EAC From The Boardroom Summer 2014

SUMMER EDITION 2014

FAREWELL

to a true gentleman and one of the Co-operative’s longest serving staff members

John Carson

Company Secretary & Chief Operating Officer

5 Smart Social Media Strategies for Your Business Page 08

Compliance Matters Page 10

Is there more to EAC? Page 14

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FTB Summer Edition 2014

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2014

Contents

04

The Chairman’s View | Dale Whittaker

05

In the Pipeline | David Crombie

06

John Carson Farewell Interview | Damien McDonald

08

Brand Marketing Tips | Damien McDonald

10

Compliance Matters | Geoff Hunter

12

CPD Training Calendar

14

Membership Services | Ross Graham

16

Red Square Training Calendar

18

Technology Review | Don Harb

20

Forms and Administration News | Maureen Faapito

22

Member Profile | Sandy Eime

23

Staff Profile | Sandy Eime

26

Welcome New Members

27

EAC Contacts List

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The Chairman’s View

Economic Outlook and The Industry

By Dale Whittaker, EAC Chairman

EAC will keep you informed of changes throughout the year, new products, developments, legislative changes and training that will keep you ahead of the pack.

Welcome to our first edition for 2014, and what an interesting year it is going to be.

There already seems to be some conflicting views on where interest rates are heading, up until recently there was a fairly strong consensus that they had bottomed out, with fixed rates moving up slightly and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) saying it was comfortable with the economy’s progress and the dollar dropping down towards its desired 85c level. Just recently the rising unemployment rate seems to have put a bit of doubt in some pundits minds and with consumer confidence dropping slightly again there is a possibility of stable levels for some time to come and some even predict a further reduction of 0.25%. The minutes of the RBA’s next meeting will make for interesting reading. It is my personal view that with mixed signs the RBA. will keep things on hold for the foreseeable future taking a “wait and see” approach. If that is the case I hope they convey that sentiment strongly to the market as recent research has suggested that consumer confidence fell by 3% in February, mainly due to worry by consumers of increasing interest rates and confidence is certainly a factor, if not THE KEY FACTOR, in keeping the market moving forward.

From all reports and anecdotal evidence it appears that the supply demand imbalance is still very evident as I predicted in my last report. Listings remain below last year’s levels across the board and auction clearance rates remain high as a result. If you have the listings, you certainly can sell them, and usually for a very good price, but they are hard to come by.

With the May budget upon us shortly and already much speculation about it and how tough it will be, I expect conditions to remain tight for the foreseeable future, consumer confidence and job security being key factors in how the market progresses.

As always EAC will keep you informed of changes throughout the year, new products, developments, legislative changes and training that will keep you ahead of the pack.

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FTB Summer Edition 2014

It is with a great deal of mixed emotions that I comment on John Carson’s pending retirement.

I am on one hand glad for John, that he will finally be able to have some free time to enjoy himself, goodness knows he deserves it, he may even be able to improve his golf handicap if he spends his time wisely. On the other hand I am extremely sad to see a man I have enormous respect for leave the organisation.

I have personally known John for over 20 years, as a board member for 16 years and a Chairman for 12 of those. During that time I have got to know John very well and I do not know of anyone more committed to an organisation than John has been to EAC. You may not be aware that John has spent basically his whole working life at EAC, some 43 years and 7 months, starting in the mail room and rising to CEO. and Company Secretary - An enormous achievement showing great drive, commitment and loyalty.

With his great foresight and leadership John has been highly instrumental in EAC’s continued evolution from a multiple listing bureau to the multi-faceted service provider that it is today. Indeed, John has been a key factor in EAC’s success over its more than 50 years.

He leaves behind a Co-operative in great shape; a true legacy for his many years of hard work.

I am sure that I speak for all the members, staff and board in wishing both him and his wife Esther all the very best in the future.

In the Pipeline

What’s Happening at EAC

By David Crombie, EAC Chief Executive Officer

We are currently finalising an enhanced version of the Internet Marketing report that will provide offices on our Pro and Elite packages with detailed statistics for each listing on the site that you can send to your clients.

Welcome to the first edition of From the Boardroom for 2014, here we are in early March and the year is now well and truly underway.

Last year ended with some good news with the decision by Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to not proceed with the proposed National Occupational Licensing Scheme reform in favour of a more sensible and workable solution. As stated previously while EAC was in favour of National Licensing, we believed that the model that was being proposed was not in the best interest of the industry or consumers. We will now work the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) and Government towards the development of a harmonised set of laws for the industry.

For those that are not aware we also now have a new Minister for Fair Trading. EAC had a good relationship with Minister Anthony Roberts who was the previous minister and we look forward to continuing this relationship with Minister Stuart Ayres with whom Dale Whittaker and I will be meeting on 10th March. If you have anything that you would like to raise with the Minister please contact Dale or myself prior to this date.

Since the release of the new realestateworld.com.au website late last year we have continued to experience growth in the number of agents on the site, unique browsers, page impressions and for the first time we have reached over 70,000 listings on the site. We are currently finalising an enhanced version of the Internet Marketing report that will provide offices on our Pro and Elite packages with detailed statistics for each listing on the site that you can send to your clients. For those that are not aware we also now have available brochures for your listings kits for both the realestateworld.com.au website and publications. These can be downloaded below:

Development of our new eForms solution is complete and by the time that you read this the new system will be out in the real world undergoing testing by a select number of offices. We are currently also talking with several third party software providers to integrate our eForms solution into their software which will provide you with the ability to populate and generate forms from these systems.

EAC in conjunction with the REIA will once again be hosting the NSW heats of the Real Estate Institutes’ Australasian Auctioneering National Championships. The competition is open to all NSW Auctioneers and at this stage the NSW Heats will be held on the 24th June 2014. We are just finalising the rules for this year and entry forms will be available soon.

As mentioned in my last article we will be sending out several short surveys in the coming months to get your feedback on how we are doing and if you can spare the time to complete them I would really appreciate it as I will be reviewing the results personally.

As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call or email me.

1. Click here for Illawarra Listing Kit Brochure 2. Click here for Northern Rivers Listing Kit Brochure 3. Click here for realestateworld.com.au Listing Kit Brochure

FTB Summer Edition 2014

The task of updating all the agent websites that we have designed and host is now underway and the same platform that drives the realestateworld.com.au website is now being used to power the search and display of listing information on the agent websites provided by us. For offices that are using our standard agent website functionality, your site will be automatically upgraded to the new functionality, at no charge.

05

Farewell to Retiring EAC Company Secretary and COO John Carson

By Damien McDonald

EAC farewells John Carson, a true gentleman and the Co-operative’s longest serving staff member.

This edition I thought I would share an interview experience with retiring EAC Company Secretary and COO John Carson. John’s career started with the Co-operative in 1971 and over the past 40 odd years he’s witnessed decades of change in the real estate industry as well as overseen the operations of EAC in one way or another throughout his tenure.

Long term EAC members will have many memories of John throughout the years but I’d like to ask the man himself to reflect on some of his fondest career memories.

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FTB Summer Edition 2014

Click here to view interview with John Carson

Now over 70,000 property listings

Is your Click here

Brand Marketing Tips

Five Smart Social Media Strategies for Your Business

By Damien McDonald, EAC Sales & Marketing Manager

Many small businesses miss the opportunity social media gives to boost brand identity and awareness.

Small businesses are, well, small… small staff, small budgets, and short on time. Efficiently leveraging your marketing time and dollars can in fact make a tremendous difference to the success of your business.

Social media provides opportunities for your business to engage with a larger customer base. We all know the social media landscape can appear overwhelming so I’ve listed 5 simple strategies to help any small business more effectively engage with the social media phenomenon.

1. Learn About the Players Before plunging your business into the social media waters, you first need to decide where to swim. The most trafficked social media sites are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. My personal favourite is Facebook for small business as it allows you a far greater versatility than the others as well as it’s a better strategic fit for real estate, but that’s just my opinion.

Facebook The Social Network for All. Businesses can have their own profile page and request likes from users and share media such as pictures, videos, and articles.

Twitter The Fast-Paced Social Network. Businesses engage followers by tweeting short messages of no more than 140 characters and include shortened links to more information.

LinkedIn Business Professionals Network. Post information about your business in resume form. Create and get involved in groups related to your industry to engage in related discussions.

YouTube Video Viewing Network. Upload how-to videos, product demos, company and presentations to help your audience get a visual of who you are and what you sell.

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Google + Great for influencing search rankings for your articles and is growing fast.

To get started, choose 1 or 2 networks for your business to try. Starting off with too much too soon is a strategy destined to fail. You may want to research social networks where your customers or peers are involved. For example, LinkedIn has a multitude of real estate and marketing group pages where you can interact with professionals on all matters real estate and marketing. Some examples are The Real Estate Network, Marketing Professionals as well as all the major franchise groups.

2. Brand Your Accounts Many small businesses miss the opportunity social media gives to boost brand identity and awareness. Every social media platform provides multiple areas to insert logos, images, links, and brand messages. Keeping these areas blank leaves missed opportunities and reflects poorly on your company.

Take advantage of your social media profiles, using them as a sales tool to give your customers more information on your products and services and give customers another way to get in touch with you. Adding more information has the added benefit of boosting your find-ability on search engines. Google + is a stand out example for SEO. 3. Link it Here, Post it There You put time into your property newsletter, sent it out, and moved on to the next item on your to do list. Wait! Stretch this time further by using your email newsletter in the social arena. Start by using the Social Sharing Features to post your full newsletter to your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. You can also include your social media links in your newsletter footer to allow your audience to easily access your sites! Take it a step further and consider posting articles from your newsletter on your blog or website. If you don’t have a blog, find blogs in your industry and ask about posting your articles as a guest blogger. The more you can interlink your marketing efforts, the more success and recognition you will see. I know that blogs are a scary prospect for most of us but look at it this way. If you were at a function and someone asked you about your business and how your tactics in your local market get you more listings, could you talk for hours? In my experience with real estate professionals I would have to say the answer to this would be yes. Why not write these down and share the reasons why you are so good at what you do? It might be easier than you think.

4. Promote and Engage

5. Measure Your Success

While it can be tempting to simply use social media to promote, promote, promote, you need to keep in mind that these are social sites. Your followers are interested in your listings and services, but they also want to hear from you and interact with you. One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make when starting off in the social media world is failing to make time to converse with and respond to their customers. A follower will soon become bored with your page if the only thing on it is just listing after listing. Set aside some social time every day to respond to comments, address negative feedback, and join in on conversations.

Becoming an active part of the social world will build your brand loyalty like never before.

Tracking ROI for your social media marketing gives you metrics to tweak your future campaigns and make sure you are investing your time and resources in the right places.

Measure your success with Social Media by tracking your growth in followers, likes, and group members. Most social media sites have some analytics available to get a feel for how your network is interacting with your business. Once you get your social media sites up and going, you may want to subscribe to a service such as HootSuite.com that tracks results and helps to manage multiple networks.

EAC can help you establish your social media presence and will set up all the major sites for your office. We can even get you started on Hootsuite to make posting to your multiple sites a seamless and time saving process. Click here for details.

The EAC Social Media Team regularly posts interesting, industry related, educational and sometimes even amusing stories to the EAC Social Media Pages.

To keep abreast of all the latest industry expert tips, developments and articles and to have your say, simply follow the EAC social media network of your choice listed below.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Click here to like our Facebook page

Click here to follow us on Twitter

Click here to follow our google+ page

FTB Summer Edition

Click here to follow our LinkedIn page

2014

09

Compliance Matters

Swimming Pool Laws to Commence

By Geoff Hunter, Industry Liaison and Compliance Advisor

From 29 April 2014, a copy of the valid Certificate of Compliance or relevant occupation certificate must be attached to a residential agreement or a sale of contract to lease or sell any property with a swimming pool or spa pool.

In 2012 the Swimming Pools Act 1992 was amended to provide for the following: •

All swimming pool owners were required to register their swimming pool or spa pool on the NSW Government’s Swimming Pool Register by 29 October 2013.

•

F rom 29 April 2014, a copy of the valid Certificate of Compliance or relevant occupation certificate (less than 3 years old and that authorises the use of the swimming pool) must be attached to a residential tenancy agreement or a sale contract to lease or sell any property with a swimming pool or spa pool.

Agents leasing and managing residential property should take the following steps:

The following additional clauses will be added to the tenancy agreement on 29 April 2014.

40A. The landlord agrees to ensure that at the time this residential tenancy agreement is entered into: 40A.1 the swimming pool on the residential premises is registered under the Swimming Pools Act 1992 and has a valid certificate of compliance under that Act or a relevant occupation certificate within the meaning of that Act, and

Ensure the pool or spa is registered.

•

btain a certificate of compliance. In the first instance O contact the local council to arrange for this to be issued. Accredited private certifiers can also be used if necessary.

40A.2 a copy of that valid certificate of compliance or relevant occupation certificate is provided to the tenant.

ttach a copy of a valid certificate of compliance or A relevant occupation certificate to residential tenancy agreements entered into from 29 April 2014.

There are no proposed changes to the existing Condition Report as a consequence of the amendments to swimming pool laws.

For Strata Schemes If a strata scheme has a pool on common property it is the responsibility of the Owners Corporation to ensure that:

FTB Summer Edition 2014

Changes to the Residential Tenancy Agreement

•

•

10

Agents should take immediate action to confirm the council inspection and obtain the certificate as work may need to be undertaken before the certificate can be issued and if this is the case then the property cannot be leased until it is issued.

•

The pool is fenced and meets safety requirements.

•

The pool is registered.

•

T hey have a valid swimming pool certificate or relevant occupation certificate available by 29 April 2014.

•

Property managers should contact the Executive Committee or the Strata Manager to confirm that action is being taken to ensure that the property complies and the certificate will be available by 29 April 2014.

(Cross out this clause if there is no swimming pool)

Property managers must ensure that the correct agreement is used for properties with swimming pools and that the certificate is attached.

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2014

Training calendar

EAC CPD Training Calendar 2014

Book Now

Develop your skills and knowledge with a range of professional development options, designed to suit Principals, Sales Agents and Property Managers.

With workshops, webinars and in-house training, our team of industry experts deliver practical training that will help you stay at the top of your game. With Early Bird pricing starting from $135.00, can you afford not to be a part of the EAC CPD training solution?

As EAC is a recognised industry body, there is No Assesment Required at the end of the workshop, to obtain your points.

We have 2 CPD workshop seminar roadshows running from February to June 2014 across regional and metropolitan NSW.

Property Management 2014

Presented by Geoff Hunter

This practical “hands on� session is important for agency principals and all property management staff who intend on improving their skills and delivering client service that is second to none. This course will include proposed changes to Residential Tenancies Regulations, new laws for window safety devices, solving tenancy disputes, enforcing CTTT orders, recovery of outgoings, rent reviews and the essential responsibilities of tenants of small commercial properties and more.

12 CPD points - 4 hours.

Property Management 2014 CPD Workshop

DUBBO 9:00am - 1:00pm

ORANGE 9:00am - 1:00pm

Tuesday

25

March 2014

Wednesday

26

March 2014

ROSEHILL (SYDNEY) 9:00am - 1:00pm

INVERELL 9:00am - 1:00pm

TAMWORTH 9:00am - 1:00pm

Thursday

FORSTER

03

9:00am - 1:00pm

April 2014

Tuesday

08

PORT MACQUARIE 9:00am - 1:00pm

April 2014

Wednesday

09

ROSEHILL (SYDNEY) 9:00am - 1:00pm

April 2014

Commercial and Retail Leasing and Management

Monday

07

May 2014

Tuesday

08

May 2014

Thursday

12

June 2014

Presented by Geoff Hunter

This comprehensive session is a must for agency principals and property managers who are involved in the leasing and management of commercial and retail property or who would like to develop new skills. This workshop will enable you to understand the differences between commercial and retail, the specialist provisions and documentation for retail and commercial leases, a condition report that works, rent reviews, recovery of outgoings and the often misunderstood impact of GST. An extensive reference manual is also provided. 12 CPD points - 4 hours.

Commercial and Retail Leasing and Management 2014 CPD Workshop

ROSEHILL (SYDNEY) 9:00am - 1:00pm

Thursday

04

April 2014

ROSEHILL (SYDNEY) 9:00am - 1:00pm

Wednesday

11

June 2014

Red SquareTraining Calendar

Introduction to Red Square and the services it offers

How to add and manage your listings using Red Square Listing Management

2014

How to use NSW Property Information Including how to search and how to work with the search results

March Tuesday 04 9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

March

Tuesday 11

Thursday 13

9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

10:00am - 10:30am AEDT

Tuesday 18

Thursday 27

9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

8:30am - 9:00am AEDT

How to use the (CMI) Current Market Information Including how to search and how to work with the search results

March Wednesday 12 8:30am - 9:00am AEDT

Wednesday 26 9:15am - 9:45am AEDT

March Thursday 13 8:30am - 9:00am AEDT

Thursday 27 9:15am - 9:45am AEDT

Tuesday 25 9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

April

April Thursday 10 10:00am - 10:30am AEST

April Wednesday 09 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

April Thursday 10 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

Tuesday 01

Wednesday 30

9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

May

9:15am - 9:45am AEST

May

Tuesday 08

Thursday 01

9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

8:30am - 9:00am AEST

May

Thursday 01

Tuesday 15

Thursday 15

9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

10:00am - 10:30am AEST

Tuesday 22

Thursday 29

9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

8:30am - 9:00am AEST

Tuesday 29

June

9:00am - 10:00am AEDT

Thursday 12 10:00am - 10:30am AEST

Wednesday 14 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

Wednesday 28 9:15am - 9:45am AEST

June Wednesday 11 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

9:15am - 9:45am AEST

Thursday 15 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

Thursday 29 9:15am - 9:45am AEST

June Thursday 12 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

Thursday 26 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

Wednesday 25 9:15am - 9:45am AEST

Thursday 26 9:15am - 9:45am AEST

Red Square Webinars FREE Online Webinar Training Dates: Attend one of our Free 30 minute monthly online group training sessions that cover all the basic Red Square features. Explore searching, Property Information Data, Listing Management, Current Market Information, Neighbourhood Reports, NSW Telephone Data and Current Market Analysis reporting tools. All this and, of course, the industry leading Red Square Mapping features are covered in our group webinar sessions. This option is perfect for an introduction for new staff as well as a handy overview for the rest of your office sales, property management and administration teams.

How to create a great CMA using Red Square

How to create a Neighbourhood Report

Learn how to use Red Square Mapping

How to use the Red Square NSW Telephone Data Including search options and working with results

March Thursday 13 9:15am - 9:45am AEDT

Thursday 27 10:00am - 10.30am AEDT

April

March Wednesday 12

Wednesday 26

April Wednesday 09 9:15am - 9:45am AEST

May

Wednesday 30 10:00am - 10.30am AEST

Thursday 01

9:15am - 9:45am AEST

10:00am - 10.30am AEDT

May Wednesday 14

March Thursday 13

Wednesday 26

11:00am - 11:30am AEDT

8:30am - 9:00am AEDT

10:00am - 10:30am AEDT

9:15am - 9:45am AEST

Thursday 15

Wednesday 12

9:15am - 9:45am AEDT

Thursday 10

10:00am - 10:30am AEST

March

April Wednesday 09

April Thursday 10 11:00am - 11:30am AEST

10:00am - 10.30am AEST

May Wednesday 30 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

Thursday 01 11:00am - 11:30am AEST

May Wednesday 14 10:00am - 10.30am AEST

Thursday 15 11:00am - 11:30am AEST

9:15am - 9:45am AEST

Thursday 29 Thursday 29

Wednesday 28

10:00am - 10:30am AEST

10:00am - 10.30am AEST

June

June

Thursday 12

Wednesday 11

9:15am - 9:45am AEST

9:15am - 9:45am AEST

Thursday 26

Wednesday 25

10:00am - 10:30am AEST

10:00am - 10.30am AEST

Wednesday 28

11:00am - 11:30am AEST

8:30am - 9:00am AEST

June June Wednesday 11

Thursday 12 11:00am - 11:30am AEST

10:00am - 10.30am AEST

Thursday 26 Wednesday 25 8:30am - 9:00am AEST

11:00am - 11:30am AEST

Membership Services

Is there more to EAC than just the data?

By Ross Graham, Membership Sales & Operation Manager

Central to EAC’s focus is the concept of value-adding EAC membership at every opportunity; to use a line from an earlier EAC advertising campaign, “EAC works harder for you”.

In today’s hi-tech real estate world it is easy to forget or ignore the basics. This is to a great degree understandable because of the important role data, social media and web sites play in the day to day operations of a real estate business. However, without the fundamentals being in place a business can quickly unravel.

These are just a few of the initiatives EAC is exploring. The areas of insurance, marketing and legal advice are all being investigated for opportunities to value-add EAC membership. So there is a lot more to EAC membership and the benefits are growing daily.

So what are the fundamentals? Agency Practice, training and compliance are always high on a Principal’s list of priorities. EAC recognises this and in its strategic plan has made a deliberate effort to focus on these business basics.

Central to EAC’s focus is the concept of value-adding EAC membership at every opportunity; to use a line from an earlier EAC advertising campaign, “EAC works harder for you”.

With this focus firmly in mind, EAC has begun or introduced a number of initiatives: • A minimum of 25% will be the member’s pricing differential and it will be applied to all services • The monthly Agency Brief which is an e-newsletter sent exclusively to members. The Agency Brief now includes quarterly sales data from the REIA. • Recent changes to legislation regulating industry training have meant EAC now provides CPD training.

This “classroom” training is conducted by Geoff Hunter and members enjoy a significant discount greater than the 25% differential.

• To be introduced shortly is EAC’s video training program.

This initiative will see a series of short five minute videos being posted to a member only section of

eac.com.au. Subjects ranging from swimming pool

regulation to the pros and cons of social media will

appeal to all staff.

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FTB Summer Edition 2014

• Following later in the year will be the EAC Webinar program. These webinars will address many of the hot topics of agency practice, marketing and sales.

• Scheduled for release shortly is the new product “Veda Connect”. This service allows agents to connect new tenants and owners with a number of utility suppliers. It also offers agents a commission for each connection.

Members will receive a bonus commission from EAC.

EAC Works Harder For You

Technology Review New eForms Service

By Don Harb, EAC IT Manager

Over the coming months EAC will be releasing its latest version of the eForms system that will take the system to the next level of functionality and useability. With all of EAC’s products and services, development never stops.

At EAC we are always looking at new services to provide to the industry or improving on the services that we have. We always strive to look at the technology that is available and provide the best possible service that we can create from this technology.

EAC will be working to integrate a number of third party systems to allow for a seamless creation and population of data into eForms from these third party systems. This will range from CRM and website systems to listing management and property management applications.

Almost 10 years ago we released an online forms system as the first of its kind in the industry. There were other systems that provided printable forms but EAC was the first to truly embrace the online technology available and release a complete online system.

Even with all these changes the current features of the eForms system remain intact. You will still be able to enjoy the ability to have 2 companies and logos in the system for different operations if required, the ability to set up standard sets of information in the system, emailing of the forms and their attachments and of course the ability to save the forms in Draft mode to complete at a later date.

Over the years we have made enhancements to the eForms system to help in the day to day usage of forms within an office while trying to maintain a flexible system to meet the requirements of the industry. Over the coming months EAC will be releasing a totally new version of the eForms system that will take the system to the next level of functionality and useability.

The biggest feature change will be the layout of the forms themselves. The forms will now be in a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) format meaning that what the user sees and fills out on the screen will exactly match the print out.

With all of EAC’s products and services, development never stops. The next phase of the eForms system will be a tablet version although there may be other features released as well. The EAC think tank never stops coming up with these ideas. Keep an eye out in your inbox for more information relating to the new eForms system and new developments as they arise.

If you would like more information on EAC’s eForms please call 1300 137 161.

Another feature update is the Default Forms function. A new button has been added to the system to allow access directly to the forms that have had a Default Form created.

This allows the user to manage the default information that may be pertinent to every form of that type that is printed within the office making the filling out of the form less time consuming.

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FTB Summer Edition 2014

The layout of the new eForms system will also change to be in line with EAC’s other products and services. This new design will provide for an easier, faster and generally more user friendly navigation while maintaining similar functionality to the previous version so users won’t have to learn the system all over again.

As part of the release of the new system we will be releasing the ability to upload documents and images to attach to forms. This will be available on all forms and can be used for contracts, property related PDF documents or images of the property for property management or sales purposes giving you the ability to store all important information and documents in the one location. The service will also allow users to print these documents and images.

Totally New Version of eForms Launching Soon!

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1300 305 992

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www.realtyprint.com.au/re-forms.php

Forms and Administration News Printed and Electronic Real Estate Forms

By Maureen Faapito, Administration and Resources Manager

From 1 March 2014 you must use the new version of the condition report for rental premises. The new report includes the addition of ‘window safety devices’ wherever ‘windows/screens’ appears.

Changes to Residential Tenancies Condition Report

Upcoming EAC Meetings:

Agencies may have received an email from NSW Fair Trading on 28 February regarding a New Condition report for residential tenancies.

The Board dates for the next quarter are:

The prescribed report has been changed by the addition of ‘window safety devices’ wherever ‘windows/screens’ appears.

THESE CHANGES ARE EFFECTIVE FROM 1 MARCH 2014 eForms For those offices using EAC eForms the necessary changes have been made and the updated form is now available for use.

Printed Forms If you are using EAC printed forms these forms may still be used BUT YOU MUST write in the additional words”/window safety devices” as outlined above.

So on the form wherever you see “windows/screens” you must change this to “windows/screens/window safety devices” These changes do not impose any obligation on the landlord to install window safety devices if none exist.

EAC is seeking clarification from Fair Trading as to the practicality of these changes and the likely implications for leasing and managing agents and members will be informed as soon as this advice comes to hand.

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EAC Members may direct any questions they have to our Helpline on 1300 137 161.

• 26 March 2014

EAC Board Meeting Rosehill • 30 April 2014

EAC Regional Board Meeting Tamworth • 28 May 2014

EAC Board Meeting Rosehill EAC and REIA Events • 20 March 2014

REIA National Awards for Excellence Hobart • 24 June 2014

EAC/REIA NSW Auctioneering Championships Sydney •

22-23 October 2014 Australasian Auctioneering Championships Auckland, NZ

Compare and Save How much are YOU paying for your real estate forms and agreements?

EAC has a wide range of both printed and online real estate forms covering: •

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Business Sales Agency Agreements

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Residential Leasing Agency Agreements

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Residential Property Management Agency Agreements

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Holiday Letting Agency Agreements

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Commercial and Industrial Leasing Agency Agreements

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Commercial and Industrial Property Management Agency Agreements

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Commercial Lease

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Retail Lease

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Supplementary Forms and Checklists

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Factsheets and forms reproduced with permission by NSW Fair Trading

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Member Profile

Cheryl Midavaine - Woolgoolga Real Estate

By Sandy Eime Each edition of From the Boardroom features the profile of an EAC Member to give you an idea of how they achieved success in their area.

Cheryl Midavaine joined the Real Estate Industry in 1990 with Don Clinch. She enjoyed her job and was rewarded with a Pride of Workmanship Award from the Rotary Club in 1995. In 1998 she was approached by Ian Fitzgerald to join his team. She continued to work for Ian at Ian Fitzgerald Woolgoolga Real Estate until she purchased the business in January 2004 after Ian’s decision to retire. Cheryl bases her work ethics on honesty and integrity and loves helping people in all aspects of the industry.

Cheryl Midavaine has been the Principal of Woolgoolga Real Estate for 10 years and an EAC Gold member since March 2004. Cheryl also supports the industry owned website realestateworld.com.au. The EAC Gold membership package provides Cheryl with benefits such as website design and hosting, Red Square Services as well as access to EAC’s Agency Practice Support.

Q: How did you first get started in the real estate industry?

A: I started in the Industry as a receptionist at a local agency in 1990. I had completed the HSC the year prior and was looking to work for 12 months to save enough money to attend Uni. I had been accepted to do a Bachelor of teaching. I loved real estate so much I decided to stay. I enrolled into the Licensing Course which was a 3 year TAFE course at the time.

Q: C an you describe the most memorable moment of your career so far?

A: The most memorable moment would have to be when I purchased Woolgoolga Real Estate in 2004. I had been working for the owners for approximately 6 years when they decided to retire. I knew it was an opportunity not to be missed. It was exciting but also a little daunting.

I knew about Real Estate but nothing about running a business.

Q: S o we can get to know you better, what are your personal interests or hobbies?

A: I love being outdoors. I play soccer and touch football for my local club. Unlike most Real Estate Agents I am hopeless at golf. I give the term “weekend hacker” a new meaning.

Q: W ho would you rate as your biggest inspiration in your life?

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A: I would have to say my first boss Don Clinch. He taught me the value of hard work and a good code of ethics.

He also taught me a lot of basic psychology and skills when dealing with the public. I have called upon them many times.

Q: W hat do you see as the secret to the success of Woolgoolga Real Estate?

A: I think hard work and determination have been the key elements for growing the business. One of the most important things is to do what you say you are going to do. People like dependability. Communication is also important. People love it when you return their call.

Q: D oes your business have a website and e-newsletter and an online presence on social web spaces like: Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? etc.

A: Yes, we have a website and Facebook page. We also produce a monthly E-newsletter and trend on Twitter.

You are welcome to visit us at: www.woolgoolgarealestate.com.au Q: H ow do you see the Co-operative helping the real estate industry?

A: It’s comforting to know you are part of a co-operative.

Agents working together can offer so many benefits especially to a new business. Forms online, property data and the Red Square program are amongst the additional benefits.

Q: W hat do you see as the main benefit of being an EAC member?

A: At this point in my career, probably access to the database via Red Square – a very valuable tool for the business.

Q: W here do you see yourself and Woolgoolga Real Estate in 5 years?

A: I would love to say working 3 days a week with business profits continuing to increase but I fear that’s a little way off just yet. I would like to see the business continue to strengthen as we maintain a strong presence in our local Market.

Staff Profile

George Bedelovski - Account Manager

By Sandy Eime Each edition we interview one of our staff members that deal with our customers on a daily basis to give you a better idea of their personality. This edition features the motivated and charismatic George Bedelovski who is our newest recruit and EAC Account Manager. George comes with a wealth of online and an offline real estate medium advertising experience and prides himself in providing an honest and reliable service to his new clients in the Illawarra region on NSW.

Q. What were you doing job wise before working with EAC? A. I worked at Fairfax Media as a real estate advertising account manager. I was the Illawarra representative for domain.com.au and also managed the Domain publication which appeared each Saturday in the Illawarra Mercury. Previous to that I was a sales consultant at Peter Taranto Real Estate.

Q. What are your usual daily tasks as EAC Account Manager?

A. I am responsible for the account & relationship management of over 90 real estate offices in the Illawarra. My role involves booking advertising space, laying out the publication and ensuring that deadlines & requirements are met. I also manage the distribution of the weekly publication, drive membership to EAC and promote the realestateworld.com.au website.

Q. What is your favourite food? Least Favourite?

A. My favourite food is Pizza and my least favourite is Soup.

Q. What’s your favourite tourist destination?

A. New York City. I love the buzz you get from the city that never sleeps.

Q. What’s got your interest on TV right now?

A. ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

A. In 5 years’ time I see myself happy and successful in the role I am currently in. I hope to continue to grow & develop both professionally & personally and have a comfortable work life balance.

Q. Give an example without naming names of an interesting situation you have had to deal with since being appointed to your position?

A. I recently dealt with a client who verbally abused me and threatened to have my job taken away from me after I informed him of an upcoming rate rise. A few short hours after we had finished our conversation, he contacted me to apologise and tell me that he wanted to be my friend.

Q. What motivates you to come to work every day?

A. I am motivated by the opportunity and desire to grow the realestateworld.com.au brand, both in print & online. I take pride in the job I do and hope that by providing honesty & reliability to my clients, our service is a must-have in the future.

Q. What sort of hobbies or activities do you like to participate in after work hours?

A. I love spending time with my wife & 2 kids. At the moment we have the travel bug, so we try to go away together as much as we possibly can. I also love participating in and watching most sports, especially golf, soccer, cricket & racing.

Q. What sort of music do you listen to?

A. My favourite music is pop rock; however, I generally like most music.

FTB Summer Edition 2014

Q. What’s your favourite movie and why?

A. That’s a tough question. At the moment it would be The Wolf of Wall Street. Jordan Belfort’s swagger, business savvy and salesmanship is unquestionably inspiring.

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Does your office website cut it these days?

Don’t put up with yesterday’s technology.

EAC can provide a complete modern office website solution with all the bells and whistles for under $1000.

Call the real estate Industry website specialists on 1300 137 161 to find out more or visit our website by clicking here

Privacy Legislation Awareness Campaign The Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) is an Australian law which regulates the handling of personal information about individuals. This includes the collection, use, storage and disclosure of personal information.

As from 12 March 2014, The Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012 (Privacy Amendment Act) will take effect.

AFFILIATE MEMBER

The Fact Sheet designed to familiarise real estate businesses with the new law is now available at the REIA website and can be found at: http://reia.com.au/userfiles/FactSheetPrivacy.pdf REIA encourages Affiliates to inform members of the potential new obligations under the changes.

Ten National Privacy Principles that are currently included in the Privacy Act and apply to the handling of personal information by large businesses, all health service providers and some small businesses and non-government organisations will be replaced by thirteen Australian Privacy Principles that will apply to both Australian government agencies and businesses.

In preparation for the new privacy law REIA liaised with a national law firm Maddocks and in collaboration developed the REIA Real Estate Agent Fact Sheet Privacy and Real Estate outlining implications of the new law to real estate businesses.

ATE V I PR

Welcome New Members

UNION PROPERTY INTERNATIONAL Kangyi (Jason) Lin

DIMOSONS Robert Dimovski

STIRLING REALTY MACARTHUR & SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS Henry Nooyen

KITSON PROPERTY Steve Kitson

COAST 2 COUNTRY REAL ESTATE Peter Richardson

AUSTRALIA MASTER INVESTMENT GROUP PTY LTD Shan Ngai So

CITYWIDE PROPERTY SYDNEY Roger Kuo

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2014

TERRY MURPHY PROPERTY SALES & MANAGEMENT

EAC Contacts List

Estate Agents Co-operative Ltd.

P: 1300 137 161

ABN 52 079 055 637

F: 1300 789 675

2A/175 James Ruse Drive

E: innovations@eac.com.au

Rosehill NSW 2142

Membership Services

e: membership@eac.com.au

realestateworld.com.au Publications

e: publications@eac.com.au

Red Square & realestateworld.com.au

e: redsquare@eac.com.au

Website Support - Web Design & Development

e: webservices@eac.com.au

Real Estate Forms & Stationery

e: stationery@eac.com.au

Compliance & Practice Support

e: practicesupport@eac.com.au

Training Services

e: training@eac.com.au

Visit us at: www.eac.com.au