I am excited to announce that this Friday, May 9th, 2008, I will be a guest on Real Estate Radio USA along side my colleague, and friend, Laura Monroe of Creative Agent Solutions.com .

We have been invited to discuss the nitty-gritty details about Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA's) and how Real Estate Professionals, like yourselves, can benefit from partnering with a REVA.

We hope you will join us, with Barry Cunningham and Barry Johnson, on Friday, May 9th at 5:00 pm Eastern for a fun filled show answering all your burning questions about Real Estate Virtual Assistants. Laura and I are excited and honored to be a part of the first Real Estate Radio USA show featuring REVA's as their guests.

See you Friday!

As a Real Estate Professional, you probably spend a good part of your day, most days, concentrating on the revenue generating tasks of your business such as previewing homes, meeting with clients, showing homes, presenting offers and holding open houses, and if you’re not; you should be. The reality is that most Real Estate Professionals find themselves juggling time spent on day-to-day administrative duties, and time spent on the more important tasks of building relationships and generating revenue.

Let a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant (PREVA) eliminate the need to “juggle” and take care of the day-to-day administrative duties for you. These tasks, or business solutions as I like to call them, may include, but are not limited to the following:

 1. Blogging
If you don’t already have one, a PREVA can set up a blog for you using your existing website set-up or one of the more popular blogging platforms such as Wordpress (free and self hosted sites) and TypePad. Once set up, or using your existing blog, a PREVA can help maintain and update the blog, as well as brainstorm content ideas.

 2. Contact Management
Keeping your contacts and leads up-to-date is key. Using a CRM (Contact Relationship Management) program such as Outlook, ACT, or my personal favorite, The Wise Agent, a PREVA can customize, organize, update and maintain all of your contacts, appointments and deadlines in such a way that flows with your own personal working style.

 3.Drip Email Campaigns
We will create, customize, maintain and arrange distribution of email campaigns for your buyers and sellers which is key to keeping you in the forefront of your contacts minds.

 4.  Flyers
Let a PREVA create fabulous marketing tools such as Listing Presentations and CMA’s that will “wow” your clients and keep you one step ahead of your competition.

 5.  Listing Management
As a PREVA, we will handle all aspects of your listings from submission to your local real estate board, email blasts to agents and brokerages and advertising, to the creation of all related marketing materials, submission to your own websites, blogs and popular real estate portals and even purchasing your buyer/seller closing gift. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

 6.  Postcards
Creation and distribution of Just Listed, Just Sold and Specialty postcards will keep you on track with consistent marketing efforts.

 7.  Single Property Websites
Without a doubt, Single Property Websites, such as MarketSites by MyMarketWare should be at that the top of the list in the marketing plan for your listings. Each listing will be assigned its own unique URL, and as your PREVA we will handle the creation, submission and maintenance of each single property website with statistical information, for each site, sent to you regularly.

 8.  Virtual Tours
Another great marketing tool is the virtual tour. What better way to show off all corners of the home than with fabulous images, descriptions and links to capture the attention of prospective buyers. As a PREVA I will set all this up for you with special attention to where the virtual tour will be posted, to give your listing maximum online exposure (i.e. your websites, blogs and numerous other real estate portals). My virtual tour platform of choice is Real Estate Shows for its flexibility and high quality presentation.

 9.  Website Maintenance
We will ensure that your website(s) are kept up-to-date with current listings, news and buyer and seller information.

Lastly and most important…

 10.  Time and Money
Time is something we can give you to spend with family and concentrate on those revenue generating tasks mentioned above. Money can also be saved by partnering with a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant. Contact Me for a cost comparison of using a PREVA as opposed to, or in conjunction with, an “on-site” assistant.

If there is one thing you need to learn before you go into business it is never ever lose a contact’s details. Whether it was only an exchange of information, former partner or a potential client, it is vital that you keep details of all of your business dealings. That person you spoke to 10 years ago may just be the lady to bite at your next deal. That man you spoke to last week might be the lead you need into a new venture. So how can you organize your contacts to ensure no details are lost?

To be sure that the information is there when you want it and in a format which is helpful, you really need to have a central storage point which can possibly be accessed from any computer and is password protected. The beauty of this is that you can add, change or find the contact details you require in an instant. Many people also find it very useful to either make notes about the contact or even store details of past dealings – whether this is a client, potential client or someone to deal with in the Real Estate sector.

Many people are finding it useful to pass these more administrative procedures to their Real Estate Virtual Assistant, who can store the information at a central point – totally separate from any other contact details – and either call them up for the account holder or allow them online access. Your contacts are one of your most valuable assets but it is up to you how you use them to assist with your business.

A lost contact may be a lost opportunity, and with the market as competitive as it is, nobody can afford to pass up any opportunities.

As the internet continues to go from strength to strength many Real Estate professionals continue to look towards Virtual Tours as a way to assist clients and save their own time. But how many actually push forward with the idea, and what benefits does it offer?

A Virtual Tour is the ultimate Real Estate Virtual Assistant, the kind of issue which you can personalize for yourself and your customers. So why do so few actually take on the adventure? Quite simply......fear

There have been some massive improvements in software over the last few years, web cam technology is unrecognizable for twenty years ago and broadband is now common place – all elements required for the perfect Virtual Tour. While it takes time to perfect your offerings, I have the time, the software and the application to make it happen. So what are the real benefits?

There are a number of benefits which include:-

1. Expanding your potential customer base to people out of the area. A virtual tour allows them to look before they visit, to see if it really has what they want.



2. It saves YOUR time with those customers who never quite close the deal, the ones who are always promising some action but never quite deliver.
   
   
   
3. In many ways it will also improve your sales figures because if the customer has seen the virtual tour (the property in a perfect light) then in many cases it will just be a case of closing the deal. Your virtual tour has already warmed up the customer!

However, there is still a need for face to face negotiations, which is where your skills will come in, but I can help you will your online presence and your marketing techniques. Just a few small changes can make a virtual world of difference – you will be very surprised.

This post can also be seen on The PREVA Report.

I think we can admit that winter has finally touched Calgary and it is likely here to stay for the next few months. Thankfully though our winters here are not without a fair amount of sun and the occasional chinook, unlike our neighboring province of British Columbia to the west.

With the cold snowy days that we are in for here, winter brings with it, obstacles and challenges for a number of Calgarians especially for our seniors. The City of Calgary, our local television station CFCN and The Calgary Sun have partnered together in a community initiative called Snow Angels and they are ready to launch this years 2008 edition on December 1st. The Snow Angels program is designed to lend a hand to our neighbors in an effort to keep our city sidewalks and driveways shoveled and free from snow and the ice that hides beneath.

To participate in the Snow Angels program is extremely simple. All you have to do is adopt a neighbor's and/or senior's sidewalk and help keep it clear for the winter. Have a look at the Snow Angels Promotional Video to see how easy it can be. We all want our sidewalks to be safe for everyone to enjoy this winter. You may also want to visit the City of Calgary website for more Snow Angel Frequently Asked Questions and Snow Angel Stories.

If you are interested in becoming a Snow Angel or starting a program in your community to help senior's this winter, Contact Snow Angels. They will help you in developing your program and provide tips on how to approach your neighbor's to let them know you would like to be their Snow Angel this winter. Stay safe and stay warm.

I've been trying to catch up on some of my Real Estate reading this past week and I recently came across the new Realty Times website. Have you popped over there to see the new layout and design of their website. I love it! It is much easier to navigate and I think it's a great idea to have "Today's Headlines" in video format.

Below the new header, the layout is pretty much the same but the whole site has even changed their color scheme. I am a frequent reader of this site and I can see myself visiting a little more often to watch these new  video clips they have implemented here. What a great way to update the site.

At the bottom of the page they now have a great layout for the most recent articles in each of their categories (Buyer's Advice, Seller's Advice, Rental Advice, Advice for Borrowers, Homeowner's Advice, New Home Advice Homeowner's Association Advice and Canadian). There is also a section for Agents and a new Readers' Choice section. These categories have always been there, but I find it much easier to be able to see it all there at-a-glance.

I'm sure most of you have already come across this newly designed Realty Times site, but I was so pleased with it, I thought I would share it with those of you that haven't visited the site in a while. It's a wonderful resource for Real Estate Professionals and Consumers. So check it out!

For those of you that have emailed me and commented with your best wishes for Cubby the bear, I wanted to thank you and update you on what I have recently heard. For those of you that have not been formally introduced to Cubby, you might want to head over to  Thanksgiving Surprises Part III - Lonely And Scared and Feeling Helpless to view Cubby's RES.

We spoke with our neighbours at Christina Lake this week and they have been keeping their eyes on Cubby for me as I can not be there. Betty informed us that Cubby is still there and feeding on the apple trees(hopefully this is instinct to bulk up before hibernating). Apparently Cubby hangs around our resort for a few days and then he ventures off for a couple of days, but then always returns. The last time he returned to the resort he wasn't alone...Cubby had brought along another cub. I wish I was there to monitor and photograph them. I am so pleased to hear that Cubby is OK and it appears as though his natural instinct is kicking in and preparing himself for hibernation.

Betty also spoke with the local warden and there have been no reported bear killings since I left there in October. Phew...what a relief.

So Cubby appears to be fine for now and should be heading into hibernation in the next few weeks. If I hear anything else I will be sure to let you know.

Thanksgiving has already passed here in Canada, but you all in the US are probably just starting to get geared up for it. Thanksgiving tradition is typically to serve turkey and/or ham, but sometimes a turkey can be too much for just a few people. Well I have an alternative for smaller groups or couples.

It's no secret that I am not a big meat eater, but my beau is, and he has introduced me to a lot of new things since we've been together. One of his favorites (next to wild meat) is the Drunkin Chicken. It is pretty much exactly how it sounds and it is bar-b-q'd to perfection.

We have this little rack and tray thing that we use on the bar-b-q and there is just enough room to place a 1/2 can of beer on the bottom of the tray and underneath the rack. Once the beer is in place you want to take a whole chicken and place it over top of rack from...well you know...the bottom of the chicken. Voila, that's it! We like to sprinkle a little seasoning all over and then it's ready to throw on the bar-b-q.

We cooked a Drunkin Chicken at my parents place about a month ago for the first time and they both said it was the best chicken they've ever tasted. The beer steams inside the chicken leaving it mouth watering moist.

For those of you in Canada that might want to give the Drunkin Chicken a try you can buy the rack and tray at Canadian Tire for $9.99.

Ok, this will be the final installment of my Thanksgiving weekend posts. I've been trying to write this for a week now and I haven't quite been able to say (type) how I exactly feel about this. Thanks to Sarah Girl Cooper and her creative use of RES (Real Estate Shows) I decided that this would be the perfect way to show you what it was that had such a profound affect on me while I was at our family cabin for the holiday weekend.

We were introduced to this bear cub the day after we arrived at the cabin. He was perched almost at the top of our neighbours apple tree. I was instantly drawn to this bear cub and my niece and I immediately named him Cubby. Evidently he had been in and out of this tree for a couple of days and did not seem to be too concerned with us.

I was concerned that where there is a bear cub, there is sure to a mother close by. Sadly this was not case. Apparently the mother and other cub had been shot and killed a few days earlier. I felt so bad for Cubby as we figured that he may have only been 6 to 8 months old. If this was the case, my first thought was how would he know how to hibernate and get through the winter? There had been a couple of residents that contacted Fish and Wildlife and they said that there was nothing they could do. They commented that if they were to come out, they would have to shoot the cub. I was beside myself. I thought there had to be someone, or organization, that could arrange to relocate this cub or something.

There were only a handful of people in our resort (as is usually the case this time of year) so it was generally pretty quiet and not too many people to bother the cub (except me). The next couple of days my niece and I would go and check on Cubby in the morning, at lunch and at supper time and each time taking a ton pictures. I loved this little cub and had no idea how to help it. I went back to the cabin one evening and sent a bunch of emails to various SPCA's and wildlife organizations to see if there was something, someone could do.

I never like leaving our cabin as it's my home away from home and this time was no exception and even harder. I didn't want to leave not knowing what was going to happen to Cubby. Anyway I am in a holding pattern as I have not been able to verify if he is still there, but I will continue to follow up.

Thank you Sarah Girl for inspiring me to put this RES together.

Blog Action Day has finally arrived and I am happy to say that Calgary is a city committed to doing their part for the environment...Are You? There are many ways in which you can participate to help create a greener Calgary. It doesn't take a lot of time once you make the decision to do your part. It could be overwhelming to make the change and try to do everything, so start small and pick a few things that you know won't turn your life upside down. As you get use to doing one thing, you can add something else. Here is a list of a few basic things you can do to get started with making the "green" change.

• Bottle Recycling - Visit the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation for a ton of recycling resources, a list of acceptable containers and bottle depot locations
  


• Stop Using Plastic Bags - Many of our local grocery stores now offer an alternative to plastic bags such as the ones below as offered at the Real Canadian Superstore and Sobey's
  
      


• Composting in Calgary - The City of Calgary has put together an awesome brochure called Composting in Calgary about composting and how to get started. Clean Calgary Association offers composting workshops and City of Calgary subsidized compost bins for Calgarians wanting to start backyard composting. 
  


• Leaf and Pumpkin Recycling- Fall is here and so are the leaves. Halloween is coming and that means pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. For those of you that are not set up for composting, The City of Calgary is offering a FREE Leaf and Pumpkin Recycling Program. The program runs from September 22 to November 11, 2007. Visit here for a list of drop off locations.
  


• Other City of Calgary Recycling Programs
  Christmas Tree Mulching Program
  Organics Recycling
  Grasscycling

Now that you know what you can do help out it's time to hear what the City is doing to help us to make Calgary a greener city. Some of you may already now this, but back in 2001, Calgary Transit joined forces with Enmax and Vision Quest Windelectric Inc. to launch Calgary's first green energy project called Ride The Wind Program. The goal of this program was to see that one day, Calgary's Light Rail Transit (LRT) would be powered by 100% green power. This power would be wind-generated electricity coming from the 12 windmills located in Southern Alberta. The electricity supply partnership between the City of Calgary and Enmax doesn't end there. Read Green Energy to see how a lot of the City's operations will be powered by the wind.

Not only is today Blog Action Day, Canadians are celebrating Waste Reduction Week, from October 15th - 21st.

This is the week for communities, schools and businesses to take part in a Canada wide event to educate and bring awareness to Canadians about waste minimization and conservation initiatives. Visit the Waste Reduction Weekwebsite to learn more about how to get involved. The Waste Reduction Week website also provides some great resources and ideas geared specifically to schools, businesses and municipalities and their involvement. Also check out the 2007 Events page to see who is already registered in your area to participate.

This is an extremely sensitive topic for some and I could go on forever about this, but my goal here was to provide some "basic" information and little background into the efforts Calgary is making to do their part for the environment and the people who live here. I love this city and I am proud to be a Calgarian. It is impossible for an individual or even a city to do it all, but if we work together, and give our best effort to do what we can, I believe it will make a difference.

It has been a pleasure to be a part of Blog Action Day and congratulate the organizers and bloggers that have worked endlessly to get the word out and organize this event. THANK YOU!