Although the phrase has become stale with overuse, the old adage is true: those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. And although the new book Game Plan doesn't indulge in long-winded historical exposition, authors Ian Morris and Steve Murray do provide background on past factors that have influenced (and continue to influence) the real estate industry to guide the discussion of the future.

Tagged: Broker

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Jonathan Benya was kind enough to take some time out of his holiday weekend to explain to Tech Savvy fans how he is engaging and capturing more leads than ever from his website. Jon has tried several products that would pop up and offer assistance to his potential leads, while surfing his site, but thinks this one is the best by far. See the service in action on his site at www.somdexpert.com and check out our video to see why Jon thinks Snap Engage is the cream of the crop.

Tagged: Broker Product Demo Online Chat

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We’ve been searching for an online property management software solution, and we found it…

We (well, my lovely wife, Francy) spend far too much time preparing owner statements, collecting rents, processing applications, etc., etc., etc.

Enter Buildium. What can it do?

How about:

• Maintain complete accounting records for each property
• Track tenants, association owners, charges and payments
• Run credit and background checks
• Give property owners online access
• Receive maintenance requests and generate work orders
• Accept and issue electronic payments
• Give residents online account access
• Give online access to your property management team
• Market and fill vacancies online
• Generate reports
• Generate 1099s
• And more… much more

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Tagged: Broker Reporting Tech Products Back Office

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While this review is on DocBox you really can’t review the Instanet product line without noting the entire family of Instanet products.   The reason is the fact that customers can start virtually anywhere in the product line and then add features that incorporate virtually the same user interface.  Many users, for example, may start with the Internet Fax product or the Document Management product “DocBox” and later on add the full Transaction Manager “TransactionDesk” functionality.  Or they might start with Instanet forms and later add the Document Manager.  This full suite of products from Internet Fax through Digital Signature is a significant strength of the Instanet Solutions product line.

DocBox has always been a solid product but with the recent changes made to the user interface the product, along with the entire Instanet suite of products, is even more attractive.

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Tagged: Broker Evaluation Tech Products Document Mgmt

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iHomefinder is a well established IDX search solution available to agents in many of the largest markets in the United States.  It is likely that they already have data in your market, so check with your MLS.

Their product offers all of the key features of property search that are important to REALTORS and their clients.  Their base product offers search by city, zipcode, price and other standard form based criteria.  Lead generation on their solution follows established paradigms in IDX services including save a listing to favorites, save a search, and registration for automatic listing alerts.

They offer a full service back office solution for agents to access their registered users, gain insight into their search behavior, property interests, and contact information.

Tagged: Agent Broker Software Web Service Internet IDX

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iHomefinder Lead Source Tracking was developed to help users get a handle on exactly where their online leads are coming from. Lead Source Tracking enables you to:

- Measure the return on marketing efforts

- Understand the demographics of online traffic

- Plan future marketing strategy

Tagged: MLS Tech Services

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SureClose transaction management originated in the Title world and was designed to be used by transaction specialists. It is a very full-featured and powerful transaction management system but was not designed to be used primarily at the agent level. To make certain functionality available to both agents and consumers SureClose has been designed with two separate views, the Professional interface and the Basic (or Guest) interface. The Professional interface is used primarily by the internal title and settlement staff, such as the processor, escrow officer and/or transaction management coordinator, to manage the real estate transaction. The professional interface is the deepest product with all functionality enabled. The Basic interface is used to provide views and limited editing control in the transaction to the agents and their clients.

There are two methods to create a new file in SureClose. You can input all of the data directly into SureClose, or you can import the order data into SureClose from AIM+ or AIM for Windows. AIM is a production system widely used in the title and escrow industry for order entry, document preparation, escrow closing, escrow accounting and 1099-S[...]

Tagged: Broker Software Evaluation Tech Products Transaction Mgmt

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Introduction

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Tagged: Broker Evaluation Tech Products

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If you are like me and live in a state where it is allowed to turn your car radio up full blast, and have a shouting match in your car, but not talk on your cell phone, you probably need a hands free headset for your phone.

Most of the time, any product you choose is likely to disappoint you. Be sure to read product reviews before purchasing one. I just made the mistake of listening to the mobile expert in the store and buying the Plantronics Savor – boy was I disappointed, but it looked and sounded awesome in the store!
 

Tagged: Broker Hardware Evaluation Communication Gadget Mobile Technology

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The new Real Estate Book website provides an excellent value to their print advertisers—extending the effectiveness of print advertising to the internet. They support consumers who start their buying or selling process by picking up a magazine. They support their advertisers by providing a website that effectively competes for online consumers against the top sites for search engine optimization.

The realestatebook.com impressed us when we began typing. Like the best online forms the system automatically ‘guesses’ what you are typing as you enter each letter of text. As I began to type in my city name, it auto-filled, and it immediately showed me homes near to our address. We were hoping that it was noting our ISP address and finding nearby properties, but, unfortunately, after a few refreshes of my browser, we realized that the first listing was a fluke—random luck.

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Tagged: Evaluation

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Top Producer IDX is a full-featured property search solution that allows agent to offer consumers access to the listings available from their MLS. Important features like Listing Notification, Save Listing to Favorites, and Save Search are all bundled with the service. Top Producer is a subsidiary of MOVE, INC and offers IDX in more than 235 markets. If they do not already have listings from your market, they will go get them for you.

Top Producer IDX automatically updates your website with the latest property information from your MLS, and offers visitors a password-protected section to save their favorite listings and searches. Top Producer' IDX’s prospecting tools, including PROPERTY ALERT LEAD and CAPTURE FORMS encourage visitors to enter their contact information and home criteria to receive automated updates and Listings Lead Capture Forms that encourage visitors to request property information and schedule appointments. The system’s lead tracking tools are designed to help the site owner to prioritize and strategically respond to their prospects.

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Tagged: Agent Software Advice Editorial Education IDX

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CoreLogic MarketLinx has modified their Transaction Management interface from earlier versions to a simpler, straightforward design. Their full transaction management can include multiple modules including a Fax Manager, Document Management as well as the transaction scheduling/monitoring component. Each of these products can also be used independently. The CoreLogic MarketLinx products can be fully integrated with MLS systems allowing for the flow of data from the MLS system to Document Manager or Transaction Manager.

Tagged: Broker Evaluation Tech Products Transaction Mgmt

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Ease of use is a strong point of the CoreLogic MarketLinx Document Management product. It has been designed as a stand alone product but can be fully integrated with CoreLogic MarketLinx MLS systems, their Internet Fax product as well as the CoreLogic MarketLinx Transaction Manager product.

Like the CoreLogic MarketLinx Transaction Manager, the CoreLogic MarketLinx Document Management product is very easy to use. When the user signs on they are presented with a list of files that can be named as a property address or any name they want.

Tagged: Broker Software Evaluation Tech Products Document Mgmt

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Birdview offers a full-featured IDX service to real estate agents and is available in most markets across the nation. With Birdview IDX, all of the local IDX/MLS listings can be displayed on a real estate agent website for consumers to browse. Birdview offers the ability to search multiple counties and cities at one time and offers many lead generating tools like save a search, listing notification, schedule a showing, and save listings to favorites. Birdview updates the listings on each website as often as every 15 minutes in most MLS markets through the use of the RETS or Real Estate Transaction Standard.

Tagged: Agent Software Web Service Tech Products Tech Services Internet IDX

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Settlement Room is a user-friendly transaction management system that has been designed for direct use by brokers, agents and teams without the need for transaction coordinators. Most recently Emphasys has made a number of enhancements to the product to improve the user interface making it one of the most user friendly transaction management products on the market today. Settlement room provides transaction workflow management, communication with all parties in the transaction and the ability to schedule tasks for all participants as needed. Tasks can be scheduled using fixed dates or dates based on other events, such as making one task due so many days after another event.

The document manager is included with Settlement Room and is not offered currently as a stand-alone. Easily email documents into your transaction websites.

Settlement Room provides:

• The ability to fax documents into your transaction websites
• Ability to distribute transaction documents from your website
• Ability to attach transaction documents to orders and emails by just checking a[...]

  Tagged: Agent Broker Software Evaluation Tech Products Transaction Mgmt

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IDC Global is a software development company that focuses on database and data processing specialized to improve the performance of Internet and other networked applications. Their new product, dataFloat, offers significant improvements in performance and scalability for Internet and mobile applications and also allows clients to develop e-business and multilingual applications easier and more efficiently.

Tagged: Agent Broker Construction Software Evaluation Tech Products Internet

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MLSFinder is among the most commonly used IDX systems for real estate agents in America hosting more than 50,000 agent and broker solutions. All MLSFinder solutions include lead capture, allowing agents to turn Web visitors into potential customers. MLSFinder may be installed into your agent website with relative ease through smart framing. Standard services include two links, one for IDX Search and another to automatically pull your listings by a separate link. If you do not have any listings, the agent listing link will pull all of our office listings.

Lead generation with MLSFinder includes Save a Search, Save a Listing to Favorites, and Register for Automatic Listing Notification. Other standard features include the ability to map a listing, send a listing to a friend, estimate mortgage payments. Inquire about listing, request a showing and print a listing.

Tagged: Agent Broker Web Service Tech Products Tech Services Internet IDX

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dsSearchAgent is designed around Web 2.0 features that make connections and engagement between the consumer and the agent seamless. This product is built from the ground up to be a map-based search solution. Sliders and features that allow the consumer to narrow their search criteria are dressed along the left side of the map for ease of use. This design is not only very functional, but it allows the consumer to view more property information without scrolling down the page.

Like most IDX solutions, dsSearchAgent has many features that encourage consumers to register to the website to access helpful property search tools. For example, customers can save a search and get listing alerts. dsSearchAgent goes even further by allowing the consumer to get the information in the form of an RSS Feed as well as email. Customers can also register to add their own notes to property. The agent back office control panel allows for easy access to customer searches, favorites, and viewing patterns. There are also some nice features that allow agents to organize leads.

Tagged: Agent Web Service Editorial Recommendation Internet Service IDX

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Over the years, WyldFyre has produced some of the most user friendly agent products in the real estate industry. The eNeighborhoods WyldFyre7 CMA is no different. The interface is simple and intuitive and like all of the WyldFyre products it provides the user with a considerable amount of design flexibility.

Unlike many of the CMAs you find embedded in MLS systems, the WyldFyre CMA allows higher degree of customization. It even allows users to enter comparables into the CMA that may not be in the MLS system, such as FSBOs and even new home sales. Displays and reports now include full mapping options, including aerial mapping, and allow for total broker and agent branding. Adjustments are simple to make and include and the report is complimented by attractive graphics and supporting documents. eNeighborhoods WyldFyre7 CMA should definitely be on your list if you are review CMA programs.

Tagged: Agent Software

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Track My File is currently marketed directly to real estate companies and they emphasize that what you get with Track My File is more than the product. They stress the importance of learning how to integrate transaction management processes into the business culture and their ability to help companies do this.

The Document Management and Transaction Manager Product are combined. They pride themselves on offering a user-friendly system that all agents can use. Track My File is easy to navigate though the interface appears a bit dated.

The Track My File team schedules a one-time consultation with new clients to get to know them, the processes they currently have in place and the way they work. Then they create custom software tailored to both the currently office requirements and workflow.

This tailored, consultative approach sets Track My File apart from the competition in this regard where most vendors expect the client to adapt to their system.

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Tagged: Agent Software Evaluation Tech Products Transaction Mgmt Document Mgmt

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