Successful realtors need to work diligently and take advantage of educational opportunities, say agents based in Chattanooga. Realtors can work smarter by using technological tool like computer programs that help Realtors remember their clients' birthdays, home-purchasing anniversaries, or other special dates. The Internet, fax, and PC have made the sector more professional, says Elgin Smith of RealtyCenter, because they enhance how agents interact. For example, numerous listing services let agents share listings. Agents can also send newsletters to clients and other acquaintances to publicize their name, says Ann Hale of ERA Central Real Estate. Crye-Leike Realtor Rommel Ramos, meanwhile, plans to obtain the e-PRO designation, which teaches agents the fundamentals of using the Internet for real estate transactions. And Kim O'Leary with RealtyCenter/GMAC says it is important to follow up with customers, especially if advertising is undertaken.
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Realtors in Central Florida have to deal with native speakers of some 40 languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, Polish, French , Russian, and Tagalog. The Orlando Regional Realtor Association's Web site features a list of dozens of multilingual realtors who together are proficient in upwards of 20 languages. Similarly, the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches posts property listings on the Internet in 11 different languages. The group also offers training classes to facilitate the understanding of cultural differences. Realtors can also earn a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) accreditation, which is approved by the National Association of Realtors. Participants are trained in such areas as international real estate, and about 1,500 realtors across the country have the designation. "It's a changing world," notes Megan Roth, manager of international networks for the National Association of Realtors in Chicago. She says a significant driver of housing sales is from immigration, and realtors need to figure out how to draw that business. Teri Singleton, president of Casselberry-based World Title Group, which conducts real estate closings and issues title insurance, also believes it is crucial to be able to conduct business in different languages; her firm offers services in more than 30 languages.
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There are more than 12,000 active real-estate agents and brokers in Hawaii, and the industry attracted a total of 2,000 newcomers during the 2004 fiscal year as the state's housing market heated up. Prospective licensees can take training courses at the Stapleton Hawaii Institute of Real Estate and other schools. Most accept jobs at large realty companies after they are licensed, moving on to independent firms once they gain some experience. New agents and brokers must be prepared to shell out about $2,500 for business cards, membership dues, business liability insurance, and access to Web listings. They also need cell phones, computers, digital cameras, and a mode of transportation if they plan to be successful. Honolulu Board of Realtors President Mary Begier believes newcomers should go into the field for the right reasons, not simply because the market is booming. "If you're going to sell something, you need to sell something you can really believe in. The people that get into the business thinking statistics and sales are going up are probably not going to be satisfied," she remarks.
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Though Santa Fe Properties, French and French Fine Properties, and Town and Ranch Real Estate together employee over a third of the Santa Fe Association of Realtors' 966 members, smaller Realtors say they are doing just fine in Santa Fe, concentrating on niche markets, capitalizing on contacts made over the years, and combining efforts with other small agents. John Grover, who along with his real estate agent wife operate Grover Realty, says that computers and access to the Internet are big equalizers. "It used to be only large agencies had the money for a Web site and a listing on the Internet. Now all listings go to the Internet."
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According to a Realestate.com survey of more than 700 home buyers and sellers, 43 percent of respondents believe the ideal real-estate agent exhibits "prompt responsiveness." Nearly a quarter of those polled say that paying attention to client needs is most important, while 15 percent expect agents to be experts in their markets. Use of technology and savvy negotiating tactics were deemed important by 13 percent and 6 percent of respondents, respectively.
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Realtor Alyson Canepa based in Longmont, Colo., is using cutting-edge technology to enhance how she communicates in both her work and personal life. She accesses broadband Internet at home to download pictures of houses for clients. This summer, Canepa replaced her regular telephone service with Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which lets her make and receive calls via the Internet. Her VoIP service is provided by VoipNuke.com, a reseller of 8x8 Inc.'s Packet8 service that operates across Level 3 Communications' worldwide network. She pays only about $20 per month for such features as voice mail, caller ID, and toll-free long distance calls, which she uses to contact her rental properties in Northern Colorado. VoIP customers usually have the option of installing a conversion box to accept and make calls via existing telephones, or they can pay for a new IP-based phone system. Users are allocated a local phone number but can use their PC or notebook computer to make a network connection almost anywhere in the world, thereby making calls as if they were still in their local area. Research firm Gartner predicts that by the end of 2005, VoIP customers in the United States will number 6 million. Industry observers believe AT&T, Level 3, and Qwest will be successful VoIP players because they have the advantage of owning their own networks and the ability to give priority to voice services.
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BlackBerrys and newer cell phones equipped with keyboards and Web browsers help make email mobile and accessible almost anywhere at anytime, such as riding an elevator or a delay on an airplane. Washington, D.C.-based telecommunications lawyer William Wilhelm uses the tools to multitask. Recent models of BlackBerrys, Treos, and other email-enabled wireless devices cost about $200 to $500 for the latest models, in addition to monthly connection fees of about $40. However, AT&T Wireless recently unveiled a less expensive alternative--the $99 Ogo, which features email and messaging for $17.99 per month. Instat/MDR analyst Neil Strother predicts that as prices plummet, more and more people will rely on these devices as an alternative to their desktop PCs. "There's a competitive pressure if you're not responsive to email," notes Wilhelm. However, some fear that office workers might use the devices for non-work related issues, resulting in distractions at business meetings and in other settings.
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Mobile workers now have access to portable devices that establish temporary Wi-Fi hot spots via high-speed Internet connections. Some of the products currently available include the Netgear Travel Router, D-Link Pocket Router, and SMC Networks Inc.'s EZ Link Wireless Traveler's Kit, which range in price from $50 to $84. However, portable routers have a range of just 20 feet to 25 feet, while a standard Wi-Fi kit boasts a range of 160 feet or more.
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Neil Goldberg said he founded the Gate 3 WorkClub in Emeryville, Calif., in recognition of the shifting social fabric of the American workplace as an alternative to working at home or in the office. "WorkClub is an environment where you can stop and work for anything from a minute to all day long, whenever you feel like it," says Goldberg. "When you're there, you're very likely to have a social experience rather than the kind of isolation you experience at home." Gate 3 is a cheaper and more flexible alternative to corporate suites, offering access to common spaces for $300 a year, a private cube for $8 an hour, conference and meeting rooms from $12 to $40 an hour, secretarial help for $35 an hour, IT help for $95 to $135 an hour, and photocopying, faxing, and printing at lower prices than at Kinko's, all in an environment more reminiscent of a hippy hangout than a place of business, replete with a rooftop garden, massage room, and soon a cafe. With about 60 members, most professionals and some real estate agents, Gate 3 has six people on staff and is open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., though Goldberg hopes to keep it open 24/7 once the concept catches on. The establishment also hosts Tuesday night networking and brainstorming sessions and will soon provide seminars on topics such as finance and career development.
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4SmartPhone gives smaller business users access to the same mobile solutions as large companies at a more affordable price. With 4SmartPhone, Realtors and professionals in other industries can use handheld devices to check their e-mail, calendars, and contact information. Cradleless synchronization allows them to send, receive, and manage e-mails and attachments in real time. 4SmartPhone also offers several security features, including spam and virus filters and encryption tools. Companies that have implemented 4SmartPhone have seen their productivity jump by more than 30 percent, and one Realtor says the technology saves a couple of hours every day. REMAX EXCALIBUR's Kris Anderson testifies that lugging around a laptop or returning to the office to check e-mails and look over contracts is now a thing of the past.
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In spite of the emergence of sophisticated technological products, including the Internet, calculators continue to be important to real estate agents, accountants, financial planners, and mortgage brokers in helping them conduct their business. Calculators are utilized to decide rates and fees, and can be used to attract mortgage lenders by enabling them to figure how much of a house they can afford and their hypothetical mortgage rate. Calculated Industries of Carson City sells a handheld Qualifier IIIx and a Qualifier IIIfx desktop model intended for use by residential real estate brokers and mortgage originators. Simple changes like altering the "n" multiple for loan periods to "term" are important in this field, notes Calculated Industries' president, Steve Kennedy, since "term" is "what a realtor or a mortgage person would call the length of a loan." Calculators have been discovering their place in the field ever since the birth and installation of automated software programs backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac started making headway in main offices. Improvements are still occurring, with the newest for Qualifier being a device comparing an 80-10-10 loan, a percentage model that Kennedy explains "allows you to avoid private mortgage insurance," or the more typical 90-10 with insurance included. Kennedy adds that employing the devices in the field permits certain physical benefits, meaning brokers and agents can sit down next to a client to discuss financials, compared to a laptop, which he believes can create a formal barrier in an otherwise informal setting.
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There are a multitude of financial software packages available to small businesses, which has prompted some small business owners to turn to counselors and consultants for help in selecting the ones that best meet their needs. User-friendly options include Intuit's QuickBooks Pro, Microsoft's Small Business Manager, and MYOB's MYOB Plus. These programs are suitable for small businesses that want to print checks and invoices, create expense reports, and monitor inventory, among other things. Those looking to protect their computers and data from viruses and other security threats should consider McAfee's Active VirusScan SMB Edition and Symantec's Norton Antivirus. However, University of Connecticut's Small Business Development Center director Dennis Gruell urges small businesses interested in creating their own Web sites to opt for a professional over a software program. "Software is a tool to automate tasks," he remarks. "It's not going to run your business for you."
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Wireless technologies can increase the productivity of agents and the efficiency in administrative tasks. HP iPAQ, a pocket PC, provides users with wireless email connections, WiFi hotspot connections, instant messaging, voice-activated dialing, Internet access, data storage, and much more. Because the device has GSM and DPSR capabilities, data can be easily transferred wirelessly. Panasonic Computer Solutions Company recently unveiled the Toughbook CF-Y2, which is a light notebook computer with long-lasting battery power, and wireless capabilities. Other devices can be purchased for each device to allow for wireless printing, and some devices are now offering GPS tracking to provide agents on the road with driving directions.
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Small businesses with mobile workers have access to scores of wireless devices, so they should determine how much power they need and make a list of must-have features to narrow down their choices. Given that they must also think about security and network integration, small businesses without IT workers on staff would be wise to hire a professional who can help them select the technology that best meet their needs. "While great for productivity, mobile/wireless software is not yet as easy to set up and use as 'plug-and-play' desktop software," remarks iAnywhere Solutions senior product manager Martyn Mallick about the importance of a knowledgeable integrator partner. Companies that plan to expand their operations sometime in the future should opt for flexibility, focusing on devices that can be integrated with databases and other backend systems.
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Cell phones are no longer simple communication tools. They are now equipped with keyboards, color screens, Web and email access, and software to run Word and Excel applications, among other things. Handspring's Treo 600 is just one such device emerging in the business world as a laptop replacement. Many companies are embracing smart phones because they are cheaper than laptops and desktops--at just $450 to $800--but boast similar features. However, laptops will not be edged out completely due to the inability of smart phones to run Power Point presentations or sophisticated modeling software. Future smart phones will be able to handle corporate applications; manage calls like email messages; and make calls over the Internet.
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Legal counsels and other professionals who work on the road are increasingly using wireless devices like smartphones and mobile email devices to stay connected to the home office via wireless networking. Blackberry, a mobile email tool, features a QWERTY keyboard for sending emails and can boost productivity because "you can get [the answer] you want when you want it," unlike voicemail, says Terry Bienstock, general counsel of Comcast Cable Communications. Blackberries can be used to send emails, and newer models allow phone calls too. The $500 BlackBerry 6750, for example, is compact and has email, phone, and SMS messaging functions and is compatible with the Verizon Wireless network. Smartphones feature sophisticated calendar and contact functions that can be synchronized with PCs and office networks' databases like Micros Exchange email server. However, many smartphones still use a phone keypad, which makes inputting data more tedious. Nevertheless, Nokia's 6800 series devices have a special foldout keyboard that makes data entry simpler. Another type of wireless device is the $450 PalmOne Treo 600, which lets users input information using a stylus as well as the "Graffiti" alphabet; Treo can also be used to synchronize data with a PC and is compatible with AT&T Wireless, Cingular, Sprint, and T-Mobile networks.
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