Moby's REALTOR Blog

Keeping Real Estate Professionals Safe: One Smartphone at a Time

Moby (Moby) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:54:46 -0700

As illustrated by the 2011 Realtor Safety Report, attacks against real estate professionals have been on the rise. We aim to shed light into these attacks to ensure that real estate professionals across the nation can take the necessary safety precautions and scout out the current trends used by criminals who attack agents.

This past week Akron, Ohio real estate agents were warned of a sexual predator who disguised himself as a client who pretended he was interested in viewing properties. Read full article.

Even more tragic was the news that a real estate agent from Myrtle Creek, Oregon was caught up in a revenge shooting rampage that ended with the attacker being fatally shot by police. The attacker is believed to have carried out the shooting as revenge against the agent who sold him a house that caused him marital troubles. Read full article.

Attacks against real estate agents come in all shapes and forms. They can be motivated by burglary, sexual assault or personal vendettas. This is why we have to make sure we are cautious while on the job, regardless of our location, gender or previous experience’s.

Safety and ActiveRain

Throughout our blogging time here on ActiveRain we have been actively promoting safety within the real estate industry, from safety presentations, safety tip sheets to safety news updates. We will continue our efforts in this field, as we believe even making one real estate agent safer at their job is enough of a motive to keep blogging and writing. We know that many of you feel the same way, and we hope that we will see more safety articles hitting the home pages of ActiveRain.

Real Estate Resources

If you have not had the time to check out our September REALTOR® Safety Month articles, please be sure to do so now. You can download our 2011 Real Estate Safety toolkit for free by visiting our real estate safety-month page.

We would also like to take this time to bring awareness into our free real estate safety app. Moby allows you to stay in contact with your friends/family/colleagues throughout the day. Share your location throughout your appointments with your chosen contacts. Check-in with loved ones while at open houses. Best of all, with a touch of a button you can send an alert to your chosen contacts, along with a map of your exact GPS location. To find out more about Moby and download it onto your smartphone simply visit our website.

How Can Your Smartphone Keep You Safe?

You can download Moby onto your smartphone by simply searching for Moby by Contigo from your App Market. For more information simply visit our website.

As always, we welcome any questions or suggestions you may have regarding Moby or real estate safety in general, in the comment section below.

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Free REALTOR® Safety App, Moby, is now on Android!

Moby (Moby) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:48:47 -0700

We know a lot of you have been anticipating this news, so we won’t keep it to ourselves any longer: We are very excited to announce that we have now successfully launched Moby on Android!

Following the successful launch of Moby on iPhone and BlackBerry, we have been working around the clock trying to get Moby into the hands of our Android friends.

How Do I Download Moby?

To download Moby’s free Android App you can either search for “Moby by Contigo” straight from your smartphone’s Android Market, or click on the Android Market link from your smartphone.

How Does Moby Work?

We have created the following graphic to illustrate how you can use Moby’s free app on a daily basis. Please feel free to share this with your colleagues and loved ones:

Sounds like an App you will use? Search for “Moby by Contigo” straight from your smartphone’s Android Market, or click on the Android Market link from your smartphone.

Questions?

As always, if you have any questions or comments about Moby, please feel free to ask us in the comment section bellow or email us at support@mymoby.com

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

iPhone User?

We are excited to announce that we have we have updated Moby so that it is now compatible with iPhone iOS5! To download or update Moby on your iPhone be sure to visit our iTunes page or search "Moby by Contigo" from your phone's App Store!

Safety Month Recap: What You Might Have Missed!

Moby (Moby) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:16:03 -0700

Time sure does fly! In the blink of an eye, Safety Month has come and gone, and what a great month it has been!

We are very thankful for the great response we have received from the ActiveRain community this past month. We would like to dedicate this post to share the links to our month-long safety activities in case you might have missed some of them:

All-In-One Real Estate Safety Toolkit Download:

Early on in the month we shared with you our free 2011 Real Estate Safety Toolkit. The toolkit is your one-stop-shop for real estate safety resources that can help you create a safety presentation at your office or for personal use to simply equip yourself with the necessary resources to stay safe year round.

Visit our Safety Toolkit Download page to download your own safety toolkit for free!

Safety Series: Tips On Staying Safe At Work

Throughout the month we have tried to cover the most intimidating aspects of our day-to-day work duties, and provided safety tips to help combat these dangers. Be sure to click on the ActiveRain post links below to find out more:

Safety At Open Houses

Safety At Vacant Properties

Safety At The Office

Shattering REALTOR® Safety Myths

Safety Resources

Below you will find safety resources about real estate organizations that take the extra step to ensure real estate professionals everywhere are as safe as possible. Please click on the link to go to our ActiveRain blog posts about these organizations!

Organizations You Can Turn To for Safety Resources

Exclusive Safety Interview with MRIS

Just because safety month is over, it does not mean we will be halting our safety activities throughout the rest of the year! September REALTOR® Safety Month has been a great platform to discuss our needs for a safer work life, but we need to remember that we need to continue these safety practices throughout the year.

If you have any questions about our Safety Month activities, or real estate safety in general, be sure to let us know in the comment section bellow, or e-mail us at support@mymoby.com

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Safety and The Real Estate Industry: Exclusive Safety Interview with MRIS

Moby (Moby) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 16:07:03 -0700

The issue of real estate safety is not always as blatant as black and white. Many of us know that we have to take responsibility when it comes to our personal safety, yet we also find ourselves asking the question 'Should others take responsibility for our industry’s safety too?’.

On our path to establish a safer work environment for real estate professionals, we scout out organizations that take the extra step to ensure the agents that work for them are as safe as possible. We are very happy to say that we have come across numerous organizations that deserve to be highlighted for their safety efforts such as ActiveRain, Agent Genius, MRIS, as well as multiple real estate associations.

The knowledge of knowing that there are numerous organizations out there who are trying to keep us safe, not only ensures that we know where to turn to for safety resources, but also gives us strength and unity as a whole industry. As such we would like to highlight one such association that takes the extra step when it comes to its agents’ safety, MRIS.

As the nations leading multiple listing service provider, MRIS has always strived to provide a safe environment for real estate professionals, whether it is providing free safety resources or ensuring that precious data is secure with the best technologies. We are proud to highlight our safety partner MRIS, by sharing with you our interview with MRIS’s CMO John Heithaus:

Why does MRIS care about real estate professionals’ safety?

MRIS takes pride in serving our customers and supporting them and their businesses. But it goes beyond that, our staff and organization is dedicated to our customers on an individual basis, and because of this, our customers’ personal and professional safety are of the utmost importance to us.

Do you think organizations that deal with real estate professionals have a duty to ensure the safety of the agents they work with?

Any organization serving real estate agents (or any other customer for that matter) has the duty to their customers to put their customers’ safety above all else.

How do employees of MRIS keep safe on the job? Are there office protocols to ensure they are safe?

MRIS takes employee safety very seriously. There are physical security measures inside the MRIS building, such as key card entry. We have an Emergency Preparedness Team, which is run by staff, to help ensure safety in the event of an emergency. There are company-wide drills to help with preparedness. MRIS offers a weather hotline for employees, that is updated in the event of a storm, snow or other weather conditions, as well as staff emails as conditions warrant. We have always made safety a top priority at MRIS for both our customers and our staff. Awareness and preparedness are our focus and we strive to keep everyone safe and secure on a regular basis.

For those without safety initiatives, how would you suggest associations or MLS groups launch safety programs quickly?

We should all be prepared for an unseen emergency. Having a plan and knowing what to do helps keep everyone organized and safe. If you are just developing a plan or don’t know where to start, we recommend talking to your customers. Find out what they face and their biggest concerns and then address them. Speak with your local police department for safety tips, hold an in-person training with a safety expert, have a plan for emergency situations from weather to disasters, and be prepared. By having a plan and sharing it with everyone, people will know what to do and how to react.

If you could provide one tip for real estate agents to stay safe what would it be?

The biggest “tip” we could offer anyone is to be vigilant at all times. Know your surroundings and know how to get help. An emergency can strike at any moment, so be prepared!

Do you know any real estate organizations that take the extra step to ensure its members are safe? If so we would love to hear about them in the comment section below. As always please feel free to ask us any questions regarding real estate safety!

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Moby's Real Estate toolkit:

In support of REALTOR® Safety Month we have compiled an all-in-one safety resource kit you can directly download by filling in your information in the form below. The real estate safety toolkit includes all the resources you will need to create a safety presentation at your office, or if you are simply curious about real estate safety.

If you are involved in a Real Estate Association, or help to manage an office, we can help! Just contact us now, and we will get right back to you!

Shattering REALTOR® Safety Myths

Moby (Moby) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:06:05 -0700

In our ongoing quest to generate awareness and provide education around the topic of Real Estate Safety for Safety Month, we have spoken to thousands of agents over the last few years to gain an insight into when and where safety issues occur. We have heard many stories from agents across the nation, ranging from scary near-misses to the most tragic events.

Over the last year, attacks on REALTORS® have increased, and in our conversations with REALTORS®, the common belief exists that attacks happen almost exclusively to women, and typically at night. Furthermore, many of our conversations began to shed light on how widespread the problem has become.

In order to understand the problem further, and to help provide more information to the community, we partnered with Andrew Wooten from SAFE and AgentGenius to investigate the issue more deeply in their published report: 2011 REALTOR Safety Report. The results surprised us and contradicted what we all believed to be certainties about REALTOR® safety.

The Reality behind Attacks on REALTORS®

The sad reality about REALTOR® safety is that the number and severity of attacks has risen in 2011. In fact, according to Andrew Wooten:

“The past 12 months have been the most violent I have seen in
twenty-six years working in the real estate industry.
We’ve seen an increase in attacks, murders and suicides.”

This is a sad reality indeed, and in general the resarch showed that there were far fewer commonalities between these attacks than what we believed, and what the general population believes. Time of day, location and gender were not what we expected. In fact, the only commonalities in attacks are the following:

The majority of the attacks on Realtors in 2011 occurred in the afternoons on Thursday or Friday
Nearly 30% of attack victims are men
Most attacks did not occur inside major metro areas
Guns are used roughly 50% of the time in attacks
Robbery was the intention going into the attack but frequently resulted in murder

Why REALTORS®? What can I do?

Of course by this point, you are probably asking - Why are REALTORS® being attacked? Well, to many the answer is simply that people think REALTORS® are wealthy. To others it has to do with the state of the economy and a chance to rob an otherwise empty property during an open house. But the factors also relate to the nature of the job as REALTORS® work alone much of the time.

So what's the answer? Well, education and preparation are key, as is keeping in touch with family members and colleagues when working alone. Trust your instincts and stay in touch, and remember, no sale is worth your life.

You can read the entire report here: 2011 REALTOR Safety Report

We have also put together a Safety Toolkit that you can download via the form below, and be sure to fill out our Safety Quiz on the download page!

Do you have any thoughts or comments on the report? Please leave a comment below - we would like to hear your thoughts!

Take care and be safe!

The Moby Team

Moby's Real Estate toolkit:

If you are involved in a Real Estate Association, or help to manage an office, we can help! Just contact us now, and we will get right back to you!

Safety Series Part 3: Safety At The Office

Moby (Moby) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:38:09 -0700

This week in support of REALTOR® Safety month, we would like to highlight safety practices within the office. Many of us assume that the risks in real estate lie solely while meeting clients or viewing vacant properties, when in fact offices are also areas where we should pay special attention to our safety. From late nights at the office, to walking back to our vehicle through a dark parking lot, we expose ourselves to risks that we can reduce by following a few simple safety steps.

Document Safety

Many of us store confidential documents, both paper and electronic, in our brokerages/office that can be of value to identity thieves.

Make sure you always keep sensitive paper documents in filing cabinets that have a lock:
Make sure the cabinet is locked prior to having any clients in your office. Criminals only need a minutes freedom, like while you are photocopying a document, to go through a cabinet.
Make sure the cabinet is locked whenever you are not in the room.
Do not keep the key of the cabinet in your desk.

Many of us use multiple devices to check our e-mails, dropboxes etc. Make sure all of these devices have password protection, whether it is your iPad, iPod or cellphone.

Late Night Safety

With unconventional working hours, we are sometimes forced to spend late nights/weekends at the office. This can be a safety risk, when neighboring businesses are no longer open, reducing your safety support network, while also exposing you to criminals who may plan to break into one of these closed offices.

Always make sure the front door is locked if you are the only one in the office, especially if it is late at night.
If someone knocks at the door, do not open it by widening the door an inch in a move to inquire what they want. Your defense point will significantly reduce as they try to push the door open, as it causes you to stumble back. Either open the door fully or ask them what they are here for behind a closed door.
Keep the office lights on in numerous rooms. This may warn burglars that there are more people in the office than just you.
Make sure your blinds are closed so that they cannot see you in the room. This will ensure they are not tracking your moves from the outside.

Parking Lot Safety

Attacks can occur at parking lots as many criminals see late night isolation as an advantage as they can hide behind the dark with minimal exposure to pedestrian traffic.

Never get distracted by a phone call as you walk to your vehicle.
Look around the parking lot prior to leaving the office. If there is something that looks suspicious, simply remain in the office a while longer.
Check inside the vehicle from the outside to see if anyone is hiding in the back seat.
If possible park your car under a well-lit area. Train yourself to look for these points even if you are parking during day-light.
Carry a defensive tool in your hand. This can range from pepper spray, to umbrellas, to even car keys that are held tightly in your hand.
Have safety apps that have an alert or panic button installed on your smartphone. Apps such as Moby will ensure that you can instantly alert your loved ones if you are ever in a compromising situation.

How do you keep safe at the office? Please help us share as many safety tips as possible with the ActiveRain community so that we are all safe and alert on the job. And, as always please feel free to ask us any questions about REALTOR® safety.

These are simple tricks that can keep you safe as you are hard at work at the office. For more in-depth safety resources, be sure to download our free Safety Toolkit, by filling in the form below.

Take care and be safe!

The Moby Team

Moby's Real Estate toolkit:

If you are involved in a Real Estate Association, or help to manage an office, we can help! Just contact us now, and we will get right back to you!

Safety Series Part 2: Safety At Vacant Properties

Moby (Moby) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:25:26 -0700

REALTOR® Safety Month is moving ahead full force! In part 1 of our safety series, we highlighted key safety tips to stay safe at open houses. This week we would like to focus on safety at vacant properties.

According to the 2011 Real Estate Safety Survey results, real estate professionals felt the most unsafe while they were conducting private showings at vacant properties. The apparent risks of showing vacant properties range from unexpected visitors inhabiting the vacant property, to criminal minded individuals who disguise themselves as prospective clients.

Below we have compiled a few key safety tips to ensure that we are adequately prepared for any possible disturbances while showing vacant properties. For more in-depth safety tips, be sure to download our free Safety Toolkit by filling out the form at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Safety preparations prior to showing properties

Download safety apps, such as Moby or Professional First Aid Guide, onto your smartphone.
Let a colleague or a loved one know your schedule for the day. Inform them of the address and estimate times of the properties you are showing. Quick tip: Create your daily schedule on Google Calendar, where you can easily share your day’s itinerary with your chosen contacts.
Do a quick inspection of your vehicle to make sure your mode of transportation is reliable.
If you wish to carry a self-defense tool, such as mace, make sure it is in working condition.
Make sure your phone is fully charged.

Step 2: Meeting Client for the first time

Meet client at office prior to visiting the properties you will be showing.
Introduce the client to colleagues. This may deter many criminal minded individuals, as they want to avoid being over exposed.
Copy the clients’ drivers license and do a quick Google search on them.

Step 3: Showing properties

Always have clients lead the way to avoid any attacks from behind.
Prior to entering a house, do a quick survey of the property for anything that might suggest an unexpected visitor might be vacating the property.
Avoid entering tight spaces, attics and basements, as they are likely places where you may be cornered.
Always be alert and vigilant, do not get distracted by lengthy phone calls.
Always trust your instincts! If something does not feel right, excuse yourself and take a moment to evaluate the situation. If you still feel unsafe, cut the property showing short and leave. No sale is ever worth risking your safety.
Check-in with a colleague or a loved one and inform them of your location so that the client is aware that someone is looking out for your safety.

Remember, attacks against real estate professionals happen regardless of your gender, your location and the types of properties you show. Many of these unfortunate attacks can be avoided by implementing quick and simple safety strategies every time you are on the job.

Do you have any safety tips you can share with us? If so, please share them in the comment section below?

Take care and be safe!

The Moby Team

Moby's Real Estate toolkit:

If you are involved in a Real Estate Association, or help to manage an office, we can help! Just contact us now, and we will get right back to you!

REALTOR® Safety Series: Organizations You Can Turn To for Safety Resources

Moby (Moby) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:21:32 -0700

The inherent dangers of the real estate profession are no secret, and we are all lucky to have numerous organizations who have our back when it comes to staying safe on the job.

As many of you are aware, we are celebrating REALTOR® Safety Month with a month-long Safety Series that will help keep the ActiveRain community safe through-out the year. As well as offering weekly safety tips for specific real estate job duties, we want to highlight organizations/websites that help keep real estate professionals safe year-round.

Andrew Wooten & S.A.F.E

If you could only get safety advice from one person during your lifetime, we would highly recommend you start connecting with NAR’ safety guru Andrew Wooten! Andrew has over 24 years of experience when it comes to real estate safety and security, and had conducted thousands of hours of safety seminars across the nation.

Safety Webinars by Andrew:

Mark your calenders for September 12^th11.30am PST as Andrew will be conducting a free safety webinar on Social Media and Cyber Safety! You can register for the free safety webinar by clicking here. Don’t forget to check out Andrew’s previous safety seminars while you are there!

For more information about Andrew, please visit our previous AR post that highlights his safety work, and take the time to pop over to S.A.F.E.’s webpage www.justbesafe.com

National Association of REALTORS®

If spearheading the REALTOR® Safety Month is any indication, NAR is surely dedicated when it comes to keeping real estate professionals safe on the job. NAR’s safety page is an excellent source of safety information for real estate professionals, and is free, whether you are a NAR member or not. By visiting the NAR safety page you can gain access to:

- Safety videos and webinars

- Safety artwork and posters

- Safety articles and tip-sheets

- Safety forms for REALTORS®

Iowa Association of REALTORS®

Iowa Association of REALTORS® (IAR) have always championed safety among its members, and with the tragic attacks against numerous members its message for a safer work-life for all REALTORS® has only gotten stronger.

As a partner to IAR, we are proud to share with you their latest to-the-point safety website REALTOR® Safety First, where you will find short videos on how to stay safe on the job, as well as key safety tips and resources.

Arizona Association of REALTORS®

Those of you who have searched for safety material online have surely come across Arizona Association of REALTORS®’s (AAR) Safety Page! AAR has done a fantastic job when it comes to equipping real estate professionals with safety material! By visiting AAR’s safety page you will be able to find the following great resources:

- Articles, brochures and posters

- Online Safety resources

- Safety Tips

- List of Safety websites

Moby’s ActiveRain Blog

As we mentioned earlier, we are dedicating all of our ActiveRain posts to safety during the month of September. Be sure to subscribe to our blog and download our Real Estate Safety Toolkit for all your safety needs!

Do you know any websites that pay special attention to real estate safety? If so please let us know in the comment section below!

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Moby's Real Estate toolkit:

If you are involved in a Real Estate Association, or help to manage an office, we can help! Just contact us now, and we will get right back to you!

Safety Series Part 1: Safety At Open Houses

Moby (Moby) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 22:24:06 -0700

REALTOR® Safety Month is upon us! As many of you know, last week we kick-started our month-long safety campaign with the introduction of the Real Estate Safety Toolkit. If you missed our last post, you can request your copy of the toolkit by filling in the form at the bottom of this post!

To ensure the ActiveRain community is as safe as possible on the job, every week for the month of September, we will provide safety tips for different aspects of the real estate profession: starting with Safety at Open Houses. We sincerely hope these tips will help you create, or enhance your existing safety practices!

Safety At Open Houses:

Hosting open houses can sometimes be intimidating as attacks against real estate professionals during open houses are not uncommon. Unlike private showings, we cannot control who comes in and out of the property, and the inviting signs can sometimes bring in the wrong kind of people.

Below we have summarized a few key safety pointers that can help protect us while we are showing open houses. For more in-depth safety resources please download our Real Estate Safety Toolkit.

Step 1: Preparation

The key to staying safe is to be prepared and alert at all times! Make sure you are not caught off-guard by following these simple tips:

- Let someone know where you will be hosting the open house and for how long.

- Arrange for someone to checkup on you while you are there. If not, you can arrange for automatic check-ins.

- Make sure your phone is fully charged. We would even advise that you bring a charger along with you.

- Download safety applications on your phone, such as Moby or Professional First Aid App.

Step 2: Arriving at the Open House

- Let a neighbor know you will be hosting an open house. Ask them to let you know if they see anything suspicious in the area.

- Tour the property to make sure it is empty prior to opening it to the public.

- Check to see which rooms have cell phone reception. Try and avoid lingering in receptionless rooms when showing the property, incase you need to call for help during an emergency.

- Let someone you trust know you have arrived at the property and inform them you will call them when the open house is finished.

- Avoid surprise guests arriving at the property by locking the back doors.

Step 3: Hosting the Open House

- Keep your phone on you at all times.

- Always make sure your clients lead the way when walking around the property. This will ensure you cannot get attacked from behind.

- If your gut instinct tells you something is wrong, excuse yourself and step out the property to properly assess the situation. If you still feel uneasy make an excuse and leave the property.

- Always be alert! Inspect your visitors’ body language, and watch out for defensive or aggressive signs. ChangingMinds.org does a great job of illustrating body language signs.

- Do not get distracted by a phone call.

- Don’t forget: No Sale Is Worth Risking Your Safety!

Although our profession does have the potential to be dangerous, through the right safety practices we can significantly decrease our risks on the job.

Are there any tips or tricks you use to stay safe at Open Houses? Do you strongly advocate having at least another REALTOR® present with you to host the open house? Please let us know in the comment section below!

Take care and be safe!

The Moby Team

Moby's Real Estate toolkit:

If you are involved in a Real Estate Association, or help to manage an office, we can help! Just contact us now, and we will get right back to you!

REALTOR® Safety Month Has Arrived! Download Your Free Real Estate Safety Toolkit

Moby (Moby) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:34:21 -0700

It’s that time of the year again! Dig deep in your closets and put on your safety caps, because this year REALTOR® Safety Month will be coming your way full force!

For those of you unfamiliar with REALTOR® Safety Month, every-year NAR uses the month of September as a means to promote safety within the Real Estate industry. It’s a time where we have a chance to take a deeper look into our day-to-day safety practices and remind ourselves that safety should always be our first priority.

The apparent increase we have noticed in attacks against real estate professionals this past year really bring the point of safety back home. The real estate profession does have the potential to compromise our personal safety on a daily basis, yet with the right tools we can combat this issue.

Real Estate Safety Toolkit

In support of REALTOR® Safety month activities, we are very excited to share with your our all-in-one Real Estate Safety Toolkit! Within the Safety Toolkit you will find:

A Real Estate Safety Seminar
Moby’s 2011 Real Estate Safety Report
A Real Estate Safety Infographic
List of Real Estate Safety Resources
List of Real Estate Safety Tools
List of Online Safety Resources

Use this toolkit to create a Safety Day at the office where everyone can learn valuable lessons about real estate safety and equip themselves with the necessary resources to stay safe year-round.

Download The Real Estate Safety Toolkit Now!

Simply fill in the form below and you will receive the download link to Moby's Real Estate toolkit:

If you are involved in a Real Estate Association, or help to manage an office, we can help! Just contact us now, and we will get right back to you!

ActiveRain is always committed to the well being and success of the real estate community, and will be supporting our Safety Month efforts. We would like to thank ActiveRain for its support of Moby during this month-long safety venture. We are very proud to be able to be part of such a great community, and promote REALTOR® Safety month with all ActiveRain members!

How will you be celebrating REALTOR® Safety month? Will your office be hosting any safety seminars?

Have questions or comments about our Safety Toolkit or Real Estate safety in general? Feel free to ask us in the comment section below.

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Safety for you and your office: Download your free Real Estate Safety Toolkit

REALTOR® Organization: Tricks To Stay Connected with Clients, Colleagues and Family on the Job!

Moby (Moby) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:33:15 -0700

We have all had those moments, when we are showing a property to a prospective client and our phones start ringing off the hook: our spouse wants to know when we will be home, a colleague is checking up on us, another client wants to schedule a viewing and the list goes on and on! Not only is the constant phone pings a distraction for our clients, but it can also mean a missed opportunity if it is a prospective client calling.

As such, we decided it would be useful to compile 5 simple tricks that can help us stay connected with those that matter, while still giving our full attention to the clients we are currently with!

Trick 1: Agent Itinerary Forms

Agent itinerary forms are a simple old-school trick to let those in the office know where you will be that day and how long you will be spending with each client.

Simply download the agent itinerary form, fill it out and share it via email or print it and leave it at your desk so your colleagues will know when you are busy with a client. Not only will this form help you stay connected, but it can also be a safety tool, so that your colleagues will know your last location if an emergency were to occur.

Trick 2: Google Calendar

Many of us already use Google Calendar to organize our day-to-day tasks, but did you know that you can also share your daily schedule with those that need to know where you will be for the day and for how long!

This great feature saves you precious time as it keeps your day organized while letting the family/colleagues know where you will be for the day. You can use Google Calendar from your computer, or organize it all from their smartphone App!

Trick 3: Moby’s Location Sharing App

Our own smartphone app, Moby, is both an organizational tool and a safety tool designed specifically for real estate professionals.

Moby’s private location sharing feature shows your location on an interactive Map for a specific duration, allowing your family to know how far you are away from home, or whether you have left the office yet.

With a tap of a button Moby's check-in feature sends a message to your chosen contacts with your location so that you can let colleagues know you are OK while on the job. The alert feature allows you to send an alert with your last known location with discreet tap of a button during emergencies.

Trick 4: Automated Call and Text Responses

Picking up the phone or answering a text, even if it is to say you are busy, may not always be possible when you are showing a property or hosting an open house. Worse of all, is if this is a prospective client calling, you not picking up the phone may equal losing a possible lead. A smart app that can help ease the pain of this conundrum is Auto SMS!

Auto SMS allows you to create a personalized SMS message that will be sent to those who are trying to call or text you. You could simply type in “Showing a property. Will call you back in X minutes” and let Auto SMS do the work so that you can concentrate on your client and their needs!

Trick 5: Prioritize Phone Calls

So you’ve automated your call responses and now that your work with the client is done, you are left with a bunch of missed calls to prioritize through!

Apps such as, Missed Call Prioritization, allow you to prioritize responding to calls in their order of importance. The app simply looks at the duration of the missed call and automatically prioritizes them based on the length. We realize it’s not an ideal prioritizer, but a good-enough one none-the-less, as the duration of a missed call can sometimes be a good indicator of the importance of that call!

Do you use any organizational tricks to stay connected while you are on the job? Have you used any of the tricks mentioned above and have further pointers for us?

We would love to hear what you think in the comment section below!

5 Essential iPhone Apps To Keep REALTORS® Safe

Moby (Moby) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:12:48 -0700

We have come to a point, where we are virtually using our smartphones for everything! We have transformed into mini merchants with Square, and have become mini accountants with iFinance. Well among the many hats we are able to wear thanks to our smartphones, we have a list of apps that will allow you to be a Safety Expert in the real estate field!!

With REALTOR® Safety Month around the corner, what better way to jumpstart our safety campaign with a list of essential iPhone Apps that will help keep you safe on the job!

Do you have any iPhone Apps you use on a regular basis to stay safe? Or have you used any of the above apps and have comments/concerns about them?

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Interested in downloading these apps? Below are the download links for your convinience:

Moby

Professioanl First Aid

FUZZYCar

1Password

Night Ally

Please note that Moby is in no way affiliated to any of the Apps mentioned above, except for Moby's personal safety App. We simply reviewed the apps and offer advice.

Unexpected Surprises At Vacant Properties! What’s a REALTOR® To Do?

Moby (Moby) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:15:36 -0700

It is not uncommon to have unexpected visitors when we go to view a vacated property. Whether it is a homeless person taking shelter, or a place for teens to gather to do unsafe activities, we might be faced with a situation that can harm our personal safety. Below are three key points to remember so that we are always prepared for the unexpected and have the right tools to combat it:

Prepare:

One of the most effective tools a criminal can use against you is the act of surprise. A moments distraction or being unprepared when confronted can lead to consequences which could have been avoided with preparation and alertness.

Tip #1: Always be alert when entering a property. Enter the house with purpose, and make sure you are not distracted by a phone call.

Tip #2: When you enter a house, check every room to make sure the property is vacant. Again, make sure you are alert when checking the rooms.

Tip #3: Carry a self defense tool you are comfortable using. The key is to practice self defense with these tools so that you are not using them for the first time when confronted by an attacker.

Defend:

Our instincts will guide us whether we should Fight or Flight during a confrontation. The majority of the time it is safer to fleet a situation, however it is not always possible to make an escape. We strongly advise attending a self defense seminar, either at your local self defense studio or by attending one of Andrew Wooten, REALTOR® safety guru’s, safety seminars (you can visit JustBeSafe for information on Andrew's safety seminars).

Below is a short video that teaches 3 key defense moves that might be helpful during a confrontation:

Alert:

Every moment is precious when you are in an emergency. The sooner help can come your way the better

Tip #1: Use a discreet Alarm app to notify loved ones or emergency services. Apps such as our Moby can alert loved ones with a touch of a button to your exact location, without having to talk on the phone to describe where you are. This is particularly great if you do not want to let the criminal know you have called for help.

Tip #2: Make sure you make enough noise to awaken suspicion in neighbors. Screaming for help may not always be an option, as many criminals might get alarmed and angered, but you can make it look like you have accidently knocked over furniture or broken a window which will surely raise alarm with neighbors.

Tip #3: Make sure a colleague or loved one knows your schedule, both the places you will be visiting, and the duration of each visit. This will allow them to call for help to your last known locations if they cannot get a hold of you because of your emergency. This is not the ideal option due to the time it takes, but is better than having loved ones have no idea where you are.

Have you ever been confronted by a stranger in a vacant property? If so, what safety practices do you use when visiting vacant properties?

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Why Does Android’s Market Dominance Affect Me As A REALTOR®?

Moby (Moby) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:18:20 -0700

The tech headlines have been buzzing with the latest reports that Android’s OS had managed to capture 50% of the global smartphone market. Many of us would look at this statistic, take pride if we own an Android operated phone, and then move on to the next news article. However, knowing the smartphone platforms with market dominance are actually quite important for REALTORS® as a business building tool.

Influenced by our good friends over at AgentGenius, we have compiled a few key points as to why you should take note of who dominates the smartphone market:

Making An App?

App creation has become a popular way of further advertising your business. Many firms now offer relatively good rates to create a custom App for you or your brokarage from scratch. As creators of the Moby smartphone app for REALTORS®, we know first hand how important it is to choose the right smartphone platform to create these apps for.

So if you are ever in the market to create an app specific to your business, make sure you are in the market with the most users!

Ads

Ads featured within smartphone apps have certainly become a popular marketing mechanism. As a REALTOR®, if you ever want to promote your website or an App you created, the number of people the ad reaches will, to an extent, depend on which smartphone platform has the most users.

Flash Websites

We have all witnessed the dispute between Apple and Adobe flash, where Apple devices such as iPods and iPhones will not show Flash content. Considering, many REALTORS® still use Flash for their websites to showcase properties, Apple’s share of market will effect how many users will have access to these websites created by Flash.

Number of Apps you can use

As we mentioned above, the number of apps developed for a specific platform have a strong correlation to the popularity of that platform. The majority of apps that help you become a more efficient REALTOR® are on the iPhone and Android platform as opposed to the scarce productivity apps found on BlackBerry’s and Window’s phones. And lets face it, there is certainly some truth in the fact that your smartphone is only as good as the apps it supports. So if you are in the market to buy a new smartphone, the market trend will surely effect the number of apps you can download onto your new phone.

We would love to hear from you:

Do you have any other key points as to why we should care about who dominates the smartphone market?

Do you use any of the above points to market your business?

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

What the Airbnb Disaster Can Teach REALTORS®

Moby (Moby) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:43:53 -0700

Headlines have been buzzing this past month with the robbery and ransack of an innocent homeowner's house due to an Airbnb visit gone terribly wrong.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, a San Francisco event planner, EJ, rented her house for a week on Airbnb. When EJ returned to her property after her 'guests' left, she was faced with a house that had been ransacked from the inside out, and all of her valuable possessions had been stolen. What followed was a PR disaster for Airbnb, and a yet-to-be-resolved case for EJ.

Airbnb is a website that enables people who have extra space in their homes to rent it out to travelers, as a viable alternative to hotels.

We have surely become a more trusting nation, as we have seen websites such as CouchSurfing or Airbnb, that allow complete strangers to stay at our homes, rise to fame quicker than imaginable! As good as it is to live in a trusting environment, there will always be a few rotten apples that ruin the experience for us all.

As “out there” as many of us may see trusting a complete stranger to come live in our homes. The case is not that far off from what we do on a daily basis as real estate professionals!

We meet complete strangers, sometimes without doing a back-ground check, and take them to view properties all by ourselves. We might not risk property damage to our own homes, but we surely risk our personal safety, as it seems attacks against real estate agents creep up on the headlines every week.

Prior to the attack against EJ, Airbnb had never implemented a safety screening system, where hosts could check to see whether guests were who they said they were. This case might have been avoided had EJ’s guests’ identity had been verified, and they would have known they would be held accountable for the ransacking. The same applies for real estate!

Asking potential clients to verify their ID by photocopying their drivers license, not only allows us to verify their identity, but it also signals to them that we are on the look-out for our personal safety and that they will be held accountable for any attack against us or the properties we are showing.

Never forget that no sale is worth risking your safety, even if that means losing a potential client because he or she does not want to take the extra steps to ensure you are safe.

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Help us understand why attacks are on the rise!

Following the apparent increase in attack against real estate agents, we are working to get to the bottom of why attacks have been on the rise. Please take a moment to fill out our quick survey bellow, and we will be sharing the results with our fellow ActiveRainers in the coming weeks.

5 Smartphone Apps That Will Keep You Safe and Connected While Driving!

Moby (Moby) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:02:03 -0700

Ask any REALTOR® what the two most important tools for the job are and the unanimous answer would be their phone and car. Our cars are an inseparable part of our work lives where it seems we spend a majority of our time, especially if we are working in rural areas! Our phones are as necessary as air when it comes to connecting with clients, colleagues and family. Unfortunately problems arise when we mix the both of them!

All of us are familiar with dangers associated with the use of gadgets, such as phones, while behind the wheel. However, even we were startled by the latest report released by GHSA last month, stating that 25% of car crashes in the United States involve the driver using a gadget.

To ensure that we are as safe as possible on the road, we wanted to share with you 5 smartphone apps that will help you stay safe:

Drive Safe.ly

Drive safe.ly keeps you connected on the road by reading your text messages aloud and sending text responses via your voice command. Perfect for those of us who use text messages on a frequent basis.

Cost: Free Lite version or $13.95 Annually

Not While Driving

Not While Driving detects when your car is in motion and puts your smartphone in sleep mode until the car stops.

You can override the sleep mode, but the app will send a designated contact an email, where you would explain why you needed to use your phone on the road. This app seems perfect for parents who worry about their teen’s driving too!

Cost: Free

aCar

aCar tracks and manages your car’s maintenance needs, as the last thing you want is to have your car break down in the middle of nowhere! aCar allows you to manage the maintenance needs of your car, and reminds you when you need to change your oil, air filter etc. Great app for us busy folk who sometimes forget about our car check-ups!

Cost: Free

Google Voice Search

Need to look up a location point on a map? Want to search the closest gas station? Google’s Voice search allows you to search all of Google’s features using voice commands. If you’re an Android user, Google Voice search, allows you to open up applications, send texts/emails without having to reach for your phone!

Cost: Free

Moby

Moby’s location sharing feature allows you to share your up-to-date location with your chosen colleagues, family and friends, within Moby’s Map interface or via sms/e-mail with non-Moby friends. With one touch of a button you can easily let your contacts know you are on your way, or let them see you are running a little late! If you are ever in an emergency on the road, Moby also allows you to quickly send an alert to your contacts with your exact GPS location.

Cost: Free

Don't forget that no business phone call is worth risking your safety! If you have an urgent phone call to make, be sure to pull over in a safe spot to do so!

Do you know of any apps that will keep us safe on the road? If so we would love for you to tell us in the comment section below!

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Help us understand why attacks are on the rise!

How To Keep The Stress Low When Temperatures Rise This Summer!

Moby (Moby) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:02:55 -0700

It is a well observed fact that house sales during the spring and summer months are double that of the house sales during the winter and autumn periods. This is a sweet relief for many who have suffered in the hands of the winter draught, but it is also a pretty hectic time where one can find it hard to find time to even scratch their heads!

Below are a few stress relieving tips to keep you sane during this summer period:

Stay Hydrated: You’ve probably heard this a thousand times but with record-breaking summer heats hitting the east coast, we need to constantly ensure we are hydrated enough! As the saying goes a healthy mind needs a healthy body. Make sure you have a water sources surrounding you so that you don’t forget to hydrate yourself while you are running around town!

Take a Mini-Vacation or Staycation! It can be hard on our psychology when it seems everyone is taking summer vacations, when our work is in its busiest season. Not everyone can afford to take the time off to take a holiday for 2 weeks, but you should reserve at least a few days per month to relax and enjoy the sunshine. Even a mini staycation with the family can significantly remove stress and rejuvenate you for another work sprint. For creative ideas check out these Staycation ideas!

Stay connected: Whether it is checking in with colleagues to see how they are doing, or simply letting loved ones know you are OK, Moby’s free REALTOR® safety app can save you precious time during the day. For more information check out our Top 5 Reasons You Should Have Moby On Your Smartphone post

Keep the kids occupied: We are a big advocate of ensuring that children enjoy their childhood summers playing outside! But when the heat hits them too, having a few tech tools to keep them occupied can be heaven-sent! With tablets at very reasonable price, you could buy a family tablet! This will not only keep them occupied during long car journeys, but with hundreds of educational apps out there, it can be a win-win!

Do you find the summers more stressful than winters? If so do you have any summer sanity tips you could share with us?

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Top 5 Reasons You Should Have Moby On Your Smartphone

Moby (Moby) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:04:40 -0700

Lets face it, we all know that we need to stay safe on the job as headline news sources remind us of the dangers of the real estate on what seems like a weekly basis. However, with the hectic work schedule we have, maintaining our safety strategy sometimes slips through our fingers.

Knowing the dilemmas that real estate professionals face when it comes to the managing the time and cost balance of staying safe, we wanted to dwelve deeper into how Moby can ensure you are safe on the job, and that your family has peace of mind!

1) Check-in at open houses with a touch of button:

Open houses are tricky as you cannot pre-screen the clients that come to view the property. Many real estate agents pre-arrange for family or friends to call and check in on them during the open house. This not only takes time on your behalf to arrange, but it can also be a distraction when you are in the middle of a conversation with a potential client.

Moby allows you to simply check-in with a tap of a button. You loved ones will not only know you are safe, but they can see your exact location for extra peace of mind. If you forget to check-in , your loved ones can request that you check-in within , with which you can instantly respond within Moby’s interface.

2) Share your location when your day is filled with property showings:

Considering real estate is not a 9-5 job where you are at the same office everyday, one of the most common questions asked by a spouse or a family member are “Where Are You” and “ When will you be home”? Your loved ones simply need to know where you are, but phoning you during a showing can sure be an interruption.

Moby’s location sharing feature allows your loved ones to see exact where you are for a pre-set period of time so they can have peace of mind knowing where you are, and how far away from home you are.

3) Alert your contacts when you need help:

It’s a fact of life that accidents happen. Viewing vacant properties you are not familiar with can pose dangers as the structures may be faulty or you might meet unexpected guests who are taking shelter at the property.

Moby’s alert feature allows you to ask for help from loved ones with a touch of a button. The alert message will be accompanied with your location, so they can save precious time when coming to your aid.

4) Keep an eye out for your fellow colleagues

Safety is a team effort where we not only need to look out for our own safety, but we also need to look out for our fellow colleagues. Moby’s request check-in feature, allows you to quickly check to see if your colleague is safe. If they are safe they can let you know with a tap of a button, and if they feel uneasy they can call for help just as easily. The best part is that Moby can be used discreetly so that clients do not notice you are calling for help.

5) Reinvest your time and money into selling houses:

Moby’s smartphone app is absolutely free! Our founding goal here at Moby is to ensure that every real estate professional is as safe as possible on the job. Setting up Moby and getting going takes no time, and its easy to use interface means you don’t need to spend hours getting familiar with the technology. You can have peace of mind knowing that you are safe, while spending your precious time doing what you do best, selling houses!

We view Moby as a safety addition to your pre-existing safety tools, so please continue to be alert on the job, and carry your personal safety devices along with Moby!

If you have any questions about Moby or think we have missed a key safety issue that needs to be addressed please let us know in the comment section below.

Take care and be safe!

The Moby Team

Missing Toronto REALTOR® Case Nears Closing With Murder Charges

Moby (Moby) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:52:04 -0700

6 months ago, Toronto REALTOR® Tony Han had been reported missing, while he was viewing a luxury property he was trying to sell. It was reported that he had been abducted along with his client, Johnny Fei.

According to the Toronto Star, Mr. Fei was found safe a few days following the abduction, however Tony remained missing, until police this week discovered the remains of man who they suspect is Mr. Han, although forensics have not yet been released.

It is now reported that a 23-year-old Waterloo man, Senthuran Sabesan, is being charged with first-degree murder. Our hearts go out to Han’s family and friends as they await both the forensic reports and the trial of Mr. Sabesan.

Fellow ActiveRainers we urge you to make sure your safety is your top priority! We can never be too safe on the job, and no sale is ever worth compromising our safety!

Following an apparent increase in attack against real estate agents, we are working to get to the bottom of why attacks have been on the rise.

Please take a moment to fill out our quick survey bellow, and we will be sharing the results with our fellow ActiveRainers in the coming weeks.

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

SAFETY REMINDER: REALTOR® Attacked While at Model Home in Georgia

Moby (Moby) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:32:13 -0700

Once again we are reminded to keep our personal safety at the top of our minds, with the attack against a Georgia REALTOR® that took place yesterday.

A female REALTOR® was at a model home in Decatur, GA, when a robber entered the house with a paint mask. According to Fox Atlanta, the REALTOR® was tied up at gunpoint while the attacker robbed her of her jewelry, credit cards, laptop and car.

We are glad to hear that the female REALTOR® was not physically injured following the attack. The police are currently looking for the suspect and we hope that justice will prevail as soon as possible.

Police in Decatur, Georgia have initiated a safety program that will educate REALTORS® on how to stay safe while working alone, and we hope that many more safety programs will be available for REALTORS® across the nation.

This unfortunate news follows the attack against a Montana REALTOR® last week, prompting many to believe that there is a significant increase in attack against REALTORS®.

Following this apparent increase in attack against real estate agents, we are working to get to the bottom of why attacks have been on the rise. Please take a moment to fill out our quick survey bellow, and we will be sharing the results with our fellow ActiveRainers in the coming weeks.

Remember that safety should always be our top priority. There are numerous resources available on the web that can help you stay safer on the job, such as Real Estate Safety guru, Andrew Wooten's website, S.A.F.E.

Be sure to download our 2011 REALTOR® Safety Report, and if you would like to hold a safety presentation at your office, you can also recieve a free copy of our REALTOR® Safety PowerPoint by e-mailing us at info[@]mymoby[.]com.

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Download Moby's FREE Safety App for Real Estate Professionals!

REALTOR® Safety Series: Staying Safe While Showing Properties

Moby (Moby) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:13:55 -0700

Following the great success of our last Safety Series: Staying Safe At Open Houses post, we wanted to continue our safety tips series with a focus on Showing Vacant Properties.

Those of you familiar with our 2011 REALTOR® Safety Report will recall that over 31% of Real Estate Agents feel unsafe while showing properties to prospective clients. These results do not come as a surprise, as many of us meet prospective clients very briefly prior to venturing out to show vacant properties alone with them.

To ensure that you are as safe as possible while showing the properties to these clients, we wanted to share a few safety tips that will enhance your existing safety practices:

Staying Safe Prior To Showing A Vacant Property:

Preparation is not only a great tool that will help you succeed with a sale, but it is also a vital step in staying safe. To ensure you are not caught off-guard by a prospective client who makes you feel uneasy, you should always spend a few minutes thinking about your safety practices prior to venturing out with a new prospective client.

Always meet a client at your office prior to showing them properties. This will not only allow you to decide if you would like to be in a vacant property alone with them.

Verify a client's identity: Create a photocopy of the prospective client’s ID. With the information verify that they are who they say they are, and perform a quick background check to see if they have had any altercations with the law in the past.

Fill out Prospect Identification form so that your colleagues know who you will be showing properties to.

Introduce the prospective client to a colleague. One of the biggest deterrents for a potential criminal is exposure that will identify them to the police.

Download a Safety App, such as Moby, so that you can discreetly Alert your chosen contacts with your exact location if you ever feel uneasy around the new client.

Staying Safe While Showing The Vacant Property:

Always make sure you have a means of escape. This involves ensuring that your car is not blocked by the clients car in the driveway, as well as knowing the escape routes within the house you are showing, so that you are not corned in the back yard.

Have the client lead the way. This will ensure they cannot attack you from behind.

Ask clients to view attics, basements, and tight spaces on their own. This will again ensure that you are not cornered in a tight space.

If you ever feel uneasy around a new client, excuse yourself for a few minutes, and take this time to decide if you should continue showing the property or not. You can use a safety app, such as Moby, to alert your contacts if you do feel unsafe and need them to come and check-up on you.

When you finish showing the property, make sure you do not have your back turned against the client as you are locking the door. The tragic attack on San Antonio REALTOR® Janice Tisdale occurred as she was locking the door and was attacked form behind.

Remember the biggest tool you have to stay safe is your instinct. If you have a funny feeling about a client, trust this instinct and find a way to leave the prospective client. There is no sale that is worth compromising your safety!

Those of you with Inman News subscription should definitely check out their latest article on staying safe: Lessons Learned From Real Estate Dangers !

Do you have any additional tips for staying safe while showing vacant properties? The more safety tricks we have up our sleeves the safer and stronger we will all be if we were ever to face a tricky prospective client!

In wake of the an apparent increase in attacks against real estate professionals, we are conducting a survey which will help us compile a report for our fellow ActiveRainers. Please take a moment to answer our poll question:

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

REALTOR® Safety Series: Staying Safe At Open Houses

Moby (Moby) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:20:52 -0700

Sadly another tragic REALTOR® attack has made headlines this past week in Atlanta. Reports have surfaced claiming that a man robbed and attacked a female REALTOR® at gunpoint inside her leasing office. Luckily the REALTOR® was able to escape without any major injuries. You can read the full article from Fox Atlanta for more details.

Unfortunate events such as these are a true reminder that we need to prioritize our safety, and look at ways in which we could improve our own safety practices. To help jumpstart our Best Safety Practices series, we wanted to share with you quick and easy tips on how to be safe at Open Houses:

Staying Safe Prior To Hosting An Open House:

One of the key factors in staying safe on the job is being prepared. Here are a few tips on how you can ensure your open house will be as safe as it is successful:

Inform someone of the location and time of the Open House
Download a safety App, such as Moby, onto your smartphone
Make sure your phone is fully charged
Make sure your car has sufficient fuel
Arrange for someone check up on you, or automate a check-in with Moby

Staying Safe While Hosting An Open House:

You need to be vigilant about your safety from the moment you get out of your car, until the moment you are safely back home. Here are a few tips on how to ensure you are safe while hosting the open house:

Let someone in the neighborhood know of your presence
Place valuables in your car trunk
Make sure your phone is always within reach
Make sure you know the areas of the house that have cell-phone reception
Always follow clients, never lead the way
Avoid going into basements, attics or tight spaces.
Use Moby to check-in or alert a colleague, friend, or family member when you feel unsafe
Make sure you are actively thinking about your safety as you lock up the house at the end of the Open House
Take extra precaution as you are leaving the property

If you would like more information about REALTOR® safety, don't foget that you can download our 2011 Real Estate Safety Report for free.

Do you have any tips on how to stay safe at Open Houses? We would love to hear about more safety tips that REALTORS® use to protect themselves, so be sure to leave a comment below!

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Keeping Up Top With Tech: “Google +” Edition

Moby (Moby) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:02:09 -0700

Google sure seems to be on a roll lately! Earlier this week Google brought out the much-anticipated Google +1, the mobile landing page creator, and best of all on June 29^th it announced the new Facebook rival: Google +!

Of all the social networking sites that have popped up lately, Google + has struck a very sweet chord with us. Why? Because it’s core product goal is Privacy! Google + gives you complete control over who you share what type of information with!

Curious yet? Check out the video illustrating how Google + works:

Is Google + A True Rival To Social Networking Giants Facebook and Twitter?

Based on early reviews, Google + seems to have impressed many influential tech peeps and having tested it out ourselves, we can also attest to its ease of use and unique features.

Google was very clever in creating the similar feel of Facebook when it comes to Google +’s interface so it extremely easy to get started! Google + has many great features that are highlighted in this video by life hacker, but here is our personal favorite:

Circles: Circles allows you to categorize your contacts into groups, and share information that targets that specific group, this can range from family to colleagues to your dragon-boat racing club.

As a big privacy advocate, this is certainly music to our ears! We firmly believe that not everyone needs to know everything about you. Not only does such public sharing force you to give up control over who shares your information, but it can also be a safety risk.

How Can a REALTOR® Use Google +?

One word: Categorization!

The easiest way to be hidden from your friends’ Facebook News Feed, whether you have a page or a profile, is most certainly done by sharing the wrong information with the wrong crowd. Well Google +, seems to conquer this problem as it allows you to share specific information with specific groups of people.

As a simple example, say you have a group of clients who are actively searching for homes. Simply create a Google Circle specific to them and start sharing interesting listings you see, or information about home searching. Not only is this a non-intrusive way of sharing information, but it is also a great way of sharing personalized information with the right audience. It is also a great time saver as you can send out targeted messages without having to spend extra time sending numerous individual e-mails.

How about sharing positive market news with clients who are on the fence about buying/selling a house? Or even sharing your holiday pictures with clients who have become close friends! Oh the list can just go on and on. And unlike Facebook groups, the groups you belong to are kept absolutely private, and are extremely easy to create and maintain!

As of writing this, Google + is in an invite-only phase, where a select group have been given invites. But with all the buzz that has been created, we are pretty confident a mass public release is imminent!

Have you had a chance to test Google +? If so what are your thoughts on it? Will it be the downfall of Facebook? Is the privacy feature a key selling point for you, or is it irrelevant?

Introducing Andrew Wooten: Safety Training Expert and Educator for REALTORS®

Moby (Moby) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:53:36 -0700

One of the most common comments we receive on our safety posts is “It’s a shame that we only remember the importance of our safety when something tragic happens”. Our aim throughout blogging on ActiveRain has been to promote safety all day, everyday with tips and ideas to keep you safe!

That is why we wanted to let all of the ActiveRainers out there know about S.A.F.E. – an organization dedicated to training REALTORS® on how to be safe – from property showings to open houses, and even self defense.

Andrew Wooten, the President of S.A.F.E., has been a safety training expert and educator for over 25 years. Andrew has conducted over 6,000 training programs worldwide, is an expert in safety, security and crime prevention – and he even holds multiple black belts in several martial arts!

Our team has had the pleasure of meeting Andrew in person at many trade shows and he definitely has an infectious energy that can turn safety topics into an enticing conversation you cannot get enough of! Andrew’s nation-wide safety seminars cover a number of different topics that affect real estate professionals:

REALTOR® Safety and security

Identity Theft

No Victims

Open Houses/ Listing Appointments

Protection on the road

Women’s self-defense

Cyber security and social media safety

Those of you who have downloaded Moby’s 2011 Safety Survey will remember that 58% of real estate professionals believe it’s the responsibility of their REALTOR® associations, region and state-wide, to provide safety training and education for its members. Iowa Association of REALTORS®, jump-started a safety tour by partnering with Andrew Wooten to provide safety seminars across the state of Iowa. These seminars have been received with great appreciation from REALTORS® who have been reminded that safety is the Number 1 priority on the job, as well as learning invaluable skills of self-defense on the job.

We are very proud to partner with Andrew to help enhance the safety practices of real estate professionals, and we are proud that this partnership will enable us to reach out to more real estate professionals.

We strongly implore you to check out Andrew’s website Just Be Safe, whether it is simply reading through the great resources he has provided, catching one of his nation-wide seminars or even booking him to speak at your own Association.

We all know that the nature of the real estate profession can place many agents in vulnerable situations, and we need to take collective action to improve our working conditions. Whether it is speaking out to our associations for better safety training, or simply letting everyone know that REALTORS® are not easy targets, it is all of our responsibilities to continue to spread the word about safety.

Have you or your brokerage attended any safety seminars lately? If so, did you find these seminars valuable? Have you attended one of Andrew’s seminars? We would also love to hear about other pioneers who promote safety within the real estate industry!

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

Does Your Phone Battery Let You Down at the Wrong Moment? Tips on Keeping Your Battery Juiced Up

Moby (Moby) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:38:16 -0700

We're pretty sure every single one of us have had our phone battery die at a very crucial moment, whether you are just about to call a client on the way to an appointment, you are on an important phone call, or you are about to pass that tricky level on Angry Birds!

Knowing that we are constantly on the run, with limited access to power outlets to charge our phones, low battery can certainly be a frustrating issue to deal with, not to mention a safety issue too. As chip technologies advance, we will see our phone batteries last longer, but in the mean time we have compiled a list of tips that can help you preserve your phone’s battery a little longer:

Quit Applications that you aren’t using

Many of us move from app to app quickly, and forget that a lot of apps can consume battery energy when they are running in the background. This is especially true of all location and GPS apps – including Moby! We’ve definitely discovered that a lot of people don’t know how to quit running iPhone apps, so we created a quick graphic to show you how:

On Android phones, it may be a bit different across different devices, but the general approach is to press the back button, instead of the home button to quit your applications. You can also quit running applications with the following steps:

Menu > Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Running and simply click on the App you wish to quit.

Turn Off Wi-Fi and Notifications

Your smartphone uses a lot of battery when it is constantly searching for available wi-fi networks. If you are on the road, turn off your wi-fi until you are actually going to connect to it.Notifications not only use more data, but they also drain batteries faster. Turn off notifications for apps you do not use regularly, or turn them all off when your battery is about to die.

Charge While Battery is still above 40%

We have all heard of the popular myth that we should wait until our phone’s battery is nearly drained to charge it. In reality recharging your phone when it is almost dead will force the battery do more work, lowering its life expectancy.

Adjust Your Display Settings

A surprising thing I noticed about my Android is that my screen display uses 60% of my battery energy when I am not using any Apps. So dimming the screen brightness and turning off “auto-rotate” can save you precious minutes, when your battery is low. The same is true for the iPhone – dimming your screen saves a lot of juice!

Keeping It Cool

An overheated battery can damage your phone’s battery cells and make it die faster after a charge. Best to keep your phone out of direct sunlight or near the stove [feel free to e-mail me if you want to hear how expensive phones react when they come into close proximity of open flames].

Get Accessorized

Hit two birds with one stone: buy a phone case that will not only protect your precious little one, but it will also act as a back-up battery charger. iPhone users can use Juice Pack Air.

How do you preserve your phone’s battery? Let us know in the comment section below!

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

This post originally appeared on Moby's personal blog: www.mymoby.com/blog