This document provides an overview of technology topics covered in a GRI real estate training class. It discusses computers and laptop essentials, mobile devices and smartphone apps, digital photography, email marketing best practices, CRM systems, internet fundamentals like SEO and social media, cloud computing, regulatory considerations, and using video and blogs. The instructor encourages participants to share one new idea and provides his contact information for further resources.

1. GRI 404: Technology
Matthew Rathbun, Broker
ABR, ABRM, AHWD, CDPE, CRB, CRS, e-PRO, GREEN, GRI, SFR, SRS

2. How We’ll Roll Today
Breaks about every 1.5 hours | Lunch is 12-1
Yes, there is an Exam - Yes, you’ll be prepared
You cannot miss more than 15 minutes of class
Page Numbers in Top Right Hand Corner of Slide
Please silence phones
If you must take a call, take it outside

3. MatthewRathbun
Broker
Husband and Father
Thinks He’s funnier than he is...
Over 10 years in RE
Always strives to be better
www.TheAgentTrainer.com

4. Who Are You?
!
Where Are You From?
!
Is This Your First or Last GRI
Class?
!
What Do YOU Want To
Learn Today?

5. TheAgentTrainer.com/GRI
Four Pillars 2010-2011©

6. Don’t Be
A
Squirrel!

7. I
Want
My
Jet-Pack!

8. YouTube Moment: Think Differently

9. 9

10. The Culture
Act I

11. 96%of homebuyers use the internet
as part of the search process
49%of homebuyers found
the home they
bought online
76%
searched on
mobile device 76%
drove by home they
found online as the
46% first step online inquires
actually buy

12. 51weeks from first online inquiry until becoming
serious about looking for a home
12weeks of active searching
online before buying
3weeks of active searching
before contacting agent

13. 90%
of buyers
use a
REALTOR®

16. Generations - Traditional's 1925-1945
• Silent Generation
!
• Owner an average
of 3 homes
!
• Worked hard and
expect the same
!
• Difficult to get loyalty
Page 6 and 7

17. Generations - Baby Boomers 1946-1964
!
• Known as the “Me”
Generation
!
• Believe in “Live to work”
!
• Optimistic
Page 6 and 7

18. Generations - Gen “X” 1965-1976
!
• Latch-Key Kids
!
• “Time is of the essence”
!
• Fiercely Independent
Page 6 and 7

19. Generations - Gen “Y” 1977-1994
!
• 39% are First Time
Homebuyers
!
• Don’t believe in paying
their dues at work
!
• Techno-fused!
!
• Instant Gratification
Page 6 and 7

20. Duties to Clients and Customers
Standards of Practice 1-2
“The duties imposed by the code of
ethics encompass all real estate related
activities and transactions whether
conducted in person electronically or
through any other means”

21. Demographic
&
Market Information

22. Computers
Act II

23. LaptopEssentials
14-Inch TFT Color Screen
WiFi and Bluetooth Receiver
(built in)
95% full size spill proof
keyboard
Good speakers
Dell Discount Available for REALTORS® via REALTOR®-Benefits
Page 10 Leasing versus Buying?

24. Docking Station

26. Mobile Devices
Act III

27. YouTube Moment: A Vision For The Future

28. Microsoft’s Vision of the Future

29. 68% of Real Estate
Buyers search From A
mobile Device before
speaking to an Agent

30. 30
What Do I Need A
SmartPhone For?
• Phone Calls
• Texting
• Voicemail
• Calendar
• Internet Access
• Task Lists
• Real Estate Apps
• Search MLS

31. Page 15
Bluetooth

32. Wireless MiFi
Personal Wireless Network
(Range of about 2 feet, not 300)
Cellular Wireless Cards can be broadband and do have a monthly fee.

33. Mobile

34. 1Password App - $9.99
Service - $49.99

35. CamScanner

36. DocUSign

37. DocUSign Ink

38. Dropbox

39. Evernote

40. HomeSnap

41. iScape

42. MortgageCalcPro

43. Open House Pro

44. Postagram

45. Sitegeist

46. SitOrSquat

47. TimeRange

48. uEligibility - USDA

49. MRIS CloseIt App

50. Refresh.io

51. Battery Doctor

52. MRIS Homes

53. Crime Map

54. uStream

55. 72
Layars

56. Mobile
Payments
• Escrow
• Rent
• Credit Check
• Home Inspections

58. Google Voice

59. Photography
Act IV

60. PhotoExamples

74. BetterExamples

75. TextText
Text

77. TextText
Text

78. TextText
Text

79. TextText
Text

80. Camera Features
Megapixels
• More megapixels equals more detail
Zoom Lens
• 10-16x w/ digital enhancement
• 28mm or as close as possible
• Compare optical zoom
• Ignore digital zoom
Size, ease-of-use, and price
Page 16

81. Camera Features
Memory/Storage
• Same card as your phone or PDA
Image stabilization
• Ensures sharp pictures if you’ve got a
shaky hand
• Or when using the zoom for close-ups
Better software
• Image editing
• Archiving
• Stitching to create panoramic images

82. Digital Single-Lens Reflex
• Interchangeable Lens
• HD Photos
• Countless Settings
• HD Video
• Phase Detection Auto-Focus
• Speed
• Flexible

83. HDR Listing Photos
(High Dynamic Range)
80

85. Google.com/Picasa

86. Virtual Staging

87. 87
DigitalHouse

90. Seller’s Home Surveillance 90

91. email
Act V

92. E-mail Etiquette
• Get to the point
• Business writing
• Punctuation
• Abbreviations
• Easy on the
formatting
• Spam
Page 19

93. NAR Opinion of CAN SPAM
E-mail is to be used for
• Responses to Inquires
• Contact clients and firms involved in
a transaction
• Remain in contact with former client
• Promote property listings
Page 19

94. Required Disclosures
ComLpanoy Name
Company
Logo

95. Benefits of eNewsletters
• Clickable Links
• Photos
• Graphics
• E-mail Merge

96. • Be consistent eNewsletter
!
• Monthly is good
• Permission based only
– Always ask
permission before you
start sending the E-mail
• Lack of experience
does not require you to

97. MailChimp.com

98. 93

99. 94

100. CRM
Client Management
Client Management System
Systems (CRM)
Act VI

101. Transaction
Management
Contact Management should be one of the first
items of software a REALTOR® possesses.
A good Contact Management System can
ØMaintain records for the past buyers and sellers
ØStore data for target markets
ØLight Word Processing
Ø…or all of the above J
Page
21

102. Microsoft Outlook

103. Top Producer

104. SharperAgent.com

105. MyRealEstateTools.com

106. LowesRealtorBenefits.com

107. Internet
Fundamentals
Act VII

108. The Internet Is Not Owned by Anyone,
It’s Shared By All

109. Marketing on the Web
Offline
Marketing
Search
Engine
Marketing
Related
Sites
Yard Signs
Flyers
Print Ads
Direct Ads
Promotional Items
Events
Listing
Aggregators
Directories
Site Advertising
3rd party
Lead Generation
Organic Results
Paid Results
Page 26

110. Marketing Lifestyle

111. YouTube Moment: Swagger Wagon

113. This?
Property Description
Home has 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 car garage and over
half an acre of land. Great house. Motivated Seller, bring
all offers. Home is subject to Short Sale.
...or That?
Imagine sitting in your cozy sunroom on a warm spring
morning, reading a book or laughing with family in
Ladysmith,VA. This amazing sunroom comes with 4
bedrooms, 3 full baths & 2 car garage. Enjoy over half an
acre while playing volleyball, enjoying a garden or
having a family cookout. Seller also including the private
master with oversized closet, private bathroom, jacuzzi,
cherry hardwoods, fireplace, granite counters & tall
cabinets.

114. Search Stats 2013 MRIS MLS
Item Searched Times Per Day
Schools 100,203
Rooms 10,687
Amenities 13,083
Appliances 14,306
Transportation 18,850
Exterior Features 20,247
Community Rules 29,828
Square Footage / Living Area 38,052
Cooling Systems 38,052
Current Financing 46,326
Basement Type 49,488
Parking 55,241
Property Condition 64,298

116. Core Elements of SEO
Title:
Brief
Title
(like
a
book)
example
-­‐
“John
Smith
Real
Estate”
!
Meta
Descrip3on:
(about
150
characters)
Describes
the
page
using
a
readable
paragraph
!
Meta
Tags:
(fewer
are
beJer)
Just
a
few
keywords
related
to
the
content
on
the
page
[not
very
purposeful
anymore]
Title
URL
DescripOon

117. 1

118. 95% …won’t leave the first page

119. Pay-Per-Click Advertising
• Marketers
accountable for
delivering an actual
return on advertising
dollars
• Brokers purchase
key words
**Reciprocal
Links
Are
Dead
(for
now) Page 26 & 27

120. Google.com/addurl

121. 1
Google SEO Starter Guide
http://goo.gl/ji7N
116

122. •Aggregator provides
leads back to broker
via link to broker’s listing
•Online classifieds
provide agents with
opportunity to expand
their marketing reach to
more prospective
buyers
Page 28

123. Characteristics of Good Websites
MUST-have features of
websites
•Current listing information
•Pictures of listings
•Easy navigation
•Links to other data
•Information about community and
buying process
Page 29

124. Financial calculators are not
the same as financial
software

125. Cloud Computing
Act VIII

126. .com

127. Office 365

128. Carbonite.com

129. CloudCMA

130. ZipForms

131. join.me

132. Trello

133. ClosingTi .me

134. DoorSteps

135. Regulatory
Review
ACT VIX

136. Virginia - Defining Technology
Virginia Code 18VAC135-20-190
!
“Advertising” means all forms of representation, promotion and
solicitation disseminated in any manner and by any means of
communication to consumers for any purpose related to licensed
real estate activity.
Disclosures Required:
1. Firm’s name, city and state of
office
2. Licensee’s Name
!
3. License Status
!
4. Jurisdiction(s) Licensed

137. • Agents name and licensed status must be
disclosed on all solicitations or business
related pages and e-mails.
!
• Brokerage Name and address must appear
on all webpages in the first viewable
section.
!
• Both must disclose all the locations in which
they hold a license.
!
• Actual status of listings must be show
18VAC135-20-190

138. Virginia - Defining Technology
!
§ All On-line Listings must be kept current and consistent as
follows:
!
§ Ads must be consistent with Property Descriptions and
ACTUAL Status
!
§ Reasonable effort must be made in a written, timely
manner for third parties to update listing information.
!
§ All listing information shall indicate in a readily visible
manner the date that the listing information shown was last
updated.

139. Virginia - Defining Technology
!
Section D – Prohibited Activities
!I
mplying that the property listed is for sale by the owner or unlicensed
person
!
Failing to include a notice in all advertising that the owner is a real estate
licensee has interest in a particular property ( as in financial or owner
interest )
!
Fail to include firm’s licensed name on any sign displayed outside any
place of business
!
Failure to get written consent of the seller prior to advertising any specific
identifiable property
!
Property not listed by the party making the advertisement

140. General Legal Considerations
‣ DefamaOon
‣ Unlicensed
PracOce
of
Law
‣ Breach
of
ConfidenOality
of
Clients
‣ Copyright
ViolaOons
‣ Untrue
Statements
‣ Trademark
ConsideraOons
‣ Necessity
for
Required
Disclosures

141. 130
Anti-Trust
• Commission Discussions
!
• Anti-Competitive Agreements
!
• “Raising the Bar” Conversations

142. 131
Agent Identity Watch
➡Centralized Showing and Lockbox
➡Agent Impersonations Online
➡Access of Client Databases
➡Shared Lockbox Access
➡Shared MLS Entry
➡Computer Threats
➡(By and Against Agents)

143. Trulia Voice – (Bad) Legal Advice

144. Code of Ethics Application
➡Standard of Practice 1-2: Applies Code articles to the
internet
➡Standard of Practice 1-9: Confidentiality
➡Article 10: Fair Housing
➡Article 12: Honesty in Marketing (Similar to VAC)
➡Article 13: Prohibition from giving Legal Advice
➡Article 15: Reckless Statements about other REALTORS®

145. Page 17

146. Act X
Page
36
Social Media

147. 137
Marke3ng
is
a
Conversa3on

148. Social media
is
people
talking
with other
people
on the
internet!
Page 32

149. 139

150. 140
John
Smith,
REALTOR®
ME!

151. 141

152. Where is Dave Carroll Now?
$3,500 guitar suffered $1,500 in damages
because of the ground crew’s mishandling
According to the Times of London, "...within four days of
the song going online, the gathering thunderclouds of
bad PR caused United Airlines' stock price to suffer a mid-flight
stall, and it plunged by 10%, costing shareholders
$180 million. Which, incidentally, would have bought
Carroll more than 51,000 replacement guitars."
Launches www.Gripevine.com in February 2012

153. 143

154. 144

158. 148
• Click
to
edit
Master
text
styles

159. 149
Google.com/Alerts

160. 150
93%
of
Social
Media
Users
Believe
A
Company
Should
Have
a
Presence
in
Social
Media.
Cone,
Business
in
Social
Media
Study,
September
2008

161. Page 90-91
Blogging

162. Page 104

163. Page 104

168. 168
Create A Community Connection

169. EasyEmerge.com

170. Blogging
Act XI

171. STteollrinyg160

172. 161
Architecture
Of The Blog

173. Acceptable Use Policy
Confidentiality Statement
Copyrights

174. Online Open Houses

175. www.TheAgentTrainer.com/24HourOpenHouse

176. Act XII
Page 36
Video

178. 165

181. 168

182. YouTube Moment: Jenn and The Dog

184. YouTube Moment: Listing Video

187. Videolicious.com

188. Let’s Make a Movie | The Tools
www.Camtasia.com

189. Let’s Make a Movie | The Tools
www.Picasa.com

190. Let’s Make a Movie | The Tools
Windows Movie Maker
explore.live.com/windows-live-movie-maker

191. Let’s Interview Online

192. Skype

193. Tech-Fatigue

194. Share one new idea
from today’s
experience

195. www.TheAgentTrainer.com
matthew@realtor.com
Facebook.com/mattrathbun
@mattrathbun
YouTube.com/MattRathbun1