October 2004 Newsletter
”Guard well within yourself that
treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to
acquire without meanness”.
- George
Sand
Real Estate
Industry spends $1.3 Billion on the Internet
(Source: Inman
News)
The trend toward online vs. traditional advertising is continuing to gain momentum and the $11.5 billion that real estate brokers and agents spend on advertising is being spent in new ways, according to a recent study reported by Inman News. Brokers and agents this year will spend $1.3 billion, or 11.2 percent of their budgets, on Internet media.
In the last seven years, online ad spending rose substantially - from $14 to $148 per home sold. During the same period, newspaper ad spending decreased from $755 to $605 per home. The study notes that a variety of factors caused the change, including less expensive rates of advertising online versus print media, and the ability to track the results of your ad through online statistics reports.
The shift in ad dollars seems to follow the change in consumer behavior. Consumers can view up to 15 times more listings on a broker Web site than they can in a local newspaper, which makes it the popular choice for house hunting. In fact, the Internet is now the number two medium for reaching home buyers—second only to yard signs, and 75 percent of consumers use the Internet in their home searches, according to a National Association of REALTORS® survey.
With these statistics on your side, NOW is the perfect time to make a renewed commitment to your OWN Internet Marketing program. We’re here to help you with the tools you need to ensure your success, including our responsive Customer Support Department, Online Help Forums, and Weekly Marketing Tips. We value your business and your success, so don’t hesitate to call us if you need assistance. The Key to YOUR Success is Our Service!
ADVANCED ACCESS Upgrades Network For Improved Customer Support
In response to an increase of our customer base, ADVANCED ACCESS has completed the second of a three-phase upgrade specifically designed to improve customer service. The recent renovation and expansion involved a complete change of the architecture and overall configuration of our Internet Data Center and Server Room, and a newly installed Toshiba Strata CTX 670 phone system.
The reconfiguration and upgrade follows the recent introduction of our new Classic Package 3.0™ Website earlier in the year referred to as “the next generation of Website design for real estate professionals,” and precedes the highly anticipated final phase which will include the unveiling of our re-designed and upgraded company Website, as well as the newly improved HomeFINDER™ feature later on this year.
As our client roster has grown since 1998 with only 600 clients, ADVANCED ACCESS has demonstrated our commitment to superior customer service by providing the latest in technological support to our approximate 30,000 customers nationwide. The expanded Internet Data Center currently features over 115 servers in a specially-controlled environmentally sealed room. The center is kept at a constant 67-degrees Fahrenheit, which features a separate air conditioning system, and also dual security entrances and firewalls. Access to the center is controlled by a Biometric Thumbprint ID System, and staff is always “on-call” 24-hours a day, seven days a week on a paging system in case of any system interruption or emergency. The upgrade will ensure that all ADVANCED ACCESS Websites will now be stored on the most “state-of-the-art” equipment available on the market today.
Additional changes included a doubling of the actual square footage of the room, and the installation of a new and massive Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to ensure that there is no break in power during peak times or sudden emergencies. The system also features offsite back-up facilities. The improvements will provide a better system that will allow staff to accommodate over 15-million e-mails which are delivered daily through the ADVANCED ACCESS server network, and will help keep usage down to 35%-40% of total capacity. The improvements will also limit maximum capacity at peak times to only 60%.
Scott Johnson, Director of Software Engineering, stated “…Improvements of this kind will insure our commitment to superior customer service. It’s important that our clients have the utmost confidence in the overall reliability of our services and equipment.”
With the installation of the new Toshiba Strata CTX 670 phone system, ADVANCED ACCESS will be able to utilize one of the most sophisticated and integrated phone systems on the market today. With an improved call management system, voice-mail and reporting features, staff will now have the tools to better track and record a quicker response time to incoming customer service-related calls. The system will be a welcomed improvement to the Customer Support and Website Follow-Up Divisions.
“This new system will better put us in line with our company vision of providing superior quality customer service to all ADVANCED ACCESS clients,” stated Dave Eagle, Systems Administrator. He concluded, “…This new system is a welcomed improvement, and we will now have more modern systems that feature the latest industry innovations in telephony technology and keep ADVANCED ACCESS on the leading edge of superior customer service technology.”
Get into
the Spirit with Spooky Sites
and Intellicards Greetings
Intellicards - Simply the best email marketing for real estate. The subject of one of our recent weekly marketing tips included email marketing as an effective element in your real estate Internet marketing campaign. One of the best ways to keep in touch with prospects is to provide them with regular and consistent communication through email -- messages that are both colorful and appealing with Intellicards -- an easy-to-use email marketing program created by ADVANCED ACCESS.
The upcoming Halloween holiday is the perfect excuse to send a friendly greeting to your address book. Why not try it today…it only takes minutes to send out one of our professionally-designed Intellicards. We offer several selections to choose from under the Holiday/Seasonal category in your Virtual Office.
Wishing you a Happy Halloween from your friends at ADVANCED ACCESS.
The 2004 REALTORS® Conference & Expo
2004 REALTORS® Conference &
Expo
November 5-8, 2004 - Orlando, Florida
Orange County Convention Center
West Building
The theme is “Take it to a New Level,” and thousands of REALTORS® and guests are expected to gather in Orlando for the annual 2004 REALTORS® Conference & Expo. With more than 500 exhibitors demonstrating their products and services, this is the LARGEST show for REALTORS® in the world. Members of our sales team at ADVANCED ACCESS are looking forward to meeting you in Florida for a productive and successful event.
Orlando has been through the hurricane season, but the hotels and Convention Center have weathered the storms and are ready to welcome all of us next month! A record number of REALTORS are signed up to attend the premier Real Estate event of the year.
You won’t want to miss this year’s Expo, which offers new ideas, innovative timesaving products, and the technology you’ll need to take your business to a whole new level! In addition there will be roundtables, Q&A sessions, and hands-on training sessions -- 150 Program sessions for you to choose from.
Find the products and services you need to make your work easier and more effective at REALTORS® Expo. More than 500 exhibitors (including ADVANCED ACCESS) will be exhibiting at this event. On Friday Night, the Grand Opening reception features tropical drinks and music sponsored by Bank One.
We're looking forward to the opportunity to meet new and existing clients in Orlando, and we know the Expo will be exciting and successful for all of us. You are cordially invited to come over and say hello – we’re located in BOOTH 1339 – you can’t miss us in our bright blue company shirts. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Larry Lokker,
National Speaker, at a recent convention
And, if you visit us at the Expo, we have a FREE GIFT for you…. a CD with 200 of our valuable Weekly Marketing Tips listed for your convenience. If you can’t make it to the convention to pick up your gift, you can ALWAYS find our Marketing Tips online. Simply click here to access our marketing tips from your own location.
If you know some of your colleagues and friends will be attending the convention, please send them over to our booth. Be sure to ask them to give YOU credit for referring them to us.
If one of your referrals purchases a website, Intellicards, or any of our other services from us, we would like to say thank you by adding a free month of hosting to your existing contract.
National
Speaker Rick
DeLuca
Featured in
ADVANCED ACCESS’ Booth at the Expo
with Special Guest Appearances by Mr.
Internet
Once again bringing his proven
teaching ability with a sense of the real world ideas that audiences always
appreciate, RICK DeLUCA will be
featured in our booth at this year's National Association of
REALTORS® (N.A.R.) 2004 Conference & Expo. Rick will be
speaking at regular intervals throughout the duration of the trade show.
Join Rick as he applies the same practical and systematic approach that enabled him to become of the top agents in the country, as he helps you untangle the technology puzzle that REALTORS® all face today! Rick comments on his speaking style, “Real estate has changed dramatically and the ideas offered must change too. My philosophy of a great program is to offer so many ideas that everyone leaves with a handful of things they can actually use in their market place. There are proven methods of success – and you deserve to know what they are!"
And, we
are pleased to announce that MICHAEL RUSSER, aka
“Mr. Internet,” will also be making special guest appearances in
the ADVANCED ACCESS booth. Michael features innovative business solutions that
you can use to create more profits and more free time. The best solution is
useless if it is too complicated to implement. Mr. Internet will show you how
to find solutions that you can learn about today and implement immediately - you
can get the job done and get on with your life!
It’s all happening in BOOTH 1399 at the REALTORS® Expo in Orlando! Swing by during the Expo to visit and be sure to bring a friend. You’ll receive a FREE copy of our CD "Marketing Tips For The Real Estate Professional," and if your friend signs-up for service you'll get a FREE month of hosting added to your current contract.
ADVANCED ACCESS Announces Recommendation & Distribution Agreement with Council of Residential Specialists
CRS Product Review Committee Awards “Quality-Tested Seal of Approval”
ADVANCED ACCESS announced the signing of a final Recommendation & Distribution Agreement with the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS). The agreement is the result of a stringent review process, and designates ADVANCED ACCESS and our products, programs and services as an “approved” CRS Quality-Tested Product. By earning this designation and undergoing a rigorous review process by the Council’s Product Review Committee, ADVANCED ACCESS is officially authorized to display the Council’s “Quality-Tested Seal.”
Due to CRS members’ and students’ increasing need for top quality educational materials including software and computer based services, the Council conducts a thorough search of real estate related products, identifying, and in turn quality-testing for their students and members the best products available relating to residential sales.
All software and on-line platform applications are required to pass a rigorous three-part review conducted by an independent technical advisor, the Council’s Product Review Panel, and finally the Council’s select Product Review Committee. Once the application is determined to be at the highest level of accuracy and user-friendliness, utilizing the most current technology, and displaying a superior quality of output, completeness of documentation, and exemplary technical support, they are then awarded the Council’s Quality-Tested Seal. The programs are then reviewed on an annual basis to ensure strict maintenance of CRS standards.
"ADVANCED ACCESS has a long and respected history of supporting CRS members and programs throughout the entire country. Our Senior Management Team is truly excited and honored to be approved by the CRS Product Review Committee and to be finally able to display their well-recognized seal of approval,” stated Kristina Davis, CEO of ADVANCED ACCESS.
ABOUT Council of Residential Specialists (CRS)
The Council of Residential Specialists, which was founded in 1976, is the largest not-for-profit affiliate of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, with its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. It is composed of nearly 42,000 Certified Residential Specialists (CRS) Designees and Candidates/General Members. The association was created to attract and retain those REALTORS® seeking the knowledge, tools and relationship-building opportunities needed to maximize their income and professionalism in residential real estate. Only four-percent of all REALTORS® (those who hold membership with the National Association of REALTORS®) have the prestigious CRS designation.
MOBILE WEBSITE TEAM “Rolls Into” North Carolina For Tech Seminars
The ADVANCED ACCESS Mobile Website Team, in cooperation with the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® (NCAR) Partners Program, conducted a series of FREE educational and instructional seminars during the month of October 2004. The seminars, which were held at three locations throughout the “Tar Heel” state, were the first in a series that will cover a wide range of topics that instruct, guide, and teach attendees about the importance of the Internet, and how they can improve the functionality of their Internet Website.
The seminars were a huge success, and future plans include expanding the program throughout various regions across the country to enable attendees the opportunity to learn as much about Website effectiveness, and how REALTORS® can improve their Website and Internet presence.
Gary R. Brackle, Vice-President of Affinity Marketing & Communications of ADVANCED ACCESS, discussed the initial focus of the new program. “…Our primary goal is to make it more convenient for agents who already have a high demand on their time throughout the workweek. This program is able to provide them with a meaningful, informative and instructional seminar, at a location easy for them to attend. We felt it was crucial for a program of this type, to be tailored to the needs of our audience or clients.” He concluded, “…a program of this kind allows us to conduct training and instruction, but also gives us the flexibility to change the overall format or focus if the audience or attendees so desire, depending on a number of factors including time, size, location, emphasis and so on!”
It’s Time to Fall Back on Sunday, October 31
The days
are growing shorter and the weather is cooling down. It’s that time of
year
- Sunday, October 31 marks the end of Daylight Saving
Time, as observed in most of our
states. So be sure to set your clocks BACK one hour at 2:00 a.m. next week.
The exceptions to the rule are: Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Islands, the Eastern Time Zone portion of the State of Indiana, and most
of Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation.)
Setting our clocks back is an excellent time to think about changing the batteries in our smoke detectors. A working smoke detector greatly increases the chances of surviving a home fire. Although most of us have smoke detectors, a large percentage of those have worn-out or missing batteries. As a safety tip, why not remind yourself and your clients to change the batteries in your smoke detector at the same time you change your clocks.
Featured AA Employee of the Month – Andrea Nagey
This month we
are featuring Andrea Nagey, a New Account Specialist in our Customer
Support Department. Andrea is known to many of her fellow employees as being
extremely honest, hardworking, and loyal. As a New Account Specialist, Andrea
is one of the first people that our new clients will meet, and she is
particularly skilled in customer service. Andrea is a "Native Californian,"
having grown up in southern California and she is a graduate of Ontario High
School. Andrea has 2 sisters, and a niece and nephew that she adores.
Andrea’s interests revolve around her family and friends. Her sisters, Michelle and Aysha, and her niece and nephew, are important in her daily life. Andrea’s parents have always been a wonderful support system, and she comments on being the baby of the family, “…Well, lets just say it might have been easier for me then for my older sisters.!”
Andrea’s nephew and niece
Andrea’s previous work experience includes working for Disney's California Adventure Park. She loves playing soccer and going to the beach. In addition, Andrea enjoys listening to music, and seeing museums and plays. If you are a forum member, you may have received some answers to your questions from Andrea. She enjoys spending time on her computer and helps our clients regularly in the ADVANCED ACCESS Forums.
The goal that is closest to Andrea’s heart is her future plans to go to Africa to do volunteer work with disabled children. This December, Andrea is traveling to Malawi, Africa to do volunteer work with disabled persons – side by side with her sister Aysha.
Andrea enjoys her work at ADVANCED ACCESS, saying “Working here is great – the people and the casual atmosphere make it worthwhile and FUN! Our department is like its own little family… trust me – there is NEVER a dull moment! I have learned a tremendous amount while working with AA, both website and real estate related. I like coming to work knowing that I might be able to teach someone something that they might not have known otherwise. I have to say though, that a highlight of my time here was being voted best customer support rep. by my peers – wow, that really made it all worth it!”
Andrea’s enthusiasm, dedication and devotion to her cause set her apart, and we're proud to work with her here at Advanced Access.
On the lighter side….
Justin Davis, President, is
displayed here in AA’s lobby
in honor of our Halloween
season!
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