November 2004 Newsletter

“Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us,
and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips,
and shows itself in deeds."
—Theodore Roosevelt, 1901

NAR Releases 2004 Annual Survey of Homebuyers and Sellers

At the annual REALTORS® Conference and Expo in Orlando, Florida, NAR released its 2004 Annual Survey of Homebuyers and Sellers.  The following statistics were compiled from an article appearing in the National Association of REALTORS® website.

From David Lereah, NAR's chief economist: "Strong activity by entry level buyers has provided solid and substantial growth to the housing market over the last decade," Lereah said. "The demographics of our country favor this trend going forward because echo-boomers, the children of the baby boom generation and almost as large, will be in the prime years for buying a first home for the next decade. These findings demonstrate a fundamental underlying demand that will be driving the housing market at a higher plateau for the foreseeable future."

The typical buyer walked through nine homes, searched eight weeks to buy a home and moved 18 miles from their previous residence, while the typical seller placed a home on the market for four weeks, had lived in that home for six years and previously owned three homes, including the one just sold.

Buyers use a wide range of resources in searching for a home. Ninety percent use a real estate agent; the Internet and yard signs were used by 74 percent each, newspaper ads, 53 percent, and open houses, 51 percent. Five other categories were used by less than 50 percent each.

"Use of the Internet in searching for a home has risen along with the level of Internet penetration, rising from only 2 percent of buyers in 1995 to 71 percent in 2003 and 74 percent currently," Lereah said.

Eighty-one percent of Internet searchers used a real estate professional in purchasing a home, compared to 66 percent of non-Internet users. "Clearly, there is a lot of great information available to buyers on the Internet, but they look to real estate agents and brokers for context, advise and negotiation," Lereah said.

As more buyers continue to use the Internet for their home searches, NOW is the time to commit to an aggressive Internet Marketing plan for 2005. We can help! Every Friday, we send you a valuable Weekly Marketing Tip, designed to give you advice to help you make the most of the tools available in your Virtual Office. Why not take a few moments to read one of our Marketing Tips today?

Looking for a few Good Virtual Assistants
AA Recommended Virtual Assistant Network – Coming Soon!

These days ADVANCED ACCESS clients have told us they are busier than ever between answering emails, making and receiving phone calls, meeting with clients, and of course, maintaining their online marketing in real estate. The popularity of Virtual Assistants has increased over the years, and our clients have found that they can increase their own productivity and success by utilizing the services of a reputable Virtual Assistant.

At the National Association of REALTORS® Expo in Orlando, we met with a number of you who are using a Virtual Assistant in many aspects of your real estate business, and to help as a creative outlet for your ADVANCED ACCESS website. Other folks we met are still searching for a good Virtual Assistant, and have yet to find the right one.

We would like to create an ADVANCED ACCESS Virtual Assistant Network with your valuable feedback. Real Estate speakers, such as Michael Russer, have recommended VA’s who are trained in the real estate industry through their online REVA network. We would like to go one step further, and compile a list of VA’s who are experienced and proficient in the Classic PackageTM 3.0 Virtual Office, with YOUR recommendation.

If you are an ADVANCED ACCESS client, could you please provide us with the name of your Virtual Assistant, along with their contact information, and a testimonial about the manner in which they have helped you in your real estate business. If you are a Virtual Assistant helping one of our ADVANCED ACCESS clients, please encourage your clients to submit your name to us so you can be included in our list.

If you are searching for a good Virtual Assistant, please let us know what you are looking for in terms of knowledge and skill, so we can include the information in our report.

We appreciate your feedback! At ADVANCED ACCESS, we believe we can help each other create a solid list of Virtual Assistants for the benefit of all our clients. A good Virtual Assistant can increase your productivity and success, and allow you to spend more time doing what you do best – selling real estate. Your testimonials will be compiled and presented in a report in a future newsletter.

To send in your comments, please go to:
www.advancedaccess.com/va/

REALTORS® Expo in Orlando a Huge Success

Staff members from ADVANCED ACCESS just returned from Florida, where we joined over 500 exhibitors and unveiled our customized exhibit booth entitled, “Levels Of Excellence.” Our 20x30 exhibit booth emphasized our long-time commitment to customer satisfaction by providing the ultimate care center for our clients and also to those shopping for a Website provider.

Our exhibit was officially hosted by industry lecturer Rick DeLuca, and also featured the appearance of Michael Russer, commonly known as “Mr. Internet®.” The exhibit also included free giveaways, and other “cross-promotional” activities including one with VisualTour.com®.

The new display was staffed by a larger version of our popular and successful Mobile Website Team, and included representatives from all of the major departments including Customer Support, Sales, Programming & Design, MLS, and also our Affinity Program. Our staff was accompanied by senior management team members, who attended the industry’s largest national event, and were all available to speak to and demonstrate various products, programs and services.

We are thankful for our incredibly hard-working staff at ADVANCED ACCESS, who made every effort to ensure this event was a huge success. A special thank you is extended to Jane Ellsworth, Sr. Vice President of Sales, and Scott Johnson, Director of Software Engineering, our team leaders who worked long hours in preparation for this 4-day exhibit.

It was wonderful to see clients at NAR whom we have known for many years, and to meet new and future customers at this annual event. At ADVANCED ACCESS our motto is, “The Key to Your Success is our Service,” and we would like to thank you sincerely for your business and support.

New Client Relationship Manager Database
Helps us Serve You Better 

As a real estate professional, your success depends on meeting the needs of your clients in a manner that is professional, quick and reliable.  At ADVANCED ACCESS, we have always been about “Bigger and Better Things”; our goal is to keep up with the diverse and ever changing needs of your daily environment.

Last month, ADVANCED ACCESS released our first-ever proprietary task and performance management system.  This new system replaced nearly all client and process management systems throughout the office, not to mention a lot of stationary waste!  Included in this exciting update are a comprehensive CRM (Customer Relationship Management; i.e. “client database”), management of all internal tasks, employee profile customization, more immediate access to additional types of billing information on the Customer Support side, topped with detailed product and process reports.

All of this translates to several new opportunities for YOU to receive even better service.  Updates to the products and services you are provided will be achieved with greater efficiency through very intricate and applicable levels of prioritization.  Handling of your requests will be faster and more thorough via increased tracking flexibility.  Processing and storage of changes affecting your account is now virtually “hands-free”.  This new system will automatically record any emails and files you send to us for quick and easy access by any customer service representative reviewing your account!

We would like to thank our Product Development team responsible for the concept and implementation of our new Client Relationship manager.  Our Project Manager is Chris Clelland, Director of Operations, who created the original idea for this program and developed it for over a year before presenting the concept to the management team at ADVANCED ACCESS. 

The Programming Team, who took the concept and “made it happen,” consists of Justin LaJoie, (also known as “J-La”) Team Leader, Jeremy Spriggs (“Chuckles”), and Jonathan Mabe (“Mabe”), Programmer/Analysts. 

We are fortunate to be associated with these hard-working, dedicated employees who have made every effort to ensure a high quality program with advanced features to serve you better. 

Our guaranteed commitment at ADVANCED ACCESS is the continued improvement of the products and services we provide to you, our loyal client.  Keep an eye on future newsletters for further updates to this new system!

AA Sr. VP Receives e-PRO Trainer Certification

The National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) launched a new certified e-PRO® Trainer Program at their recently concluded Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida.

ADVANCED ACCESS Sr. Vice-President of the Sales Division, Jane Ellsworth-Purcell, was recognized as one of the first to complete the program and is now a certified e-Pro Trainer.  Having completed the certification program established by NAR, Jane is now able to conduct seminars and classes as an authorized trainer in the e-PRO Technology Program.

Certified e-PRO trainers meet rigorous requirements that demonstrate expertise, knowledge, and skills in four main areas: Training expertise, e-PRO program expertise, real estate industry expertise, and technology expertise. The initial group of trainers to complete the program are qualified to present the popular “Intro To e-PRO® Workshop,” as well as integrate e-PRO materials into their own technology presentations. Certified e-PRO Trainers will become recognized experts and spokespersons for REALTORS^®  e-PRO, NAR's only technology certification program available exclusively through NAR's course provider, InternetCrusade.

On board here at ADVANCED ACCESS since March of 2000, Jane is currently in charge of the National Sales Division, and also coordinates the successful and innovative ADVANCED ACCESS Mobile Website Team that was unveiled a few months ago. 

An accomplished instructor, speaker, and writer who often receives rave reviews, Jane processes a solid background in sales and Internet marketing, and is extremely knowledgeable in all facets of the industry.

“Naturally, I am very excited about completing all the requirements set-forth by NAR, Internet Crusade and e-PRO, and look forward to integrating what I’ve learned into our presentations that will allow our clients to effectively use all technology tools that enable them to better serve their clients and increase their business.”  Jane continued, “…when REALTORS^® are better educated and prepared to work “on-line,” they are able to enjoy the benefits of an increased Internet presence, which is exactly what our entire product line is designed to provide.”

For additional information about the e-PPO Certification program, please visit Internet Crusade’s website.

Making Money With Today's Technology
A book compiled by Allen F. Hainge

Experts in the real estate industry have cited hundreds, if not thousands of success stories over the past few years of REALTORS® making money or improving the marketing of their business using the latest technology that is currently available today. As many success stories that exist, opinion often differs about the precise product, program or service that is directly responsible for this sudden increase in success. In a new book compiled by Allen F. Hainge, Founder, Allen F. Hainge CyberStars®, top agents share the secrets of their success with you. Secrets of the CyberStars® Making Money With Today’s Technology is an excellent collection of articles written by the real people enjoying the benefits of utilizing current technology.

Allen F. Hainge’s Secrets of the CyberStars® Making Money With Today’s Technology is your opportunity to benefit from the experiences of others without having to suffer through all of the trial and error yourself! Get your copy today, and have your pen and post-it tabs ready!

Featured AA Employee – Jeremy Spriggs

This month we’re featuring one of our bright stars in the Software Engineering department, Jeremy Spriggs. Smart, friendly and a team player, Jeremy’s contribution is greatly valued by all of us here at ADVANCED ACCESS. Jeremy has been on board here for over two years as a Software engineer, and during the past few months he has been working long hours on several major programming projects.

Jeremy was born and raised in Orangevale, a small town near Sacramento, California. He enjoys a close, loving relationship with his family, including his parents Jackie and Jim, who have been his inspiration, encouragement, and support for his entire life. Jeremy also has a younger sister, Jessica, who has been his roommate for the past few months. Although Jeremy and Jessica face the typical sibling rivalries from time to time, they share a lot of similar interests and are good friends. Jeremy counts his family as one of his greatest gifts and he is thankful every day that they are in his life.

Jeremy moved down to Orange County to attend college at Chapman University where he received a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science. After graduation Jeremy looked for a job in the computer/technology field and found a software engineer position opening at ADVANCED ACCESS, and the rest is history. Jeremy feels that ADVANCED ACCESS is a great place to work with great people and great ideas. He feels the company is small enough so that every idea, concern, and opinion is heard, but large enough to be able to get things done efficiently and to be able to tackle anything.

In Jeremy’s spare time, he enjoys writing songs and playing guitar, going to the beach, hanging out with friends, playing water polo (which he feels is the greatest sport ever), going to the movies, and like any good software engineer... playing video games.

We are so thankful to work with someone as talented and dedicated as Jeremy Spriggs.

ADVANCED ACCESS Holiday Office Closure

ADVANCED ACCESS will close our offices on Thursday, November 25th and Friday, November 26th, in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

The entire Management Team and staff wish to take this opportunity to extend to our loyal customers, friends and families a most sincere Happy Holiday Greeting! We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our valued clients, and for your business and support through the years.

Normal office hours will resume on Monday, November 29, 2004.

And, in the words of Miss Piggy, "Never eat more than you can lift."

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