ADVANCED ACCESS April 2004 Newsletter

April 2004 Newsletter

”You Destroy Your Enemy when you Make Him your Friend.”
- Abraham Lincoln

There’s Still Time to Nominate YOUR Website For Our
Most Impressive ADVANCED ACCESS Website Promotion

Welcome to the Most Impressive Website Contest – our second annual promotion that provides YOU - our valued clients - an opportunity to nominate a website designed and hosted by ADVANCED ACCESS for a special award. You’ve worked HARD on your website and deserve to be recognized! You may nominate your own website, or a website hosted by us that you found on the Internet, for one of the categories listed below. All nominations will automatically be entered into the 'Most Impressive Advanced Access Website' category. Please submit your nomination into ONE CATEGORY ONLY (even if you believe your website is the best in multiple categories).

Nominations for “most impressive” candidates in the chosen categories will be accepted, and you still have a few days left. The voting will begin on May 1, 2004 for a two-week period. Please pay close attention to our future Marketing Tips for instructions on how to vote! The winners in each category will announced in the May 2004 ADVANCED ACCESS Newsletter.

AA Initiates Consumer-Related Changes to Website
Including the ADVANCED ACCESS Media Press Room

As a result of our current success to our valued clients, ADVANCED ACCESS is solidifying our growing reputation as the country's leader in Website development; Web hosting, E-mail and Internet marketing for Real Estate professionals since 1985.

In an effort to keep track of and document the many articles, stories and media-related coverage of the growth and success that we have enjoyed over the past year, the staff at ADVANCED ACCESS has created a MEDIA PRESS ROOM, located in the ABOUT US section of our Website homepage.

We have provided this convenient page so that you can read about the exciting news and developments that have taken place with our company over the history of our service to our customers and clients. But most importantly, this page will help us focus on those pieces of news and announcements that have been highlighted in recent months that further establish us as a leader within the industry.

The MEDIA PRESS ROOM is divided into three sections that allow us to highlight those archived news and announcements regarding recent developments of our products, programs and services.

First, we have provided you with an archival history of both our Monthly Client Newsletter that we distribute to all of our clients "free of charge.” The newsletters are arranged by date, and are grouped in order by month and year to allow you easy viewing access. In it you will find a wealth of marketing and "user friendly" information that can make your Website that much more effective in developing your own client base.

Second, we have developed a Library Archive section that provides a “chronological list” of those articles and feature stories that have been written and published about various topics and subjects on behalf of ADVANCED ACCESS. Some of these featured pieces highlight the success of our clients, who are members of our growing extended family. We hope you take a few moments to review these published articles that document some of our growth and success that we here at ADVANCED ACCESS are very proud of.

Finally, we also present in “chronological order” an Archived Press Release Topic section that contains each and every press release that has been disseminated to members of the media and press on behalf of ADVANCED ACCESS dating back to February of 2000.

We hope that this newly developed section provides you with a wealth of information and background history to understand the commitment to excellence that we provide to our valued clients and customers in the real estate industry.

Communications Solution Provider FROGPOND.COM Names
AA CEO Kristina Morrison as Industry Visionary

Kristina Morrison, Chief Executive Officer for ADVANCED ACCESS, was recently honored by being named as an Industry Visionary by FROGPOND.COM, and is now featured on their nationally recognized Website. A Communications Solution Provider in the Real Estate Industry, FROGPOND continues to gather recognition and credibility throughout the industry, and added the program to both honor and recognize a series of 24 individuals who have established levels of excellence in the real estate, mortgage and related industries.

Kristina is responsible for leading the company's continuing forward momentum in products and services for the real estate industry. Kristina's knowledge and expertise in Design, Product Development, Customer Support, and Internet marketing has been instrumental in the rapid and steady growth of ADVANCED ACCESS since its inception. Experienced in all aspects of the Internet, Kristina serves as an effective liaison between the Design, Programming, and Marketing Departments.

A 5^th generation Californian, Kristina was raised in the Anaheim Hills community. She attended California State University – Fullerton, where she majored in Business Administration, before joining ADVANCED ACCESS in a full-time capacity. She has been one of the most instrumental forces in the company’s young history of success that has seen the current client base grow from approximately 600 customers in 1998 to its current base of over 24,000 clients nationwide.

Despite her young age, Kristina is well known and respected throughout the online real estate industry community. Kristina ensures that ADVANCED ACCESS is always at the forefront of Internet technology as the firm has successfully led the way with innovative new products. An expert in Internet Marketing, one of Kristina's passions includes building innovative marketing strategies that contribute to the bottom line performance of our clients. Recently, Kristina recently organized and implemented a successful new Premium Marketing Service Division in an effort to maximize clients' success on the Internet

Kristina keeps abreast of the latest trends and techniques in Website promotion and search engine developments. She also writes the popular "Weekly Marketing Tips" that keep clients informed with new ideas to ensure maximum exposure for their Websites. As one of the founding members of ADVANCED ACCESS, Kristina is also extremely capable in Website design, and is personally responsible for the creation of many of our early Website designs and templates.

Kristina’s interview can be read on the FROGPOND site by visiting www.frogpond.com

NAR Reports Over One Million REALTORS®

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has become the first trade association in America to exceed one million members. Dues paying membership in NAR, its institutes, societies and councils, now totals 1,005,785, according to the association's latest membership data.

Membership has increased dramatically in recent years and has risen every year since 1997, when it stood at 716,078. NAR has added more than 100,000 Realtors in the past year alone. NAR's previous high water mark came in 1989, when membership reached 822,935. Since the 1970s, NAR has been America's largest trade and professional association, according to the Encyclopedia of Associations.

"Reaching the million member milestone speaks to the value real estate professionals place on belonging to this organization. Realtors stand for professionalism and ethical business practices. We are the national advocates for homeownership, affordable housing and private property rights. Consumers can find a Realtor to fulfill their real estate needs in virtually every neighborhood and community in the nation," said Walt McDonald, president of NAR and broker-owner of Walt McDonald Real Estate of Riverside, Calif.

Benefits of membership include education and professional development, legislative and political advocacy, discounts on products and services, research products and services, publications and the right to be called a Realtor. A Realtor is a licensed real estate professional who subscribes to NAR's strict Code of Ethics and belongs to one of the nation's 1,471 local and state Realtor boards and associations.

Source: RISMedia.com

ADVANCED ACCESS Offers FREE VIP PASS for
NAR’s Midyear Expo in Washington, D.C.

Thousands of real estate professionals will meet in Washington DC, May 12-14, 2004 for the National Association of REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo. The Expo will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.

You are cordially invited to attend the 2004 NAR Midyear Trade Expo – FREE OF CHARGE, compliments of your friends at ADVANCED ACCESS!This VIP Invitation entitles you to free admission to the REALTORS® Midyear Trade Expo where you will discover the latest innovations in real estate products and services. The Expo brings the industry’s most technologically advanced products, ideas, and applications to you. Do not miss out on the opportunity to learn about new tools and techniques that will keep you one step ahead of your competition.

If you’re planning to attend the meetings and Expo this year, be sure to stop by and visit us - we’ll be in Booth #816. Several of our sales representatives will be exhibiting at the show and we always enjoy meeting and getting to know our clients at these events.

Here’s how to get your free pass to the Expo: Simply print out the VIP Invitation, fill it out and FAX it back to NAR at the designated fax number. Or, you can register on-site by bringing your completed invitation to the Registration Desk located at the Marriott’s lower level.

And, as a special bonus, if you introduce us to someone who purchases one of our products, we would be happy to present you with a FREE GIFT, and we will add a month of hosting to your contract with us.

Looking forward to seeing you at the show!

ADVANCED ACCESS Finalizes Star-Recommended Supplier Agreement With Howard Brinton’s STAR POWER^® Systems

ADVANCED ACCESS is proud to announce that it has finalized an agreement with the Howard Brinton’s STAR POWER^® Systems, as a Star-Recommended Supplier of Website and Internet services to its STAR POWER^® Club members.

The partnership agreement designates ADVANCED ACCESS as a Star-Recommended Supplier to approximately 2,350 STAR POWER^® Club members. Howard Brinton’s STAR POWER^® Systems is the industry’s leading real estate education company.

This cooperative partnership with the STAR POWER^® Systems marks the seventeenth such agreement in a series that the California-based company has reached over the past year, as part of their renowned Affinity Partners Program. ADVANCED ACCESS currently has developed “preferred provider” agreements with the North Carolina Association of REALTORS^®; REBR (Real Estate Business Resources) for the Kansas Association of REALTORS^®; the Florida Association of REALTORS^® (FAR), and most recently the Illinois Association of REALTORS^®.

"ADVANCED ACCESS is a welcomed addition to our STAR-Recommended Supplier Program, and I actually sought them out for the program. Our network frequently asks for guidance in Web site development and these technological areas, and now they have an answer! There is definitely a place in our industry for such a product and organization,” stated Rachel Weinstein, Event Coordinator & Strategic Alliances, STAR POWER^® Systems.

“In many ways, this is an ideal partnership for ADVANCED ACCESS, as many of our current clients are highly touted members of the STAR POWER^® Club, and are annually recognized for their continued excellence in the real estate industry,” stated Jane Ellsworth-Purcell, Sr. Vice President of ADVANCED ACCESS. “We are naturally very pleased and honored to be able to align ourselves with companies such as the Howard Brinton’s STAR POWER^® Systems.”

Is the Housing Boom Over?

Some say April 15, 2004 marked the unofficial last day of the national housing market boom.

Economic factors strongly suggest the economy has begun to make a solid comeback. Employment has picked up. Retail sales and overall consumer spending remain strong. And a small, but significant surge in price inflation must have caught the Federal Reserve's attention.

Those data add up to trouble for the housing boom because several years of economic weakness and nearly nonexistent inflation have kept interest rates low enough to pump an unprecedented amount of cheap financing into the housing sector. But renewed economic strength will trigger higher interest rates and that will take the froth out of the housing market. A few soft spots are already in evidence around the country.

Greenspan will try to postpone the rate hike until September or even until after the Presidential election. The rationale for delay is encompassed in a new buzzword, "slack," which means the warmer economy still can absorb existing unused production capacity and unemployed labor without a harmful level of price inflation even absent higher interest rates. But make no mistake: the stronger economy will make higher rates a necessity later this year.

The economic data have already triggered higher interest rates on home loans. The average interest rate recently on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 5.89 percent, just a tad below the 6 percent mark. The Mortgage Bankers Association predicted that average will hit 6 percent before year-end, then climb to slightly more than 7 percent by the end of 2006. Now there's a chilling number indeed. It may be two years away, but remember it's an average, not the top.

The fact that more buyers now choose an adjustable-rate mortgage to finance their home purchase suggests they have stretched themselves to the very end of their home-purchasing power. More jobs and better pay should help them bear the burden of bigger mortgage payments, but only to an uncertain and finite extent.

MLS’s that are nearly empty of for-sale homes inventory combined with high demand for housing still fuels very rapid sales and multiple over-list-price offers from buyers. But even a slight perception among homeowners that a housing downturn could be afoot could trigger a sell-off that would increase inventories at the very time when buyers have become exhausted by skyrocketing home prices.

The nation now has a record 1 million Realtors who would like nothing better-- as we also would-- than to see the housing boom continue.

Source: Inman News

ADVANCED ACCESS Joins Forces with Lone Star CRS Chapter
To Sponsor 4-Day Randy Eager “CRS Across Texas” Educational Series April 13-16

ADVANCED ACCESS and the Lone Star Council of Residential Specialists, (CRS), Chapter, featuring CRS senior instructor Randy Eager, began an introductory series of educational seminars entitled, “CRS Across Texas.” The seminars, conducted April 13-16, 2004, highlighted five of the most accomplished CRS Chapter throughout the state.

As a participating sponsor, ADVANCED ACCESS presents Randy Eager, a dynamic and talented CRS Senior Instructor. Eager, President of his own Computer Camp Technology Training based in Salt Lake City, Utah, has taught thousands of sales associates in all phases of real estate from Puerto Rico to Hawaii. His current focus and specialty involves training and coaching agents in the use of technology. Eager, who currently serves as Financial Vice President of the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS), is also scheduled as President-Elect for 2006.

The seminars will highlight five Lone Star Chapters, including the Alamos Area Sub-Chapter (April 13^th); the Spindletop/Beaumont Sub-Chapter (April 14^th); the Tyler Sub-Chapter (April 15^th); the Tarrant County/Ft. Worth Sub-Chapter (April 16^th), and concluding with the Dallas Sub-Chapter (April 16^th).

"ADVANCED ACCESS has a history of supporting CRS members and programs throughout the entire country. Our Senior Management Team is fully aware of our responsibility to members of the industry, and we participate in programs such as these in order to contribute to the future success of these CRS members,” stated Jane Ellsworth-Purcell, Senior Vice President of ADVANCED ACCESS.

The mission of the Lone Star CRS Chapter is to increase awareness of the Certified Residential Specialist designation and the professionalism and standards to which members adhere, as well as to provide to its members the educational opportunities, networking, and member benefits to achieve the highest level of success, both financially and professionally. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the Lone Star CRS Chapter’s current President is Janis Smith, ABR, CRS, GRI; and the President-Elect is Tom Paterson, CRB, CRS, and GRI.

Online Real Estate Convention A Great Success

The National Real Estate Online Convention and Exposition has started with an overwhelming response. It is being produced by the Real Estate CyberSpace Society and runs from April 18-24, 2004.

Society Executive Director, John M. Peckham III, said, “The Online Convention brings real estate professionals all of the excitement and features of an 'old-time' convention. Attendees will learn from 32 top-notch nationally recognized speakers, see the latest products and services at the 300+ booths, make contacts at the Convention's Virtual Networking Center and be able to enjoy some fun and relaxation in the Convention On-line Social Center.”

Peckham continues, “Already, 31,000 real estate professionals have pre-registered to attend. We expect that number to jump to 50,000+ for this year’s event, and we are thrilled.”

There is no charge to attend and the event is open to the real estate community worldwide. There’s still time to participate in the convention and registration is FREE at www.recyber.com/preConvention.

Featured Employee of the month: Gary Brackle

This month we are featuring Gary Brackle, our Vice President of Affinity Marketing & Communications. Gary joined the staff in March 2003 as the Director of Marketing & Advertising. After only 6-months at ADVANCED ACCESS, he was promoted to Vice-President of Affinity Marketing & Communications to assist the ever-growing ADVANCED ACCESS Affinity Programs headed by newly named Vice-President Mark Gilmore. Gary brings over 27-years experience in the marketing, advertising and public relations field.

His duties include the formulation and dissemination of all marketing, advertising, public relations, external communications and promotions with members of the general public, press and media relations. He is responsible for every facet of marketing and advertising as it affects staff here at ADVANCED ACCESS including Direct, Inside and Outside Sales, New-Hire Orientation and Training, along with inquiries from the general public, potential strategic partners and outside vendors.

He formally served as the Vice President of Marketing & Member Services for the Pacific West Association of REALTORS^®, which is the fourth-largest local real estate Association in the country.

Brackle considers himself a “transplanted Californian native,” having lived in the greater Los Angeles area since 1985. He was born and raised in Ohio, and is a 1979 graduate of The Defiance College, where he majored in Communication Arts with an emphasis in Journalism & Political Science. He was awarded a two-year Graduate Assistantship to the University of Dayton, where he majored in Organizational & Political Communication. While attending and teaching at Dayton, Brackle also was named as the Assistant Sports Information Director and worked with both the women’s and men’s Intercollegiate Athletic Programs. He was named as the youngest Sports Information Director in the entire country, when in 1981 he joined the staff at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He later joined the U.S. Sports Academy, and was named the Director of Communications & Media Public Relations for the Middle East Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and held that position until moving to California in 1985.

His hobbies include golf, his long-time support of Cleveland sports teams, his Dalmatians Domino and Checkers, and his girlfriend, Diane. He is the oldest of four children; Dan a senior vice-president for TransUnion (Easter Region); Bob, a vice-president for National City Bank of Pennsylvania; and Mary Frances, vice-president communications & marketing for Akron General Medical Center in Akron, Ohio. He is the son of Frances & Robert Brackle, who recently celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary.

March 2004 | Back to Main Page | May 2004