Mistakes, Responsibilities and Opportunities

October 16, 2006

Sometimes “stuff happens” and things go wrong, it can and will happen to event most diligent people and organizations.   In my mind it is how these situations are handled that define the people and the organization.  This is just a little story about “one of those times”.  

So the Point Agent Academy had a spectacularly successful training session with Michael Russer, aka Mr. Internet.  These sessions are run by Lorena Del Frari who does a wonderful job of arranging, organizing and executing the sessions.  Some might say that Loren is a little bit “anal” but in fact she is just thorough.  The Russer session had the most members subscribe in the short history of the P2A Academy, with over 1000 people signing up.  Of course as Murphy’s law would have it we ran into a few problems.  Because of the volume of attendees a different conference call number was needed and some of our early email communications went out with the wrong number.  We worked diligently to re-email the correct phone number but it arrived too late or wasn’t checked by many members.  Many called in we opened and manned additional lines to get people into the conference call. 

 Lorena also emailed all attendees and took full responsibility for the error and offered a free neighborhood for a quarter to all those involved and posted a copy of the call at http://p2a.point2.com/academy/archive.asp . It should be up there in the next week or so and if you haven’t heard the call you ought to listen to as Michael Russer provided some great insights and education for real estate professionals or sales people of any kind.   In any case I thought I would include a few of the responses to Lorena’s email apology that turned a Mistake into an opportunity.   Here they are:We are all human (hopefully) and accidents happen, no big deal. I have always considered Point2Agent a class act and your response has reconfirmed my assessment. I like an organization that is human, considerate and responsive. Who knows I might be human some day toooooooo. You Are The Best. Say hello to the rest of my friends at Point2Agent.  Daniel FooteGrowth
Opportunity Realtyhttp://www.growthopportunityrealty.com/ 

 ***********************************  Thank you for taking care of this issue and for the neighborhood.  Most people would only re-schedule… the free ‘neighborhood’ is another reason that your service continues to be the best in the market and anther reason I reccommeded your service to my broker.  (So far he has signed up 6 more people…)    Michelle R. Krinsky, PAAvalar Florida Real Estate Services Inc.http://www.4tampabay.com ***********************************   Thank you for all you are doing.  I look forward to getting the recording and hope I can listen in next time and appreciate the free neighborhood  You’re the best.  Nancy R. Craige, ABR, SRESwww.NancyCraig.com *********************************** 

  Just wanted to let you know that I missed a few minutes at the beginning of the session until I got the right phone number – but it was absolutely worth the effort of getting the right number.  This was THE BEST telephone session I have been involved with and I wanted you and Michael to know how much I enjoyed it.  I think it’s the first time I haven’t been reading a book while listening to the speaker.  I would love to attend again the next time you do this. Renee Good, Broker & Accredited Staging Professionalhttp://www.reneeg.com/ 

 ***********************************  You probably feel bad. But don’t worry. You are so professional that nobody is going to think the less. Things happen.  Jim Broline,
Hinsdale Real Estatehttp://jimbroline.point2agent.com/ ***************************************  Thanks so much for the great customer service. NEVER have I received so much info, knowledge and instruction from an online company!  Great job and follow-up!!  Juanita Simkins,
Colorado Springs Real Estatehttp://www.juanitasimkins.com/ ****************************************

 Sorry about the mixup for the Russer session today !  Please don’t take the snafu too personally.  We all make mistakes and recover from them, as will you.  Your efforts to re-schedule, offer a neighborhood, etc are beyond what is necessary.  I guess what I am trying to say is that from my experience you bring an incredible talent to a very tough position.  Through it all you are always upbeat, focused, and sooo professional.  Just keep doing what you do so well.  Maybe a laugh and a beer.  An appreciative customer.  Bill Gillhespy, Bill Sells
Fort Myers Beachhttp://www.billsellsfortmyersbeach.com/  ****************************************************** 

Thank you for your Customer Service pertaining to this issue… I look forward to listening and then attending another session by Mr. Russer. John Palmay, The Palmay Grouphttp://johnpalmay.point2agent.com/ ****************************************  Lorena, this is very generous. I did try to get on and missed the program, but I should have checked my other emails, so part of the blame is on me.  I would love to have a recording of the session! You are an excellent ambassador, representative and spokesperson for Point2Agent, and I am most impressed with your company! Eve Busse, RE/MAX Results Realtyhttp://evebusse1.point2agent.com/

  ***************************************************  You really are a very kind person.  It’s great to work with people like you.  I’m glad I was able to “plug in” even after it had started.  It was a great opportunity and I want to thank you for it.  Thanks also for those “goodies” you offer us on behalf of “human being mistakes”.   I’m sure you must be under a lot of stress to try and put these trainings together, so for my part thanks again a whole lot!!! Toni Kuilan, Brokers/Owners, PR Ideal Realtyhttp://www.kuilanpr.com/ *********************************************   Thanks for handling this snag so well – I certainly do appreciate all that you have pulled together for those of us who missed all or part of the call. I am looking forward to listening to the full call, and will check out some of the neighborhoods. Lynn Karlin, Broker Associate,Boulder
County Real Estatehttp://lynnkarlin.point2agent.com/  ***************************************  Thank you for your offer it very nice of you and I will take your offer. by the way you do an outstanding job things like this sometime happen you still#1 in my list, have a wonderful week end. And thank you once more. Javier Salgado, Century 21 Realtyhttp://javiersalgado.point2homes.biz/ 

3 Comments | Blogroll, Personal Experience, Real Estate Industry, news, real estate Marketing | Permalink
Posted by Brendan King

Tempatle vs Custom or Software vs Website?

September 20, 2006

I read a lot about “Custom Sites” and how much better they are then a “template” site.  Usually the reasons for them being better relate to:·         SEO (Search Engine Optimization)  benefits·         Look and feel – all template sites look the same Rather then discuss the merits of these points, which are questionable at best, I think it apropos to explore what the definition of a “template” site is?  Are our sites template sites simply by the virtue of the fact that we give our agents a starting point? This argument I think would be silly. In fact, our system looks more like a development environment such as, say, front page then it does a simple fill in the blanks type template site. 

In any case check out these sites designed using our system, do they all look the same? http://www.vreas.com/   http://www.repav.com/   http://www.eliterm.com/  http://www.marysebastian.com/    http://www.prescottlandagent.com/    http://www.michaelurie.com/    http://www.cincinnatirealestatesite.com/   http://www.houseinnashville.com   http://www.homesandlandidaho.com/ 

They look quite different but I must admit that sometimes a custom site can be truly unique.  If this were all there were to the debate it could still be a good discussion.  The fact is that the outward facing sites above are like the cover a book.  It is what is inside and behind the scenes that counts. Rather then telling you myself let me use the words of a designer that uses our product to build websites for realtors.  Here are here words as posted on a Real Talk forum with respect to a site (http://www.david-winter.com/ ) she developed with our software: 

Ø       Suzanne!  Wow!  That is some amazing work!  Terrific job, both sites
> look awesome!  Kudos to you, you’re a terrific designer.  I’d love to
> know more about how you do it – how does it work?  Does Point2 allow
> you to upload or give you some kind of parameter that you ‘plug’ into
> your design?
>I answered Cheryl off-list yesterday and just realized that I didn’t
answer some of her questions about how Point2 customization works.

Basically, some of the templates available only to Professional
subscribers allow modification of certain “custom content” areas of
each page and of certain areas of the templates themselves. The HTML
for content areas can be directly modified. For some areas of the
pages, images can be uploaded from my desktop. For other areas, I can
point to images on my server in my html image tags, then P2a’s server
“grabs” my images and ports them to P2a’s server. There is no FTP
function in the conventional sense.

Point2 also does some amazing rocket-science stuff by creating button
and other images “on the fly” to match color schemes; I’ve never asked
how they do it but my educated guess is that they use Flash Generator
on their servers.

With a lot of study, exploration, and millions of emails back and forth
between me and Jennifer Anderson, P2a’s wonderful support person, I
figured out a lot of ways to work both in and around the system to
create customized pages.

This process gave me enormous appreciation for Point2′s engineering. As
anyone who has looked at my Web site knows, I feel strongly against
most template systems after having done design work for Realtsolutions,
Intelitouch and Homeseekers.com. I’m glad that Jennifer encouraged and
supported my efforts to learn the P2 system; it is quite an engineering
marvel.

I am really excited that there’s a way for agents, brokers and builders
to have highly customized sites with Point2′s powerful back office
system at a tiny fraction of the cost of fully custom site development.
I personally know of
Silicon Valley brokerages that have spent
literally $ millions developing their own brokerage sites because of
the high cost of database backend development., So I  think Point2 is
quite a bargain. If you currently use a Point2 free site and have been
frustrated by it, you have no way to appreciate what can be done with a
Professional site, so I encourage you to try their two-week free trial.
(And I don’t have anything to gain by your using Point2 or upgrading
your account.)

Suzanne

Suzanne Hathcock Stephens
Point2 Design Partner
http://www.SuzStephens.com/p2a/ 

5 Comments | Lead Capture, Real Estate Industry, real estate Marketing, real estate websites | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Brendan King

Public Comments from Globe Story

September 18, 2006

The Public Comments from the story below are quite intersting.

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Posted by Brendan King

Canadian MLS News – “Realtors battle over access to listing service”

September 18, 2006

Check this article that was printed in the Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, Monday Sept 18th 

Realtors battle over access to listing service

Rift between full-service, discount brokers may lead to higher fees for sellers

PAUL WALDIE AND JANE GADD From Monday’s Globe and MailA battle is brewing behind the scenes of
Canada’s booming real estate market that could change the way homes are sold in this country and hike fees consumers pay for some real estate agent services.The dispute centres around the use of the Multiple Listing Service and it pits so-called full-service realtors against discount brokers who operate largely on-line and charge far lower commissions.Full-service brokers want to tighten the rules governing how agents list homes on MLS. They say the system has been flooded with properties from discount brokers who provide few real estate services and simply list houses on MLS for a fee. They argue that has diluted the effectiveness of MLS and led to inaccurate information for buyers.Discount brokers counter by saying their rivals are trying to change the rules in order to protect their lucrative commissions, typically 5 per cent of the sale price of a house. The discount agents argue they offer consumers an important choice about how to sell their home.“The changes [to the MLS] will definitely hinder our business,” said Ian Martin, chief executive officer of
Vancouver’s Erealty.ca, which charges a commission of 0.5 per cent on a sale. “But also it’s going to end up costing the consumer, our clients, more money.”While the debate had raged largely among real estate agents, the Competition Bureau has entered the fray by expressing concern about the proposed changes, saying they could be anti-competitive. The MLS system has been around for more than 50 years. It started as a way for agents to share information about homes for sale and it has become a key resource for realtors, buyers and sellers. Only real estate agents can list properties on MLS and local real estate boards operate the service in their market.The debate about changing MLS access started in July when the Canadian Real Estate Association’s board of directors proposed amendments to the rules governing listings. The 86,000-member group, which is dominated by full-service realtors, owns the MLS trademark.At the time, the board said it was acting to protect the MLS trademark, which it said had become undermined by listings that “did not require sufficient realtor involvement in the transaction.” Under the board’s proposals, agents would have to inspect a home before it could be listed and agree to work with other realtors throughout the sale process, including arranging compensation. The proposals will be voted on by delegates to a special assembly this week in
Halifax. The Competition Bureau has reviewed the proposals and in a letter to the CREA last month, the bureau said it had trouble understanding why they were needed given that the MLS trademark did not appear to be under threat. The bureau added that it has concerns about rules “that serve to exclude entry-only and limited-service listing from MLS or otherwise restrict the ability of consumers to obtain the variety of relationships that they want with a broker.” Many realtors say the proposed changes were aimed largely at companies such as Realtysellers, which operates mainly in
Ontario and specializes in helping people sell their home themselves. For a fee of $695, Realtysellers will list a home for sale on MLS and direct inquiries to the seller. The seller then handles the sale and decides how much of a commission, if any, to pay the buyer’s broker.David Pearce, a former long-time director of the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB), says putting restrictions on MLS isn’t good for competition. Mr. Pearce, who runs Re/Max Rouge River Realty, doesn’t like flat-fee services that dump properties on to MLS, but he said consumers have a right to decide. “Just because I think it’s a dumb business plan, why should I care?” he said. “Let [other realtors] do it.”Last month, the directors of the TREB voted to reject the CREA’s proposed changes. In a letter to the association, TREB president Dorothy Mason said the proposals raise serious concerns and require more consultation. Directors of the Greater Montreal Real Estate Board have also asked to have the proposals withdrawn. However, many agents and real estate boards in
Western Canada, where the market has been extremely strong, favour the proposed changes.Bob Linney, a spokesman for the CREA, said the proposals are designed to protect the trademark. “It’s entirely a trademark issue. It is not aimed at any one particular business model,” he said. “Fees are always negotiable.”As for the Competition Bureau, Mr. Linney said the association has “an ongoing dialogue” with the bureau about a range of issues. It also has a legal opinion that says its proposed changes will not restrict competition. Mr. Linney added that delegates will have the final say at the meeting in
Halifax. “Nothing has been decided and we don’t want to comment until it has been decided.” 

 

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Posted by Brendan King

Summer Is Over

September 18, 2006

OK!  We had a busy summer and I have been neglecting this blog.  I am looking foward to getting back at it.  If anyone has real estate marketing topics to discuss lets hear ‘em!

Leave a Comment » | news | Permalink
Posted by Brendan King

June 28, 2006

Sometimes you get a message/email that brings out a sense of nostalgia that reminds you of where you been, who you are and what makes you what you are.  I received one of those today.  It was a bit of a blast from the past.  The fellow below was one of the first people I hired in a company I started. Ahhh the sweet smell of nostalgia.  That said, I can’t believe he lasted in the retail industry for that long – he truly is a gem of a guy and a professional to boot. 

Good day; 

After nearly 14 years of being in the computer business the time has come for me to say farewell.  I have been offered and have accepted a position in another industry.  My last day here is Friday, June 30th. 

While I look forward to, and am excited about, a new career the change will be bittersweet.  The relationships I have developed over the years with many of you have been rewarding . .. . and will be missed.  It has been my pleasure to work with you, and I wish you all great success and happiness.   

Your account with CompuSmart will be well looked-after by Miles Johnson, who has over 17 years experience in the computer industry.  You can reach Miles by e-mail at mjohnson@compusmart.sk.ca, or by phone at 244-4300 ext. 232. 

I hope our paths cross again in the near future . . .  

Best regards, 

Jeff 

Jeff BowyerSenior Account ManagerCompuSmart Solutions Group550 Circle Dr East,
Saskatoon, SK
S7K 0T8 Phone:    306-244-4300 Ext 237 Toll-free: 888-617-6278 Ext 237jbowyer@compusmart.sk.cawww.compusmart.com

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Posted by Brendan King

Features Features Features

June 9, 2006

Did you know that 80% of new feature requests from Microsoft Office are for features they already have?  It’s true.  This must have ticked off Gates and Balmer.  They are completely revamping the interface for Microsoft Office 2007 and planning to release it under the cover of the new Windows Vista release.  The jury is out on whether they are geniuses or morons. 

In any case, this new interface will certainly impact the face of existing and future software from all vendors.  This LINK shows 33 different screen shots of the new user interface.  Enjoy

Leave a Comment » | User Interface, news | Permalink
Posted by Brendan King

http://www.limbo41414.com/

May 31, 2006

Okay so it has been a while since my last blog.  I have been busy, life is like that sometime.  At point we have released our sms/text messaging notification system. We are calling it “Real Alerts”.  Cute.  Our members can now have certain events trigger text messages with prospects phone numbers straight to their cell phones.  Consumers expect a response within 4 hours and now our members can make it happen. This stuff is in beta and all our members can access it to some degree.  Even our standard members that are paying nothing.  We are paying for the text messages.  This leads me to my next point – Limbo.

Talk about cute names.  Limbo, how low can you go?  This  is a neat new service that takes advantage of some of the intricacies of text messaging. For all incoming SMS messages, an additional per-call charge can be levied Did you know that when all those teenagers text for their favorite idol it costs them. For example, voters for American Idol were charged 10 cents per SMS vote; AT&T received 8 million SMS votes during the second season. Fees  can go as high as 50 cents per vote or even higher.  This per-call charge generates revenues, can help to hold down high call volumes, and can qualify callers so they have a genuine interest in the product or event.

However, it can also do something else, as in the case of Limbo.  Limbo is a service that holds “auctions” where people can “bid” on items.  The lowest unique bid wins. I.E. the lowest bid that nobody else also bid, hence “Limbo, how low can you go”.  Bidders can bid any where from 1 cent to whatever they desire. The catch is that the bids have to be sent in via SMS.  This generates revenue for Limbo.   Recently someone lucky texter won a Hummer for $36.65! This means they texted in the number 3665 and that was the lowest unique bid.  I wonder how many people texted in 20, 500, 2000 or even 3000, likely many. I bet Limbo made quite a bit more then the cost of the Hummer on this one.

Interesting stuff, I would like to hear people’s thoughts on this one.

Here is the link: http://www.limbo41414.com/

7 Comments | Lead Capture, SMS, news | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Brendan King

Real Trends – Gathering of Eagles Day one Part Two

May 6, 2006

Steve Murray closed out the first morning with research and observations from talking to many brokers. He had some very insightful comments and some obvious comments. In the obvious column is the observation that the Internet has taken away the ability for Realtors to be the gatekeepers of the data. 

Brokers and Agents now say, that almost without exception, clients come to  them with a list of homes to see.  Buyer’s agency used to be a joke but are now needed to guarantee compensation because of the Internet.Brokers are also reporting experiencing “Technology Exhaustion”  as they are overwhelmed with Internet/tech companies calling on them.  They are having a tough time sorting truth from fiction.

NAR is reporting homes sales only declining 1% in the last quarter.  Brokers are not saying the same thing.  Many are experiencing drops of 10% to 20%.  Alex, CEO of Cendant said same thing,  It is funny to me that it seems that most Brokers and consultants are questioning the validity of NAR’s results rather then  trying to find out where the sales have gone.  In a slowing market, traditionally the discount brokers suffer as there is a flight to “quality”.  Maybe something different is happening this time around.  We will have to keep an eye on that.

Industry is reporting increased channel confusion due to the web.

Again, in the obvious column but important to not is the relentless compression of margins in real estate and all the industries around real estate (mortgage, insurance, title, appraisal etc.)

In the afternoon I thought I would attend the “Changing Nature of the MLS” session.  It had David Charron, MRSI, Inc., Chris Eigel, Koenig & Strey GMAC Realty, Bryan Foreman, First American MLS Solutions, Inc., and Scott Tobias, Watson Realty, ERA. I was hoping to discover something about the “changing” aspect of the talk’s title.  Instead I heard some fear and defiance.  Charron tacitly acknowledged that MLSs are scared of the new models.  He feels that they are going after the MLS’s greatest point of weakness – the consumer and ultimately referrals (which he acknowledged as the “white elephant in the room”.  He is scared that consumers value competence over personality.  Wow shocker! NOT!  I don’t care how difficult a Realtor is if he can get me an extra 10 grand I will put up with it.  He did recognized that the content is valuable and that Brokers own it.  Still, nobody on the panel will acknowledge that consumers are going to DRIVE the transaction and that they will DEMAND that their listings are advertised everywhere,  I wanted to stand up and ask them, if their son or daughter were selling a house would you still talk about them (the seller) in the same way?  Everything you would do for them you should do for all your other customers.

Charron also pointed out that 20% of agents had NO sides in a transaction last year, and cracked that everyone wants to have the public to have access to the MLS – well we already have that. So goes the thinking …

Charron also says that Realtors have to reaffirm their co-operation model (IMO a grab for more power for the MLS) on threat that if they don’t band together the moto will become “list for free and sell for three”.

He left us with four possible futures for the MLS:

  • Change to meet brokers needs and continue on as is
  • Large firms pull out – leading to chaos -         
  • MLS Regulated to a utility by DOJ (this will be in his opinion the end of the industry)-         
  • Or Just wait …. (and who knows what).

Chris the broker feels that MLS had always been a given but not anymore.Chris basically postulated that the MLS should be:-         

  • A centralized data source-         
  • Professional organization ensuring co-operative guidelines, ethics, rules are followed-         
  • Maybe some transaction management-         
  • Should be regional in size. Not to big not too small

And what the MLS should not be

  • A Brand (as FSBO’s should not be b./c it empowers them)-         
  • Not competition for the broker ( no public site ) or any public services
  • Not in between Agent and Broker in any way
  •  No services-         
  • No Public adverting at allHe believes (and I think he is right) that all organizations want to be bigger and tend to try and grow.Foreman

from 1st American MLS was the most misguided (sorry Brian).  He feels that brokers are giving away their business.  The one thing he is correct on is this:   that brokers have been abdicating their responsibility.  MLSs have been run by partime agents, agents that couldn’t cut and brand new agents. Yet these agents make the hugely important choices that profoundly affect brokers.  This could very well be true.

Foreman then went on to say that his company has built for these MLS’s many misguided, expensive and costly “features” that MLS’s ask for, this even though “He knows that they are horrible ideas”.  Wow. Foreman feels that the data should be totally restricted to brokers and hidden from the public and doled out like treasures. He has probably the most restrictive ideas I have heard so far.

Scott Tobias from Watson told a story about starting his own MLS to try and ensure a higher quality standard of service was adhered to.  Agents in his MLS inBakersfield were fined, as they should be , for infractions.  He had to fold his MLS as other brokers were joining both and it started to hurt his agents.  This just points out the weakness of current mls structures.  All members are forced to co-operate and associate with other members even if they don’t agree with their level of service or even ethics and are therefore tarred with the same brush.

Day one complete – more to come for day two

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Posted by Brendan King

Real Trends Gathering of Eagles – Live from the Front

May 5, 2006

News from the front!

I am attending the Real Trends "Gathering of Eagles" and am going to attempt to provide updates and tidbits, here goes:

A little birdie told me that the Inman news article titled "Prudential opens real estate Web metrics to sellers" was rushed to beat the soon coming hush hush announcement by Realtor.com or Move.com (or whatever else they want to call themselves) of their own seller login area. Apparently Russ Caper has an inside source at Homestore and felt the need to steal their thunder.  Too bad we did three years ago.  I guess we need to shout it out louder.

Cara Heiden of Wells Fargo Home Mortage gave the opening talk and it was interesting.  What was more interesting was that she refused to answer the second question she was asked: " Does Wells Fargo have plans in place to enter the Real Estate industry should banks be allowed to enter it".  In fact, the moderator stepped in and said that it was agreed the question could not be asked.  IMO the silence speaks volumes.

Justin McCarthy of Google spoke next. No surprises, although he did clarify what base.google.com is and what it is not.  It is, according to Justin:

  • Free Distribution tool
  • A platform to upload to Google
  • A better search tool for consumers

What it is not is:

  • A Broker
  • A fee based lead generator
  • An end to end solution

He also said the Google has no plans to do analytics over the brokers data and sell it to others.

Then we had Alex Perriello, CEO of Cendant.  Alex is a lot more enlightened then I expected. He understands the need for rich information and the role and MLS ought to play.  He said " We (brokers) are being  out-marketed by eight year old kids on eBay selling baseball cards" He recognizes that it is a "crime" that "most listings have one photo that looks like it was taken from a speeding vehicle."  and he thinks it is "sad" that only 14 percent of realtor.com listings are enhanced.

He also recognizes that consumer demand empowerment and quick response.  He believes that brokers own the data and should do the marketing themselves. In answer to my question he said that MLSs don't have the flexibility to do the marketing and that should be left to the broker.  I agree.

more to come …

7 Comments | Photos, Real Estate Industry, Syndication, real estate Marketing, search | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Brendan King

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