Trulia First to Go Google Street View

By NikNik · April 8, 2008 · 11 Comments 

Not since the acquisition of Rudy Bachraty, has the Trulia team unleashed such “coolness” in the real estate community!  As of today, Trulia is the first national real estate search Website to incorporate Google’s Street View technology. 

Google’s Street View mapping is a phenomenal tool for real estate agents.  With it, agents and consumers can view a property up close at street view level, walk or drive past the property and surrounding neighborhood, and even check out the yard and other attributes of the lot. For those agents specializing in relocation, this is obviously a powerful resource for learning about a new area.  Rudy, Trulia’s Social Media Guru, adds, “Besides zooming in on the minute details of the exterior of the house, now you can actually take a peek at Read more

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Get Marketing, Get Real Estate, Get 4Realz

By NikNik · February 20, 2008 · 2 Comments 

If you are a real estate agent with a passion for technology and great marketing tips you should consider attending one of the upcoming 4Realz Internet Marketing Seminars. (Especially if you live in the SoCal region!) 4Realz featured speakers, Dustin Luther and Jim Marks, promise to share great marketing advice for real estate agents. I have witnessed Dustin in action several times. He has a great way of breaking down complex issues and helping you focus your time and effort in real estate marketing activities that get results! They currently have three seminars scheduled for Southern California (room for only 100 participants at each location).

• Los Angeles on March 6th
• San Diego on March 19th
• Orange County on March 31st

The type of material they plan to cover in the full-day course includes (1) quality website features and design, (2) engaging in existing social networks, (3) building an online community with blogs and (4) tracking and conversion to maximize return-on-investment.

The seminar costs $149 for a full-day course. This includes a light breakfast , full lunch, and 8 solid hours of valuable real estate marketing advice! Click here to register and check it out for yourself!

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Is eSignature Technology Right for Your Real Estate Business?

By Reggie · February 17, 2008 · 9 Comments 

As a real estate agent you probably have some basic understanding of how digital signature technology can help your real estate business. Maybe you could reduce the risk involved in holding and storing documents, gain time efficiencies by signing documents on the spot or even overcome geographical restrictions. Yet from my experiences many agents are sitting on the sidelines, not ready to jump in. Maybe it’s the result of not understanding how accessible the technology has become. Or is it the issue of legality?

First let’s address the legality of an eSignature. In 2000, the U.S. Congress passed a federal law titled Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) to “facilitate the use of electronic records and signatures in interstate and foreign commerce by ensuring the validity and legal effect of contracts entered into electronically”.

With the ESIGN Act stating clearly that “a transaction may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because an electronic signature or electronic record was used in its formation.” It paved the way for companies to start creating today’s eSignature platforms. Today in real estate eSignatures can be accomplished with various technologies, such as VREO Real Estate Dashboard or DocuSign. However they both deal with the digital signature in different ways and both have distinct advantages.

VREO real estate dashboard is a software application installed to a tablet PC. VREO dashboard allows agents to sign contracts and documents with a stylus pen on the screen—without ever printing a piece of paper. Once you’ve collected the required signatures, simply send to the other party using your dashboards integrated email or fax options. This technology proves to be very convenient for the mobile real estate agent who wants to conduct business anywhere, anytime! Note: An Internet connection is not required to collect signatures.

• Free trial of VREO Real Estate Dashboard here
• Watch “The New Way”—A motivation mobile agent story

DocuSign on the other hand is an online solution enabling real estate agents to capture digital signatures via the web. As a result geographical distance between you and the recipient(s) is not an issue. In 2004, DocuSign integrated with Zipforms (Winforms) to provide online signature processing. As a result of the integration, real estate agents can print contracts into a “digital envelope” and then place “Stick-eTabs” wherever a recipient’s signature or initial is needed. This digital envelope is then encrypted and saved to a secure location. Your recipients will receive their invitation by email, and they will need to authenticate and sign the contracts. In the authentication phase the recipient must provide basic identification and pick a signature. Then it’s time for the recipient to review and sign. When complete, each of the parties is notified of the updated contracts.

• Watch the DocuSign Demo
• View DocuSign’s Special Brief on the Legality of Electronic Signatures
• Zipform eSign Details & Zipform/Docusign FAQ’s

Where are you with eSignatures in real estate business?

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New Recent Reader Widget from MyBlogLog

By NikNik · February 16, 2008 · 3 Comments 

You may have noticed our new “Recent Reader” widget from MyBlogLog. If not, take a look. The design has been updated and now you can access additional information about your readers. When scrolling over a reader avatar a flyout box will appear with reader details. You can then find out more about your visitor by easily clicking through to their MyBlogLog profile and community pages. The new widget is also infused with a quick link for adding visitors to your contacts. In addition, MyBlogLog readers can simply add themselves to the site’s community by selecting the “add” button at the bottom of the widget.Currently, MyBlogLog offers a choice of seven colors and 2 layouts for your widget. You will need to adjust the flyout box based on your blog layout. There are a couple of known glitches:

1. Iframe Blocks Flyouts: If you’re displaying the widget code in an iframe, set your flyouts value “none”.
2. Mac Firefox - Flyouts vs Flash: This is a Firefox bug w/ CSS transparency and absolute positioning.

MyBlogLog has plans for those of us who prefer optimum customization and promises we’ll be able to upload our own skins very soon. Also, stay tuned for major changes on your MyBLogLog profile. In the coming weeks, your profile will be getting a facelift and new integrated features….taking your profile from static to dynamic!

Getting Started: To update your “Recent Reader”widget, go to your MyBlogLog community page and click on the “widgets” link under your community description.

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How Neat Are Your Receipts?

By NikNik · February 11, 2008 · 4 Comments 

You may not have been very organized when it came to your real estate business receipts last year, but there’s a handy technology tool that can change all that for you this year! Neat Receipts is a scanner/software combination that will organize all your receipts, expense reports and other business documents.

After sending your documents through the scanner, the software will automatically catalog the information making manageability a snap. You basically turn your piles of paper into organized digital files. That’s right, from piles to files.

I’ve witnessed the efficiency of this tool first hand. My stepmom takes Neat Receipts with her wherever she goes (like lipgloss), ready at a moment’s notice to scan those “write-offs”! It’s quite amazing to see how effective and organized one person can be. She inspired me to try one on myself…and I haven’t looked back at my piles since!Neat Receipts 3.0 Features:

• Smart sorting
• Enhanced PDF functionality
• Keyword search
• 2007 tax categories
• Scans quickly and easily
• Image viewer

Neat Receipts Version 3.0 retails online for $229.00, or purchase in bulk to save. Click here for pricing. Sorry Mac users, you’ll have to wait until March/April 2008 to get your version.

To learn more, watch this demo.

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Have you been Blogged?

By NikNik · February 8, 2008 · 1 Comment 

With over 100 million blogs on the Internet, how do you discern which ones make it to your Google Reader. Blogged.com is “better blog” directory and organizer. The authors and editors of Blogged scour the Internet and blog submissions to identify “better blogs” for different content areas and award each a score. Editor reviews are provided by professional editors who evaluate a blog based on the following criteria: Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style. The closer you are to 10, the better the blog you have. Use keywords to search for blogs and see if your blog made the cut!

MyTechOpinion was contacted by Blogged recently because they had given us an excellent score of 9.7! When searching for “real estate” we are currently the top rated blog. For business, we rank in the top 6 just under Seth Godin and SEO of the Sea. And for technology, we are #7 right under the Google Blog!!!! Thanks Blogged….MyTechOpinion greatly appreciates your opinion!

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Do You Treat Your Car Better Than Your Computer?

By Chad A. Johnson · February 5, 2008 · 2 Comments 

Many real estate agents have beautiful cars that get pampered. They are washed weekly. They get an oil change every 3000 miles and the recommended service calls are never missed.

Why do very few real estate agents treat their computers with such loving care?

In my experiences, most real estate agents use and abuse their computer until it crashes or slows to a painful crawl. Using my car analogy, that would be like driving your car, doing nothing more than filling it with gas, until it broke down and needed to be towed.

A computer is no longer a real estate technology nicety, it is a necessity. A real estate agent without a computer is without email, the MLS and marketing pieces. It is time to pamper your computer as you do your car. Bare in mind, you can rent a car to replace yours, but you can’t rent a replacement computer with your programs and data ready to go.

Here are 8 ways to pamper your computer that are equivalent to an oil change, wax job and 20,000 mile tune-up.

1. Plug every piece of technology into a quality surge protector. Notice how I used the word “quality”. Surge protectors are rated to handle different levels of power surges. These levels are measured in joules. The higher the number of joules, the better protected you are. I have seen power supplies, motherboards and processors get fried because a cheap surge protector succumbed to a powerful burst of power.Bonus Points: Purchase a battery backup with a built-in surge protector. This will protect your system from power failures that can corrupt your Windows installation. My desktop computer has been protected for several years using an APC battery backup devise.
2. Install a security suite, keep the definitions up-to-date and run system scans weekly. It doesn’t matter whether you like Norton, McAfee, Panda or any the other security programs, just make sure you have one. I recommend a security suite instead of just an anti-virus program. The threats out there require the extra protection.Just having the software installed isn’t good enough. New viruses, Trojans and worms hit the Internet everyday. You need to make sure that your security suite is downloading new definitions as they become available. This usually isn’t an issue until the subscription expires. You will know when this happens as daily reminders to renew your subscription will pop-up in your face. When this happens, renew your subscription or upgrade your software immediately.

   Lastly, your security program is going want to scan your computer completely on a weekly basis. Make sure that happens. That scan could identify and remove a dormant threat waiting to strike.

3. Run Windows Updates. There is something like 40 million lines of code in the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Anything that complex is going to have flaws and holes in it. To compensate for this, Microsoft continuously works to improve on the performance and security of Windows through patches and service packs.These patches and service packs are made available through Windows Update. Your computer will most likely download these updates automatically. When ready to install, a yellow shield icon will appear in the lower right corner of the screen. Click to install these.

   You can also get to Windows Update from a link in the Start Menu.

   Bonus Points: Go to Windows Update and click on the Microsoft Update link. The Microsoft Update system combines the Windows Updates with other Microsoft software updates. This means that your Office suite will get patches and fixes as they are released.

4. Install software and hardware updates. In my last article, Windows Vista for Real Estate Agents: Part II, I provided a list of websites for the major computer manufacturers’ download pages. You should become familiar with the page for your computer’s manufacturer. As hardware and software updates come available, install them.Several manufacturers have gone a step further by placing software on your computer that notifies you of updates and patches. A prime example of this is the Dell Support program.

   Software also needs to be kept current. As flaws are identified, program manufacturers will release updates to correct the issues. Many programs will periodically check for updates and notify you when they are available. Other programs require you to select an update option from a menu or you will need to go to the manufacturer’s website to look for updates.

5. Clean your computer. Sounds obvious, but this chore seldom is done. This doesn’t mean just wiping the monitor and keyboard down. You need to open the case and clean out the dust that accumulates thanks to the computer’s intake fans.The best way to do this is unplug everything and take the case outside (it is going to get messy). Open the case and vacuum out the bottom of the case (be careful to not touch any parts with the vacuum).

   Next, take a can of compressed air (available at any computer or office supply store) and blow out dust from the different components. DO NOT blow directly on any fans. It can be fun to watch the fan spin from this, but that is a quick way to damage the fan.

   When dust accumulates, it acts as an insulator, making your computer run hotter. The dust can also clog fans making them stop. An overheated computer can lock up or crash.

6. Place your computer in a well ventilated place that is off of the floor. Heat, dust and static electricity are the enemy of your computer, you need to place your computer in a location that is as void of these elements as possible.Computer running in closed cabinets can quickly overheat. Floors collect dust and carpets generate static electricity. If your computer must be placed on the floor, use something to prop it up a couple of inches. Many computer stores carry inexpensive stands to serve this purpose.
7. Use System Tools to give your computer a tune-up. Windows comes equipped with tools to boost system performance. Here are 3 that I use regularly and links to directions on using them.Disk Cleanup: Temporary files and other junk can accumulate on your system. This system flushes it all.

   Disk Defrag: When files are added to your computer, they aren’t placed in an orderly fashion. Windows will break up the data into chunks that fit the gaps on your hard drive. This makes it a chore for Windows to locate each piece when you want to use the files. Disk Defrag organizes your hard drive in a most logical, efficient fashion.

   ScanDisk: This system tool scans your hard drive for problems caused by hard disk failure, improper shut-downs, viruses and other issues.

8. Remove unused programs. Look into your computer’s Add/Remove Programs menu (located in the Control Panel). If you see programs that you don’t use and you have identified that they aren’t critical programs for aspects of your hardware or other software, remove them.Many computers ship with “bloatware”. This is software that companies pay to have put onto new computers. Many of these are trial or free versions of paid software. If you don’t plan on using those programs, get rid of them.

   You might find other programs that were vital to you in the past, but worthless now. One example I see a lot is software for an old Palm device that has since been retired, but the Palm Hotsync Manager is still active.

This computer maintenance checklist is simple to complete and should be manageable for any real estate agent. There are going to be times when you need to call in a professional. I doubt you fix your own car (that is what a mechanic is for). My next article will cover options for onsite, offsite and remote computer repair.

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Mapping Done The Right Way in Your Next Single Property Site

By Reggie · January 30, 2008 · 2 Comments 

According to the Internet vs. Traditional Buyers Survey conducted by California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.), mapping technology continues to be one of the highest-rated features used by Internet buyers. Yet when I look around, many real estate Websites are either not leveraging maps at all or using old mapping interfaces to display homes and community info. Now don’t get me wrong, I do understand that this technology can be expensive to deploy. But as a real estate agent you do have options. Why not include the latest mapping on your next single property Website? Check out these two killer features from RealBird and MyMarketWare.

RealBird
Is Google street view available in your area? If so you are going to enjoy the directions from Zoltan over at RealBird. He recently posted on a very simple way to manually embed Google’s street view into your next listing publisher design. This view will give home searchers an up close view of local streets and neighborhoods as if they were driving down the street. Potential buyers can visualize their drive to the freeway or downtown without leaving their chair.

MyMarketWare
Our own NikNik offers MarketSites to real estate agents utilizing the latest in satellite imagery called pictometry. These visually pleasing aerial photos come from Microsoft Live and the give your web audience a surprisingly clear view of the neighborhood. Click your mouse on the satellite image and drag to explore new areas. Zoom in to 20 meters for an extreme and detailed close up. Take a look at backyard conditions, as well as distances to schools and park–you can do it all.

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Clean Duplicates in your Real Estate Database with a Free Add-In Technology for Excel

By Reggie · January 27, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

Do you have duplicate contacts in your real estate database? If so, you know that removing those duplicates can be a daunting project unless you are running the new Microsoft Excel 2007 or know visual basic. However there is a really cool add-in by Brett at VBA Express that will do the trick, and you don’t have to buy any new technology. Simply download the handy Excel Add-In titled “The Duplicate Master” for Excel 2000 and later. With this add-in you can filter out those duplicates by cells, entire rows or even multiple workbooks.

Use this Excel Add-In for your real estate business if you would like to:

• Highlight duplicate cells
• Delete duplicate cells
• Extract unique cells or rows
• Extract and count the number of duplicate cells or rows
• Run a row match on any number of columns

Instructions for installing the add-in:

1. Extract the “The Duplicate Master” for Excel.
2. Open Excel and select Tools, Add-In and then select Browse. Now locate the add-in file we have saved top the computer.
3. Select The Duplicate master.xla and select OK.
4. Check The Duplicate Master.
5. Now look for the new options in the Tools menu. You’ll see The Duplicate Master.

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Windows Vista for Real Estate Agents

By Chad A. Johnson · January 19, 2008 · 5 Comments 

Part II: The Windows Experience Index

What is the Windows Experience Index?

“My computer is a 5.5. Yours is a 4.8. My computer is way better than yours!”
This just might be the future of technology bragging on the elementary school playground.

The Windows Experience Index is a technology, native to Windows Vista machines, that assigns a numeric value to the performance of a computer. The higher the number, the faster that computer can perform common tasks.

Windows Vista runs 5 different tests to determine the performance of the processor, memory, graphics, gaming graphics and primary hard disk. At the conclusion of each test, a number (from 1 to 5.9) is assigned to that component.

The most important of those numbers is whichever is the lowest. That number becomes the Windows Experience Index Base Score. For example, my monster of a desktop ranks 5.9 for 4 components and 5.5 for the fifth. That makes the system’s base score a 5.5.

When you discuss a Windows Experience Index score, it is the base score that you concentrate on since it is the limiting factor for performance.

The Windows Vista Team Blog offers a comprehensive look at the Windows Experience Index.

How can a real estate agent use the Windows Experience Index for making technology purchases?

Besides bragging rights (notice how I shamelessly included my base score), what good is the Windows Experience Index to a real estate agent? The Windows Experience Index will simplify every real estate technology purchase you make.

New Computer Purchases:

Purchasing a new computer is a confusing task. How do you know what processor to buy? Is the upgraded video card necessary or a waste of money? The list of questions that will flood your mind when you are buying a new computer is virtually endless.

The Windows Experience Index allows you to ignore clock speeds, dedicated memory and all of that technical mumbo-jumbo. Just look at the Windows Experience Index scores to tell you how that system performs.

Microsoft claims that a computer with a base score of 3 or higher will be able to handle any standard business applications. I see this as a bare minimum.

The real estate industry has become so multimedia driven that a base score of 4.5 or better is advised. The future of real estate technology lies in video presentations and audio files (podcasting). These technologies need a higher base score.

The good news: the price difference between a 4.5 and a 3.0 computer can be only a couple of hundred dollars.

Upgrading a Computer:

As I mentioned in my last article, I don’t recommend upgrading a computer to Windows Vista, it should be purchased with it already on the system. You may be in a situation, though, where you purchased a Windows Vista that just isn’t meeting your performance needs.

The Windows Experience Index identifies what components are holding your system back. I worked on a system with a base score of 2.1. Every other index score was at least a 4.1. By replacing the video card with a more powerful model, that awful 2.1 base score was increased to a 4.1.

Purchasing Software:

Ever look at the minimum hardware requirements for a piece of software? Those requirements will usually list minimum processor speeds, video card processors, amounts of RAM, etc.

Software manufacturers are changing this practice by using the Windows Experience Index number instead. In the future, the software you buy will clearly state that any Vista machine with a base score of 4 will meet the minimum requirements.

A little known tip for increasing your Windows Experience Index number.

According to Microsoft, once your computer is assigned a Windows Experience Index number, that number won’t change unless you upgrade your hardware components. I have seen to be not true.

When Windows Vista was first released, most hardware manufacturers had a difficult time writing Vista-compatible drivers for their products. The delivery of my own system was delayed by a month due to a delay in the release of a sound card driver. Even after I got the machine, my video card drivers were considered a “beta” version.

Over the course of the past year, hardware manufacturers have greatly improved the performance of their components on Vista through the release of updated drivers. This means that by updating the BIOS and drivers for your chipset, video card, sound card and other components on your system, you might see your computer’s base score increase (along with the performance of the machine). This is especially true of Vista machines bought in the first half of 2007.

To see if you can increase your Windows Experience Index base score, visit your computer manufacturer’s downloads page and install any updates that apply to your system. To assist you, here is a list of download page links for the most common computer manufacturers:

Dell Drivers and Downloads

Gateway Drivers and Downloads

HP / Compaq Drivers and Downloads

Toshiba Drivers and Downloads

Sony Drivers and Downloads

Acer Drivers and Downloads

Lenovo / IBM Drivers and Downloads

Fujitsu Drivers and Downloads

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Marketing Your Real Estate Blog

By Reggie · January 18, 2008 · 2 Comments 

Recently I was invited to the Inman Connect in New York to speak on a panel about “Marketing Your Real Estate Blog”. As you may know this can be a tricky topic. Please enjoy this video:

Remember that marketing your real estate blog will come in many forms. Here are a few more ideas:

1. Start with properly formatted HTML
2. Create remarkable and link worthy content
3. Syndicate original content: Ezine Articles, GoArticles
4. Social Bookmarks: StumbleUpon, Digg and Del.icio.us
5. Participate in communities: ActiveRain, Zolve, RealTown, Trulia Voices, etc
6. Guest post on popular blogs
7. Analytics Software: Google Analytics, Clicky, CrazyEgg
8. Conduct interviews with opinion leaders
9. Widgets: MyBlogLog, WidgetBox

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Windows Vista for Real Estate Agents

By Chad A. Johnson · January 6, 2008 · 7 Comments 

Part I: You’ll Be Migrating Sooner Or Later

In the last week, I had 2 separate conversations with real estate agents that concerned me. The first was with an agent who just ordered a beautiful Lenovo Thinkpad X61 Series Tablet, complete with Windows XP Tablet Edition installed.

The second conversation was with a real estate agent who had been using Windows Vista on his HP Pavilion laptop for the past several months. The agent asked me how difficult it would be to remove Vista and install Windows XP.

Why did both conversations concern me so much? It has to do with the idea of equipping new technology with an operating system that just celebrated its 7th birthday. In technology years (much like dogs years), that is ancient.

Windows XP versus Vista

While I am the first to admit that Windows Vista is not as amazing as it had originally been billed, it is a positive step forward in the evolution of operating systems.

Think back to 2001 for a minute. There was no such thing as spyware, worms or trojans. Few people had digital cameras and video cameras. A 10 gigabyte hard drive was a ton of storage space. Home networks with Wi-Fi and network-connected printers and hard drives were just starting to gain in popularity.

Windows XP was built for the technology needs of 2001. Simply put, Windows Vista can better handle the technologies and security threats of 2008. It is less prone to spyware infestation. Network and peripheral connections are simple to establish and maintain. Best of all, the hundreds of gigabytes of music, photos and videos that we have all collected are easy to manage.

Vista Endorsed By The National Association of Realtors

In light of the beating that Vista has taken over the past year, I must commend NAR for going against public opinion by endorsing the use of Windows Vista for real estate agents. With an “it’s here to stay, so make the best of it” sort of attitude, NAR embraced Vista at the recent Realtor convention in Las Vegas by offering the presentation, “What Can Windows Vista™ Do For Your Business” (purchase the audio file of this course).

John N. Frank takes a more cautious approach to recommending Windows Vista for real estate agents in his Realtor Magazine article Walk, Don’t Run, to Vista. Although Frank has reservations about the operating system, his article makes a compelling argument for including Vista in your next computer purchase.

Software Compatibility

One of the biggest concerns with migrating to Vista has been software compatibility. While your old software may not work on Vista, all current programs are compatible. Even real estate specific programs, such as Zipforms (Winforms), have released Vista compatible versions or patches.

Before moving to Vista, take an inventory of the software and peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.) that you use. Go to the manufacturers’ sites for each program and device to determine if they offer a Vista compatible patch or if you must purchase a newer version or model. This means that you must budget for software and peripheral expenses.

Vista Is For Your Next Computer, Not Your Current One

I could not close this post without touching on the subject of upgrading to Vista. As you can tell by this point, I am a fan of Vista. I have had a wonderful experience with the operating system since its release.

While I wholeheartedly recommend Vista for your next computer purchase, I don’t endorse upgrading your current computer to it. If your computer was built for Windows XP, stick with it. You will be very disappointed with Vista if you run it on a machine that doesn’t have enough power run it smoothly.

For those who have already made the jump to Windows Vista, Part II of this series will provide tips on improving your Vista experience.

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