Category Archives: Techie Stuff

Our Clients’ Safety is Important!

  By Patty | April 28, 2012 - 11:19 am | ,
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Safety is a relevant and important topic in the real estate industry.  Heck, safety is an important topic for any industry or individual.  Our clients and all real estate professionals are at risk more often than any other group.  The nature of the business requires you to meet with strangers, spend time in a car with those strangers, enter vacant properties or buildings and hold open houses by yourself.

At the recent RETSO conference in Atlanta, I learned about a “Safety App” from Shannon King with Schoolhouse Realty, called  MyForce.com.    This App was the winner of the 2011 People’s Choice Stevie Award for favorite New Product or Service of the Year.  Pretty impressive!

“MyForce is an innovative security service that acts as your mobile bodyguard and arms you or your loved ones against would-be attackers with the touch of a button on your smartphone.“   It’s available on the iPhone, Android or Blackberry.

Here’s how it works!  Next time you’re sitting at an open house or leaving the office late at night, simply launch the MyForce App.  If a situation arises and you need help, the alert button is right on your phone.  Once you hit the alert button, your phone screen goes black and the MyForce app begins operating in “stealth mode.”  Your phone will records what is happening, the monitoring team begins listening, tracking your location via GPS and alerting the proper authorities.

When it comes to safety, cost is irrelevant.  At only $11.99/month or $120/year, MyForce is an affordable, sweet deal.  Plus, additional subscribers on your account will get a 50% discount!  What are you waiting for… check it out today!

We hope this is one App you never have to use!  Here’s to much success and safety in 2012!

 

 

[wpsr_socialbts]

 

TABLET APPS FOR THE MOBILE REALTOR

  By Patty | April 17, 2012 - 6:55 am | ,
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AnotherME Virtual Assistants just returned from the RETSO (REtechSouth) conference, where we spent an amazing 3 days of learning, networking and connecting with our real estate friends and clients.  If you haven’t been to a RETSO conference, I highly recommend you add it to your budget and your calendar for next spring!

Pam Sherlock - Listing Coordinator Extraordinaire – attended Amy Chorew’s “Tablet Tips” session and took lots of notes!

She put together the following list of Apps for both iPad and Android tablets reviewed in Amy’s session.  Apps for contracts, open houses, file storage (in the cloud) or video – there’s at least one app that a  realtor could incorporate into their business today …and see results!

 

TABLET APPS FOR DAY-TO-DAY USE

Dropbox:     File sharing. FREE 2GB account!
Keynote:    Presentation software for iPad, iPhone and iPod. $9.99
ZipForms:    Complete and sign forms on your mobile device. $12.95/year
PDFExpert:    Read, annotate, highlight, draw and save documents as PDF. $9.99
SignMyIpad:    PDF signature tool for iPad. $3.99
iAnnotate:    Read and make notes on any PDF document – on your iPad. $9.99
TourNarrator:    Capture client feedback about a property on your iPhone or iPad. $1.99
IDreamAgent:    Complement to any real estate app. Take your own photos, make your own notes,  share thoughts, etc., about a property. $4.99
Tout:    Short video status updates to share through Twitter or Facebook. FREE

(And finally, we think this one ROCKS!)

OpenHomePro:    #1 most downloaded real estate app! Manage leads, create listing presentations and collect open house visitor data.  Potential buyers can leave feedback. $3.99

As you move your business to working “virtual” and “mobile” add a few of these apps and watch your productivity increase!  And if you need some help incorporating these tools into your business, give us a call!   We’ve been working virtually for years!

 

image credit: worldlink mobile apps

Trinity, Is There Really a “Matrix”? Yes, Neo, It’s Called QR Codes!

  By Patty | November 4, 2010 - 10:38 am | ,
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Have you all heard of the latest technology being developed today for those people with mobile devices? It’s called a QR Code.  This is a marketing bonanza for real estate brokers and agents to direct potential clients to websites, videos, contact information, virtual tours or music in just a few seconds!

What is a QR Code? Basically, it’s a lot like the barcodes you are familiar with today, but a QR Code is a two-dimensional matrix which can be scanned by a smartphone or a mobile phone with a camera to download all the information it contains!

Have no idea what I’m talking about or how it could possibly relate to the real estate industry? Take a look at the following video featuring numerous ways QR Codes can open up those windows of opportunity! After the video, if you would like to read more about QR Codes, read my new post Jump Into the Marketing Matrix with QR Codes! on ActiveRain.com.

If you have questions about building your Social Media Marketing… but just don’t have an extra 2 or 3 hours to do it each month, call Patty Keller at AnotherMe 770-414-9393 for a personal quote for your business!  Don’t Worry About It!  A Real Estate Virtual Assistant can do this Internet stuff for you!

Ask about our Nardigras Discount!

Top 4 Ultimate Facebook Marketing Failures

  By Patty | October 12, 2010 - 12:06 pm | ,
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Are you familiar with the myriad of ways you can commit Facebook Marketing Failures?  Facebook is a great social media marketing tool that can drive your business into the future or collapse it around your ankles if you don’t pay attention to what you are doing.

Have you botched up the way people view your business because of bad Facebook techniques? Let’s take a look at the Top 4 Ultimate Facebook Marketing Failures.

1. Fail to Create a Facebook Fan Page.
According to Susan Payton, the Managing Partner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an Internet marketing firm specializing in blogger outreach, social media, and PR, “If you’re a business owner, you really need to set up a Fan Page, or else you risk being left behind as more businesses shift to social networks like Facebook.” Not sure how to create a Facebook Fan Page? Here is a link to Susan’s article on Mashable.com entitled “HOW TO: Set Up a Winning Facebook Fan Page.”

2. Post a Picture of You and Your Kids as Your Profile Pic.
Why would you post a photo of your family and pets on your business Fan Page? Potential clients and businesses want to see YOU not your kids and the family pets. This should be a no-brainer.

3. Tag Indiscriminately.
This can be a dangerous tool in the hands of the indiscriminate professional. Be extremely careful who you tag and for goodness sake, take a look and see what they are doing in the photo. For example, don’t tag someone in a photo where they are picking their nose!

4. Use Bad Grammar.
It’s really tacky and bad form for a professional to post an update to Facebook and misspell words or use bad grammar. It only leaves the reader with the thought of how stupid you look. Read your updates before you post them.

If you would like to read more, take a look at Joel Chue’s article on “Facebook Marketing Mistakes You Need to Avoid.”

Photo courtesy of Oliver Lindner



It works for Righties or Lefties – DocuSign

  By Patty | November 12, 2009 - 1:21 pm | ,
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You know the drill. Just sign here, here, here …and initial here, here, here and here… and when your fingers are cramping and numb, we’ll have ourselves a legal document.

The paperwork in a real estate transaction – from listing to closing – can be a real time-drain for all involved.  On some deals, all those signatures and initials just might necessitate a physical therapy appointment.

DocuSign offers a legal, secure electronic signature service guaranteed to reduce the wear-and-tear on schedules and fine motor skills.  Did you know that an electronic signature is enforceable and legal. (even in California!)

Better yet, DocuSign Lite is a free service anyone can use right from DocuSign’s homepage! There’s no paper, no account to set up, no cost or credit card number to provide. Simply upload the document that requires a signature and enter the email address of the recipient. Your recipient gets an email message from DocuSign notifying them of a document to be signed and you receive an emailed receipt confirming that the process is complete.

For more information, here is a link to the DocuSign blog.  If you’re a Mortgage professional, an REO Professional or a Real Estate Professional, take a moment to read through the section dedicated to the real estate industry.

Learn how DocuSign can speed up the process for everyone on both sides of a transaction.  And if you’re headed to NAR – you can check out their booth.  Tell them AnotherME sent you!

Pen

So when you hear, “where do I sign?”… now you can tell your clients, just click here, here, here and here…

Is your Laptop Hot?

  By Patty | September 6, 2009 - 9:33 pm | ,
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Over the summer months, I’ve been using my laptop in the evenings to update my Facebook and Twitter accounts. And let me tell you, a laptop is hot!targus - lapton

Did you know heat is the probable a cause of some those annoying performance issues, like ‘lockups’.  And it might even be the cause of permanent damage. Yikes! What I’ve learned is that with a laptop, heat issues can be even more of a concern. (now they tell us!) All those heat producing components are tightly arranged inside a small space…so there’s not much room for a cooling system. (think tiny exhaust fan)

Use your laptop for an extended period of time and feel the bottom of it. Or feel your legs!

Well, I found a “COOL” solution for the “HOT” laptop! It’s a laptop cooling pad! I had no clue there was a product like this.

One day browsing for a thumb drive at Office Depot, I ran across this little gem. It’s a lightweight, thin “platform” that houses 2 cooling fans. (It’s the same footprint as a laptop) It plugs into your laptop and doesn’t create a big drain on the battery life either! Bottom line – less heat makes for a more efficient computer.

In case you’re wondering, I purchased the Targus brand Chill Pad, but there are others on the market as well. After using this “Cool Tool” for the past few months – I am singing its praises. I’d recommend this $30 investment (average cost) for any real estate professional who uses a laptop.

It will improve your overall computer experience and extend the life of your laptop.  While keeping you from heating up!