Welcome to SCAORCast, your ultra-fast download of everything Sussex County Association of REALTORS®. Here’s what’s happening for this week. (Check our show notes at the bottom of this page for easy access to all of these links.) Our thanks to Schell Bros for sponsoring this episode.
This Week’s Show Notes & Links:
We’ll be appearing on DelmarvaLife on Wednesday, August 24th. Be sure to watch!
SCAOR’S Board of Directors begins voting on September 1st. Stay tuned for that!
Questions? Comments? Talk back to us and let us know. We’d love to hear from you. (And be sure to subscribe in iTunes, and never miss an episode again!)
A career as a REALTOR® may not be as dangerous as being a police officer or a fireman or a race car driver. But life as a real estate professional does have hazards that come along with it, many of which you have likely encountered at one time or another in your career.
With REALTOR® Safety Month beginning in a few weeks, we thought we’d today mention a few ways that you can keep yourself safe.
Remember, safety should always be your number one priority. We want you to be productive and successful, but we also want you to safely return home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHi4yNfv9Vc
Here are five situations to be aware of and steps you can take to protect yourself:
Allowing strangers into your car. You can try having your client follow you from listing to listing, those listings could be very far apart. So, it’s inevitable that, at some point, you’re going to have clients in your personal vehicle. While this is usually not a problem, there are times when danger can arise. If you must have people in your car with you, make sure you park in a location where you can quickly leave if you need to. And try not to park in an area where you’ll need to shift into reverse first, as that can take additional time.
Showing properties alone. As with the point above, there are going to be times that this can’t be avoided. But try to bring someone along with you whenever possible. Some other safety tips include letting others know where you are and always walking behind your client.
Entering vacant homes. You never know what you might find in a home that’s been left vacant for some time. It’s a good idea to never visit these properties at night and always tell a friend or co-worker where you will be.
Open Houses. You never know who is going to show up at an advertised open house event, so use as much caution as you possibly can. Partner up with a co-worker when possible and never leave your valuables unattended. Also, make sure you always have your cell phone with you in case you need it in a hurry.
Meeting new people. As a REALTOR®, you’re going to be meeting new people on a regular basis. Be sure to always ask for identification and have them fill out a profile sheet so you know who you’re dealing with. Introducing them to co-workers is also a good idea, so others have seen what they look like. That way, at least one other person can identify them.
It’s always a good idea to take extra precautions in the course of your day-to-day business dealings. When in doubt, always err on the side of safety.
This is your ultra-fast, easy dose of the latest tech that can help your life as a REALTOR®. Whether it’s using the MLS, Mobile Apps, or surfing around, we’ll give you the tools you need each Tuesday.
Tech Tip Tuesday – #028 – Link Statistic Tracking in Emails & Social Media
Today’s Tip:
Today we’re talking about link statistic tracking in email and social media. So, link tracking. First of all….what is it? It’s a way you can see when, and how many times your links are clicked when you share a listing, a link to your website in an email, or how many clicks something is getting in Facebook or twitter. Any time you want to verify that a link was clicked.
We’ll be using Google URL shortener for this video, it is free, so feel free to play along on your computer or phone.
Let’s say I want to send a link to a blog post we have via email, but I want to know when the other side has clicked the link that I sent them. My first step is to copy the link in the address bar. Depending on what you’re using, you can hit command c for a mac or control c if you’re on windows, to copy the web address.
Next, we head to goo.gl. This is google url shortener’s website, and we paste the address into the given text box there. They then provide a new, shorter web address that we can use in all our efforts moving forward.
Welcome to SCAORCast, your ultra-fast download of everything Sussex County Association of REALTORS®. Here’s what’s happening for this week. (Check our show notes at the bottom of this page for easy access to all of these links.) Our thanks to Borcz & Dixon for sponsoring this episode.
This Week’s Show Notes & Links:
Join us in welcoming Merritt Burke IV on August 11th at 3:30 PM at the SCAOR Office for a meet & greet with light refreshments. Register here!
Questions? Comments? Talk back to us and let us know. We’d love to hear from you. (And be sure to subscribe in iTunes, and never miss an episode again!)
The proof is all around us in 2016 – We are living in a digital world, one where paper is being used less and less frequently, and business is being conducted almost exclusively online.
This is especially true in the world of real estate, where nearly all prospective home buyers now begin their searches on the Internet. Long gone are the days of leafing through big books filled with listed homes and mailing forms back and forth to one another.
In a time when pretty much everyone has a smart phone and is never out of touch, it just makes sense to go paperless.
Here’s why:
Efficiency. Nearly everything is now done digitally, meaning agents essentially can take their offices on the road with them. With email, e-signing, cloud based storage and more, there’s really no need to return to the office if you’re in need of a document. Save yourself some gas and time, and do things via your smart phone or laptop.
Environment. Help save the environment – while also saving money in the process. Think about how much you spend annually in copier paper, ink, toner and more (and how much harm overuse of these products does to the environment).
Organization. Cloud-based systems are taking over the business world, and will continue to do so. Using products like Dropbox or Google Drive can greatly help you and your business be more organized and productive. No more piles of paper on your desk; one push of a button on your phone or computer and any document you need can be retrieved instantly.
Customer Service. With digital storage devices and greater flexibility, your clients can now expect better service from you, their trusted REALTOR®. This also has the added benefit of improving your reputation and referral business.
So here’s the bottom line – going paperless today can have incredible benefits for your growing real estate business. If you’ve been in the business for a long time, it may be a difficult transition, but one we think you’ll be glad you embraced.
This is your ultra-fast, easy dose of the latest tech that can help your life as a REALTOR®. Whether it’s using the MLS, Mobile Apps, or surfing around, we’ll give you the tools you need each Tuesday.
Tech Tip Tuesday – #048 – Correcting Closing Data in MLS
Today’s Tip:
Today, we’re talking about how people with head-broker level access can correct closing mistakes in the MLS. Just follow the easy steps in the video for the step-by-step breakdown.
Welcome to SCAORCast, your ultra-fast download of everything Sussex County Association of REALTORS®. Here’s what’s happening for this week. (Check our show notes at the bottom of this page for easy access to all of these links.) Our thanks to Parkway Law for sponsoring this episode.
This Week’s Show Notes & Links:
Join us in welcoming Merritt Burke IV on August 11th at 3:30 PM at the SCAOR Office for a meet & greet with light refreshments. Register here!
Questions? Comments? Talk back to us and let us know. We’d love to hear from you. (And be sure to subscribe in iTunes, and never miss an episode again!)
Ask two different homeowners what they think about living in a community with a homeowners association and you may see one of them scowl and another one smile.
The difference of opinion on homeowners associations, or HOAs, depends on several factors, including individual personalities and preferences and the quality of the particular HOA. Rules and dues vary but, in general, homeowners who live in an HOA must abide by its regulations and pay a monthly, quarterly or annual fee that pays for management and maintenance of the community.
HOA Benefits
Many homeowners prefer to live in an HOA for several reasons, including:
Community appearance: Homes within an HOA must meet the standards set by the association or face a fine, so you’re less likely to see unkempt lawns, peeling paint or a garishly painted house. Some HOAs have a design review board with the power to approve any changes to your home’s exterior, and which establishes a color palette for exterior paint and trim. Many HOA’s have rules about how many cars or even what type of vehicles can be parked on your property. For example, they may ban commercial vans or RVs.
Low maintenance: Depending on the HOA, services such as trash and snow removal and lawn care are handled by the association, leaving less work for the homeowner. Typically, common areas are maintained by the association.
Recreational amenities: While not all HOAs have swimming pools and tennis courts, many offer a range of amenities such as a community center, walking trails, sports courts and playing fields reserved for residents.
Association management: If you have a problem with your neighbor’s dog barking, loud parties or a dispute over a tree, you can ask the management to handle the issue rather than getting directly into a spat with the homeowner next door.
Living Within an HOA
For some buyers, the idea that a management association can tell you when you can put out a decorative flag or that you can’t park your truck in front of your property is a deal-breaker. If you have a concern that something that’s important to you, such as your ability to run a business from your home, could be banned by HOA rules, then be particularly careful to read all the regulations before you buy a home in a community with a homeowners association. This doesn’t mean you can’t buy at all within an HOA, but you’ll have to find one with regulations that meet your requirements.
HOA regulations are usually set by a committee or board of directors and then enforced by a paid management company or a group of volunteers. You can become involved with the HOA in order to have a voice in the decisions being made. Homeowners can request a rule change or an individual waiver, but there’s no guarantee that your request will be granted.
HOA Fees
HOA fees vary as much as HOA regulations and depend on multiple factors such as the amenities in the community and which services are covered by the fees. When you’re buying a home, you need to compare HOA fees from one community to another based on what they cover. You may find that the HOA fee includes a gym membership so you can spend less on a private gym. You should also decide if you’ll use the amenities you’re paying for, such as tennis courts or a swimming pool. Keep in mind, however, that the presence of these amenities can add to your home’s value, even if you don’t directly take advantage of them.
Many homeowners appreciate that HOAs often maintain higher standards for a neighborhood’s appearance, but there’s no question that you need to understand the regulations and costs in every community where you’re considering buying a home.
Throwback Thursday #023 – Do You Recognize Any of These REALTORS®?
