Metrolist® - Colorado's MLS of Choice

Top Tips from Denver Home Stagers

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:25:05 -0700

Some of the top stagers in the metro Denver area are sharing their secrets with you. Check out these videos to learn how to differentiate your listings from similar properties.

Don't Overlook the Closets

Holly Lange, Abundantly Clear
www.abundantlycleardesign.com
www.facebook.com/abundantlyclear

The Rule of Odd Numbers

Michelle Wykes, Staging with Style
www.stagingwithstyleco.com

Accessorize to Tell a Story

Macky Bennett, Re-Arrangements & More, Interior Transformations
www.rearrangementsandmore.com

Depersonalize the Home

Sandi Bass, Staging with Style
www.stagingwithstyleco.com

3 Cs - Clean, Clutter-free, Color

Sandi Bass, Staging with Style
www.stagingwithstyleco.com

Get Inspiration from the Pros

Macky Bennett, Re-Arrangements & More, Interior Transformations
www.rearrangementsandmore.com

Top Ten Listing Input Tips

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:41:28 -0700

A dull listing could prevent a sale. Here are some tips from other real estate professionals about how to make your listings shine.

Give Good Directions
Not everyone relies on their G.P.S. to navigate through unfamiliar neighborhoods. Make sure you enter good directions to the property, and skip the shortcuts. Don't use "See MapQuest" or "Call Broker." You can now enter up to 1,000 characters in the Directions field. The Listing Detail will display the full set of characters, allowing you more space to provide better directions to the property.
Disclose Short Sales
If your listing is a short sale, this must be selected under Approval Conditions to abide by the MLS Rules & Regulations.
Complete the Descriptions
Those checkboxes under Description may not seem important, but it is imperative to select all that apply. Even if you don't think the "Dog Run" is a huge selling point, it may be to the homebuyer with a couple of canines.
Using Remarks
Use the Remarks fields to the fullest extent to paint a picture of the property in the minds of the reader. The Public Remarks is a great place to talk about the features and benefits of the property, not to repeat the Description fields in sentence form. Just like the Directions field, you can now enter up to 1,000 characters in the Remarks field. The Listing Detail will display the full set of characters, allowing you more space to describe your property’s features.
Don't Say NOT
If your listing is NOT a short sale, don't enter "NOT a Fix and Flip" in the Remarks field. Savvy real estate brokers may choose to exclude listings with "Fix and Flip" in the Remarks from their search results, which would also exclude your listing.
Enter Room Dimensions
Take the extra time to measure the room dimensions for your listings. If homebuyers are thinking about room dimensions, they are likely already picturing their furniture and decorations in the property. That is a good thing.
Show Me the Photos
Twelve percent of all listings in the Metrolist® database do not have a single property photo. Make sure your listings don't get passed over; upload up to 25 property photos when you enter your listings using the Media Management function.
Enable ShowingAssist
Make it easy for your fellow brokers to schedule showing appointments without having to make extra phone calls. Use ShowingAssist to establish available showing times for the property.
Attach Disclosures to Your Listings
A broker calling during your family dinner has a homebuyer ready to make an offer on your listing, just as soon as you can send the disclosures. You could have attached them to your listing using the Media/Documents page of the My Listings menu.
Add a Virtual Tour
If a photo is worth a thousand words, and a good Virtual Tour is worth a thousand photos, shouldn't you include a Virtual Tour for your listing? Adding Virtual Tours to your marketing capabilities will boost your listing exposure to attract online buyers. You can easily provide a Virtual Tour by simply entering the URL for your listing's Virtual Tour or video using the Media Management function.

Let Your Voice Be Heard - Online Community For Feedback

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:11:16 -0700

The Metrolist Idea Manager provides an online community that encourages you to submit feedback and share your ideas. It connects you with support, marketing, and development staff at Metrolist as well as with your colleagues to help determine what features to build/enhance, and the right priority for development resources.

To access the Metrolist Idea Manager, click the feedback icon from PrimeAccess Portal.

Creating Your Idea Manager Account

The login for this account is not tied to your PrimeAccess login.

Click Register to create your account.
Enter your email address and click Submit.
You will receive a confirmation email. Click the link in the email. If you do not receive the confirmation email, check your email’s junk folder.
Enter your name under Screen Name and choose a Password (must be at least 6 characters and contain one number).
Agree to the Terms of Conditions and click Register.

You are now a part of the Metrolist network of ideas. You can view, comment, and vote on ideas, or post an idea of your own.

If you need additional assistance, click Help (located just below your name in the top right corner).

Powered by Brightidea, the Metrolist Idea Manager provides a rich environment for capturing ideas. Real-time duplicate checking, rich text formatting, support for attachments and user-defined tags to ensure you the flexibility you need to accurately describe your ideas.

Tips for Creating a Strong Online Presence

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:50:44 -0700

John Skrabec, Broker Owner of Live Urban Real Estate in Denver, discusses four critical strategies for building an online presence for your real estate business.

Source: http://www.BrokerIPTV.com

BrokerIPTV: Today we are talking with John Skrabec, broker-owner of Live Urban Real Estate in Denver, Colorado. How are you?

John Skrabec: Good Dan, how are you?

BrokerIPTV: Good thanks. Today we are going to talk a little bit about things you need to do or how to succeed in Denver real estate and Im sure everybody says, "Well, what's that one thing?" I don't know if there is, I mean, ever one thing.

John Skrabec: Yeah, I don't think there is either.

BrokerIPTV: But what would be your top?

John Skrabec: For me, be different. I just think that there is, there are so many brokers in the Denver Metro market, most of them blend in with one another, frankly and I think that if you can be different and start crafting an image and a brand around a unique selling proposition, a unique personality, that's where you have to start.

BrokerIPTV: Like, go to all your showings on horseback and...

John Skrabec: Well if you want to take it that far, I suppose, but I think its more about telling a story, crafting a personality, an image that you can then translate into all your marketing efforts, whether thats online, whether its a print collateral, advertising, newspaper advertising, we even do some radio, all those kind of things, and you start kind of crafting that image. I think the biggest mistake brokers make is that they see brokers doing certain things and they copy and mimic that its the worst thing you could do, because you just get lost in the crowd.

BrokerIPTV: You know, I talk about that all the time, I say be true to yourself, don't try to put yourself in a box and do something that does not come naturally to you, for instance, me I'm an online guy, I spend all my time online, that's where I build my business, that's what I do. I am never going to be a door-knocker type of guy, but that doesn't mean that's not going to work for someone else.

John Skrabec: Absolutely. No, what works for you, be true to yourself and I think that's a great way to put it.

BrokerIPTV: Sphere of influence, I mean obviously this term has been around since the dawn of real estate.

John Skrabec: Sure.

BrokerIPTV: Who do you know? Who is in your group? Who is in your circle? How do you market to them best?

John Skrabec: Well I think it depends on who it is and how you are going to talk to them. Everybody has probably a market that social media is going to work for them. So you have your Facebook and your Twitter followers, and you're talking to them and engaging them on that level, maybe blogging, an e-mail or newsletters to a certain extent. But then you have kind of the non-techie people that maybe a printed newsletter works better, one-on-one, phone calls, meeting people one-on-one, having coffee, connecting with your sphere that way, I don't think you could put all your eggs in one basket in that sense, and it kind of comes down to integrated marketing, using a multitude of marketing tactics in many different ways to connect to different parts of your audience.

BrokerIPTV: Alright, lets say you've got your brand, lets say you've got your sphere of influence, how do you go about crafting that message?

John Skrabec: Well, I think really understanding who your target market is, and then starting to mimic their style and the kind of the words they use and the phrases they use, and understanding that, I think that's really being, being able to be changeable and nimble to be flexible and being a good listener frankly, to hear what they are saying, whats important to them and then starting to mimic that stuff back. And that's possible to do certainly one-on-one, you could also do it online using technology and you know quickly changing information on your website that's more relevant to your target market, because you're starting to understand what their needs are.

BrokerIPTV: John, thanks, great information, I appreciate you being here.

John Skrabec: Thanks a lot Dan.

QR Codes for Real Estate

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:52:49 -0700

If you've never seen a QR Code, you're about to see them everywhere. A QR code is a matrix barcode that can be deciphered by most smartphones using the phone's camera and a QR decoder app.

QR codes, which are used to direct a smartphone to a specified URL, are gaining popularity as a marketing tool, especially in the real estate industry. For example, this QR code goes to the Metrolist Facebook page.

QR codes can be placed anywhere, and brokers are finding many creative ways to use QR codes, such as on yard signs, listing brochures, business cards, promotional items, etc. Pam Franz of PJ Promotions tells us that, "QR codes were the big thing at our promotional products tradeshow this year. They are really gaining momentum and are showing up in more and more places."

Effective QR Codes
To ensure that your QR codes are effective, it's important to link to valuable content that is formatted for viewing on a mobile device or smartphone. Don't send your QR decoders to a non-mobile-friendly site that provides little or no value. Some things that you might consider linking to are listing pages that are formatted for mobile viewing, YouTube (usually very smartphone friendly) video tours of your listings, or a mobile "tool kit" with contact information and a property search.

Metrolist CEO, Pat Bybee, Reminds IndustryThat All Real Estate is Local

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:40:07 -0800

Issues Around National Data Are Not Applicable At The Neighborhood Level Says Long-Time MLS Executive

DENVER, CO--(March 8, 2011) - Amid a growing controversy over the accuracy of national housing data, Patricia Bybee, President CEO of Metrolist, Inc., is encouraging the industry to keep its focus on the reliability of local data.

At issue is the perceived accuracy of what's widely considered the most popular measure of existing home sales, the National Association of Realtors' (NAR) Existing Home Sales, specifically that the report has increasingly overstated home sales. The NAR has dismissed claims it could dramatically mis-report national sales numbers.

"We appreciate, of course, the conversation around the NAR’s data,” said Ms. Bybee, who’s been at the head of Metrolist since its founding in 1984, “The fact is, Realtors focus on local data. And we’re entirely confident of the accuracy of the data from the MLS, which is the one true source the industry can rely on."

Ms. Bybee’s firm, the largest Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in Colorado and one of the first regional multiple listing services in the nation, provides a broad database of real property listings for real estate brokers to serve buyers and sellers.

Metrolist's 'Monthly Indicator Report' highlights key metrics and provides a top line summary of the month's trends. Similar to other ready-made, localized reports produced around the nation, the firm's 'Local Market Update' gives a historical view of how prices have changed in that area and in comparison to the overall market.

Source: Metrolist

"Realtors are the voice of real estate,” says Ms. Bybee. “The fact remains that local data is more relevant to homebuyers and sellers. National trends do not reflect local markets, but simply provide metrics across long time periods."

About Metrolist
Metrolist is the largest MLS in the state of Colorado, supporting the largest network of REALTORS® with the most comprehensive database of real property listings throughout the Front Range. REALTOR owned since 1984, Metrolist provides leading technology solutions to real estate agents and brokers to better serve buyers and sellers. More information about Metrolist is available at www.metrolist.com.

New Monthly Indicator Report and Local Market Update for Denver Realtors

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:45:53 -0800

The Monthly Indicator Report and Local Market Update have been updated to make them even simpler, cleaner and more modern, giving you the tools needed to help tell the story of your real estate market. Here's a summary of the enhancements made to these two Market Intel reports:

Monthly Indicator Report
The first page offers a new Quick Facts dashboard, which highlights key metrics and complements the written analysis to give a top line summary of the month's trends. The Market Overview has been moved to the second page and enhanced with historical sparklines. Finally, the individual metric pages now include data tables going back 12 months, so you have a numerical reference in addition to charts.

Local Market Update
This ready-made, localized report, perfect for CMAs, open houses, and more, features more relevant information, still on one page. A Quick Facts dashboard has been added. The biggest change is the addition of a line chart for prices, which gives a historical view of how prices have changed in that area and in comparison to the overall market. The bar charts feature key metrics, including the number of homes that have sold in an area and market times. It's a great tool to help buyers, sellers and homeowners understand how active (i.e., competitive) an area has been.

Market Intel
Market Intel gives you the tools to become the market expert. In addition to the Monthly Indicator Report and the Local Market Update, use Market Intel to access other current and archived market activity reports. Market activity reports provide data for active, sold, and off market residential MLS listings. Keep up-to-date with your marketplace. Choose from weekly, monthly and year-to-date summaries as well as descriptive charts of residential data. From the navigation bar on the PrimeAccess Portal page, select Tools then click Market Intel.

ATTENTION METROLIST (DENVER) MEMBERS: New Classes Available for MLS Rules & Regs Update

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:18:17 -0800

To help you understand the new status fields and to answer related listing questions, Metrolist® will offer a new class and webinar in January.

Understanding New Statuses
Learn to correctly use the new Status Conditions and Approval Conditions fields to present a true picture of a listing. Get examples of accurate reporting for common listing scenarios.

You will learn:

How to accurately use Short Sale disclosure
When to use the Pending status
How a Refreshed listing work
How the Withdrawn status works
When to use the Kick Out condition

These 45 minute classes are scheduled to immediately follow the Skill Building: New MLS Features & Functionality classes. Two classes are scheduled for January:

Thursday, January 6th -- 11:00 am to 11:45 am
Wednesday, January 19th -- 3:30 pm to 4:15 pm

These free training classes are offered in our state-of-the-art training facility. No CE credits will be offered for this class.

Webinar
Metrolist will also offer free webinars, providing you with the same information presented in the classroom. Learn from the comfort of your office in one of these 30-minute online training sessions.

Friday, January 7th - 11:30 am to 12:00 pm
Thursday, January 20th - 11:30 am to 12:00 pm

Training Schedule
Register for training classes, view a complete training schedule, and find additional training resources by clicking Training & Education from www.metrolist.com.

New Required MLS Fields Bring Clarity to Status, Availability of Listings

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:35:03 -0800

Determining the true availability and status of a listing has been a frustration of Colorado real estate professionals. New status-related fields, accompanied by changes to the MLS Rules & Regulations effective January 1, 2011, help establish a better way to create a true picture of the status and availability of a listing.

All of the current Status options (Active, Under Contract, Pending, Withdrawn, Expired and Sold) remain as the primary listing status options. Two new required fields will be added, Status Conditions and Approval Conditions. Also, the Seller Type field will be required at the time the listing is entered, rather than at the time of sale.

The Short Sale (SS) and the SS Pend Lender (SL) fields will be removed from Terms and included in Status Conditions or Approval Conditions. The Lender Owned (LE) field will be removed from Description and will be available in Seller Type as Bank/GSE.

Status Conditions
The new Status Conditions field helps to clearly communicate approval disclosures of the listing when it comes to showings and offers. The Status Conditions field contains the following options:

Accepting Offer - The property is still available for showings and offers are still being accepted.
Kick Out/First Right - There is a mutually executed contract with a contingency listed in Additional Provision of, or in an Addendum to, the Colorado Real Estate Commission form.
Not Accepting Showings - The property is not available for showings and offers are not being accepted.
Offers Submitted to 3rd Party for Approval - An offer has been submitted to a 3rd party for approval. See Approval Conditions for more info.

Approval Conditions
The new Approval Conditions field provides information about offers that require disclosure. The Approval Conditions field contains the following options:

Short Sale - Disclosure of a short sale.
Court - For offers that are awaiting approval from the Courts.
Equitable Interest - Disclosure of an equitable interest in the property.
None of the Above - For offers that do not require approval.

What Does This Mean to You?
All brokers with Short Sale listings or Lender Owned properties are immediately affected by these changes. Metrolist® will automatically convert short sale and lender owned listings on December 22, with the introduction of the new MLS fields mentioned above. Listing brokers will be contacted about these changes and will also be notified about specific changes that will be made to their listings.

For additional questions about how to correctly use these new fields, or for general questions about the MLS Rules & Regulations, contact the Metrolist Compliance Team at (303) 850-9576 or compliance@metrolist.com.

Updated MLS Rules & Regulations are now available online at www.metrolist.com.

R U Loquacious? Be as wordy as you want with PrimeAccess!

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:13:02 -0800

You can now enter up to 1,000 characters in the Public Remarks, Broker Remarks, and Directions fields. PrimeAccess® Listing Details will display the full set of characters, allowing you more space to describe your property's features and provide better directions to the property.

A response to frequent customer requests, expanded remarks are just the latest PrimeAccess improvement to increase the marketability of your properties. Take advantage of this enhancement by more adequately describing the unique features of your properties.

Report Character Count
In order to maintain one-page layouts, select reports will display a truncated version of this field and will be identified by ellipses (...), which indicate there is more information available.

Listing Syndication
Metrolist provides all 1,000 characters when syndicating your listings. It is up to the listing syndication website to implement the expanded characters. REcolorado.com displays all 1,000 characters. Some listing websites and/or IDX vendors may not include all 1,000 characters when displaying listings.

Search Multiple Property Types in PrimeAccess

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 20:49:27 -0800

"I want to be able to select Res and Condo in my searches" - this is among the most requested changes we've been asked to implement.

With the launch of the Beta Searches, you can now include multiple property types in a single search. Using either Basic ^BETA or Advanced ^BETA, you can choose as many property types as you need to get the results you want (fig. 1).

fig. 1

Basic ^BETA search provides the most commonly used fields while Advanced ^BETA search allows you to customize your MLS experience so that you get only the fields you want for your searches.

To search multiple property types using either Basic ^BETA or Advanced ^BETA, simply select as many types you need for your search. A dynamic counter located next to the Search button gives you the number of listings that match your search criteria in real-time (fig. 2).

fig. 2

Search multiple prop types

View more presentations from Melissa Olson.

Edit Listing Photos for Free Online

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:25:47 -0800

Your online listing photos are often the first impression a homebuyer gets of your listings. Now that you can have up to 25 listing photos, as well as add captions to your photos in PrimeAccess®, it's time to take your listing photos to the next level.

Simple photo editing can help your photos go from dark and cluttered to clear and colorful. And there are many free online tools to help you achieve a great look in your listing photos.

Picnik.com
One of the easier online editors is picnik.com, which gives you the ability to crop and resize photos, as well as edit the Exposure and Color Saturation. You can also sharpen photos that may be a little blurry. Check out the before and after of this photo after making adjustments to the Exposure.

Pixlr.com
Although it is not as easy to use, the Pixlr Editor at pixlr.com provides many of the editing tools used in professional photo editing software. Is incorporates layers that support blending modes, masks and styles, and offers powerful adjustments tools such as Curves and Levels. In this photo, the Clone Stamp tool was used to remove the clothes that were left on the floor.

Pixlr.com also offers Pixlr Express, a slimmed down photo editor similar to the one at picnic.com.

The important thing to remember when editing your photos is to keep a natural look. Making adjustments to your photos should make the photos appear closer to real life, without misrepresenting the property or its features.

Urban Living - Finding a "Walkable" Home

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:22:09 -0700

With increased emphasis on going green and saving money on gas, many of today's homebuyers rank proximity to daily conveniences as a highly important factor when choosing a neighborhood. Help your clients find a home in a "walkable" neighborhood using PrimeAccess® Power Search.

Each Metrolist® listing includes a Walk Score that helps rate walkable places to live. The Walk Score is determined by the proximity of nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks and more. The higher the Walk Score, the easier it is to live a car-lite, or even a car-free lifestyle.

Search by Walk Score
Walk Score is searchable in PrimeAccess Power Search. Add the Walk Score criteria to your Power Search.

Make your Listings Stand Out with 25 Photos AND Captions

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:45:23 -0700

Differentiate yourself and your listing from the crowd. Metrolist now supports up to 25 photos with captions in its new Photo Management functionality. Arnie Stein discusses the importance of listing photos and the improvements made by Metrolist.

Broker IPTV: Today we are talking with Arnie Stein, broker associate with Fuller Sothebys International Realty and head of the Arnie Stein Team. Arnie welcome.

Arnie Stein: Hi Dan, how are you?

Broker IPTV: Great to have you here.

Arnie Stein: Well thank you for having me.

Broker IPTV: Today we are talking about the importance of listing photos for those people in the real estate industry or even consumers. We could all kind of guess the importance of photos, because when somebody is interested in a house, what's the first thing they say?

Arnie Stein: Show me. What does it look like?

Broker IPTV: Yeah, and they want to take a look at photos. Can you share some of your thoughts about the philosophy of listing photos for your particular buyers and sellers?

Arnie Stein: As a marketing agent, the number one priority that I have is to really set the house up as positive as possible-to make it look as good as possible, and you do this with the best quality story telling photos that you can possibly have.

Broker IPTV: Sure. You and I have both been in the business a while and we have seen some horrific photos online, like there is a nice shot of the bed.

Arnie Stein: Sure.

Broker IPTV: I think people don't understand it is not only that you go in and prep the seller and prep the houses as you just mentioned, but its probably a good idea to meet the photographer out there right?

Arnie Stein: Oh, absolutely, because I think the photographer is an extension of how you want the house to appear, and I think every house has a story to tell.

Broker IPTV: You mentioned high quality photos. These days photos are not only being used on the web, but they are also being used for print right?

Arnie Stein: Absolutely.

Broker IPTV: One of the things I wanted to mention is that recently Metrolist now allows you to upload 25 photos into your Metrolist listings, before it used to be 10. I think this is going to be great for everybody - buyers, sellers and Realtors.

Arnie Stein: Dan that's absolutely right. It's a wonderful enhancement that all of us should really take advantage of and it's not only how they provided this possibility of using 25 photos, but also you can include captions for each of the photos as well. So it's a tremendous improvement.

Broker IPTV: Yeah, I forgot about the caption feature, which is great because you can actually tell what room they are specifically looking at. They maybe confused. Is it the family room, is it the living room and so forth? Realtors with enhanced listings on Realtor.com can also get the 25 photos automatically. Right?

Arnie Stein: Right.

Broker IPTV: And now, if you put 25 [photos] in the MLS they can roll right into Realtor.com.

Arnie Stein: Right.

Broker IPTV: How important do you think photos are to the ultimate sale of the house?

Arnie Stein: Photos are everything. Basically our number one sense for viewing real estate is with photography. It is our sense of sight and so the better we can make the house look, the better story we can tell with our photos, the better the house is going to present itself to the consumer and my theory is, the faster it will sell.

Broker IPTV: And I don't know, as long as you have been in the business, I have never heard of a buyer saying "Jesus, I wish there were less photos." They always say, "I would like to see more photos" so by being able to put 25 into the MLS now really going to help you, help us, help everybody.

Arnie Stein: Right. Dan its a tremendous advantage to everyone.

Broker IPTV: Arnie, thanks for the information, thanks for being here.

Arnie Stein: Thank you.

Farming - Not Just a Facebook Game

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:44:18 -0700

A successful real estate business is dependent upon growth. Developing new leads is a crucial part of surviving in the real estate industry. However, many real estate professionals overlook an important component that leads to growth... FARMING.

What is farming?
In real estate, farming is not growing produce nor is it something you do on Facebook. Farming is a prospecting tool for identifying and establishing new potential leads. Much like actual farmers who plant crops months before the harvest, real estate professional must plant seeds, sometimes referred to as marketing campaigns, which will eventually generate customers, clients, sales, and income.

Finding a Niche
Before you begin farming, you must identify your target market, or niche, and develop a marketing strategy. Your niche could be defined geographically, such as a specific neighborhood, or you could target a group, like first time homebuyers. The possibilities are endless.

Developing a Memorable Campaign
There have been many successful farming campaigns, each one different from the last. The most important thing to remember is that your campaign must get your message to your target market, which could already be inundated with more marketing than they can handle. Make your message stand out. Find a way to be memorable.

Using Technology to Farm
Traditional farming campaigns involve mailing lists, mailing labels, stuffing envelopes, hanging flyers, cold calling, and even walking door-to-door. Over the past few years, technology has emerged that reduces the costs and time commitment of farming. With the emergence of social media, you can now easily reach your target audience anytime you want. You can even customize your website (or create a new one) so that it is specifically intended for your target market. Maybe farming is something you do on Facebook after all!

Weathering the Storm
Just as a farmer tends to the fields year-round, it's important that you continue your farming efforts during busy as well as slow times. Remember that the returns from your commitment to farming are not always immediate. It takes time to produce produce.

When the land is properly plowed and tilled, and seeds are suitably sown, watered, and fertilized, the resulting harvest of crops can be astonishing. When this same effort is put into farming for real estate, there can be huge returns. Make certain that you are not overlooking this essential step to a successful business.

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Personal Branding Made Easy - Upload Your Broker or Team Photo to the Denver MLS

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:35:39 -0700

You promote your listings all the time. Now it’s time to promote “you.” Real estate is a business built around personal relationships. It's important to keep your warm, welcoming smile in front of customers and clients alike. Upload your photo to PrimeAccess to include “you” on your listings and PrimeAccess reports.

Why Upload Your Photo?

Uploading your broker photo allows you to provide your clients with personally-branded reports. All of your property reports in PrimeAccess will be personalized with your photo and contact info.

Your photo will also appear on your listings on REcolorado.com and in your Broker Profile in the MLS.

How to Upload Your Photo

To upload a broker photo in PrimeAccess, under Account, click Profile.
Under the Photo section, click Choose File.
Locate and select your photo on your computer, then click Open.
To upload your photo, click Upload.

Broker photos should be a 3:4 (width:height - Ex. 480x640 pixels) aspect ratio. Your photo should be available in PrimeAccess immediately, and will be displayed with your listings on REcolorado.com within two business days.

Tip: You can also upload a photo or logo for your Team Accounts to ensure that your team branding appears on reports. For more information about Team Accounts, contact Metrolist Customer Support at (303) 850-9613.

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Adding Quantifiable Green Data to the MLS and Financing Systems

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:24:31 -0700

Date & Time: October 12, 2010, 11:30am – 1:30pm (1st half hour is for networking)
Location: REI Community Room, 1789 28th St Boulder
RSVP Requested: BGBG.org
Use this code for a free entry: realestate

Realtors, appraisers, brokers, finance officers and the building community should attend this brown bag talk to find out about the first Colorado MLS system to add prominent, searchable green fields and why this is so important for the future of their industry.

Learn about the state-wide initiative, spearheaded by the Appraisal Committee of the Governor’s Energy Office, to ensure that all 18 MLS organizations in Colorado join in to provide the real estate industry with tangible data that appraisers can rely on to assist them in determining value.

The lack of quantifiable green data points has created a challenge to appraisers who are trying to determine if green/energy efficient or sustainable features add value to a property. Without the quantifiable green data points the appraiser lacks the ability to abstract the green/energy efficient/sustainable value from the market to compare it against other similar properties or properties without any energy features. In turn, this makes it less likely that those providing the financing for a purchase can incorporate the value of those green features. At the same time, a lack of good data also poses challenges to Realtors, home buyers and sellers who wish to take advantage of and/or leverage the value of energy efficiency measures that a home or building has incorporated.

Don’t miss this overview of the process that was used to identify the green features adopted, why they are important, what’s coming, and how this information will be useful for those in the real estate and building industry. Feel free to bring your lunch!

See article in BCBR: ‘Green' real estate listings in works

Share of ENERGY STAR qualified New Homes continues to grow in Colorado in first half of 2010

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:58:37 -0700

Market penetration of efficient ENERGY STAR New Homes continues impressive climb; Colorado recognized by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy as one of top five states with exceptional state-led energy efficiency program.

Nearly 45% of new homes built in Colorado in the first half of 2010 were ENERGY STAR qualified, according to new information released by the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This data is the latest to show how homebuilders and home buyers in the state continue to realize the advantages associated with homes designed and built to earn the ENERGY STAR label.

When Governor Bill Ritter's Energy Office initiated the ENERGY STAR New Homes program in 2007, market penetration of ENERGY STAR New Homes started at just under 8 percent. That level increased to 19.4 percent in 2008 and reached nearly 33 percent last year, making the market for new homes that lower energy bills an important part of the New Energy Economy.

"The success of ENERGY STAR New Homes program shows how, once again, the New Energy Economy is a bright spot even in difficult economic times," said GEO director Tom Plant. "These homes are saving Coloradans money, reducing pollution, increasing our energy security and strengthening the market for energy-smart construction."

The work of GEO and its partners in building the ENERGY STAR New Homes marketplace won honors again this week. The latest recognition came from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which named Colorado's ENERGY STAR New Homes program one of the five "exceptional state-led energy efficiency programs" in the country.

"Simply put, energy efficiency works. These state programs benefit customers in numerous ways, generating significant energy savings, training thousands of professionals, lowering energy costs and reducing the negative environmental impacts of energy use," said ACEEE executive director Steve Nadel. "Many featured programs demonstrate collaboration between public and private stakeholders, serving as models for effectively coordinated and highly-leveraged programs that can last for years to come."

"Energy efficiency efforts are thriving at the state level in ways that most people may not be aware of today. The program winners demonstrate how state governments can implement successful, cost-effective energy efficiency programs aimed at a variety of customer types," said David Terry, executive director for the National Association of State Energy Offices.

The success of Colorado's ENERGY STAR New Homes program also received recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2009 and again in 2010, when it honored the program with the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award. The GEO credits the hard work of more than 130 community partners - including local governments, non-profits, utilities, real estate professionals, homebuilders and home energy raters for the honor. To learn more about Colorado's ENERGY STAR New Homes program visit www.coloradoenergystarhomes.com

Get SOLD on Home Staging

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:30:59 -0700

In today's market, you need to ensure that your listings are pleasing to even the pickiest home buyers. Effective home staging can give your listings a clear advantage.

Maximize a Home's Best Features - A good home stager will use design elements to highlight the sellable features of the home including architectural details, efficient use of space, logical organization, and rational traffic flow.
Minimize a Home's Flaws - Effective home staging can compensate for features of a home that may not be attractive or useful to buyers. By using the right elements, you can direct the attention of homebuyers away from aspects of a home that could be viewed as negative.
Put Homebuyers into Your Listing - Home staging can give potential buyers an emotional connection to your listing. People feel more likely to imagine themselves in an inviting, professionally staged home, than an empty, cold property.
Make a Great First Impression - When a house is staged properly, it not only looks better in person, but also in pictures. Staging your listings can result in more internet traffic and showings as well as fewer days on market. Some photo companies are now offering virtual home staging for vacant properties.
Add Value to Your Services - Home staging is a great way to add value to your services as a real estate professional. You want to ensure that a potential client knows that the presentation of their home is important to you. You may even consider including a home staging consultation with your listing contracts.

Home staging can be a simple solution to make your listings stand out.

Using Smartphones for Real Estate

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:27:29 -0700

While there is no standard definition of the term "smartphone," most smartphones give you the ability to send and receive email, manage your calendar, access the web, create/edit documents, get turn-by-turn GPS directions, and much, much more. The abilities of today's smartphones are limitless for everyday life as well as for your business.

For the real estate professional that is constantly on the go, a smartphone is as much a necessity as your office phone, email account, MLS access, and a good map. It just so happens that a smartphone can do all those things as well.

The Internet on a Smartphone
Mobile browsing has come a long way. With today's smartphones, you are no longer limited to websites designed specifically for phone displays. Smartphones can now display web content just as you would see it on your PC (only smaller). There are even mobile browsers that can accommodate rich media such as Flash. Metrolist's PrimeAccess® Mobile site is designed to give you access to the MLS while saving you time and eliminating extra taps (what a mouse-click is called on a touch screen smartphone).

Mobile Applications
As you probably already know, "there's an app for that." One of the characteristics that makes a smartphone a smartphone is the ability to run applications. Just like a personal computer (PC) smartphones run on an operating system (Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, etc.) that is capable of running apps. With an app for everything, you're bound to find something useful to your business.

Share your Smartphone Know-How
Do you have tips on a great smartphone, or know of apps that are potentially beneficial to real estate professionals? Share it with others on the smartphone discussion on our Facebook page.

Join the smartphone Discussion

Attention Colorado Realtors® - Get MLS Listings on your Smartphone

PrimeAccess® Mobile delivers your MLS on the go, providing access to listing content from Internet-capable handheld devices or mobile phones. Get real-time MLS content including listing highlights and property photos.

PrimeAccess Mobile Features:

Address Search
Search Residential, Condo, Income and Land properties by a specific address or range. Retrieve up to 20 matching Active, Under Contract and Sold MLS property listings
MLS# Search
Search for up to five specific MLS listing numbers and retrieve MLS listings of any status.

Connect easily
Using your Internet-capable mobile phone, go to http://mobile.metrolist.com. Provide property details to your clients and customers using PrimeAccess Mobile.

See listing information at a glance including price, square footage, days on market, status and other important property features. This specialized mobile interface also allows you to preview exterior and interior color photos.

Additional instructions and information

Internet usage charges may apply. Coverage and access may vary depending upon your mobile plan. Check with your mobile service provider. Dependent upon device capabilities and specifications. For support for your wireless device, please contact your mobile service provider.

Use Listing History to Your Advantage

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:30:42 -0700

Knowing the history of a listing can be a valuable asset in home purchase negotiations. As a broker working with homebuyers, researching the listing history can be essential to ensure that you are knowledgeable about the property and can suggest a fair purchase offer.

Yes, You Can!
You can easily view listing activity such as price and status changes, that are categorized by MLS number. Also view a Days on Market (DOM) summary for active listings that includes Current DOM and Total DOM.

From the Listing Detail, click Listing History.

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The SECRET To Managing Social Media - Enough Excuses!

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:25:15 -0700

Great advice for those of you looking to jump into a social media strategy for your business. Think carefully about how you wil ENGAGE your audience and have a conversation.

Via Steve Schwartz, Charlotte's Premier Real Estate Videographer and Photographer (AmazingVideoTours.com):

I see it again, and again, and AGAIN! Agents confused by social media and confused by how to manage the time necessary for social media.  They have every excuse in the book NOT to do social media and they want a magic silver bullet to do it for them.

First, WHY Social Media?

If you have any doubts about WHY you should be on Social Networks as a Realtor, consider this. NAR says that baby boomers have (on average) one home buying cycle left. Generation X has (on average) 6 buying cycles left. Generation Y has (on average) 7 buying cycles left.

Now consider the fact that Gen Y'rs spend more than 3 hours per day online on social networks. Hello? Did you see that?   The demographic that will buy the most homes in the future live on these networks! If you plan on being in Real Estate for the foreseeable future, you need to be reaching out to this generation using their media - and by doing it on their terms!

Q: What does that mean, "on their terms"?

A: They DO NOT want to be SOLD to, they want to be ENGAGED!

Second - How to get started?

You want the SECRET? Here it is. Pick 1 or 2 social media platforms. I recommend Twitter and Facebook (in that order). Don't auto post. Don't AUTO POST. Did you see that, don't auto post. That's a short cut - it's a cop out. It's called SOCIAL Networking, not AUTO Networking! It is annoying and your Gen X and Gen Y-rs will see right through it. You can't engage if you are not there! If you want a short cut, here it is .......... don't do it at all.

What are you going to do if someone actually responds to your auto post? You'll never see their inquiry and they'll know it's a bot - and poof, UNfollow you! You will end up alienating the exact audience that you are trying to connect with in the first place. Remember the SOCIAL in social media. It is not something you can do half way. If you auto post your ActiveRain to Twitter, make sure you make these a small fraction of your total tweets.

Third - What to Say?

Social networking is a cocktail party. You wouldn't walk into a cocktail party and spout off your listings or your production for the year, don't do it on Social networking sites. Get in there, be friendly, Listen first, then ENGAGE others!  Sooner or later the conversation (yes, conversation) will turn to what you do for a living. Gently remind them you are a Realtor. Make less then 10% of your updates be about your business. Generally in social networks, no one cares about what you have to say until they know you care about them! When it comes time to call a Realtor, they WILL remember you (the person) not the bot.

Lastly - THE SECRET for managing the time?

Ok, here it is. Get a laptop (or even better, Blackberry or iPhone) and do a lot of your social networking while your watching mindless reality shows. The average American spends over 4 hours per day in front of the TV, but yet everyone's excuse is "not enough time". There is a disconnect there somewhere. Just do it. No excuses! Good Luck!

Oh by the way, when you put in the time and start to build a network, it's just like chatting with old friends. It will not feel like work.

Still think social media is stupid? Read Twitter is Stupid - I don't have time for Twitter

Want help getting started the easy way? Watch the video series, Twitter Made Easy for Business

------------- ©2009 - AmazingVideoTours.com - All Rights Reserved. Amazing Video Tours is Charlotte's Premier Real Estate Videography Provider for Realtors, and other individuals with property to sell, lease, or rent. A departure from the old fashion 360 Virtual Tour, Amazing Video Tours takes online property marketing to the next level.

Working With Sellers in Today's Market

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:54:58 -0700

Alison Brennan talks about how the end of the tax credit incentives affects home buying and selling and discusses opportunities that still exist for homebuyers.

Source: http://www.BrokerIPTV.com

BrokerIPTV: Today we are talking with Alison Brennan of the ABC Investment team of RE/MAX professionals, welcome how are you?

Alison Brennan: Good thank you, thanks for having me.

BrokerIPTV: Well we are talking about what's going on in the market now that the tax credit went bye, bye I mean first impression has, have you seen it really make some type of an effect on buyers?

Alison Brennan: Absolutely. First when we are talking about the tax credit, we realize, we have to realize what we are talking about its really affected the 300,000 below price point right the first time home buyer. So since it ended on April 30th in the month of May we really saw a decrease in showings and a decrease in under contracts.

BrokerIPTV: Yeah we experienced the exact same thing May was a pretty quiet month and a lot of the sellers I imagine were contacting you going, "Hey what happened to all the showings?"

Alison Brennan: Right.

BrokerIPTV: Is there, did you have that conversation?

Alison Brennan: I did, I did and you know I think sellers are kind of relaxing a little bit which might be a mistake I think in this ever changing marketplace we need to analyze their price point every two weeks with an absorption rate analysis.

BrokerIPTV: Well that was going to be my next question to you I mean now thats gone away and they saw that month of May slow down that the sellers say okay maybe we got to do a change of attitude or change of game plan, did you see that at all?

Alison Brennan: A little bit they are kind of backing off a little bit, but you know as a real estate professional we want to meet their goals. So I think that we knew, need to analyze where they are at every two weeks in order to sell their house for the highest realistic price that a buyer is going to pay in the shortest amount of time.

BrokerIPTV: Now since then have you seen buyers slowly coming more active into the market, I had said to some people "Hey listen May was, you know a loss of a tax credit, we had graduations, we had proms, thats our past, I am expecting people to start jumping back in here in June, have you seen that?"

Alison Brennan: Well necessarily it kind of went up a little bit from it, but now we are still seeing a little bit decrease in showings its not just to say that the buyers have gone away, if they are qualified to buy the home before the tax credit ended, then they are qualified now, its just that they have taking their time and be more picky.

BrokerIPTV: Well the US Senate has just approved a plan to give people more time now to close on that home. So originally the way the first time home buyer and tax credit incentive work was that they had to be under contract by April 30th, close by June 30th currently there is not enough time still 60 days for some people, so they are going to give them, what is it three months more?

Alison Brennan: Three months till September 30th?

BrokerIPTV: Thats kind of hard to believe that somebody is going to need five months to close on house, but in any event you know good or bad what's your thoughts?

Alison Brennan: I like this extension personally.

BrokerIPTV: Okay.

Alison Brennan: Because if the buyer was buying a short sale, I have two properties or two buyers right now where they, we didnt get the short sale approval but for them its time to close them by the June 30th. So this extra 90 days is really going to help out or if the buyer was getting an FHA loan and there was inspection requirements that needed to be completed, there wasnt enough or ample time to get those inspection requirements done, so now that there is, and now that will prevent those homes that were under contract to go in back into the marketplace and further increasing our absorption rate.

BrokerIPTV: Last question so a buyer now calls up and said "Hey I missed the tax credit, am I screwed?"

Alison Brennan: Absolutely not. The opportunity has not been lost just because the Federal Government doesnt offer it, it doesnt mean you can be creative with the seller and come up with your own tax incentive plan. You can do it through buying down the rate or saw concessions anything like that. So you know homes are still at a bargain and it just hit historical lows so get down in there, dont miss the opportunity.

BrokerIPTV: Thanks, I appreciate it.

Alison Brennan: You bet, thank you.

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ShowingAssist – Manage Showings from PrimeAccess

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:00:26 -0700

Yes You Can! Discover the convenience of scheduling and maintaining showings online, directly from PrimeAccess. More than 65 percent of all listings in PrimeAccess^® are enabled using ShowingAssist^TM. ShowingAssist is included with your Metrolist^® membership.

Enable ShowingAssist

Make it easy for buying brokers to schedule a showing for your listings. To enable ShowingAssist for your listings sign in to PrimeAccess and under My Listings, click ShowingAssist.

ShowingAssist Benefits

Integrated with the MLS for efficient showing management
Request a showing any time of day with one easy step
Receive showing confirmations quickly, via email
Access directions and showing instructions right from the MLS
Leave electronic feedback and comments after a showing
Put an end to unproductive phone calls

Schedule a Showing with ShowingAssist
To schedule a showing from PrimeAccess, click from Search Results or Listing Detail.

Recent Updates to ShowingAssist

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6 Tips to Making Your Website Work for You

Melissa Olson (Metrolist) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:27:00 -0700

With today's homebuyer relying more heavily on online sources, it's important to ensure that your website's searchable IDX listings are working for you. Here are six tips to help make that happen.

Retain Website Visitors
The longer a consumer is on your site, the more likely they are to remember you when it’s time to select a real estate professional. When you provide an easy to use, professional-looking IDX search, you help ensure that when they are ready to buy, sell, or both, they contact you.
Brand Your IDX Solution
Make certain that your IDX implementation does not leave your website, and maintains your website’s navigation and branding. It’s important that visitors are able to find other information on your website, such as contact information.
Provide a Service for Buyers
With a database of listings to work with, many IDX vendors can create interactive, engaging applications that are highly valuable to today’s buyers. Investing a little extra with a quality IDX vendor could make the difference when it comes to capturing homebuyers leads.
Promote Seller Exposure
Some IDX solutions can highlight your listings or other listings in your office in the search results. Having your IDX solution create additional exposure for your listings can be invaluable when vying for that next listing contract.
Educate Clients
Using services like IDX searches, today’s consumers are now more educated then ever when it comes to neighborhoods, pricing, and market trends. By empowering your customers with information, your buyers and sellers will have more realistic expectations from the beginning, making the real estate transaction more efficient.
Generate Leads
Choose an IDX vendor that incorporates lead generation capabilities into your IDX solution for a great starting point for marketing campaigns.

Metrolist makes it easy for you to put your IDX solution into action. As a Metrolist member, two Professional IDX plans are included with your membership. For more information about IDX, visit www.metrolist.com/idx.

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