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 Royal Pest Solutions for sponsoring today’s episode.
This Week’s Show Notes & Links:
Leg Action Day – Tomorrow is Legislative action day, where REALTORS® make their voice heard in the states capital at Leg hall. We’ll be addressing issues like the rocket docket which expedites project review process, supporting the clean water for Delaware act with the stipulation that the least possible impact is made on taxpayers, property owners and business owners., and opposing HS 1 for HB 200, the parking lot bill that places an undue burden on the counties for enforcement and can be prohibitively expensing for business owners. Know that we’re on location tomorrow working for you!
Call to Action from NAR – Keep an eye out for a call to action from NAR. Help us reach the 20% participation rate by Telling the U.S. Senate to Pass HR 3700 & Get to Work for Future Homebuyers. Keep an eye out on your emails today for that.
Remember to RSVP for the 100 Year Realtor Celebration happening on June 23rd. We’re going to have an awesome reception-style party with food, music, awards and more, and it’s all free. All you have to do is go to scaor.com/party to register.
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!)
Building on the hugely successful advertising campaign that once urged consumers to “Get Milk,” the National Association of REALTORS® has embarked on a similar effort that instead prompts prospective home buyers and sellers to always utilize the knowledge and expertise of a properly trained REALTOR®.
Dubbed “Get REALTOR®,” the campaign launched in February and according to NAR’s Website, “targets hyper-connected and emerging generations of home buyers, sellers, owners and investors.” Primarily aimed at millennials, the advertising push is meant to discourage younger homebuyers from attempting the home buying or selling process alone. NAR President Tom Salomone of Florida put it best:
“When it comes to real estate and the Internet, today’s consumers don’t always know what they don’t know.”
The bottom line and the focus of the “Get REALTOR®” campaign is that unforeseen problems and issues are inevitably going to arise. The process can be a complex minefield of financing, inspections, legal documents, disclosures, negotiations, and any number of other possible pitfalls. It’s navigating this potential minefield that sets REALTORS® apart from mere real estate agents.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrQZhFAKYUI
To further educate the public on this important distinction, NAR has also partnered with the ABC television network via a special integration deal. If you missed the recent episode of the popular “Modern Family” television program where main character Phil Dunphy, played by actor Ty Burrell, explained his work as a licensed REALTOR®, then here’s a clip to explain the program and the goals of the advertising campaign.
Programs like this assist greatly with the main “Get REALTOR®” advertising campaign that’s hit television, print media and online sites since the beginning of 2016. And they help all of us do our jobs that much better. After all, SCAOR is comprised of REALTOR® members, so educating the public on the key advantages of using a licensed REALTOR® can only benefit each and every one of us.
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 #019 – Advanced MLS Wildcard Searching
In the real world, we forget bits and pieces of information that’s essential to finding what we need. In the MLS, there’s a handy feature that helps find what you need using just pieces of information. The asterisks, (which you can produce by hitting “shift-8” on the keyboard is a wildcard that allows you to search for what you remember. Let’s see how it works.
Let’s say you can remember what some of your criteria starts with, but can’t remember the entire name or number. Well, add an asterisks wherever your memory fails. If I know the phone number of the person I’m looking for starts with a 302-227….but can’t remember the rest, add an asterisk, and it’ll search for everything that starts with those numbers. Let’s say you remember the last name starts with an “s” and ends with a “t”….but can’t remember their full name, add an asterisk in the middle.
Let’s say you remember the office name had the word re/max somewhere in it? Just add an asterisk at the beginning and end of the term, and now we see every occurrence of the word.
Very cool, very helpful way to find what you’re looking for when you can’t remember the whole term.
That’s advanced MLS wildcard searching, and that’s today’s tech tip tuesday.
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 Women’s Council of REALTORS® for sponsoring today’s episode.
This Week’s Show Notes & Links:
Tomorrow there is a Sign Ordinance amendment before Sussex County Council on at 10am. This proposed amendment has significantly negative impacts upon your business. SCAOR is holding a position of opposition to this amendment. If you haven’t already responded to the call to action, You may do so now by clicking here.
One Question with a staff member: “What are some of the essential tools for a REALTOR® to have in their technology toolkit? And what’s ahead?”
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!)
Arriving today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve streamlined SCAOR.com to be cleaner, more compact, and easier to navigate. We wanted to give you a design that looked great on whatever device or browser you might be using. Phone? Desktop? Tablet?All good.
You Keep Changing Things!!
Absolutely, we are. We believe in constant improvement, and that helps us serve everyone better. Just as food that starts fresh gets stale over time, we believe that anything that sits still for too long will start to stink 😉 That’s why we’ve been pursuing the latest standards in design and code. It’s also a significant step toward making SCAOR’s site ADA complient.
So, What’s New Then?
Aesthetically? A lot. Navigation-wise? Hardly anything. And that’s the great news. All the buttons are in the same place that you’d expect them to be; Just more prominent, and better-labelled.
What if I Don’t See it Yet? …..And What’s Next?
Patience. It’ll show up within the next 24 hours. If you don’t already see the new design here, try the site again in a few hours.
And leave a comment below letting us know what you think! We’d love your feedback.
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 #018 – Team Collaboration Using Google Docs
Today’s Tip:
Today we learn about collaborating with your team online via Google Docs.
If you’re interested in working with your team but can’t always be in the office, there’s a free option that can help you do just that with your laptop or tablet. Google Docs is a free way to work on text documents, slideshows, and spreadsheets with your team, as well as store files with 15 Gigabytes for free. Watch the video for more on how it works.
You’re reading our very first Affiliate Sponsored blog post! This is where our affiliate partners share their knowledge and expertise regarding a topic of their choosing. Today, we hear from Eid Nouhra from Delmarva Insulation on 4 things to consider when selecting an insulation company. “So, Eid….there are a few factors to consider when choosing an insulation company….which items would you highlight?”
Research Insulation Type – Do you know what type of insulation you would be interested in using? Your installer should be able to help you with the choice. There are such a diverse range of options, from spray foam to fiberglass and rigid foam board. Each of these selections offer their own pros and cons.
Reporting – Does your insulation provider offer an inspection report? Instruments like infrared meters can give you a scientific measurement of the climate inside the crawl space or attic. If you don’t know what the condition is, how will you know when it’s improved?
Reputation – What’s the company’s reputation? How long have they been around? Are their hours flexible? What are the pricing options? All of these factors should play a role in your final decision.
Regulation – Make sure your provider is up to all building codes. As building.com says:
As you narrow down your insulation choices, be sure to check building codes for minimum performance standards and compare your top choices to this reference.
And that’s just the beginning. Our thanks to Delmarva Insulation for sharing their expertise regarding this topic!
