Advanced Access April 2006 Newsletter

April 2006 Newsletter

"Earth laughs in flowers."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Hamatreya"

Advanced Access Spring Office Closure

We will be closing our offices on Friday April 14^th, and Sunday April 16^th to allow our staff to enjoy time with their families in honor of the various celebrated Spring holidays. We will remain open on Saturday April 15th 7 AM to 4 PM Pacific Time. Normal business hours will resume on Monday April 17th at 7 AM Pacific Time.

There will be no Marketing Tip on Friday April 14th, so relax and enjoy your "break" and be on the lookout for the next Marketing Tip on Friday April 21st. Happy Spring!

Advanced Access Clients Featured In REAL ESTATE Magazine

Advanced Access and three of its current clients are prominently featured in the April 2006 edition of REAL ESTATE Magazine. The article written by Lesley Geary and entitled, "On The Web, It Takes All Kinds," discusses how Advanced Access sites provide marketing solutions for REALTORS® at every stage of their business development. The article appears on pages 153-155, and the current edition also features RISMedia's 18th Annual Power Broker Report & Survey.

The three clients include Pat Haddad, an agent with Indiana-based RE/MAX Preferred who has been perfecting her Website, www.pathaddad.com since 2001; Lauren Whittaker, a Keller Williams agent in Marietta, Georgia, who has built a thriving relocation business through her Website in just four years at www.soldbylauren.com; and finally relative newcomer Mike Hamby, a former professional chef in Annapolis, Maryland, who has been in the real estate industry for 11-months at www.CallMike.org.

REAL ESTATE Magazine, published by RISMedia Publications, was started in 1980, and currently is celebrating its 26th year of publication to professional members of the real estate industry and has a wide range of circulation nationwide.

The article discusses and points out the various marketing and advertising strategies that each agent utilizes, and provides candid remarks about how the medium has grown and matured, in addition to some valuable tips on how professionals are coming up with increasingly innovative ways to maximize their Web presence and, in turn, market themselves for increased business.

The current "on-line" version of REAL ESTATE Magazine is available for FREE viewing at www.rismedia.com. The Advanced Access trio of Haddad, Whittaker, and Hamby are to be congratulated for this wonderful honor, and are distinguished members of the Advanced Access family that continues to grow nationwide.

The members of the Senior Management Team and all staff here at Advanced Access Headquarters would like to also add their sincere "congratulations and best wishes" for this honor and for continued success in the very near future!

Advanced Access Offers FREE VIP PASS for
NAR's Mid-Year Expo in Washington, D.C.

Thousands of real estate professionals will meet in Washington D.C., May 17-19, 2006, for the National Association of REALTORS® Mid-Year Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo. The Expo will be once again be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.

You are cordially invited to attend the 2006 NAR Mid-Year 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 #820. 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.

And, as a special bonus, if you introduce us to someone who purchases one of our products, we will 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!

2007 REALTORS® Conference Moves to Las Vegas

Vegas The 2007 REALTORS® Conference & Expo — which will mark the 100th anniversary celebration of the founding of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® — will be moved to Las Vegas, Nev., due to unavailability of contracted hotel space in Chicago.

The new dates for the conference are Nov. 12-16, 2007, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.

“NAR very much wanted to celebrate our 100th anniversary in Chicago,” says Sue Gourley, NAR’s vice president of the convention group. “However, we are pleased that we were able to secure an appealing alternate location. We expect to have another wonderful conference and record-breaking year in 2007.”

NAR typically uses 800,000 to 1 million square feet of convention and hotel space citywide in its conference host cities. Venues for NAR’s major meetings are typically set 10 years in advance. However, NAR learned that a major portion of the contracted hotel space in Chicago for the 2007 conference would not be available, but it was able to secure the appropriate space in Las Vegas.

The last-minute venue change also will result in a change in the day pattern for the annual meeting. Instead of Nov. 2-6, 2007, which is the typical Thursday through Monday pattern for the annual meeting, the new meeting dates will be Nov. 12-16, which is a Monday through Friday. However, the order of events will remain the same, Gourley says.

More details on scheduling and hotels for the 2007 conference will be provided next year, Gourley says.

Spring Convention & Trade Show Schedule Announced

Please stop by and say hello to our staff when they visit your part of the country during any of the upcoming Trade Shows and Conventions. The following appearances have been scheduled during the next month:

April 26th, 2006
San Diego Association of REALTORS® Real Estate Expo XVII
San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA

April 28th, 2006
TECH FAIRE 2006 for the Real Estate Professional
Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel, Oakland, CA

May 3-4, 2006
2006 IAR Spring Conference & Expo
Gateway Center
Collinsville, IL

May 4, 2006
2006 RMLS Technology & Trade Fair
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, OR

May 5, 2006
REALTOR® Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale's REALTOR® Rally
Broward County Convention Center
Fort Lauderdale, FL

May 8, 2006
NCAR Legislative Shootout
Raleigh Country Club
Raleigh, NC

May 17-19, 2006
NAR 2006 Midyear Trade Expo
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
Washington, DC

May 18, 2006
RE/MAX Northern Illinois Spring Supplier Showcase
Drury Lane Theatre
Oakbrook Terrace, IL

We are looking forward to seeing you at any of the events listed above. Be sure to stop by and say hello – we always enjoy talking to our clients across the country. And, if you bring a friend or colleague who may be interested in purchasing a website, we have a special gift for you.

Advanced Access Featured Client of the Month Joan LoCascio

HISTORY & HER START IN THE INDUSTRY

Joan LoCascio, (www.JLoCascio-NewBernNC.com) was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. In the early 1970’s, she moved to Suffolk County, Long Island. She has an older brother, now retired after serving since 1959 as a priest in the Archdiocese of New York. Her Mom was a “homemaker,” while her Dad was a 44-year member of the New York Police Department (NYPD), where he served as a Chief Inspector for a number of years before he retired.

She attended and graduated from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, and also attended Fordham, Villanova, and the Catholic University of America (CUA). She was teaching at the time, so attended graduate classes part-time on weekends and in the summers.

Joan spent most of her years as an educator. Along with her husband of 35-years, Joe, who retired from SUNY Farmingdale in 1989, they relocated to eastern North Carolina. They have two children, a daughter and son, now both in their early thirties, who as teenagers moved with them to their new home in New Bern. After examining her options, Joan entered the real estate industry in 1991. She fondly remembers, “…I spent most of my life as an educator, and after our move, decided that I needed a change. While I was looking around for a second career, something challenging but different, I was teaching English Composition for a couple of semesters at Craven Community College. I considered both travel agency and real estate as possibilities, mainly because I’ve always considered myself a ‘people person.’ I decided to get my real estate license, since the school was located only about 30-miles from home. Little did I know, then, where it would lead me!”

JOAN LOCASCIO TELLS WHY Advanced Access?

“I chose Advanced Access when I first met one of the owners, Jerra Morris, at an NAR convention that was being held in sunny Anaheim, California. I believe it was way back in 1997, when the company was in start-up mode and was almost giving away websites! I was very new to the electronic world of real estate technology, but they were terrific in helping me set up my new website. A couple of years ago I converted to the 3.0 Classic version, so I could do more on my own, and at the same time be creative, in managing listings and other features on my site. It’s been great not to have to call or email support in order to make changes.” She continued, “…I have come to spend more and more of my advertising dollars on website marketing and less on print advertising. The latter reaches a comparative few (though it has its place), while what I put on my website is out there for anyone nationwide or worldwide to see.”

THE BIGGEST CHANGE NOTICED IN THE INDUSTRY

joan Joan commented further, “…the biggest change that I’ve noticed is that recently most of the buyers come to their real estate agent through the Internet. I have had a lot of compliments on my Advanced Access website, because it’s uncluttered, offers helpful information, is easy to read, very accessible, and finally, well-organized. I was one of the first few agents here in the New Bern area to have a really nice website, thanks to Advanced Access who made it both easy and affordable. Many of the New Bern area agents did not really get going with Websites until the past five years; prior to that time, I was able to get a good jump on much of the competition. About ninety-five percent of my buyers have come to me via the Internet. A number of first-time visitors come into New Bern with a list of agents they have contacted through the Internet! This is such a huge change from the pre-Internet days when REALTORS® were so dependent on walk-in traffic or duty calls.”

“I have also found the need to promote my personal Website all over the place, not only to buyers but to sellers as well. Having some listings with lots of photos on my Website helps tremendously with impressing potential seller-clients. A recent client e-mailed me to list a resale property, even though she had purchased one of my listings through another agent. She contacted me because she was impressed with the way, in my Featured Listings, the second home she purchased was presented – she loved all those photos!”

Advanced Access ALLOWS ME FLEXIBILITY AND FREEDOM

Joan continued…”my time is much too valuable to be spending too much of it on my Website. Advanced Access helps me in a number of ways, but especially because their Classic package makes it easy to make quick changes or add and maintain my listings. I enjoy reading their helpful hints that they regularly e-mail to me, but to be honest, some I use and some I don’t – they give me so much helpful information that I don’t have time to read and absorb it all! When I need help, I know that their great and very accessible support team is just an e-mail or phone call away. From a small family-owned California company, Advanced Access has become host to and providers of REALTORS®’ Websites nationwide. Yet I know I can rely on their support as much as I did nine years ago when I purchased my original Website. I still communicate every once in awhile with Jerra Morris, and she always takes time to respond. This says a lot about Advanced Access - the personal touch, which some businesses lose over time, is still there!”

THE FINAL WORD

Joan offered this final bit of insight to the real estate industry’s current state of affairs. “You have to have a personal Website in today’s marketplace. As an agent, you can’t be really successful in real estate without it. Marketing your Website is also a must. I can truly say that the best thing I ever did for my business was to acquire an Advanced Access Website!”

Advanced Access SALES TEAM MARKETING TIP

“It All Starts with Listings”
By Roger Livingston, Regional Sales Manager

Are you taking the time to put your listings on your Website? There are many benefits to doing so, even some of you who add your listings may not be aware of them all. Before we get into that, let’s first take a quick look at how to properly place listings on your Website.

The ListNOW section in Property Tools is where you add properties to your Featured Listings Page. If you are fortunate enough to have our IDX on your Website, you can easily load listings simply by entering in the MLS # (not available in all areas, click here to see a list of over 120 data feeds available or call Customer Support to learn more). Others can enter data into the three input screens to add the listing.

What most of our customers don’t know is the power of the Export Property Checkbox on the first screen. When checked, which is the “default” setting, the listing is sent to the Yahoo Classified Real Estate Section (where available). This will help to generate traffic to your site since the listing on Yahoo has a link to your site for more information. If you’ve been putting listings on your site already, go to your Website Statistics and look at Referring URL’s. You’ll probably see line items similar to realestate.yahoo.com/display/realestate These are people coming to your site after seeing one of your listings on Yahoo. Click-on this link and it will bring you to that specific listing. Then click on Additional Property Detail from, and you will be brought to that listing on your Website.

You can also quickly create 3rd Level Domains to your listings. First go the details of the listing on your Featured Listings Page. “Right Click” anywhere on the page and select Properties. Highlight and copy the address [URL] from this window and then close it. Now go into Domain Manager in Virtual Office and select Third Level Domains. Type in the Address of the Property in the Sub Domain field, i.e. “123MainStreet”, without using spaces or special characters. Paste the address you copied earlier into the second box to the right of “Custom.” Finally click-on “Add.” Now test what you’ve set up by opening a new browser window and typing in the address we’ve created, 123MainStreet.yourdomainname.com, or 123MainStreet.RogerLivingston.com. Always remember NOT to use “www” with third level domains.

The final benefit of adding listings to your site is the ease with which you can create custom pages of the listing, and even flyers. Go into the Page Editor under Page Manager and click-on Add New Page. Name the page whatever you like and put it into the category of your choice and click Add. Now click-on the Insert Custom and select Insert Property Info. Select one of your listings and one of the three styles and then click Insert HTML. This will place photos and text of that listing on the page, quickly giving you the basis for a custom property page or a flyer. You can edit the contents as you wish to get the effect you desire.

Just as in real estate itself, it all begins with that first listing. What you do with it from there is up to you, but just taking a few minutes to get it onto your Website can go a long way towards marketing the property effectively on the Internet, and increasing your presence and Website effectiveness!

Roger Livingston is a Regional Sales Manager for Advanced Access in the Carolinas and surrounding areas. He travels extensively making educational and informative presentations at conventions, Association trade shows, tech expos and office meetings. His presentations range from 20-minutes to 2-hours, and cover a wide range of current topics to meet your Internet Marketing needs. To find out more about Roger Livingston, you can visit his Website at www.rogerlivingston.com, or contact Roger about scheduling a visit at your next office meeting or perhaps a speaking engagement at your State or local tradeshow and convention. Send Roger an e-mail rlivingston@AdvancedAccess.com, or call him on his Direct Line at (919) 219-2540.

Featured Employee of the Month: Jerry Smith

jerry This month we're featuring Jerry Smith from our Design Department. Jerry has been on board with Advanced Access for six years, having just celebrated his anniversary with the company in February. Jerry is responsible for many of the graphics you admire in our websites and email pieces, our advertisements, and our logos. We are constantly impressed with Jerry's creativity and talent.

Jerry was born in Kennett Missouri, and he attended Carthage Senior High School, graduating in 1981. After he graduated, Jerry studied Commercial Art and Graphic Design at Arkansas State University, where he excelled in his work.

In 1983, Jerry came out to California where he was on active duty at El Toro Marine Base until 1991. During his tenure in the military Jerry took design courses at the University of California in Irvine.

After he left the Marines, Jerry worked at Continental Airlines and McDonnell Douglas/Boeing Aircraft in Long Beach as an aircraft mechanic for 10 years before joining with Advanced Access in February of 2000.

Jerry has been married for 21 years to his wife, Renee. Jerry and Renee have two children - Melanie is 16 and Ryan is 6. Renee is an administrator with the Los Angeles Unified School District, after having worked as a teacher for 21 years. Jerry enjoys the time he spends with his wife and kids, which doesn't leave too much time for hobbies. However, with his artistic nature, Jerry does enjoy oil painting and surfing the Net whenever he has some free time.

Jerry enjoys his job at Advanced Access, saying "I feel there are great things happening in this company and I'm proud to be a part of it."

Jerry's manager, Christopher Clelland says, "Jerry has shown the best balance of technical expertise and graphic design skill over the last several years. He has added significantly to the diverse mix that has continually brought Advanced Access' products and services to life. While lending a hand to the flash portions of our new www.AdvancedAccess.com website, Jerry has also spent time developing the layout for the new Classic 4.0 Virtual Office. It is clear to 'see' that his taste will be carrying out the contemporary edge of our products."

We can always count on Jerry for delivering a quality design product. People like Jerry Smith really make a difference, and we are so proud to count him as a part of our Advanced Access team.

On the Lighter Side
From Reader’s Digest “Joke Central - All in a Day's Work”

The chef of the upscale restaurant I manage collided with a waiter one day and spilled coffee all over our computer. The liquid poured into the processing unit, and resulted in some dramatic crackling and popping sounds. After sopping up the mess, we gathered around the terminal as the computer was turned back on. "Please let it work," pleaded the guilt-ridden waiter. A waitress replied, "Should be faster than ever. That was a double espresso."

— Joke contributed by Brian A. Kohler

March 2006 | Back to Main Page | May 2006