The monthly magazine of My Florida Regional MLS July 2011 Volume 1, Issue 3
Technology Independence!
Technology that frees us from our desks. page 6
Kurio: It’s Showing Time! Plus other Kurio enhancements! pages 8 & 9
Also in this issue...
Member Spotlight:
Kathryn Stelljes! pages 26 & 27
ENTER to WIN a movie theater gift card!
page 31
MFR booths: 406 & 408 (side-by-side), as well as 113 (MFCRE).
JOIN in the MFRMLS (Booth) Spotlight! Florida Realtors® 2011 Convention & Trade Expo Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL, Aug 25-26 (Trade Expo Dates; FREE Admission on 26th) Special guest appearance by...Elvis? You may just find the “King” is in the MFRMLS booth (also, giveaways and prizes)!
Learn more about your MFRMLS products & services!
2 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Volume 1, Issue 3
www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 3
My Florida ReSource Magazine July 2011 Volume 1, Issue 3
July 2011
My Florida Regional MLS (MFRMLS) 5032 Goddard Avenue Orlando, FL 32804
Featured
Technology Independence! Technology that frees us from our desks. page 6
TabletsSmartphones Kurio
Transaction Desk
In every issue...
8-12 MFRMLS News —Kurio Enhancements, including Showing Time integration! —Scam for Rent on Craig’s List? —PH Status Rule Change —MFRMLS Joins CoreLogic Partner InfoNet —MFRMLS Road Warriors – Trainers on the Go!
13 Commentary by MFRMLS Leadership —The Troll Under the Bridge
16 Training & Tips —Recent My Tips of the Week
18-20 Resources —No Time to Tweet? —Marketing in the Age of Do Not Call
23 Real Estate News 24-27 Spotlights —Team Member: Barbara Wheeler, Member Services Specialist —Product and Services: Transaction Desk —Member: Kathryn Stelljes, Keller Williams Realty, at the Parks (Team: ThinkLiveBe Properties)
28 Commercial Real Estate News (presented by MFCRE) 29 Around the House (an article for current and future homeowners) 30 Off MFRMLS Property 31 Win a movie theater gift card! 4 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Tel: (407) 218-8607 Toll-Free: (800) 686-7451 Fax: (407) 293-6461 About MFRMLS My Florida Regional MLS is Florida’s largest multiple listing service with over 32,000 subscribers. Owned by 15 Shareholder REALTOR® Boards and Associations in Central and Southwest Florida, MFRMLS offers a comprehensive suite of productivity and marketing tools to professionals in the real estate industry. Positioning Statement My Florida Regional MLS is the only real estate information resource that helps our members deliver quality service to their customers by providing the tools and opportunity to succeed in their profession. 2011-2012 MFRMLS Officers Bill Dryburgh, President Melody Hall, President-Elect Steve Amburgey, Vice-President Bob Grant, Jr., Treasurer Aaron Chandler, Immediate Past President MFRMLS Executives Merri Jo Cowen, CEO Jay Markell, CFO, COO Deanna Harris, VP of Information Services Carole Burgess, VP of Administration Jennifer Thompson-Kersting, Director of Marketing and Education Editorial Staff Natashia Ford, Editor Doug Wise, Editor, Creative Director
Volume 1, Issue 3
How does RatePlug help Agents in today’s market?
1.
RatePlug provides your prospective homebuyers with valuable payment information specific to each property they view. MFRMLS PROPERTY REPORT & LINK Online, interactive housing payments & lending info displayed side-by-side with property information on a new Consumer Report Keeps customers on listings longer You choose the lender to display Interactive mortgage tool allows homebuyers to play ‘what if’ scenarios to address their financing needs
2.
Provides marketing material for your Open House functions or general display. PROPERTY FLYER PROGRAM The system creates detailed flyers with property listing information and acurate mortgage payment information Created with one mouse click Can be emailed or printed Promotes both the Agent and chosen Loan Officer
3.
FREE to MFRMLS Members!
Visit www.rateplug.com/mfrmls to enroll
*Participating lenders pay a license fee.
www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 5
Technology Independence! Celebrating the freedom to connect with clients By MFRMLS Staff Happy belated–4th of July! In honor of the 4th of July and our nation’s independence, we’ve decided to celebrate a different kind of independence: the independence to move away from your desk and still stay connected! That’s right: technology independence. For REALTORS®, the last decade has been quite the roller coaster. However, one thing that has remained consistent is the development and use of new technologies. From the development of laptops to smartphones to tablets there are now more ways than ever to leave your desk, but still stay connected. And for REALTORS®, that can mean more ways to connect with clients. So, for fun, let’s take a quick look at some of these ways to connect with your clients when you’re “on-the-go”, according to operating device. Laptops The laptop was the first frontier in the development of portable devices. According to Wikipedia, “the first commercially available portable computer was the Osborne 1 in 1981 … Although it was large and heavy compared to today’s laptops, with a tiny 5” CRT monitor, it had a nearrevolutionary impact on business, as professionals were able to take their computer and data with them for the first time.” Now-a-days laptops are pretty much identical to desktop computers, in 6 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
terms of capability. Anything you can do with a desktop you can pretty much do with a laptop. This means any of your MFRMLS products that you can use on a desktop you can also use with a laptop. In the market to buy a laptop? Here are some links to help you out: —Top 10 laptops, according to PCMag (dated June 9, 2011): http://tinyurl.com/pcmag-top-laptops —Top 5 laptops, according to CNET (dated June 27, 2011): http://reviews.cnet.com/best-laptops/ Smartphones The History Channel recently came out with its “top 101 gadgets that have changed the world.” Number one on the list: smartphones, just ahead of radios and televisions. Whether you agree with the History Channel or not, there’s no doubt that the development of the smartphone has been influential. Although IBM produced the first mobile phone in 1992 with smartphone qualities, including an email client and the ability to send and receive faxes, the first mobile phone to be marketed as a “smartphone” was the Ericsson R380 Smartphone in 2000. Combining the functions of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA), the Ericsson R380 offered email, a speaker phone and Internet access, among other features.
Since then, smartphones have continued to advance, especially in terms of interaction. Now, on most of the recent smartphones (within the past few years), people can receive GPS navigation based on current location, download music and movies, as well as download a myriad of applications (or Apps) that allow you to search for recipes, check weather radars, perform online banking and more. “Smart” indeed. Here are the top smartphones, according to the following publications: —Top smartphones, according to CNET (dated July 14, 2011): http:// reviews.cnet.com/best-smartphones/ —Top 10 cell phones (smartphones), according to PCWorld (dated June 28, 2011): http://tinyurl.com/pcworld-topphones Tablets For some people, tablets seem like they just appeared out of thin-air (please see “Tech” page 7) Volume 1, Issue 3
Tech
Free yourself with
(continued from page 6) yesterday. However, they’ve actually been around for awhile, albeit in less advanced forms.
What’s next in the development of portable devices that allow you to connect with clients?
Some of the earliest tablets were developed in the 1950s and ‘60s and looked much like an archaic desktop computer, except with the ability to draw or write on a pad that transferred information.
According to Wayne Ackley, MFRMLS IT Manager, “very soon, (mainly due to advancements in nanotechnology) as smart mobile devices progress more toward being replacements for their larger desktop and laptop “cousins”, they will include exciting never before thought of features such as,
According to an article in the Huffington Post (http://tinyurl.com/historyof-tablets-huffington), “these “tablets” consisted of a large computer terminal attached to a receiver pad, which accepted electrical or magnetic input from a stylus. They were extremely expensive to make and extremely heavy. Over the years, as tablets became functionally more complex, they also became more compact.” Now, we know most tablets to be thin touch screens that are somewhat similar in capability to standard desktop and laptop computers, but allow more portability minus the number of drives (i.e. USB connections, DVD connections, etc…). Similar to most smartphones, you can also download various Apps that allow you to perform various functions. Your colleague just got a tablet. Now you want one. Check out the top tablet devices, according to listed publication: —Top 5 tablets, according to CNET (dated July 7, 2011): http://reviews.cnet.com/best-tablets/ —Top 10 tablets of 2011, according to ZDnet (dated May 4, 2011): http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/top10-tablets-of-2011-the-new-leaderboard/48214 www.MFRMLS.com
—Over-the-air charging (no cables, yeah!) —Built-in projection for small presentations —Multi-burst gigabit wireless —Terabyte storage for all your data
Kurio! Showing Time in Kurio is here! page 8
PLUS lots more Kurio news! pages 8 & 9
—Biometric access, eliminating the need for passwords —Firewall/Sandbox of data to protect sensitive information —Low energy use with long term battery storage of days/weeks instead of hours —Secure offsite over the air backups of your data in case of water/accidental damage —Artificial Intelligence enabling an assistant in your pocket. ... Our wise and affordable use of existing smart devices and new mobile innovations will allow for improved versatility, better communications, increased accessibility for and to our clients, and present less of a need to be chained down to a desk/office environment.” Next prediction? Perhaps no more desks.
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 7
Kurio: It’s Showing Time! By MFRMLS Staff Calling all Kurio Users! Good news: Showing Time integration into Kurio is here! Showing Time has been integrated into Kurio for the following: —iPhone and iPAD —Android Operating Systems (phones and tablets) —Blackberry Operating Systems (phones and tablets) —Other mobile devices (i.e. Palm, etc.) —Full Browsers (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari), which also means Showing Time in Kurio can be accessed on Laptops and Desktops (a great alternative if you can’t log into MLXchange)
Looking for Showing Instructions in Kurio?
When logged into Kurio, Showing Time can be accessed through the “Schedule a Showing” button on the respective property’s listing page.
You need to submit a showing request before the showing instructions appear.
Link to Kurio: http://mfr.kurio.mobi/
Here is a short video on the MFRMLS University You Tube Channel to show you how this works:
Not a Kurio user? Kurio offers you complete access to MLS listing information (including the new ability to schedule a showing) while you’re “on-the-go.” Kurio is included in your MFRMLS subscription. However, to use Kurio you will need to register for an account.
http://tinyurl.com/show-instryoutube
Please click on the following link to create your account: http://mfr.kurio.mobi/account.kurio/agentregister (We recommend that you create the account with the same ID and password that you use for MLXchange.)
To view a KURIO TUTORIAL on how to register and utilize Kurio please visit the THIS link on the MFRMLS University YouTube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ mfrmlsuniversity
KURIO TUTORIAL http://tinyurl.com/kurio-tutorial
Please note: The tutorial pre-dates the new Showing Time integration and some of the most recent enhancements.
8 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Volume 1, Issue 3
else is Visit the following link to download info on some more enhancements from Kurio: http://tinyurl.com/kurio-enhancements-2011
New Virtual Tour Access with Kurio By MFRMLS Staff Hoping a potential buyer will see your virtual tour on Kurio? Well the potential just got greater. That’s because prospective buyers (and REALTORS®, for that matter) using Kurio to search for properties no longer have to log into their Kurio account to view virtual tours. Previously, if a virtual tour was created for a particular property, such as what you would see on MLXchange, a person had to log into their Kurio account to view the virtual tour for that property. Now, any person who visits Kurio can simply choose the “Search for Homes” option on the Kurio landing page and
view any virtual tours that are available for respective properties – without logging into or creating a Kurio account. Please note: Due to data updating, it may take a couple more weeks for all virtual tours to show for certain properties in Kurio (when not logged in), depending upon when the virtual tour was created. This is only applicable to properties that are found through simple, location-based searches in Kurio. Properties found through advanced searches and searches using ML# or specific address will show the virtual tour without logging in.
What’s the difference between searching for homes on Kurio
Want a Kurio icon to show up as an App on your mobile device? Do you want a Kurio icon on your smart phone desktop, but don’t know how to save the shortcut? 1) First, log into Kurio using your mobile device or computer. Select the option “More” on the upper right side of the screen. 2) Under the “More Options”, first select “Help”, then select “Help Topics”. 3) Locate the option “Shortcut to Kurio”
Using Real Biz 360 for virtual tours? Real Biz 360 is offered at a discounted rate with your MFRMLS subscription. Visit the following link to find out more: http://www.mfrmls.com/member-benefits/realbiz360-member-benefits without an account and searching for homes with an account? Even though you can now view virtual tours on Kurio without an account, there are still many advantages to signing up for a free Kurio account. For REALTORS®, you can view full MLS listing information once logged in, including the new ability to schedule a showing. For Consumers (i.e. your clients), they can save their favorite properties, list the agent they’re working with (you!) and more!
Here you will find a list of devices, select your mobile device and you’re off to creating a shortcut to Kurio! www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 9
Scam for Rent on Craig’s List? By MFRMLS Staff Over the past month you may have noticed a message or two from MFRMLS, concerning real estate scams that involve Craig’s List. Here is an example of one particular scam: A scammer, let’s call him “John Scammer,” manages to get ahold of listing information and photos for a particular property, whether through Craig’s List or another website. “John Scammer” then turns around and lists that property and its photos as his rental property on Craig’s List. Someone from out-of-state sees the rental listing, emails “John Scammer,” decides he or she wants to rent the property and then sends “John Scammer” a check for deposit. The new “renter” shows up to the property he or she thought he or she was renting and, what do you know, the property is not being rented and there’s someone already living there. Meanwhile, “John Scammer” disappears and finds more people to scam. It sounds far-fetched, but it’s happening. Here is the link to a blog post from a Century 21 real estate office in Tallahassee, discussing this very scam that used one of their properties: http://tinyurl.com/scam-example-1 Just last month an article appeared in the Des Moines Register, giving another example – except with this example, the scammer had put the listing information and photos as a rental property not on Craig’s List, but on another rental website. Here is the link to that article: http://tinyurl.com/scam-example-2 So what can you do to prevent one of your listings from being the source of content for a scam?
MLS number) setup a Google Alert (http://www.google.com/alerts) for the property address as well as the MLS number. This simple process will alert you when the listing appears on ANY website. Simple, quick and easy to setup! How’s that for keeping your eyes on your listing without a huge time investment? Additionally, here is a webpage on Craig’s List that discusses scams and what to do if you become a victim of one: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams More than anything, we want you to be aware that this is happening, so that you can remain vigilant. After all, knowledge is power, and knowing is half the battle – or so we’ve heard.
Well, the honest answer is not a lot. It’s pretty much impossible to prevent a random person from pulling your listing information and photos from a particular website, regardless of how selective you and your broker have been with posting and syndicating listing information. After all, it’s the consumer that you want to reach with your listing information and, unfortunately, it’s also the (very occasional) consumer who turns out to be a scammer. However, what you can do is occasionally use a search engine, such as Google, to search for your listing address to see if it pops up as a rental listing anywhere. Also, when listing a property, as part of the listing process (after obtaining the 10 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Volume 1, Issue 3
PH Status Rule Change
Time to upload required listing photo(s) changing from seven business days to three business days By MFRMLS Staff Beginning on Tuesday, August 2, the amount of time allowed for a listing without the required photo(s) is changing from seven business days to three business days. This means any listings that don’t have the required photo(s) after three business days will be purged from MLXchange. Additionally, if a listing was entered prior to August 2 and has been without the required photo(s) for longer than three business days, then that listing will be immediately purged on August 2.
So, please take the time now to make sure all of your listings have the required photo(s) by the close of business on August 1. The primary reason the rule is changing is to prevent members from keeping their listings from view by other members. MFRMLS had identified many listings going from PH directly to pending without other agents having the opportunity to work the new listing.
To see the rule on photo requirements (and the types of photos to upload), please visit the following link: http:// tinyurl.com/photo-rule Thank you for understanding, as we work to make MLXchange as successful as possible for you and your fellow REALTORS®.
My Florida Regional MLS Joins CoreLogic® Partner InfoNet By MFRMLS Staff My Florida Regional MLS (MFRMLS) recently signed an exclusive agreement with CoreLogic to participate in the Partner InfoNet. Through Partner InfoNet, MFRMLS will license its listing data for use in a variety of new risk management products for mortgage lenders, servicers and the capital markets. The Partner InfoNet combines CoreLogic MarketLinx licensed MLS data with CoreLogic property data assets to create enhanced risk management products for lenders. What does this mean to you? Partner InfoNet will allow MFRMLS www.MFRMLS.com
a safe and easy way to generate additional value for our members by applying your listing data outside of the real estate industry while also giving lenders critical listing information that would help make better and faster lending decisions. The exclusive agreement also gives our members free access to the MLS Data Co-op. The MLS Data Co-op provides valuable property data and reports such as RealAVM valuations, tax records, listing history, nearby schools, neighborhood data, community demographics, real estate trends,
foreclosure information and more. With the Partner InfoNet, MFRMLS will create new revenue opportunities and, at the same time, equip our members with the tools and comprehensive property data their clients demand.
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 11
MFRMLS “Road Warriors” – Trainers on the Go! By MFRMLS Staff
T
his month we are shining the spotlight on the most mobile department at My Florida Regional MLS ... our fabulous training team! Our trainers work effortlessly to help you get the most out of all the products and services available to you through your MFRMLS subscription. MFRMLS trainers are strategically positioned across the state to ensure training classes are available in your local area. This team racks up an approximate total mileage of 5,300 miles per month and teaches over 75 courses per month. That’s a lot of driving and teaching!
ment. Also, since the vehicles are company issued, MFRMLS was able to take advantage of a great advertising opportunity – vehicle wrapping. So, as our trainers move from class to class, city-to-city, they are also advertising for your consumer website www.myfloridahomesmls.com Their vehicles have become moving billboards!
Stay tuned for next month’s issue where we present a short Q & A interview with each of our trainers!
Company issued vehicles are a great way to provide our team with reliable transportation while remaining budget conscious, as it costs less to provide vehicles to our team than to pay out the current IRS mileage rate.
Not to worry, the training team reduces their carbon footprint by driving company issued hybrids that boast excellent fuel economy. Company issued vehicles are a great way to provide our team with reliable transportation while remaining budget conscious, as it costs less to provide vehicles to our team than to pay out the current IRS mileage rate. In fact, since Pictured, left to right: Terry Barnett, Ivette Jimenez, Jennifer Thompson-Kersting (Director mid-October 2010, MFRMLS has saved approximately $3,800 of Marketing & Education), and Katie McCoy. Not pictured: Cindy Rayfield. in lieu of mileage reimburse-
12 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Volume 1, Issue 3
Commentary The Troll Under the Bridge By Merri Jo Cowen, MFRMLS CEO The MLSs and vendor partners across the country have just learned a new lesson – an expensive one, and one that has proven to be an eye-opener for everyone – and one that we want to share with our members. The lesson: CIVIX. This is not civics as in government, but CIVIX as in a patent lawsuit that has been plaguing many industries, and burrowed itself into the real estate industry about a year ago. The company, CIVIX, has run rampant through any industry that has location-based Internet search options. I’m not an attorney and the minute details of the threatened lawsuits are more than most of us would even care to understand. What I have learned: patent litigation is expensive beyond belief. We are talking millions of dollars to defend and unimaginable millions if lost. The practice of “trolling” – or finding a patent that can be twisted into a possible gold mine – is not new, but the first “Troll” under the real estate bridge is CIVIX. It boggles the mind and it has made the pocketbook of CIVIX bulge from settlements: Realtor.org /MOVE/NAR settled two years ago with CIVIX; Microsoft has settled; travel industry participants have settled; overall, it’s not over yet. Where did it this start? CIVIX has gathered millions of dollars (over $30 million) over the last several years through settlements. Their legal www.MFRMLS.com
counsel has been relentless in finding any industry that might use the very broad patent. They moved into real estate by “inviting” two large MLSs in the country (MRIS and MRED) to pay them a
nice settlement fee or go to court and fight it out. Both MLSs tried just that – to fight the good fight for our industry. But those MLSs, just like ours, are not made of millions of dollars – settlement was imminent to avoid bank-busting legal fees that would certainly have impacted their membership. The rest of us, the other larger MLSs in the country, knew that it would soon be our turn to receive the invite to pay or play with CIVIX. We asked NAR to help. And while they were already protected through the Move settlement, they stepped in to be the intermediary and were able to bring about a global settlement through negotiations directly with the CIVIX attorneys – for the industry wide price tag of $7.5 million dollars. That settlement would ultimately protect (from the CIVIX patent) all members, vendors, associations, MLSs, real estate agents and brokers everywhere.
I know that may sound like a ridiculous amount (and you are not alone). But think about every Internet search that is location based and you’ll see the impact that this patent suit places on everyone in real estate. How about IDX searches using maps? Or Map Grids? Or “Near XYZ”? Or any MLS search that is location based, including mobile searching and Internet real estate searching through an iPad or tablet – basically any real estate related search that you or any other real estate professional might use. Add to that any consumer real estate portal where listings can be searched – including your IDX website. Also, you can mix in applications that your local association has created, your MLS provides or anything that you, yourself created or paid to have created. To fight such an enemy individually would have cost each of us millions of dollars and the “win” column for those who had chosen to fight did not lend confidence to fight the fight. The good news: It’s over for real estate. In response to requests from many large MLSs across the country (including MFRMLS), the National Association of Realtors stepped in and worked a unilateral settlement for anything real estate related. This settlement includes every 3rd party vendors providing any type of real estate location-based searches, every MLS, every local Association/Board of Realtors and, most importantly, every (please see “CIVIX” page 14) July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 13
CIVIX
Commentary
(continued from page 13) broker and real estate licensee. Literally every “anything” related to the CIVIX patent for all past, current and future members is now indemnified – MLSs, vendors and users are now licensed to use products that include the patented technology from CIVIX.
Are YOU a Commercial
Realtor®?
How did we do this? We, the industry, worked together to raise the $7.5 million dollars to settle with CIVIX in exchange for the license. The dollars boiled down to $9.06 per member, sent to NAR and then to CIVIX. For an organization our size, that $9.06 represents close to $300,000. The MFRMLS Board of Directors was quick to respond with a plan to cover that full cost if necessary to protect our members, shareholders, vendor partners and MFR in general. We met the deadline, along with a large portion of the MLSs and Associations across the country. We (MFR) did it with the help of committed business partners like CoreLogic, Florida REALTORS, iMapp and Catylist. I have heard recently that the entire $7.5 million has been raised, and Florida is at 100% participation. A huge thank you to NAR is also in order for their role in facilitating the settlement. MFRMLS is proud to have worked so closely with our business partners to cover this cost on behalf of all of our members – and without any need for a member or local association/board assessment. Our lessons learned: a. The real estate industry can work together to accomplish such a task. b. There is still more patent litigation looming on the horizon that will impact us all. c. With CIVIX as our lesson in unity, we know that we can work together as an industry – to fight or to settle, whichever turns out to be the best option for our members. d. MFRMLS will continue to look out for each of you, our members, brokers and member Associations/Boards. We will do everything possible to keep these issues in our hands and allow you to continue working without interruption or concern. Should you ever ponder on the value of MFRMLS or your Realtor Association/Board, please recognize the CIVIX settlement as a commitment that goes beyond providing products and services to help you succeed. We’ve got your back!
www.MFCRE.com For more information about becoming an MFCRE member, a Commercial Information Exchange (CIE), please contact Connie Kazakowitz at 1-800-686-7451 (ext. 8668) or email ConnieK@mfrmls.com
Commentary
14 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Volume 1, Issue 3
http://shortsale.mfrmls.com
a request Tuesday and had TWO calls from houses but she called the second time because I I call responsive! And she couldn’t have been -M. Hunt Altamonte Springs, FL
Eligibility Criteria http://loanlookup.fanniemae.com/loanlookup/ Real estate professional must be a member of a participating MLS. Real estate professional must be the listing agent for the property. Real estate professional must obtain a signed Borrower Authorization Form (BAF) from the homeowner(s) and submit it to the MLS; http://mfrmls.com/shortsale/docs/SSAD-BAF.pdf
1-800-686-7451 support@mfrmls.com
Submission Guidelines issue by working through the servicer. Real estate professional may submit the case in the event the servicer has not provided: an initial response within 20 days,
or, if the real estate professional has received an approval from the servicer for your transaction, but either the mortgage insurer or second lien holder has imposed a closing condition that is not possible for the borrower to meet. Real estate professional must address all “actionable” requests from the servicer before submitting the issue. Where additional documentation is requested, servicer response time will be
www.MFRMLS.com
5032 Goddard Avenue Orlando, FL 32804 shortsale.mfrmls.com support@mfrmls.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 15
&
Training
Tips
Recent My Tips of the Week Do you know that the only way that you may disclose the gate, lockbox, alarm or security code number in a listing is by typing the code in the Showing Time Secure Remarks field? 1. To add a code for the gate, lockbox, alarm or security code to a listing, retrieve your listing by clicking on the Active listings link from the inventory watch box of the MLXchange Home page. 2. Select the listing, click on the edit icon at the bottom of the window, then, click on the Edit button.
“What’s the code?”
3. Scroll down, locate the Showing Time Remarks field and type in the box (ex. “The gate/lockbox/alarm/security code is 1234.”). We recommend you add to the Realtor Only Remarks field, “Please click on the Request a Showing Button or call the office for the code.” There is no other field that you may disclose any gate, lockbox, alarm or security code. Non-MFR members whom retrieve your listings through MLS Advantage are unable to see the Request a showing button. 4. Click on the submit button at the bottom of the screen to update your listing. Please visit the following link to view the Showing Time Tutorial: http://showingtimeftp.com/download/demos/mlx/MLXAppt.html
Did you know that you can access your Supra Showing Report for your listings from within MLXchange? 1. To see the Supra Showing Report for your listing, first you must retrieve your listing by clicking on the Active listings link from the inventory watch box of the MLXchange Home page. 2. Click on the ML # in the Results screen, then click on the Supra Keybox link on the left side. 3. Click on the bottom line, “Assign Shackle Code and Serial #”, type in the Shackle Code and Serial # in the appropriate boxes, then click the Save button. 4. Now, you are only two clicks away from seeing the Supra Showing Report for your listings: click on the Supra Keybox link and click on Showing Report. 16 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
SUPRA Looking for more My Tips of the Week? Please visit http://tinyurl.com/mfrmlsmy-tip-of-the-week for an archive of previous tips. Volume 1, Issue 3
Class is Now in Session!
Go Big "U" Have you been to MFRMLS University? This training portal will connect you to the many courses available to you as an MFR Member. Online, or in person, we’ve got a class for you. Looking to learn in your pajamas? With easy registration and no waiting, you can bring our trainers into your home through live and recorded webinars. Available online, you can save gas and you can save time. Best of all, the courses are free. Need face time? No problem. MFRMLS University also connects you to live courses taught at your association/board by MFRMLS instructors. With interactive sessions in a classroom setting, you’ll be an expert in no time. In-person or online, MFRMLS University can help you boost your business with the many tools and products offered with your membership. Log on today to learn more!
www.MFRMLSUniversity.com
www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 17
No Time to Tweet? By Natashia Ford, MFRMLS Communications Specialist
It’s no secret, social media plays a big part in almost every industry, and real estate is no exception. So, in keeping with the theme of this issue of My Florida Resource, I want to highlight a few ways to, depending upon your current usage, start, step up or advance your social game while NOT staying glued to your Facebook or Twitter accounts. When it comes to social media, one of the most common concerns is the time involved to manage a social media marketing plan. I wish I could say that this is not a valid concern; however, yes, to be effective in your social media marketing, you do have to put in the time. Although I can’t say there is minimal time involved in social media, what I can say is you don’t have to spend all day tweeting or updating your status. There are quite a few tools out there that allow you to schedule your
messages days, weeks, or months in advance.
choose which social sites you want to post to.
The one we use in our office is Hootsuite (http://hootsuite.com) and it has really helped us manage our social media sites while continuing to do the bulk of our every day assignments.
• They offer a mobile application that works with iPhones and Androids so you can schedule your social media via your cellphone.
Some of the things I like about Hootsuite are: • You can schedule and monitor your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn posts • When you schedule your Facebook posts it pulls up a preview of what the post will look like on Facebook • They offer a free version – not a free trial but an actual free version. So if you just need to schedule and monitor your social media sites the free version will suffice, especially if you’re just starting out. • They offer great reporting features through their paid subscription plan that won’t break the bank, as it’s relatively affordable.
Resources 18 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
• A cute feature that I love, love, love is the Hootlet. The Hootlet downloads to your bookmark toolbar and as you surf the Internet and find content that you feel is worthy to send to your social media circle, the Hootlet automatically creates a post that you can
Like I mentioned earlier, although there are quite a few tools out there that allow you to schedule, track, and monitor your social media sites, HootSuite is an office favorite. With clever planning, scheduling, and the right tools, you have all you need to effectively manage your social media, so ... get to Tweetin!
Follow us on Twitter! @MFRMLS @MFCRE @MyFloridaHomes
“Like” us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/MyFloridaRegionalMLS http://www.facebook.com/mfcre http://www.facebook.com/MyFloridaHomesMLS
Volume 1, Issue 3
Sponsored by AnnounceMyMove.com
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July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 19
4 Marketing Strategies in the Age of ‘Do Not Call’
Resources ‘Do Not Call’ Refresher As of Jan. 1, 2005, telemarketers and sellers, including real estate practitioners, are required to search the donot-call registry at least once every 31 days and drop from their call lists the phone numbers of registered consumers. The law allows calls to “existing customers,” defined as people with whom you’ve done business in the last 18 months. You can call FSBOs on the list only if you have a buyer for their home, not to solicit their listing. There is a safe harbor for inadvertently calling someone on the list if your company has written procedures on calling, provides training on donot-call regulations, has accessed the national registry within the last three months, and maintains a companyspecific list of numbers not to call.
Learn how you can still reach out to prospects without breaking the law
Sometimes, following the law goes hand-in-hand with effective marketing. Such is the case with the National Do Not Call Registry, says Denver real estate practitioner Jennifer Allan. Long before the do-not-call list, technology was changing the way that consumers want to interact with salespeople. “All the law did was give salespeople a push into the 21st century,” says Allan, author of If You’re Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You’re Not Doing It Right (Bluegreen Books, 2010). Here are Allan’s rules for reaching out to prospects without being a nuisance. Leave people alone. Whether it’s their use of TiVo to skip the commercials or caller ID to avoid sales calls, people have made it clear they have little tolerance for being sold to. Even if they’re not on the no-call list, you risk irritating 95 out of every 100 people you call if you solicit their business with a cold call. And irritated people don’t refer business to you. Get them to call you. People like to get to know you in a non-pressure environment, and then when they need something, they call you. Social media is perfect for that. Use the Web to keep your real estate expertise front and center without making it explicit. Answer people’s questions in a way that showcases your expertise without trying to sell anything. Keep it personal. When you blog and send e-mails to your sphere, only focus on real estate if you have a good story to tell: An interesting listing or a video clip of your interview with the local TV station are good examples. Mostly focus on things that can help people, like a reminder of street-sweeping day so that they can move their car and avoid a ticket. Go for the quality. When you cold-call, you play a numbers game in which you try to get five leads for every 100 calls. Rather than go for the quantity, and risk alienating people, go for the quality. Get outside, meet people, and form relationships that your new contacts will value. “Get out in the world with your antennae up and a smile on your face,” Allan says. Copyright National Association of REALTORS®. Reprinted with permission. Source: http://tinyurl.com/do-notcall-marketing
20 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Volume 1, Issue 3
Upgrade Highlights for MFRMLS Members!
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www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 21
Are You Getting the Most out of YOUR Consumer Website? MyFloridaHomesMLS.com is YOUR Consumer Website. Similar to a Trulia or a Zillow, MyFloridaHomesMLS.com keeps YOU at the center
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22 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Keeping YOU at the Center of the Transaction.
Volume 1, Issue 3
Realtors® Support Bill for Comprehensive Real Estate News Reform of Secondary Mortgage Market Washington, DC, July 07, 2011 The long-term viability of America’s housing finance market requires comprehensive reform of the secondary mortgage market. Toward that end, the National Association of Realtors® supports H.R. 2413, the “Secondary Market Facility for Residential Mortgage Act of 2011.” “As the leading advocate for home ownership and housing issues, Realtors® want a secondary mortgage market that will serve home owners today and in the future, as well as support a strong housing market and economic recovery,” said NAR President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. “An efficient and affordable restructured mortgage finance system is in the best interest of taxpayers, and to accomplish that, Congress must enact comprehensive housing finance reform legislation.” H.R. 2413 was introduced yesterday by Reps. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.). The bill offers a comprehensive strategy for reforming the secondary mortgage market and gives the federal government a continued role to ensure a consistent flow of mortgage credit in all markets and all economic conditions. While the return of private lenders is necessary for a healthy market, having only private capital as the sole source of housing finance could severely restrict mortgage capital and result in a system that is dominated by a few large banks that are “too-big-to-fail” at the expense of consumers. “We strongly support the efforts of Reps. Miller and McCarthy in develwww.MFRMLS.com
oping a well thought-out strategy for reforming the secondary mortgage market. Continuing government participation and establishing an entity that will provide liquidity during all market conditions will help ensure that qualified home buyers can obtain safe and sound mortgage financing products even during market downturns, when private entities have historically pulled back,” Phipps said. The entity would have no shareholders and would exclusively serve a national mission to facilitate the flow of mortgage capital and provide liquidity during all market conditions. The proposal also spells out plans to protect taxpayers and ensure safety and soundness through appropriate regulation and underwriting standards. “We applaud the efforts of Reps. Miller and McCarthy to create a structure that opens the door to lenders of all sizes without favoring large lenders over small and mid-sized institutions,” said Phipps. “Other hybrid proposals with private profits and government guarantees would only replicate the same incentive structure and mistakes of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before the government takeover.”
“Realtors® thank Reps. Miller and McCarthy for their dedication and work on this bill, and we look forward to working with Congress to ensure that comprehensive and effective housing finance reform legislation is enacted. We must do this to preserve and strengthen the American dream for future generations,” Phipps said. The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. Copyright National Association of REALTORS®. Reprinted with permission. Source: http://tinyurl.com/secondarymortgage-market-nar
NAR has and will continue to advocate comprehensive housing finance policies that will ensure qualified borrows can obtain safe and sound mortgage finance products rather than piecemeal approaches that would introduce uncertainty into the housing finance market and slow the fragile housing recovery. July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 23
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MFRMLS Team Member Barbara Wheeler, Member Services Specialist Every month we spotlight one MFR team member, in order to help distinguish some of the dedicated, hard-working, friendly faces we have on our MFR staff. We truly believe we have an outstanding team of individuals. And, of course, this is no coincidence, as we look to provide our members with outstanding service. So, without further ado, we are pleased to spotlight (drum roll please) … Barabra Wheeler, Member Services Specialist and candle consultant! How long have you been working at MFR? Approximately 3-1/2 years. What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most? I like helping the members and especially working with my contacts at the LSCs (Local Service Centers). Any hobbies outside of work? I enjoy being a PartyLite consultant and doing home candle parties. What candle fragrance do you like the best? Oh my goodness. I have so many favorites. It’s a toss up between Iced Snowberries and Champagne Pear. I’ll go with Champagne Pear. Where were you born and where were you raised? Miami, FL If there’s one place in the world, all expenses-paid, you could visit tomorrow, where would that place be and why? Paris, France – it’s so romantic, the food is great and I would love taking a gondola ride!! Thank you Barbara! Thank you for your answers and for being a great team member!
24 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Volume 1, Issue 3
Transaction Desk
Spotlights
Complete Document Management As a member of My Florida Regional MLS, you have access to the most DocBox Print Driver complete paperless document manWith a single click, you can “print” agement system on the planet! Made your document to a virtual printer specifically for busy REALTORS®, which will store your document with TransactionDesk seamlessly intesimultaneous fax and email delivery grates with MLXchange and IMAPP options. (Faxing within North Amerallowing you to conduct paperless ica only.) transactions from the beginning of the listing process, all the way to the Instanet Fax closing table. Accessible from any web Paperless faxing with your logo to the browser and Smart Phone, you are no recipient’s email with longer chained to a digital time-stamping desk. You’ll save time, and verification. money and fuel while responding quicker to Customer Service Product and Service Portal your clients.
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Benefits At-a-Glance: Complete Document Management Auto-populate all of your FR/BAR forms and contracts directly from the MLXchange or IMAPP for greater accuracy and time savings. Built-in Electronic Forms Create and edit real estate contracts and forms online through TransactionDesk Pro OR if you need a simple and easy solution, TransactionDesk Lite is also available. Unlimited Document Storage Access existing and historical transactions with unlimited storage space, regardless of the source of the documents. DocBox2Go Access all your documents, forms, transaction folders and contacts with your Smart Phone.
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Document access for your clients to retrieve the relevant information you choose to share. Activity Plans Allows the insertion of multiple tasks in to a transaction with a few clicks of the mouse. Email and Internet Faxing Forms can be emailed in read-only or editable format. Contracts can be sent via Internet fax to clients for signing then emailed with signatures to both parties when approved. Online Negotiation Allows forms to be sent between parties and interactively negotiated and tracked online. A full audit trail of all changes and modifications is kept for each contract and form created in TransactionDesk. Multiple Fonts, Colors and Sizes (please see “TD” page 27)
www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 25
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Favorite product or service through MFRMLS:
Introducing ... Kathryn Stelljes PA Keller Williams Realty, at the Parks Member of Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association
Name:
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I love showing homes and helping people realize the potential.
were built in the 1920s-1950s and have great architectural character. I enjoy pointing those features out to buyers and helping sellers understand how to market those features to buyers.
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Imapp is the best tool ever ... I think I use it almost every day to research property information or prepare some kind of marketing piece or idea.
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Imapp is the best tool ever. It is such a great resource and I think I use it almost every day to research property information or prepare some kind of marketing piece or idea.
How has MFRMLS helped your business: MFRMLS has provided me with the tools to grow my business. The free website where I can create property searches for clients has always been a great way to keep an efficient record of what types of properties a buyer is interested in seeing or keeping track of what we’ve already previewed. Imapp, as I mentioned, has Kathryn Stelljes PA been a huge tool that has enabled me to have knowledge about the property and neighborhood. Most of the time I know more about the plot of land than the homeowners themselves!
Kathryn Stelljes PA
Must have gadget or tool:
Business:
Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association
So many to list! My iPhone, Transaction Desk, Dropbox are definitely the top! I simply could not live without the first two. I guess any Smartphone will allow you to be mobile and work more efficiently as a realtor. But the mass amounts of apps available for the iPhone seems to trump any other. My newest favorite app for my phone is Read It Later. This app allows you to save or bookmark an article on your Firefox and then from my phone I can open the app and read the articles when I have the time – say while waiting for a buyer to arrive to a property, etc. Transaction Desk allows us to keep all of our files digital and organized for easy access. Dropbox is a great place to exchange files with my business partner. We can place a listing presentation into Dropbox, make it a favorite, and pull it up on the iPad to share with a client without even being online.
How long in the industry:
Greatest accomplishment to date:
Since 2006
I joined the industry after the boom. I have gone from scratch in 2006 when no one was buying to 2011 and each year my business has grown. To say we all survived the greatest housing recession is something that we can all be proud of.
Team Name is ThinkLiveBe Properties. My business partner on the team is Jeanette Dixon.
Association/Board:
What you love about real estate: I love showing homes and helping people realize the potential. In Downtown Orlando, most of these homes 26 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
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To say we all survived the greatest housing recession is something that we can all be proud of.
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Keller Williams Realty, at the Parks.
Volume 1, Issue 3
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Reading articles on design and architecture and working on my own home which I purchased recently in Downtown Orlando. It’s a bungalow that was built in 1930 – the perfect project for me!
What you love about the area you work and live in (what you would emphasize to your clients): I love the diversity of home styles, the original brick streets and the oak trees that line them, the parks and public places to enjoy Florida living…but what I love most are the small businesses nearby…the little shops and restaurants nearby.
What difficult or slow periods in the real estate industry has taught you: That you cannot give up just because things are a little challenging. I entered the real estate industry after the boom and there were plenty of times when I could’ve just quit. I put everything I could into it and every year I have done more business.
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I wish someone would have told me to sit down and write a business plan – with a budget!
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One piece of advice you have for REALTORS just entering the business:
Plan your real estate business like a business. You need to have capital just as you would with any other small business. I wish someone would have told me to sit down and write a business plan – with a budget! – before entering the business. Also, it is important to discuss the accounting aspects of the business with a professional as well. You need to set up how you will track your expenses with your tax professional or you will get behind.
Thank you, Kathryn! We enjoyed getting to know you!
Get
Featured!
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When not working you can be found:
Product and Service TD (continued from page 25) You can select from 14 different fonts, 10 colors and 8 sizes for contracts. An autosize feature will shrink longer sentences to fit within the text input area on a contract. Watermarks Watermarks can be embedded onto each page of your forms. Quick Start Groups Make your own forms groups and insert mulitple forms into a transaction with one click, instead of adding the same individual forms to many transactions. Digital Signatures Authentisign™ lets you securly manage the signing of documents by remote parties, while optionally providing the verifiable security of the USPS Electronic Postmark, while meeting all federal eSign guidelines. Transaction Desk is included with your MFRMLS subscription. To utilize it, all you need to do is log into MLXchange and click on the Transaction Desk link under the “Smart Links” section found under the righthand “Resources” column.
Want to be the next Member Spotlight? Want to brag to your clients that you’ve been spotlight- More info on Transaction Desk, and some new Transaction Desk ed by MFRMLS?
enhancements, coming in a future
Send an email to issue of My Florida ReSource! Communications@mfrmls.com with the subject line “Spotlight Me” and you could be the next Member Spotlight.
Please note: Member spotlights are selected at random, and on a first-to-email first-to-feature basis. We look forward to hearing from and about you! www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 27
Commercial
presented by
Real Estate
The Facts on FASB A conversation with Marc Betesh. Proposed changes by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to lease accounting rules could make record- keeping a lot more complicated and lease negotiation more difficult, says Marc Betesh, president of KBA Lease Services and Visual Lease in Woodbridge, N.J. What are the changes that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the private-sector group that sets rules and reporting standards for accountants) is proposing for leases? The fundamental change under FAS Topic 840 is that all off–balance sheet transactions involving operating leases, which includes most real estate leases, will be eliminated. Currently, companies don’t show operating leases for real estate on their financial statements, except in footnotes. How will companies account for their leases if the new rules are adopted? Leases will appear on a company’s financial statement as though the company had purchased and financed the leased asset. The lease will be shown as a “right-of-use asset” with a corresponding liability for the rent payments and any direct costs like brokerage commissions. The actual figure used will be the net present value of the rent calculated at the interest rate it would cost the company to borrow money. The liability appears the same way, although direct costs are excluded. As the company makes rent payments, each payment is recorded 28 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
as a payment of principal (a portion of the NPV of the asset) and interest. This amortization requirement could mean that a disproportionate amount of the rental liabilities will shift to the first years of a lease. Why are the changes eliciting such controversy? There is a lot of debate on two points—operating expenses and lease options. The right-of-use asset is supposed to cover only the pure use of the space, not the cost to service it. So companies will have to separate out service costs like common-area maintenance charges, taxes, and insurance from the right to use the space. Stripping out these costs will be easy with a pure triple-net lease since the tenant pays all those costs separately. It’s more muddled with a modified gross lease since the landlord pays these costs for the first, or base, year of the lease.
ed, the tenant also has to re-evaluate these probabilities on a regular basis and recalculate the amortization to reflect any changes. How could these changes affect the overall leasing climate? Under the new proposal, tenants may prefer shorter leases, which will be problematic for landlords that need longer leases to secure financing or sell a property at a higher price. When will the proposals be finalized? It seems likely that the proposals will be enacted sometime this year and go into effect a year or more later. Copyright National Association of REALTORS®. Reprinted with permission. Source: http://realtormag.realtor.org/commercial/conversations/article/2011/06/ facts-fasb
What is the issue with lease options? Under the new rules, tenants will have to consider how likely they are to exercise lease options from the first day they sign a lease. If they are likely to extend a lease, they have to include the option term and the option rent in their calculations. Making the option decision so early is very subjective and seems to undermine the purpose of the rule change, which is to provide more transparency and reliability in financial statements.
MFCRE for your mobile phone
To make things even more complicatVolume 1, Issue 3
Around the House
An article for current and future homeowners
We truly hope My Florida Resource is what it claims to be … a resource to you. We know anything that helps your clients in turn does the same for you. So we thought it would be nice to include this “Around the House” section. It’s a place where we share with you consumer articles that can be passed along to your clients or included in your newsletter content. Here’s a great article we found on Realtor.org Note: This is just one of the many articles available to you from Realtor.org Their consumer articles are downloadable and are able to be customized with your branding.
Prepare Your Home for a Virtual Tour
With more buyers shopping for homes on the Web, photos and virtual tours are a must. There are many things you can do make your home shine on camera. 1. Understand the camera’s perspective. The camera’s eye is very different from the human eye. It magnifies clutter and poor furniture arrangement. To make a home shine in a virtual tour or video presentation, cater to the lens.
an idea of what the home will look like on camera. Closely examine the photos and list changes that would improve each room’s appearance: opening blinds to let in natural light, removing magnets from the refrigerator, or taking down distracting art.
2. Make the home “Q-tip clean.” Because the camera magnifies grime, each room must be spotless. Don’t forget floor coverings and walls; a discolored spot on the rug might be overlooked by prospects during a regular home showing, but that stain becomes a focal point for online viewers.
5. Pare down furniture. Identify one or two pieces of furniture that can be removed from each room to make the space appear larger.
3. Pack up the clutter. But leave three items of varying heights on each surface. For example, on an end table you can place a lamp (high), a small plant (medium), and a book (low). 4. Snap pictures. This will give you www.MFRMLS.com
6. Rearrange. Spotlight the flow of a space by creating a focal point on the furthest wall from the doorway and arranging the other pieces of furniture to make a triangle shape. The focal point may be a bed in a bedroom or a china cabinet in a dining room. 7. Reaccessorize. Include a healthy plant in every room; the camera loves green. Energize bland decor by plac-
ing a bright vase on a mantle or draping an afghan over a couch. 8. Keep the home in shape. You want buyers who liked what they saw online to encounter the same home in person.
Utilizing MyFloridaHomesMLS.com? Sending clients to your unique custom URL with your information attached to all listing searches?
Check out the flyer on page 22! July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 29
Off MFRMLS Property District 13 Business & Tech Expo We recently had the opportunity to chat with some of our District 13 members at the District 13 Business & Tech Expo, held this past June 23. Visiting us at events, where we’re present and have a booth set up, is a great way to ask us questions in-person and learn a little more about our – your – MFRMLS products and services. Often times, we even have a laptop or two set up, so we can walk you through any questions you have by actually demonstrating an answer online! So, we look forward to seeing you soon!
Come visit us at the 2011 Florida Realtors® Convention & Trade Expo! See last page of this issue for more information!
Cindy Rayfield, Senior Trainer, helping some of our District 13 members. In the far right picture Cindy is signing one of our members up for Kurio.
30 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
We were giving away Koozies, pens, golf towels and, of course, lots of information on MFRMLS products and services. Volume 1, Issue 3
Thank You for Reading
Win a $25 Gift Card to any *Movie Theater near you.
*Gift card subject to your closest or preferred movie theater. In some cases a gift card may not be available.
Here’s how: —Simply answer the three questions below and then email the answers and your name to Communications@MFRMLS.com (All answers can be found in this issue of My Florida ReSource.) —If you email us the correct answers, we’ll enter your name in a drawing for a $25 movie theater gift card. Three names will be drawn for three separate gift cards (can only win once). Drawings will take place on Monday, August 15, 2011. —If your name is drawn, the gift card will be mailed to you (or scheduled for pick-up, depending upon the theater). Deadline to email us: Friday, August 12, 2011 by midnight *Must be an MFRMLS or MFCRE member to win.
Questions: 1) What’s ONE of the reasons MFRMLS decided to lease company vehicles for its trainers? (Hint: answer found in article “MFRMLS Road Warriors – Trainers on the Go!”) 2) What’s the name of the discussed product used to schedule social media? (Hint: answer found in article in the “Resources” section) 3) In the Member Spotlight, what is Kathryn’s “favorite product or service through MFRMLS”? Once again, please email Communications@mfrmls.com with your answers to win! www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 31
Upcoming Events: FL REALTORS® 2011 Convention & Trade Expo Meeting Dates: Aug 24—Aug 28; Trade Expo: Aug 25—26 Location: Rose Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL (MFR Booths: 406, 408, 113—Giveaways and prizes!) 5th Annual International Real Estate Conference presented by the Sarasota Association of Realtors®, Global Business Council
August Issue Feature: Back to School
Dates: September 14 & 15 Location: Hyatt Regency, Sarasota Look for the MFR table!
MFRMLS Training & Education
Looking for a calendar of upcoming training classes? Visit http://www.mfrmls.com/resources/training-and-events for a complete calendar of upcoming courses. Did you know we also offer live webinars? http://www.mfrmls.com/resources/training-and-events/webinars/ cat.listevents/2011/05/20/Administration and Membership Question? The Administration Department at My Florida Regional MLS has two main responsibilities—ensuring an accurate MLS database and maintaining your membersubscriber information.
Help Desk Hours: Monday–Friday: 7:30 AM–8:00 PM Saturday–Sunday: 8:00 AM–6:00 PM Toll Free: (800) 686-7451 Local: (407) 218-8607 http://www.mfrmls.com/membersupport/help-desk 32 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Whether you have questions about our MLS Rules and Regulations, listing violations, subscriber fees or simply need to update your contact information, our Administration Specialists are ready to assist you. Department hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. 1-800-686-7451 (option #3) http://tinyurl.com/mfrmls-adminmembership
Address: My Florida Regional MLS 5032 Goddard Avenue Orlando, FL 32804 Telephone: Tel: (407) 218-8607 Toll-Free: (800) 686-7451 Fax: (407) 293-6461 Volume 1, Issue 3
Social Media
Converse with MFRMLS. Keep informed. “Like” us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/MyFloridaRegionalMLS http://www.facebook.com/mfcre http://www.facebook.com/MyFloridaHomesMLS
Follow us on Twitter! @MFRMLS @MFCRE @MyFloridaHomes
MFRMLS Associations and Boards Shareholder Associations and Boards Bartow Board of REALTORS®— http://www.bartowboardofrealtors.com/index.html East Polk County Association of REALTORS®— http://epcar.com/ Englewood Area Board of REALTORS®— http://www.englewoodareaboardofrealtors.com/ Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS®— http://www.gtar.org/ Lakeland Association of REALTORS®— http://www.lakelandrealtors.org/ Manatee Association of REALTORS®— http://www.manateerealtors.org/ Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association— http://www.orlrealtor.com/Main/Main.asp Osceola County Association of REALTORS®— http://osceolarealtors.org/ Pinellas REALTOR® Organization— http://tampabayrealtor.com/ Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North Port Association of REALTORS®— http://pgpcnprealtors.com/ REALTORS® Association of Lake & Sumter Counties— http://www.ralsc.org/ Sarasota Association of REALTORS®— http://www.sarasotarealtors.com/ Venice Area Board of REALTORS®— http://www.vabr.org/ West Pasco Board of REALTORS®— http://www.wpbor.com/ West Volusia Association of REALTORS®— http://www.westvolusiarealtor.org/
Member-Subscriber Associations and Boards Desoto County Board of REALTORS®— N/A Lake Wales Association of REALTORS®— http://www.lwar.net/ www.MFRMLS.com
July 2011 | My Florida ReSource | 33
Blockbuster of Florida Realtors® 2011 Convention & Trade Expo
MFR Booths: 406/408 (side-by-side) &113 (MFCRE) Ask us Giveaways, questions Prizes and about your MFR more! products and services!
Don’t Forget toVisit MFR! Florida Realtors® 2011 Convention & Trade Expo
Aug 25-26 (Trade Expo Dates; FREE Admission on the 26th)
The Tools You Need...
The Success You’re Looking For My Florida Regional MLS (MFRMLS) 5032 Goddard Avenue, Orlando, FL 32804 (Local ) 407-218-8607; (Toll-Free) 1-800-686-7451 www.MFRMLS.com, www.MFCRE.com, www.MyFloridaHomesMLS.com 34 | My Florida ReSource | July 2011
Volume 1, Issue 3