Realtors Beware – Sellers Are Watching and Listening! 

With today’s technology advancements, there are many ways to keep an eye on your home while your away. However, many sellers are using new technology to listen in on buyers while their home is being shown. If you search for hidden cameras on Amazon.com, I am sure you will be stunned at the variety of options there are. From phone chargers to picture frames, it’s safe to say you are possibly being watched during your next showing!

Here are a few ways to tell if there are cameras in the home you are showing to your clients:

1. Use a RF detector.

These detection devices are pretty neat! They can pick up on active recording devices in a home. AKA, if you are being watched or recorded in real time, this device will know! They run around $100 and you can easily purchase one on Amazon. Keep in mind, if there is a recording device that runs off of a SD card instead of Wi-Fi, it won’t pick that device up.

2. Use your eyes!

This is one of your easiest options. A lot of homeowners have devices that stand out in plain sight or they are very obvious. Keep this in mind when showing that perfect house to your buyer and remind them to take the negotiation conversation outside!

3. Use a flashlight

Most of us have flashlights on our phones and they are a great way to look for cameras as well. Turn your flashlight on and pan around the house with it. You’ll be looking for a reflection. If you find one, you may have just found a hidden camera lens.

So, your best bet to protect your buyers interest when showing homes is to keep quiet when you are inside! You never know if you are being watched. Remind your clients to keep their comments to themselves when they are looking around and once you’re outside, let the comments flow!

5 Reasons Why You Need a Real Estate Virtual Assistant

With all the advances in communications and technology (smart phones, tablets, websites, cloud technologies and more) we have the ability to communicate with  anyone… at any time, in any place.  The Jetson’s of the future are here and now in the Real Estate Industry!  Today, Virtual Assistants who specialize in Real Estate can deliver seamless service and support from anywhere in the country using these tools and technologies.  It’s a match made in “the cloud” for mobile real estate agents who are working from home and on the go.

Here are 5 reasons why it pays to hire a professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant:

One-Stop Shopping
AnotherME provides a team of specialists; whether you need support in just one part of your business or a whole team of assistants to support you!  Real Estate VA’s know and understand the specific tasks associated with Listing Coordination, Closing Coordination/Transaction Management, Database Management, Just Listed/Just Sold Postcards and even Social Media Support (like setting up your profiles, setting up tools for managing social media sites, and research information for blogs and writing blog posts) plus so much more.

 

Cost Effective
How much time are you spending on “detail work” on your to-do list? Why invest in payroll, benefits, insurance, etc. when you could be delegating that money to building your business. AnotherME Real Estate VA’s are contracted professionals, not employees. You pay for work completed (not for idle time, vacations, sick leave or absenteeism). There’s no need to make room in the office for an extra person.  Real Estate VAs are motivated to do their best for you at all times because their business success depends on your satisfaction.

 

Customized Support for Your Needs
Whether you need Postcards mailed, a Listing Package, or help with your Closings, a VA can perform these duties. Why spend hours on paperwork that can be done by a VA with Real Estate experience when you could be building your clientele or, more importantly, spending time with your family? Do not miss out on that baseball game or recital to finish that closing by midnight. Know that it was already done by a competent professional, your Real Estate VA.

 

Focus on Your Strength
Why waste time on tasks that are not your primary objective? Successful Real Estate agents find and hire the right people for the right job; that’s called Leverage! Have the peace of mind that your deadlines will be met by a VA who knows the Real Estate industry and is familiar with Real Estate programs and websites (MLS, Top Producer, ePropretySites, RealBird, Wise Agent, Realtor.com just to name a few).

 

Why a VA and not a Temp or a $10/hr Teenager

The VA takes the role of a temp and elevates it to the status of a Team Player. Having a Real Estate VA eliminates problems with staffing solutions and here’s why:

  •  Temps are seeking full-time employment not short term assignments
  •  Temps are a transient solution to long term needs.
  •  Temporary solutions can be expensive ones
  •  It takes too much time and money to train a temp.
  •  Temps are not committed to the success of your business
  •  Most Temps are interested in the paycheck and not the tasks

 

Knowing you have a competent professional handling the administrative tasks vital to your real estate business gives you more time to focus on your clients, thereby finding their dream home creating success for your business. Delegating administrative tasks to an experienced AnotherME Virtual Assistant gives you more time to grow your business and generate profit.

 

 

Image Credit: forum.bodybuilding.com

Sweet Deals for REALTORS® …Compliments of NAR!

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for a deal. Some people clip coupons, some people compare prices online. Did you realize, because you’re a REALTOR®, you are entitled to all kinds of really great discounts on products and tools?

It’s called the REALTOR Benefits® Program. Download a free copy of the 2010/11 REALTOR Benefits® Partner Catalog. (It’s a large file so it might take a few minutes to download.)

The National Association of REALTORS® has partnered with top companies to provide you with discounts on products and promotional tools you would use in your business or personal life every day! Remember, these are your member benefits that NAR is providing just for you!

These days every dollar saved is a dollar earned! Look at all the top-rated companies partnering with NAR!

Need a Great Client Gift to drive repeat business or Free Direct Marketing Tools from Lowes?
♦ Entertainment® Book
♦ Lowes

Here are some Really Great Books we would highly recommend and NAR is offering them at great prices!
“The Digital Handshake: Seven Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business Using Social Media”
♦ “Staging to Sell: The Secret to Selling Homes in a Down Market”
♦ “2010 NAR Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers”
♦ “Put Your Business Online”

Ready for a new Printer or Scanner? Ready to go mobile and get a PC or Tablet? Check out these vendors and their discounts!
♦ Dell Computers
♦ Hewlett Packard Computers
♦ Lenovo
♦ Xerox

Why not try some of the latest Tools and Software to streamline the closing process? For instance, next time you need FedEx® to drive across town to get signatures…Think DocuSign®!
♦ DocuSign®
♦ relay®
♦ zipForm®

Use the available discounts now to pursue those Designations and Certifications you’ve been meaning to get! Great online courses are available through REALTOR® University.
♦ ABR
♦ SRES
♦ ePRO
♦ SFR
♦ Green

Save $$$$ on Shipping, Faxing, Copying, Printing and more through these fine vendors.
♦ FedEx®
♦ FedEx® Office
Coming Soon! OfficeMax
Coming Soon! Ifbyphone

So make sure you remember to check out these discounts from the 2010/2011 Realtor Benefits® Program when you’re shopping for new products and tools in 2011!   But wait….there’s more…(ok, I couldn’t help myself!)….to sweeten the deal, call me today, and I’ll give the first 10 REALTORS® a special discount from AnotherME – a 20% discount on 4 Hours of Real Estate Virtual Assistant Services! Is it time to clean up your database, update your forms, create a new listing flyer? I can’t wait to talk with you, so give me a call at 770.414.9393 and let me help you save some bucks!