Realty World Northern California & Nevada

Do you find that you have your mobile device with you everywhere? In the bathroom while you shower? At your cousin’s wedding? At your OWN wedding? Do you check your email/Facebook page/Twitter account during dinner, while spending time with friends or family or when you’re at the movies?

If any of these sound like you – you are electronically leashed! What’s the problem with this behavior? It can lead to burnout, can dilute the quality of personal time, create unreasonable expectations/boundaries for work among other things. With all of the technological advances we have available it is increasingly important to remember that technology should work for us, not the other way around.

Here are my recommendations for taking control of your time and increasing productivity:

1. Schedule “offline time” each day. This means turning OFF and closing the laptop, not checking emails, alerts, etc. on your mobile device and keeping to it for the entire allotted time. This can be for particular time periods, such as noon – 1pm during lunch break or between 6 – 9pm. Work with other members of the household on adhering to similar offline times.
2. Use alarms/reminders more often. Increase productivity by setting reminders for for items that you often forget to do during the day. This will free up personal time later.
3. Create a support network. On your off-day have calls forwarded to a colleague’s phone for referrals and return the favor. This means you can both enjoy your time off without sacrificing personal attention to clients.
4. Set away messages. Put your out of office message up on email and voicemail recordings on regular days off, when you are in meetings that last longer than two hours, and even when you leave in the evening. This ensures that people know you are not unresponsive and sets a time frame in which they can expect a reply.
5. Respect public space. We all get annoyed when someone approaches us in our place of business while on their cell phone, attempting to carry on two conversations at once. This makes us feel that they aren’t giving us their full attention and often miss important information. We have also all been frustrated while in the movies, at our local coffee shop, or on public transit having to listen to someone carry on a conversation on their phone. We often lose sight of how frustrating this is because when our calls come in they are “important” — be sure that when you deal with someone, from your barista to your best friend, that you give that person your attention. You’ll find that you might strike up a conversation that leads to more business, a good contact or just a pleasant chat if you are fully present while face-to-face with people.

Erin Robbins
Social Media & Marketing Director
erin.robbins@rwnc.net

Following up from an earlier post titled “Virus Meets Spyware” I reviewed the difference between virus and spyware. Yesterday, Microsoft released their FREE anti-virus software through the Microsoft Security Essentials software. Microsoft is now offering real-time protection against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Oh, and by the way…. did I mention it was FREE?

All that is required is a genuine copy of Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Windows Vista SP1 or SP2, or Windows 7. If you already have an anti-virus program installed you will need to uninstall it prior to attempting installation of Microsoft Security Essentials.

Like any other anti-virus program, you can schedule quick or full scans, setup automatic updates, exclude files and locations or file types, and setup how you are notified of potential threats.

I am truly appreciative of what Microsoft is doing here and so far have been impressed with the simple setup, clean interface, and real-time protection.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who currently doesn’t have any malware protection. For those of you who have malware protection already, I wouldn’t jump ship from what you have just yet and only time can tell who is going to provide the highest level of protection. But for me, I am onboard with Microsoft Security Essentials.

Tei Baishiki
Chief Technology Officer
tei.baishiki@rwnc.net

When you buy a big boat and register it with Homeland Security and the Coast Guard you have to name the vessel and its hailing port to obtain your documentation.  So, years ago when it came time to name our boat, which we worked hard for and we’re fortunate to finally get, I took the matter seriously.  I wanted a name that reminded me of good dealing, clean hands, equity and honor.  So I named her Covenant.  I thought the name would best represent our faith, goodwill, meaningful alliances and promises we make with others and our consequential relationships with much of the universe.  And, I’m equally proud of her name as the American flag she flies.

Recently I’ve had some dark thoughts about people’s obligations to mortgage companies and other creditors in these tough and trying economic times.  Those small lingering thoughts of default; the breaking of a promise and the premeditations of allowing one’s self to break a covenant with another have met a different reality and environment that give these notions birth.  Sadly, these seas are rooted politically.

I’m not referring to borrowers who have suffered a substantial or complete loss of income or those who obtained mortgages that shouldn’t have; I think those are separate matters entirely.  I’m talking about the people who have equivalents in income and other growth and income opportunities that otherwise could financially afford to maintain their present obligations and promises to lenders and simply choose not too.

Increasingly, reports of creditworthy and stable individuals are weighing the risk of future losses in real estate equity and purposely plotting strategies to benefit from mortgage default.  They reportedly move to a similar property in the same area that has gone down in value and walk on their present loan(s).  How they get financing remains a question to me?

Many have coordinated time lines to maximize withdrawals on remaining credit lines, equity loans and have somehow balanced in their mind a cost benefit factor of living with derogatory credit report.  Just the thought of that is a big reach for me and I grow increasingly worried about this situational ethic, off-the-rack culture and what that will mean for self worth of America’s children and our investment reputation in the financial world.

But, this is what I have to say to the real estate brokers and agents at Realty World…  Please stay clear of any involvement in a transaction that smells of this.  Even in times of desperation your self worth and personal integrity has greater equity than a commission from a transaction that is part and parcel to this behavior.

I understand economic waters may be rough; I’m right there with you.  But we have navigated through tough currents before and during these times, and while trying as they may be it brings me no justification to change the name of my boat.

I hope you feel the same way.

Scott LeForce
President
scott.leforce@rwnc.net

Going through the people that follow me on Twitter, email me, or send me messages on Facebook I am constantly shocked at the names people choose for themselves and still expect for me to take them seriously. Here are some common sense tips that will help ensure others who follow or email you are doing so for the right reason.

Tip #1 – Use your name - This makes it easier for someone to search for you and also eases their mind that they are in fact emailing/following/contacting YOU, not whoever “Darkman8765″ happens to be.

Tip #2 – Remember your business - If you’re using social media, or even creating an email account, for business remember that it should include your business or industry name. For example, my business Twitter handle is @RealtyWorldErin, my email is erin.robbins@rwnc.net, etc. It’s hard for someone to know that you’re a Realtor if your Twitter name is @ILovePuppies and your email address is doglover26@yahoo.com.

Tip #3 – Don’t hide your information – If you’re wondering why no one is following you on Twitter or requesting you as a friend on Facebook it might be because you’re not telling people you’re available on those outlets. Put them in your email signature and link them to each other so people are reminded.

Erin Robbins
Social Media & Marketing Director
erin.robbins@rwnc.net

***NOTE: This is a repost of a discussion topic from the Realty World NCA Facebook Group Page, also posted on the Realty World NCA Facebook Fan Page. Feel free to follow up on any of the posted areas for feedback.***

Hi there all! I recently received a question from Patty Manzi that I thought might benefit the rest of you. It regards Twitter applications for mobile devices.

I will be covering this information deeper in a series of social media training sessions around the region coming up very soon, but wanted to give you my thoughts on it briefly now as well.

If you’re using Twitter but not syncing it up with a smartphone (assuming you have one) you’re really making more work for yourself. Your mobile device is one of the best ways to send the kind of “top of mind” local advice that people are coming to you to get.

If you’re on an iPhone, I recommend Tweetie as a simple, clean Twitter interface that costs very little (under $5 I believe) via the app store. If you’re looking for something different, check out this article on Mashable discussing Twitter clients for the iPhone.

If you’re on a BlackBerry, I’d recommend TwitterBerry. It has been around for a while and has proven itself as a reliable source. Of course, if you’d like to do some research on your own, check out this video comparison of some BlackBerry Twitter clients for more information.

One cool Twitter app that works from ANY mobile camera phone is TwitPic. This service allows you to sign up online and then assigns you a unique email address which you save to your phone’s address book. You can then take pictures with your phone and then send them to this unique email address that posts directly to Twitter. The subject line of the email becomes the text in the tweet – so be sure you remember that this will be public when you send!

All in all, I would say that you can’t go wrong with the services – if one doesn’t work for you, switch to another. The only real way to go wrong is to not be using a Twitter app on your mobile device to get the real time benefits of Twitter.

Erin Robbins
Social Media & Marketing Director
erin.robbins@rwnc.net

What’s a virus? What’s spyware? Both give you a headache and they are both referred as malware at times. Malware is a general term for any type of unwanted software that infects your computer.



The main difference between viruses and spyware is the way they are spread. A virus spreads software, usually malicious in nature, from computer to computer. Viruses can erase data, corrupt files, and cause usability problems on computers that they infect. Some indications that your computer might be infected may include your computer running more slowly than normal, stops responding periodically, or restarts very frequently.



Spyware, or sometimes referred as adware, collects information about you without appropriate notice and consent. Often times spyware is unknown and hidden from the user. Unlike viruses, spyware does not usually self-replicate. Spyware can come bundled with other software. When a user downloads a program and installs it, it may additionally install the spyware. Some spyware infects computers through security holes in web browsers. When a user navigates to a website which has malware on it the spyware uses the browser security hole to download and install the spyware. Symptoms include unwanted behavior (i.e. pop up advertisements) and degradation of system performance.



There are numerous ways to prevent malware from infecting your computer. Good commercial antivirus software is advisable over free antivirus software due to the frequency of virus definition updates. If you think you may have a virus, the Microsoft Windows Live OneCare safety scanner will scan your computer for viruses at no cost. Another good starting point is to make sure that your computer is up to date with the latest bug fixes for Microsoft Windows using Windows Updates.



For spyware, I believe Microsoft Windows Defender is the best software on the market and it is free. It will protect against spyware with real-time protection, detection, and removal.



It’s great to be protected with software against malicious malware software. However, your best protection is to be smart with what you do on the computer. We all get emails from websites, (i.e. Facebook notifying us a message a friend sent or Amazon.com notifying us about an order we’ve place, etc.) which include a link in the email. This may sound fine, however, it is not wise to click on the links in the email. You have to take precautions that it isn’t a malware email sent to you. Many times, someone who has your email in their address book is infected and you are being sent an email to trick you in clicking the link, further spreading the virus to all of your friends.



I am guilty of clicking links sent to me from emails just like everyone else else. Having been there, I wanted to spread the precaution (instead of a virus) on to you so you can be careful what you click!

Read Part II – Virus Meets Spyware

Tei Baishiki
Chief Technology Officer
tei.baishiki@rwnc.net

Logorrhea? What’s that? I know… maybe I could have picked a better title. But the more I thought about it, the more I saw it fitting. Let’s start with a clear definition:

logorrhea \law-guh-REE-uh\, noun:

1. Pathologically incoherent, repetitious speech.
2. Incessant or compulsive talkativeness; wearisome volubility.

Example: By his own measure, he is a man of many contradictions, beginning with the fact that he is famous as a listener but suffers from “a touch of logorrhea.” He is so voluble that one wonders how his subjects get a word in edgewise.
– Mel Gussow, “Listener, Talker, Now Literary Lion: It’s Official.”, New York Times, June 17, 1997

Okay, now we’re past that and you’ll hopefully agree that is not something you want. I can tell your customers certainly don’t and are experts at avoiding it. Simply, they are in search for the perception of quality in a relationship with the agent they choose. The notion behind my approach in bringing this to you is simple… In struggling markets a habit that many salespeople develop is one of a compulsive nature to spew information, statistics and the like to consumers. It is a bad habit that can manifest itself into an appearance of personal desperation. I can think of a few time-share salespeople that have a terminal case of this!

What we are talking about is narrowing your focus in real estate; the shift from a general practitioner to that of a “specialist”. Why? Because the perception of quality will always reside in the mind of the customer; whether a buyer or seller in this case.

When you narrow your focus in your blogs, and other marketing channels you become more of a specialists than a generalist. You’ll agree that a specialist is typically perceived to know and understand more (or have higher quality) than that of a generalist. Would a cardiologist know more about the intricacies of the heart more than a practitioner of general medicine? Most people would think so. The perception is certainly true. This connotation is one of the reasons we label you a specialist in our system.

This is where the content of your blogs become very important. Potential customers interested in property in your ‘neck of the woods’ will probably be following you before you even know it. You can become a specialist and avoid catching logorrhea by providing content that narrows the focus to your market and the characteristics your market offers. If a customers asks about a community event you can certainly discuss that, however we should refrain from having your blog be the ‘official’ site of that event and remain focused to real estate related matters you actually specialize in.

Everyone may think they can tell a high-quality product or service from a low-quality one, but sometimes it is not that easy. Does a BMW have fewer mechanical difficulties than a Buick? Are you sure? Does a Cartier keep better time than a Seiko? Are you sure? Is an agent that specializes bank-owned properties know more about local property values than an agent who specializes in short-sale negotiations? Are you sure?

Scott LeForce
President
scott.leforce@rwnc.net

I’ll start off by saying – I am not a Realtor. Now that that’s out of the way, here’s the post:

I recently had a conversation with a colleague about viewing houses for sale and he remarked at how arduous the task had become. After talking for a few moments about what had caused the disenchantment with the homes he’d viewed, I came to find that he had been excited about the thought of owning a home but had seen nothing but tons of work in front of him.

Some examples:

• Homes that had pools needed to be cleaned, algae and dirty water made owning the pool seem like a chore instead of a luxury.
• Lawns were strewn with toys, tools, dead plants or weeds – making the lawn an eyesore that would need to be cleaned up instead of a beautiful frame for the house or a place for kids to play.

The list continued, as did my colleagues frustration with the homes he’d seen. I figured there was a simple fix – spend that time making the home’s features just that – features. Instead of turning luxuries into labor-intensive areas, make the yard, pool, large windows, or whatever stunning showcase items your home has a selling point not a stopping point.

Erin Robbins
Social Media & Marketing Director
erin.robbins@rwnc.net

If you’re a Realtor in California, you probably know that the annual California Association of Realtor’s conference in San Jose is coming up in October. If you’re registered for the CAR Conference already, come a day early to ReBarCamp on Monday, October 5 from 8:30-4:30. If you’re not registered for the conference come to ReBarCamp on Monday for a day of free networking, idea-sharing and knowledge on social media. Why should you go?

If you are a tech newbie, you should come check out ReBarCamp to hear from others in the industry about what’s working for them, ways you can get involved, and have a full day of free crash-course info on social media.

If you’re a social media expert, you should come share all that knowledge with other in the field by hosting a session of your own. The format of barcamps is that there is no set schedule and attendees can create and lead sessions based on demand.

If you’re somewhere in the middle, come to barcamp to do both, learn a few things and teach us some things as well – everyone wins!

Make sure you RSVP here and come have fun – I hope to see you there!

PS – ReBarCamps are a casual day, so dust off the Levi’s and comfy shoes – If you come find me, @RealtyWorldErin (Erin Robbins) at the event I’ll be giving out the FIRST edition of a series of t-shirts.

I recently posted a blog about rebranding yourself titled Rebranding Your Cow So Your Buyer Can Find It so your customer could find you in this rapidly forming mountain of consumer generated information, social networks and other sites growing in the Internet. And, while your marketing, prospecting and relationship building skills must be adjusted to these new forms of media; your personal skills will ultimately be called on by the all demanding consumer. So, if you think that you can survive in real estate with only some technical savvy and a high powered PC, you’re sorely mistaken.

In fact, I believe your personal relationship skills will be called on even more in the days ahead, especially with advertising being shifted to conversations rather than the old push methods that generally had a “selling” message. If you’re in your forties you may even recall a time when you used the services of a travel agent to purchase plane tickets. Now that experience seems like a distant memory as you use online programs to obtain information and “buy” the service for yourself.

Unlike the simple purchase of a plane ticket, real estate, among other things, is a different animal and consumers are going to have questions and shop. The shopping part is going to be relegated to your use of technology and the question part is going to be all you, “unplugged” as they say today!

The crossroad is where your relationship and trial closing skills have been called upon through your implementation of good tech habits and systems that help attract consumers. As I write this today, Facebook is the fourth most visited site in the world trailing only Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo sites, according to comScore. Social networks are ultimately about friendships, where members add value to each other’s lives through interaction.

This interaction is all about your knowledge and personal relationship skill sets. It is about meeting and greeting the consumer; establishing rapport; seeking needs and confirming those needs to be true; isolating customer indifference from objection; providing supporting statements and finally asking for the close.

Nothing could be less technical. The road ends leads directly to your raw talent and abilities as a professional salesperson, product specialist and steward of exceptional customer service.

Scott LeForce
President
scott.leforce@rwnc.net