Now, Saint-Onge is applying those easy-to-implement home improvements to real estate in a new series of free TV-quality videos produced by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. The Web-based videos are available immediately at www.bhgrealestate.com/designsforlife as part of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s lifestyle campaign.

The videos include a myriad of highly effective home selling design secrets -creative tips that are fast, easy and simple to implement. The goal of the video series is to turn house hunters into home buyers and to transform virtually any space into one that is visually appealing. “We are excited to work with such a prestigious interior designer whose down-to-earth style and practical and budget conscious decorating solutions resonate with our customers,” says Sherry Chris, president and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. “Strategically, this helps us build better relationships with our current and potential homebuyers and sellers, and most importantly, gives them the knowledge and tools to successfully stage their house.”

For more information, visit www.bhgrealestate.com.

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According to company president Michael Volkin, “Our business model is different, it’s innovative and it fixes the major problems real estate brokers face today. One of the problems we fix is the broker’s inconsistent income. Many brokers have a difficult time running their business because they aren’t confident of their income each month. Many factors come into play, such as their agent’s volume of closed transactions, their agent count and their overhead costs. Area Pro Realty fixes this problem and allows the broker to enjoy a predictable income month after month.

George Barlow, president of Executive Franchise Consulting claims, “This is an exciting time for brokers. Area Pro Realty has some exciting new concepts and ideas they are introducing to residential real estate brokers.”

One of those concepts is Area Pro Realty’s Central Technology Support Center (CTSC). The CTSC takes the struggle of learning and maintaining industry technology and puts it in the hands of technology professionals, allowing agents and brokers to focus on what they do best, selling real estate. According to Gene Ward, the CTSC supervisor: “The CTSC frees up countless hours of a brokers day. Agents can now place one call to the tech center to get their premium website customized, create marketing material or get help with lead generation.”

Area Pro Realty’s newest franchisee, Jeffrey Rondini in Contra Costa County California, claims: “Area Pro Realty has separated itself from the rest of the franchising industry. They are truly the fresh innovative company brokers throughout the country need.”

Area Pro Realty has developed a proprietary virtual office which allows an agent, and even a broker, to work entirely out of their home office, saving thousands of dollars in office expenses every month.

“Once brokers understand the value that Area Pro Realty offers, the entire real estate industry is going to change,” says Ward. “We have created an enormous buzz already from industry professionals. Franchising with Area Pro will allow brokers to adopt our turn-key system and operate a real estate company at a fraction of the normal cost.”

For more information, contact Michael Volkin at 925-798-2732 or MVolkin@AreaProRealty.com.

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“Savvy real estate professionals are always looking for creative ways to drive traffic to their listings. This auto-generated listing announcement is a cutting-edge tool that produces powerful results, yet is easy to use. Gaining an introduction to their client’s social network in a personal and professional manner is the perfect combination of high tech and high touch. We are excited to add AnnounceMyListing to the many business tools already provided to our subscribers by Regional MLS,” said Patty Connor the CEO of Regional MLS, Inc.

“We are thrilled that RMLSFL subscribers will be the first to use the new AnnounceMyListing tool to promote their properties. What really sets AnnounceMyMove apart from other marketing tools is how we connect the agent to their client’s social network,” said Janelle Odishoo, co-founder and VP of Marketing and Business Development for AnnounceMyMove.com.

For more information, visit www.AnnounceMyMove.com.

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“Consistency and repetition are the keys to advertising and marketing,” says Cindy Manchester, broker associate and director of training at Chinowth & Cohen Realtors in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Marketing has always played an important role in the real estate industry, and in today’s economy, it is crucial for agents to be able to market themselves in a cost-effective way.

Positive Feedback

“From the beginning, I was attracted to the quality of their pieces,” says Manchester, who has been a client of TPMCO for four years. According to Manchester, the newsletters are not only full of articles that are timely and of value, but the entire process is affordable and professional, making it easy for agents to stay in touch with their clients.

“The positive feedback that I receive from my clients on a monthly basis proves that people are paying attention and that the information provided is what they are seeking,” says Ed Goldhammer, sales associate at Bud Goldhammer and Associates in Vancouver, Washington.

While real estate agents are constantly being introduced to new marketing ideas, the newsletter is one marketing device that has adapted with the times. TPMCO has made it easy for agents to disseminate timely information about the real estate market to a large group of individuals through a medium that works.

“The Personal Marketing Company’s newsletters have been a big advantage because they work,” says Goldhammer. “Not only do the newsletters keep the reader engaged by providing interesting information, but they also reinforce your position as a knowledgeable person.”

Standing Out From the Competition

The Personal Marketing Company works closely with real estate professionals to develop a marketing plan that is right for them. It is especially important in today’s market for real estate agents to equip themselves with a unique selling proposition so they can differentiate themselves from the competition.

“The Personal Marketing Company has helped me develop my own individual marketing plan as well as a personal brand,” says Manchester, “and this allows me to provide my clients with a high-quality newsletter that they have come to expect from me each month.”

Goldhammer has found that working with TPMCO has given him a competitive edge over other real estate agents when it comes to staying in contact with past clients. “As a real estate agent, you have to keep your face in front of your clients,” says Goldhammer. Being part of a family-owned business, “it is crucial for me to stay in touch with past clients as 95% of my business is from referrals and past clients,” he adds. “For a relatively low cost, The Personal Marketing Company offers a professional-looking product that keeps my name fresh in my clients’ minds.”

The newsletters that TPMCO produces and distributes for its agent-customers have given them the advantages of: getting their name in front of a public audience; staying visible; and creating a personal connection, all at a relatively low cost with a polished look, says Manchester.

“Real estate is a business that is based on relationships and it is crucial for me as an agent to stand out and create a bond with my consumers,” she says. “My newsletters show each of my clients that I value the relationship that I have established with them.”

Knowing the Business

Working with TPMCO has been one decision that both Manchester and Goldhammer don’t regret.

“Being partnered with The Personal Marketing Company has been beneficial to me and my company over the past eight years,” says Goldhammer. “Working with a top-notch company that produces a good product that people appreciate has allowed me a unique advantage in my marketplace.”

“Everyone at The Personal Marketing Company knows the real estate business and knows what it takes to have a successful marketing program,” adds Manchester. “All I have to do is maintain my contact database, and The Personal Marketing Company takes care of the rest-from creating the actual newsletter to printing it and mailing it out to my clients.”

With several newsletter templates to choose from, TPMCO makes it easy for agents to personalize the product in order to achieve their real estate needs. Concludes Manchester: “The most important thing to remember is that you have to stand out and create a bond with your consumer.”

For more information, please visit www.tpmco.com.

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An Agent’s Ally

“We continuously work to identify technologies that help with agent productivity,” says Scott Throneberry, regional managing partner, Coldwell Banker Devonshire. “We previously had anywhere from one to three people in the office whose sole responsibility was setting appointments, so we asked ‘How do we focus those resources more effectively?’ And I didn’t believe we were providing the best service to our sellers because our agents worked select hours to schedule listings. CSS allows us to provide a better service to our agents, clients and sellers.”

Available in markets across the country, CSS provides a turnkey method in which real estate agents may schedule showing appointments-in a convenient and trustworthy manner. By calling a single telephone number, CSS makes the home-showing process easy through extended calling hours, with each appointment taking less than a minute to set up by a customer service representative. What’s more, the online system is user-friendly, easy to navigate and intuitive, according to Ed Haraway, broker/owner, EXIT First Realty.

“Once an agent gets a listing, they turn in the showing instructions to CSS and the administrators input the showing instructions into the system, identify who needs to be called, the times they need to be called, etc.,” says Throneberry. “With CSS, you’ve got that peace of mind that your appointments are being set-and you’re being notified by text messages, e-mail, and telephone calls.”

“The quality of service is just so superior,” says Haraway. “Between the quality of their call staff and technology-it even eliminates having to pay to have someone answer phones on weekends.”

Standing Out in Business

“When I started in real estate, if you wanted to show eight different houses, you would have to drive to eight different real estate offices to pick up the keys, show the eight houses, then return the keys to the eight offices,” says Jim Fite, president, Century 21 Judge Fite Company. “To have one service to call to make eight appointments and now with lock boxes-you drive to the property and drive back. It saves time, energy, gas-you name it.”

What’s more, in addition to being the main point of contact for listings, real estate listing agents are teaming up with CSS to provide a competitive edge for their home sellers.

“In our information age, clients want to know as much as we know,” says Throneberry. “CSS gives us the ability to view showing reports, lets us identify other hot properties in the area, trends, and cultivate customized feedback from buyer’s agents to see what their clients liked/disliked about the home-and provide that information to our clients.”

The sellers, says Haraway, love the process. “Not only do they get e-mails confirming showings, but they can also get phone calls and log in to view their own home and see the feedback from the buyer’s agents.”

Fite agrees, saying this feedback pays off more today than ever when homes are competing against foreclosures, REOs, short sales, etc.

“When it comes to price reductions or working with a seller who is having difficulty fixing up their house-the agent can provide the feedback and recommendations to the seller,” says Fite.

“Everything’s so price sensitive today that the only thing separating you is the service you offer to sellers,” says Haraway. “CSS allows us to provide a higher level of service to our clients with a minimal time commitment on our staff’s part. We have been able to cut costs with better value.”

“In today’s environment, if you don’t keep up with and identify the technology, you’re going to get some frustration from buyers and sellers-they expect us to have the latest and greatest out there,” says Throneberry. “Because we have CSS, we can focus our resources on other areas for our agents and provide a variety of other tools-technology, marketing, support, etc.

And while CSS is dominating many markets across the U.S., the secret is no longer just using the service-the secret is using the service to the fullest. ”Those who take it, use it and promote it to their sellers’ benefit will be so far ahead of the rest of the crowd,” says Haraway.

“Our agents are using it on listing appointments and using the technology to the fullest. And we use that to our advantage by telling consumers what we can do-it’s a wow factor. They really have this thing down to a science. It’s affordable; it works for the agent; it works for CSS-it’s a win-win.”

CSS compliments the work ethic of those agents who are taking advantage of a challenging market to better their business. “We’ve not only made the effort to identify inefficiencies through CSS technology, but also with the Internet, Web support, electronic transaction management, file management, etc,” says Throneberry. “We can now focus our resources in other areas for our agents.”

For more information, please visit www.showings.com.

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Don’t miss these headlines on RISMedia.com:

• 5 Tips to Help Your Website Compete
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According to the company, the book “Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations (3rd Edition),” by Mohr, Sangupta and Slater has been cited on Amazon.com as a good overview of industry practice, mixed with theory on marketing and the diffusion of innovations. It provides tools and frameworks to develop effective marketing strategies in high-technology environments. As an innovator in mobile marketing, Goomzee was selected given its blend of traditional marketing best practices and use of cutting edge technology.

Mike Sparr, CEO of Goomzee said, “Goomzee takes great pride in being recognized and studied by top minds and blossoming future entrepreneurs. When approached by the authors regarding the project, I was honored to see our company recognized amongst other global brands like Apple, Cisco Systems, Skype and more. We are pleased to share insights that may help others achieve success in high-tech marketing.”

For more information, visit http://www.goomzee.com.

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According to the company, with PowerSearch, Advanced Access agent websites can come up in the paid search results when home buyers search for real estate in the agent’s area. When a real estate agent subscribes to PowerSearch, Advanced Access conducts a keyword analysis and the agent’s website is optimized based on target areas the agent identifies by city, county, or region. Next, a campaign is set up in the search engine-sponsored links with a carefully developed advertisement and keywords reflecting the agent’s focus.

When the agent’s ad is clicked on, the home buyer is redirected to the agent’s landing page. The landing page contains an IDX (MLS) search and, when the user completes the form, the lead is sent to the agent.

For more information, visit www.AdvancedAccess.com and http://www.DominionEnterprises.com.

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The Keller Williams Health Providers Program includes options for major medical, limited medical, catastrophic coverage and a separate cancer plan. The plans are offered through MyFranchise Association and H & H Employee Benefits, who have joined forces to offer the best available benefits to Keller Williams associates.

“We are thrilled, that after years of searching, we have found a way to offer our family affordable health care options” said Mary Tennant, president and COO of Keller Williams Realty. “Traditionally, independent contractors such as our agents, struggle to find affordable options when it comes to health care coverage. Because our mission as a company is to build careers worth having, businesses worth owning and lives worth living, we knew we had to help them. A life worth living has to be a healthy one.”

For more information, visit www.kw.com.

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According to the company, ACT! by Sage Premium for Real Estate 11, now available, further meets the needs of larger teams with scalable workgroup capabilities so members can securely share and assign activities, sales opportunities, and contact data with each other.

New ACT! for Real Estate 11 functionality allows users to connect related contacts in their ACT! database such as buyers, mortgage brokers, title agents and home inspectors, and define specifics about these relationships.

For more information, visit www.act.com/products/realestate.

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“Unexpected evictions are becoming an all-too-familiar scenario for good tenants who pay their rent on time,” said Rick Sharga, senior vice president of RealtyTrac. “Some landlords aren’t paying their mortgages - even while their tenants are paying their rent faithfully - causing the tenants to be evicted without warning. Our new Renter Alerts give tenants a good early warning system to help avoid this unpleasant and unfair scenario.”

For more information, visit http://www.realtytrac.com/.

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According to the company, the first spot, “Iconic Homes,” features notable properties - from the historic White House and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater to the space-age Jetson’s residence - mixed in with homes of different architectural styles. The announcer says, “For 103 years our agents have helped people find the houses they’ll call home. Now, more than ever, it’s important we never stop moving.”

Additionally, at the end of the “Iconic Homes” commercial, an informative timely tagline directs consumers to www.coldwellbanker.com for important information on the recent-enacted $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home buyers. This tagline message will be updated to keep consumers informed on key housing issues, including future stimulus measures and consumer benefits.

“Consumers are empowered by technology and the wealth of information available online, yet also value collaboration with a knowledgeable real estate professional,” said Michael Fischer, senior vice president, marketing, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Along with reaching consumers on an emotional level, these new commercials highlight how we provide listing information to consumers anytime and anywhere they want it. In addition, we have the flexibility to change the end tag to communicate key information to the consumer about the real estate market - literally as it is happening.”

To view the new Coldwell Banker commercials, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1cfdUb8BnI and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfQy7kTULVg. For more information, visit www.coldwellbanker.com.

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According to the company, the addition of this service is designed to provide a multi-media marketing vehicle to Realtors amid today’s new economic conditions while bringing otherwise static images of properties to life for the consumer.

“HAR Member Videos add value by providing agents with an opportunity to market themselves beyond the standard head shot and bio, allowing agents to engage their customers in a new and more personal way,” said George Stephens, 2009 HAR Technology Advisory Group chairman. “Listing videos will enable consumers to see greater detail of properties than still photos provide, almost as if they were taking a walking tour. In some cases, these videos will also contain narration. This takes the home search experience for consumers to a whole new level.”

For more information, visit www.har.com.

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“We spent a considerable amount of time researching competitive technologies and decided VoicePad best fit our needs as it provides a service to both our listing agents and our buyers agents, said Harold Crye, Cofounder & CEO of Crye-Leike, Realtors. “Consumers are the real winners with this service as they can receive up to date property information on any area home listing - even our competitors - by using the “street search” feature, thus saving valuable time during the home search process.”

For more information, visit www.voicepad.com and http://www.crye-leike.com.

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“Bay East is extremely honored to be the first REALTOR® association in the country to offer this program to the public,” said Pat Huffman, 2009 president of Bay East Association of REALTORS®. “It’s our hope that many investors who are taking advantage of the numerous real estate opportunities available today will utilize these free services.”

For more information, visit www.TReXGlobal.com.

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These MLSs add to the long list of counties in Northern, Central and Southern California that PropertyMinder currently serves. PropertyMinder continues to aggressively expand the reach of their AccelerAgent^TM websites to real estate agents, brokers and organizations across the United States.

Today, real estate agents, brokers and firms north of San Francisco Bay and south of Santa Barbara are able to take advantage of the convenience and price advantage of the unique all-encompassing AccelerAgent^TM websites, including the direct access to their MLS data.

PropertyMinder successfully blends state of the art and highly reliable technology with innovative Internet Marketing.

For more information, visit www.PropertyMinder.com.

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Real estate investors are a growing market and provide a great opportunity for Bay East members especially with current market conditions. According to the National Association of Realtors ®, 22% of all real estate purchases in 2007 were investment properties.

TReXGlobal.com applications like Simplifyem.com Property Management Software are designed to assist real estate investors with the management of residential properties. Participating Bay East members will have access to valuable information that can be used to attract and convert website visitors into clients. Members who don’t have a Web presence can utilize free real estate marketing tools to customize flyers and other handout marketing materials.

“Bay East is honored to be the first Realtor association in the country to offer this program to its members,” said Pat Huffman, 2009 President of Bay East Association of Realtors. “In today’s market, it is important to provide our members with access to cutting-edge technology to help grow their business.”

For more information, visit TReXGlobal.com.

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Real estate professionals can upload listings for free and see them instantly online with the new OpenHouse NowTM tool or register for a simple, free bulk-feed service, OpenHouse DirectTM, to automate the process. For premium placement, a new fee-based Featured Listing option allows agents and brokers to move their listings to the top of OpenHouse.com search results.

“As the spring open house season kicks off, we welcome all licensed brokers and agents to post their listings for free on our site,” said Ben Phillips, OpenHouse.com vice president and managing director. “In a challenging economic environment, we want to provide more ways for the entire real estate community to market their listings, drive open house attendance, and provide more exposure for home sellers.”

The site, www.OpenHouse.com, was re-designed in direct response to broker and agent requests for new ways to market their open house listings and draw visitors to their open house events.

“We know that successful brokers and agents will sell houses this spring by marketing their listings in multiple ways. OpenHouse.com can help agents and brokers get more views for their listings online and more visitors to their open house events,” said Phillips.

According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2008 Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers, nearly nine out of 10 home buyers (87%) used the Internet in their home search and nearly half of home buyers (48%) also used open houses.

For consumers, the new OpenHouse.com site features streamlined navigation, helpful guides and a fresh look to welcome home buyers and sellers. Home buyers can find open house schedules and addresses, view photos and details, take virtual tours, print a personalized driving tour, request information or a private showing, and sign up for e-mail alerts.

Future site enhancements are planned to expand OpenHouse.com’s depth and coverage of U.S. real estate markets and to grow the site through alliances and partnerships.

OpenHouse.com offers the real estate community these free services and other benefits from a position of brand and brokerage neutrality. All customer leads from OpenHouse.com go directly to the listing brokerage or agent.

For more information, visit www.openhouse.com.

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With a theme of “Power of the Bold,” the conference will focus on learning how to cut expenses while also investing in the team in order to build revenue. According to the company, in today’s turbulent market, attendees will find that to emerge as winners, it is essential to seize the moment and the opportunities available.

This year, the opening session will be held the afternoon prior to Networking Night, which features vendor and member booths with the latest products and services to make a positive business impact. Among the featured speakers is keynoter Ken Lowe, president and CEO of Scripps Network Interactive. He will share insights on navigating through challenging economic times and why the real estate business continues to thrive.

There will also be sessions available to attendees covering search engine optimization and online presence, referral success strategies, improving communication and productivity and a look at social networking.

As a company that provides services to the REALTOR® community and a LeadingRE Approved Supplier, Obeo says that it will have a major presence at Networking Night and in the Vendor Showcase at booth space #35 on the show floor. Obeo will feature some of its products, StyleDesigner, SpaceDesigner and HomeSite, a unique online marketing tool that allows customers to make virtual changes to a home’s appearance through the listing itself.

Obeo has recently added a new social media feature for users of its HomeSite product, allowing users to add their HomeSite virtual tour to dozens of social media websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace, among other sharing features.

For more information, visit www.obeo.com.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

To read more real estate tips, topics, and best practices on RISMedia.com, see:

• Why Your Prospects Should Choose Which Ads You Run
• Surviving in Today’s Market: Using Peak-Time Methods to Increase Business Today
  SEO and PPC for Traffic - And More for Success

Freddie Mac also announced it will continue to suspend all eviction actions until April 1, 2009 to ensure there is ample time for current occupants to learn about the options available to them under the new initiative.

“Freddie Mac’s REO Rental Initiative can help ease a foreclosure’s impact by giving renters and former owners more time to determine what options are best for them and their families. At the same time, the REO Rental Initiative helps stabilize property values and local communities by keeping homes occupied and less vulnerable to vandalism,” said Ingrid Beckles, Senior Vice President, Default Asset Management at Freddie Mac.

Property management firms will begin the process of contacting occupants of foreclosed properties to determine their interest in staying in the home and their eligibility for a month-to-month lease. Occupants will be contacted only after the foreclosure gives Freddie Mac the legal authority to offer a lease.

To qualify for a lease, the tenant or former owner must occupy the property and show they have adequate income to pay the monthly rental amount established by the property management company based on market rents for the area in which the home is located. Occupants must agree to allow HomeSteps to show the home to potential buyers as it will be marketed for sale during the lease period.

Additionally, the home must be in safe, habitable condition and meet all local codes for rental properties to qualify for the REO Rental Initiative.

If an occupant does not wish to lease the property, Freddie Mac will continue its current practice of offering relocation assistance. In addition, Freddie Mac will also explore available workout options with owner-occupants after Freddie Mac gains title to the property through foreclosure.

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“Our Realtors find it helpful to have a call center to schedule appointments to show properties,” explained Deborah Key, Executive Officer of the Sanford Area Association of Realtors. “It is more convenient than tracking down the listing agent. They also find it helpful to have someone else answering the phone to make appointments, freeing them from being stuck in the office answering calls when they could be out taking care of other things.”

Centralized Showing Service (CSS) works with Realtors to simplify the showing appointment process by providing one number to call to schedule showings. CSS maintains six call centers in the U.S. and is the leader in home showing services.

The Sanford Area Association of Realtors serves Sanford, Lee County and the surrounding areas. The Sanford Area Association of Realtors first signed up with Centralized Showing Service in July 2007 and is one of the ten MLS associations that CSS provides service to.

For more information, call 877-688-7469 or visit www.Showings.com.

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