June 2006 Newsletter

”If someone were to pay you for every kind word you ever spoke
and collect for every unkind word, would you be rich or poor?”
- Author Unknown

ADVANCED ACCESS’ Fourth Annual Most Impressive Website Contest
VOTING BEGINS

The initial nominating phase and review process has been completed by the panel of esteemed judges, and the 4th Annual ADVANCED ACCESS 2006 Most Impressive Website Contest is now moving into its final phase which means it is time for YOU to VOTE!

Hundreds of ADVANCED ACCESS Websites were nominated in this highly anticipated annual awards program, and this year’s field of entrants includes some of the most well-developed and successful Websites in the history of the contest.

The format for this year’s contest was slightly changed to include a panel of outside “Celebrity Judges,” and their task has proved to be more difficult due to the high number of entrants and high quality of the overall field of ADVANCED ACCESS Websites.

Our judges scored each site on a ten point scale and our top ten scored sites in each category were chosen to be our finalists.  These are the sites you will see available for voting today.  The top three scored sites in each category were chosen to also be added to our esteemed "Most Impressive Website" category.  After the scoring process was concluded, our Celebrity Judges and ADVANCED ACCESS Staff Judges wrote reviews for each finalist...you will see excerpts of these reviews on the voting pages.

Your vote counts!  Our winners in each category will be chosen based on the number of votes received by you, our valued clients.  So show your support and cast your votes by Saturday, July 8th 2006.  Voting will close at 11:59 PM on Saturday July 8th.

Winners will again be announced in the July 2006 edition of the monthly ADVANCED ACCESS Newsletter, and again, we extend our thanks to all of you for your participation and congratulate the accomplishments of all nominees and finalists.

ADVANCED ACCESS Staffing Changes and Promotions

In lieu of some stellar performances and recorded excellence in the areas of Customer Service and Accounting, some staffing changes have been instituted by members of the Senior Management Team. These staffing changes and promotions are reflective of the commitment of the many individuals who routinely perform their daily duties here at ADVANCED ACCESS, and we congratulate and recognize these individuals for their “commitment to excellence!”

Lito Felipe, Director of Accounting, is proud to announce the following changes. Danielle Smith has been promoted to assume the duties and responsibilities of Accounts Receivable Manager/Bookkeeper. Danielle, who has been with ADVANCED ACCESS since May 2001, formerly served as Accounts Receivable Coordinator.

Randi Berggren has moved from Accounts Receivable Assistant to Accounts Receivable Coordinator, and has been on staff since June 2005. Stacey Judd has been promoted from Administrator to the position of Accounts Receivable Assistant.

Aron Spegon, Director of Customer Service has announced that Mike Luirette & Bryan Siegel have been promoted to Website Marketing Specialists; while Aaron Chabak has been elevated to the position of Website Analyst. Luirette has been with ADVANCED ACCESS since February 2006, and has worked as a Customer Service Representative and also as a New Account Specialist. Siegel, who joined staff in December of 2005, started as a Customer Support Representative prior to assuming his new duties. Chabak, also served as a Customer Service Representative, and started with ADVANCED ACCESS in April 2005.

Senior Management Team proudly announced the promotion of Sabiha Karim to the position of Customer Support Supervisor. Sabiha will join the talented team of Customer Support Supervisors, to meet the growing demand of new clients as the Customer Support Department continues to grow.  Sabiha became a member of the ADVANCED ACCESS family in October 2004, and has excelled in her duties as a New Account Specialist.

Finally, Vanessa Holguin has been promoted and accepted her new duties as an Inside Sales Representative. She formally served as a New Accounts Specialist and a Customer Support Manager, and has been on staff since June 2000.

Please join us in congratulating these individuals on their duty re-assignments and promotions!  We continue to expand our staff striving to serve you better and better each day.

Existing-Home Sales Expected to Fall 6.8% This Year

The housing boom has ended but sales at historically healthy levels will continue, and price appreciation will return to normal patterns across much of the country, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, says home sales are settling into a slower pace. “In recent years we were occasionally challenged to find appropriate superlatives to describe surprisingly high home sales,” he says. “Now the housing market has cooled, but 2006 still expected to be the third strongest on record. In this case, experiencing a slowing from a hot market is a good thing because we need a solid housing sector to provide an underlying base to the economy, and slower appreciation will help to preserve long-term affordability.

"But this is a time for the Fed to pause on rate hikes because we have some interest-sensitive housing markets that have become vulnerable,” Lereah adds.

Existing-home sales are projected to drop 6.8 percent to 6.6 million this year from the record 7.08 million in 2005. New-home sales are forecast to fall 13.4 percent to 1.11 million from a record 1.28 million in 2005. Housing starts are likely to decline 6.2 percent to 1.94 million in 2006 compared with 2.07 million last year.

NAR President Thomas M. Stevens from Vienna, Va., says rising interest rates have slowed home sales in many high cost markets, while job growth has boosted sales in some moderately priced areas.

“Broadly speaking, rising inventories have taken the pressure come off of unsustainable home price growth,” says Stevens, senior vice president of NRT Inc. “For most of the nation, this means future home price gains will be much closer to the normal returns we expect from housing.”

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage should average 6.9 percent during the second half of the year, and the unemployment rate is expected to average 4.8 percent in 2006.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types is forecast to rise 5.3 percent this year to $231,300. With more construction in 2006 taking place in lower cost housing markets, the median new-home price is projected to increase 0.8 percent to $242,900.

“Historically, home prices rise 1.5 to 2 percentage points faster than the rate of inflation, so the rise we anticipate in existing home prices this year is actually a little above the high end of historic norms,” Lereah said. “The double-digit home price gains we saw in 2005 underscore what a superlative year it was.”

Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, is seen at 3.1 percent in 2006, compared with 3.4 percent last year. Growth in the U.S. gross domestic product is likely to be 3.4 percent this year. Inflation-adjusted disposable personal income should grow 3.1 percent this year.

Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine [June, 2006] with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.

Summer Convention & Trade Show Schedule Announced

June 21, 2006
WCR Chicago Chapter 2006 Vendor Expo
Marcello's
Chicago, IL

July 13, 2006
PWR Connect 2006
Disneyland Hotel
Anaheim, CA

July 19-22, 2006
2006 Star Power Annual Conference
Marriott Marquis Time Square
New York, NY

ADVANCED ACCESS Featured Client of the Month Glenn Ginsburg

HISTORY & HIS START IN THE INDUSTRY

Glenn Ginsburg, (www.adeltarealty.net) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts.  He relocated to Florida in 1983, “to escape the cold, snow and ice.”  Prior to entering the real estate profession, Glenn had a successful career in Hospital Financial Administration, specializing in the areas of internal auditing and accounts receivable management, where he distinguished himself as one of the nation’s leading healthcare experts on accounts receivable turn-arounds.  He also served with one of the largest international certified public accounting firms.  In 1995, Glenn passed the Florida real estate license examination.  In 1996, he decided to retire from the healthcare industry to start a career in the real estate profession, and passed the Florida mortgage broker’s examination.  One-year later in 1997, he passed his real estate Broker’s license examination and then in 1998, became the “Broker of Record” for a Century 21 franchise.  Later in the same year, he opened his own real estate brokerage firm -- A Delta Realty of Naples, which he still owns and operates today!

Glenn is an only child, and both his Mother and Father have passed away.  However, his Father was a noted Podiatrist (foot doctor) in Boston.  Some of his patients included many notable Boston politicians and celebrities.  His father, Dr. Ginsburg, was well-known and quite accomplished within the city.  His Mother also shared the spotlight, as she was chosen “Woman of the Year” for her community and charitable work that she promoted through-out her life until just prior to her death.  His early life upbringing always stressed an importance on being a good, honest person, conducting himself in a forthright and professional manner.  “My family did a lot of real estate investing as I was growing up,” he added, “and as a senior in high school I could do real estate tax, interest, and rent pro-rations, which came from my family’s experience in the real estate industry.”

Glenn is married to his wife, Marjorie, his college sweetheart, and together they will celebrate their 36-year anniversary in September of this year.  They have two children, Malena, and Chad.  Malena is married and lives in Aurora, Colorado, with her husband and two sons.  Chad is entering his junior year at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he has a dual major in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.

Just recently, Glenn was honored by being named 2006 FIVE STAR: Best In Client Satisfaction Real Estate Agent by Gulfshore Life Magazine.  The honor places him in the top 6% of about 12,000 real estate agents located throughout the southwest Florida region.

HIS IMPRESSION AND REFLECTION ON THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY

Ginsburg will complete his 10^th year this August in the real estate industry, and looking back offered this reflection on the status of the current industry.  “One big thing that I saw back in 1996, was for an industry that even at that time, did not readily embrace computerization, a lot of repetitive tasks, that could have been done on a computer were being done manually.  I had a 386 laptop computer at that time, with a bubble-jet printer, and was quite effective working with downloading property owners and automatically printing prospecting letters.  Everyone in the office was around me saying, “Wow, look what he can do,” and all I was really doing was utilizing a database and a preformatted template letter, to produce a mailer for prospecting.”  Glenn continued, “…I did see an opportunity with the Internet, but little did I know how big a role the Internet would play in the real estate industry.”

“I’m pretty much a one man shop.  A few years ago, my Mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  She was later-on in years, and had lived a long and fruitful life.  We had spent her birthday in the Boston area, looking for a nursing home for both my parents.  They both were in their advanced years, and needed some additional care.  Within a year and half, they both passed away, and during the same period my family and I also had some severe health issues as well.  I spent 11-days in the hospital myself and after getting back to work, spent countless hours in the office working on my ADVANCED ACCESS Website and this resulted in the Website really taking off,” Ginsburg stated. 

Glenn continued, “…Last year, I had my best year EVER in the industry, coming from two years of very emotional events, to two years of the ultimate realization of my career goals and objectives.  Most of my business comes through my ADVANCED ACCESS Website, and truly that is what makes a difference for me,” he concluded.

HIS OFFICE’S MARKET – FLORIDA’S COLLIER & SOUTHERN LEE COUNTIES

Glenn and his A Delta Realty of Naples office, serves the communities and surrounding areas of Collier and southern Lee Counties, including Naples, Bonita Springs, and Estero.  He takes great pride in their motto…“Taking a Personal Interest in YOU!”  His dedication to his clients has resulted in his award by Gulfshore Life Magazine’s “Best In Client Satisfaction Real Estate Agent.”

GLENN GINSBURG TELLS WHY ADVANCED ACCESS? 

He recalls his early introduction to ADVANCED ACCESS.  “…It was all timing.  I already had a Website, which I still have today, but everytime that I wanted do something, it cost me an additional one-time fee.  And I felt that almost everything I wanted on the site, I was actually doing myself, and then e-mailing it to the Webmaster to put up for me at an additional cost.  One day, I got a call from someone from ADVANCED ACCESS, and two critical features immediately caught my attention.  One, was the total breath of content that was included with the basic package, and the second, was the ability for me to create pages that a Web visitor or potential client, could access and read, and ultimately become educated and informed about Naples and surrounding areas, as well as important subjects in the real estate industry.”

“The reason I continue to use ADVANCED ACCESS today, is that I feel the forums and the people who are on it, along with the wonderful ADVANCED ACCESS staff, all contribute to help me be more successful in the industry today.  It is a team…and everyone knows that TEAM stand for Together, Everyone Achieves More,” Ginsburg concluded.

“Finally, ADVANCED ACCESS always looks for various ways for the agent to be successful and achieve their goals.  From the early success of the Classic Package^™, to the improved Classic Package^™ 3.0, to the highly anticipated unveiling of the 4.0 version, ADVANCED ACCESS is always looking to give its clients tools to be successful in the real estate industry.” 

“I try to get on the forums at least once a day…the people who participate in the forums, amaze me on just how creative they ultimately are as well as the technical knowledge of the Internet that is exchanged.  This is an advantage that I have, to be able to see and experience this creativeness first-hand,” Ginsburg added.

THE FINAL WORD

Ginsburg concluded, “…I will quote Donald Trump”…“If you believe, and you have the passion, you will succeed!”

“In one month, February of 2005, I got over 400 leads!  The leads kept me quite busy, and I can give you one specific example of how my ADVANCED ACCESS Website works for me.  Last year, a couple (Website inquiry) came-in and purchased a condo.  Just recently, the client e-mailed me that they wanted to move-up, and purchase something bigger and better, and asked if I would list their condo.  They did not come in and see me, they did not call me, they simply e-mailed me!  My continued contact with them during the past year included using real estate market updates via the Intellicards™ program.  Imagine that, they simply sent an e-mail and the entire process was off and running!  The Intellicards™ program is a wonderful product that lets you continue to communicate with your clients and potential leads.  The computer is a tool, and if people cannot use the computer as a tool in today’s real estate market place, they are doomed to become a slave to it!”

Ginsburg concluded, “…I am not a pure salesman.  I try to view myself as a real estate consultant, but a very good client of mine said, that IS what a good real estate agent does, you exceeded our expectations as a REALTOR^® and because of that skill, you have provided us with valuable insights that we appreciate and place a high value on!  My Customer Service experience with ADVANCED ACCESS has been the same.  The best thing they do is treat people the way that they themselves would like to be treated, and then give them more than what they actually expect.  That is the way I treat my clients, and I always try to give them more service than they expect.  I am there for all inspections including all new construction.  I actually have clients flush the toilets, open the windows, make sure that everything works, and I also attend the closings.  Often times, my clients are from out of town, and in those cases we use a “mail away” closing.  I will be in the office, at a time convenient for my client when they can call me.  I review, explain, and summarize each and every document that they need to complete for the finalization of the sale or purchase of their home.  Because of my ADVANCED ACCESS Website, my clients will also be able to find me!”

My success in real estate is because of my ADVANCED ACCESS Website…and the tools that ADVANCED ACCESS has provided to me to accomplish my real estate goals and objectives.  That is what ADVANCED ACCESS does for me…and I appreciate it very, very much!”

ADVANCED ACCESS Annual 2006 Company Picnic

Under clear and sunny skies, ADVANCED ACCESS held its annual employee summer picnic, and treated employees, families, and friends to a wonderful day of food, fun, and excitement on Saturday, June 17^th.

The event was held at spacious Sycamore Park, in the City of Anaheim, California, and provided staff with an opportunity to relax and enjoy an event sponsored by ADVANCED ACCESS CEO Kristina Davis, President Justin Davis, and members of the Senior Management Team.

The picnic featured a collection of the usual types of refreshments and food served at events of these kinds, including hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken.  The menu also included potato and pasta salads, baked beans, soft drinks, and treats including watermelon, brownies, and cookies.

Activities included a dunk-tank, moon-bounce, sumo wrestling, and a water fight (it's tradition).  President Justin Davis also took some time to announce the 2006 Annual Employee Awards that are voted upon by peers and members of staff.  The winners were announced at the picnic and were commended for their hard-work and dedication that they have exhibited during the last year of growth and success for ADVANCED ACCESS.  The award-winners were:

Most Outstanding Administrative/Accounting Representative – Maria Valderrama

Most Outstanding Customer Support Representative – Feather Camacho

Most Outstanding Customer Service Specialist – Sabiha Karim

Most Outstanding Programming/Design/IT Representative – Dave Eagle

Most Outstanding Sales Representative – Tricia Colagrossi

Most Outstanding Manager – Scott Jarvis

Best Overall Employee – Kevin Herzer (for the second year in a row!!)

ADVANCED ACCESS Independence Day Office Closure

ADVANCED ACCESS will close its offices on Tuesday, July 4th in observance of the Independence Day Holiday.

The entire Management Team and our staff wish to take this opportunity to extend to our valued customers, friends and families a most sincere Happy Independence Day!

Normal office hours will resume on Wednesday, July 5, 2006.

ADVANCED ACCESS SALES TEAM MARKETING TIP
“Sell Me Now – Sell Me While You Sold Me – And Then Sell ME AGAIN!”

by David Saitta, Southeast Regional Account Manager

I firmly believe in ADVERTISING #101 – Interrupt, Educate, Engage, & Offer!

We are hit daily with thousands of advertisements, from the billboards on our highways to the jingles between our favorite songs. We see and hear these costly add campaigns; these tactically implemented marketing plans, these highly over-rated pursuits, simply aimed at getting us to spend our time and our money! But do we get the message? Do we understand the product or service? Do we remember the name brands and, most importantly, do we take action when we are “in need” of such products and services at the check-out-counter? Sadly, the majority of us don’t. We don’t because the message failed; the communication channel didn’t work, or there was just too much “noise” for that message to get through and be received properly.

When I make various presentations, I like to simplify my message and use the following terms, which in turn help my audience understand some of the ideas I like to share with them.

Marketing is simply defined as the ability to effectively communicate a message between two parties with the least amount of “noise.” Noise is simply defined as any “item” that gets in the way of this predetermined message between two parties. Why is it when companies fail in getting the proper message across when it comes to their advertising, their marketing and their promotions? You and I can certainly agree and readily admit, that because of today’s hectic lifestyle: from raising a family to running a business, not to mention having any sort of a personal life, we have to limit our acceptance or interpretation of many if not most of these advertisements defeating the marketers greatest wish, “getting in, getting thru to us, or in some cases, just getting into our heads”, to buy their products and services without question or doubt.

The first step in the four-step process of ADVERTISING # 101 is the Process of Interruption. You must be able to interrupt a person’s mindset – their auto pilot – their daydreaming or work-related activities in order for ANY of these messages to sink in.

An interruption will of course, be weighed by the type of message you’re transmitting, the type of business that you’re in, and the cliental that you’re attempting to reach. I’ve seen success with real estate agents using anything from their Personalized Domain Names to yard signs stuck on the side of the roadway stating “free refrigerators with loan application,” or “we will buy your ugly house!” In most cases, this kind of thinking “outside the box” will get the audience’s attention – or will INTERRUPT their current frame of mind or state of thought, to “get through”– TO INTERRUPT.

Once an individual or audience has been intrigued enough to be “Interrupted,” the next step is to provide them with a reason to stay Interrupted. This is easily done by educating the person about what will happen next! We are all information junkies and have inquisitive minds (the cat wasn’t the only one in trouble for being curious) that lead to getting answers to questions that we didn’t even know we needed minutes beforehand… “stay tuned”, “to be continued”, what will happen next? The second step, in our ADVERTISING #101 is the Process of Education!

The most important step today is making sure that our clients are properly educated in today’s real estate marketplace can be almost anything that will help them save “Time and Money.” Show them steps and procedures that speed up the entire home shopping process (using your ADVANCED ACCESS Website, of course), and help them save some money on the front or back end of a sale and you’ve just made a client for life. INTERRUPT and EDUCATE.!

Our third step in this four-step journey is of course, the Process of Engagement! ENGAGEMENT, takes just a blanket advertisement or a simple commercial message to the “next level”, a level that actually causes the subject to feel a personal relationship or responsibility related to the actual advertisement. You are engaging them on an example or personal level, causing a positive response and encouraging them to have a positive action to this message, (something they can relate to – something that may affect their daily lives).

ENGAGEMENT can take place anywhere from knowing your audience ahead of time, to hitting them with valuable reasons why they should take immediate actions from your message, even if it’s a “why-not reason” that they might encounter or want to try to avoid. “Did you know that the average home owner can spend huge amounts on costly repairs because they didn’t exercise their home warranty?” INTERRUPT, EDUCATE, ENGAGE & …

Wrapping up our quick ADVERTISING #101 lesson, we approach the final step in this four- step process which is to create ultimate action or the Process of Offer! We want more phone calls, we want more hits on our Website, we want more referrals and more opportunities to make sales, and so therefore we need a method to create action by offering. “Makes sense, doesn’t it?” Our OFFER could be free reports that you have access to through your ADVANCED ACCESS Website. It can be the final reason that your potential clients request your service or assistance. Your offer doesn’t have to be a product or service that you are “giving away.” It’s actually the closing statement in your message that asks for a response that requires another step that persuades action, or in this case, motivates your visitor to take the next step…

ADVERTISING #101 = INTERRUPT, EDUCATE, ENGAGE & OFFER

I have used these methods many times over, seeing first-hand, positive experiences, but let me say this as well: you can’t expect miracles the first time around for most things, and this process certainly isn’t any different. There’s an acronym that I firmly stand by: I.P.R., which stands for Inform, Persuade and Remind, very similar to the message that we’ve just covered, but narrowing it down to a three-step process; both are effective; both are needed. If you’re lost for words when thinking of items to add to your site to strategize in reaching your clients – just remember – “…Tell them what your going to tell them, Tell them, and Tell them what you just told them!”

In closing, I am also a huge proponent of the “P & V,” which stands for Professionalism and Value. These two qualities will help define your strategy, method, and work ethic, and will ultimately separate all of us from the competition. Make sure you receive these two from everyone that you do business with, but most importantly, that you service as one of your clients as well.

I hope this has been helpful as well as interesting. Happy marketing and advertising everyone…and remember, have FUN!

David Saitta is a Southeast Regional Account Manager for ADVANCED ACCESS in the Greater Florida region. He travels extensively making educational and informative presentations at conventions, Association trade shows, tech expos and office meetings. His presentations range from 20-minutes “info-meetings” to 2-hour seminars, and cover a wide range of current topics to meet your Internet real estate marketing needs. To find out more about David Saitta, you can visit his Website at www.dsaitta.aademosite.com, or contact David about scheduling a visit at your next office meeting or perhaps a speaking engagement at your State or local tradeshow or convention. Send David an e-mail at info@DSaitta.aademosite.com, or call him on his Direct Line at (321) 287-7735.

Featured Employee of the Month: Brian Harnish

Brian Harnish was born in Fountain Valley, California, and was raised in the nearby cities of Orange and Villa Park.  His family is comprised of three children – including two step-sisters, Shawna & Melissa.  He graduated from Villa Park High School, and is currently between semesters in college, taking some time off to decide a career path and which specific college to attend.

He has worked in the customer service industry for approximately 6-years, and prior to joining the ADVANCED ACCESS family in January 2006, worked for Town & Country Credit as a Mortgage Loan Officer, and prior to that as a Business Services Sales Representative for CompUSA.  Website design and graphics has always been a passion with Brian.  In fact, he has 8 years of freelance Website Design experience, and in the future plans to move in this general career direction.

Brian says, "My job as a New Account Specialist allows me the chance to impart my knowledge of web site design practices. I've been able to share with my clients specific information they can use to help make their web sites much better graphically than they would be otherwise. That's the aspect of my job that I enjoy the most."

New Account Specialist Manager, Angela Cortez, says, "Brian Harnish is a great example of what a top-notch Customer Support Representative should be.  His friendly demeanor can brighten anybody’s day, and his dedication to his clients is evident in the positive feedback we receive about his service.  It is a pleasure to have him on our team!"

Brian's hobbies include creating designs for the world wide web and tinkering around with Photoshop to see how many different things he can do and researching the various techniques involved in creating high quality web site graphics.  Other hobbies include playing the keyboard, guitar, and painting.  Plus, he enjoys watching films on his home theater and seeing how loud he can listen to it before the neighbors begin complaining!  Of course, he says he's just kidding about the noise.

We were delighted that Brian won one of our raffle prizes at the ADVANCED ACCESS 2006 Company Picnic.  He deserves a "pat on the back" for all of his hard work!