel that you are getting a good value for your money.  Do you use your MLS system for just searching properties or is it a more comprehensive system with modules like contact management,  calendar, mapping, tax info built in?  Does it have good looking brochures? Do you find it easy to navigate around the various screens?  Do you use DSL or something else and do you have good page load times?  Is it internet based and if so, does it have a companion desktop for times when you aren't on the net?  Do you have a PDA/smartphone sytem included and do you like and use it?   Is the reporting function up to snuff?  Does the system have a built in showing/appointment scheduler for each property?

And last, just for fun....do you know of anyone in your board who still receive and use  "the book?"

Thanks bunches!!!!

 (Well, I've been sidetracked a couple of times since I started this one so it is now `12:46 am)  Nite-Nite!