RMLSweb and the iPad (Operating system version 4.2)

Guest post by Terry Romel, RMLS™ Help Desk Manager


With the recent release of the new iPad operating system (Version 4.2) some important changes occurred in the way the iPad interacts with RMLSweb.

As you may recall from my last iPad post, RMLSweb works best with Internet Explorer 6+. All of the RMLSweb system functionality is available and fully supported on IE 6+ (although honestly you should be well past IE 6 by now). Obviously the iPad does not use IE as a browser, and that immediately created some challenges when using the iPad with RMLSweb. In fact the challenges were so diverse the decision was made to re-direct the iPad browser (typically Safari) to the RMLS™ mobile site, to ensure the iPad user wouldn’t be tasked with dealing with the challenges. This was not a popular decision with iPad users but was really necessary due to substantial data integrity issues when using RMLSweb.

With this OS update, and based on substantial testing by RMLS™ technical staff, we are confident that some of the core RMLSweb functionality lacking in the first iPad operating system is now working as it should. That is not to say that the entire RMLSweb system works with the iPad, but simply that it is more functional with this operating system update than it was before. As such, it was decided to remove the automatic re-direct to the RMLS™ mobile site and allow the iPad access to logging in to the RMLSweb site. There are still inconsistencies in several areas of RMLSweb, but most Search functions work as expected and most importantly return an accurate set of search results.

Please keep in mind that while we certainly agree that the iPad is a wonderful new tool that fits well in the real estate space and undoubtedly has many other benefits for our Realtor® subscribers, accessing RMLSweb and expecting full functionality is just not yet possible. As we move forward in the evolution of RMLSweb you will see more functionality available through the iPad.

If you have any specific questions about what does and does not work with the iPad and RMLSweb please contact the RMLS™ Help Desk. The RMLS™ Help Desk is available 8AM-7PM Mon-Thursday; 8AM-5PM Friday & 10AM-2PM Saturday. Call 503-872-8002 or 877-256-2169 (toll-free).



December Real Estate Events & Education

This December, take advantage of FREE RMLSweb training

Here’s a quick rundown of upcoming real estate events and education for December in Oregon and Southern Washington. If you have an event that is not listed here, please let us know by commenting below. For future events, please send an e-mail to communications (at) rmls (dot) com.

RMLS™ reminder:
On December 8, any RMLS™ subscribers who have not changed their Private ID in the last 30 days will need to do so before they are allowed into RMLSweb. Between now and December 8, you can voluntarily change your Private ID using the User Preferences option in RMLSweb‘s Toolkit.

Events around the region:

-December 1: Oregon Association of REALTORS® presents the Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource class.

-December 1: A blood drive will be held in the parking lot of Prudential NW Properties, 17700 SE Mill Plain Blvd in Vancouver, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information call 360-816-9418.

-December 1-20: The Building Hope for Children Lego Drive will be held at various locations through December 20. For locations or more information, click here.

-December 4: Oregon REALTORS® Young Professionals Network hosts a Civil War Tailgating Event at Reser Stadium before the big game. To RSVP, click here.

-December 8: Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland presents the HBA Annual Housing Forecast.

-December 9: Women’s Council of REALTORS® hosts the RMLS™ Tech Update featuring Nick Church, as a part of its continuing Real Estate Business Resource Breakfast Series. Note: Please bring a toy for Candlelighters for Children with Cancer.

-December 9: Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation hosts a training class for real estate professionals who would like to volunteer in Lane, Marion, and Clackamas counties to help with intake and processing for families facing foreclosure. To volunteer, fill out this application, and for more information click here.

-December 9-10: Earth Advantage Institute hosts the S.T.A.R. Earth Advantage Broker Certification course.

Also, if you are an RMLS™ subscriber, we have lots of FREE opportunities for continuing education credit at a location near you; click the link for your area to view the December Training Calendar:

–Coos County
–Eastern Oregon
–Eugene
–Gresham
–Hood River
–Portland
–Roseburg
–Salem
–Vancouver



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of November 15 – November 21

Activity decreases slightly in both states

When comparing the week of November 15 – November 21 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox decreased 2.6% in Washington and 2.1% in Oregon.

Washington

Oregon

Archive

View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.



eKEY for Android Adapters Now Available at RMLS™

Set up eKEY Basic service on your Android!

RMLS™ now has Supra eKEY for Android adapters and eKEY Basic service is also available on the Android. Now you can use your Android phone as a key to open iBoxes, as well as track your lockbox inventory. eKEY for Android has the same features and functionality as eKEY for iPhone!

We recommend that you check out the Demo mode version of the software before coming in to purchase your adapter. To access the Demo mode, open up the Market application on your Android and search for “eKEY.” Also, please bring in your existing/current key with you when you come in to sign up for the adapter.

In order to use an Android as an eKEY, the Supra eKEY Adapter will need to be purchased. The eKEY Adapter is a small device that is easy to set up, much like a Bluetooth® headset and will add infrared capability to your Android. Adapters are available at your local RMLS™ office for $50.00. The adapter is the same one that Blackberry and Windows devices use, so you can save $50.00 if transferring phones. Also, eKEY Basic service costs $13.50 per month, less than $3 per month more than the ActiveKey and includes the ability to manage your lockbox inventory and change lockbox hours and shackle codes from your phone.

Take a look at this Supra eKEY for Android flyer for more information. To see if your phone is compatible, view this Certified Devices flyer.



Why RMLS™ is Like a Thanksgiving Dinner

As Thanksgiving approaches, I inevitably begin to focus more and more on one concept: FOOD. I know I can’t be the only one who spends the Monday through Wednesday before Thanksgiving (and let’s face it, most of Thursday) in drooling agony, visions of drumsticks and slices of pie dancing through my head. So forgive this post’s extended metaphor, wherein I try to put off my hunger pangs by describing how RMLS™ is like a classic Thanksgiving dinner.

The turkey = The relationship between RMLS™ and subscribers. Much like the turkey is the end-all, be-all of Thanksgiving dinner (sorry, vegetarians and vegans), the relationships we build with our subscribers make up the centerpiece of RMLS™, which in turn help our subscribers connect their clients with their dream properties. We couldn’t be more thankful for all of our subscribers, and we’re sure your clients would agree.

The stuffing = Subscribers who serve. Stuffing provides volume and flavor to the turkey, just like RMLS™ is greatly helped by the generous REALTOR® subscribers who donate their time and efforts to our Board of Directors, Service Advisory Committee, Technology Committee, Forms Committee, Rules & Regulations Committee, and any other task forces as needed.

Mashed potatoes = Your suggestions and feedback. In my opinion, no Thanksgiving dinner goes down easily without mashed potatoes and similarly, your feedback helps greatly improve RMLS™. Your suggestions and comments reflect the wide variety of our subscriber base, the same way everyone has a different concept of the perfect mashed potatoes, whether they’re smooth, chunky, garlic or smothered in gravy. Our Subscriber Satisfaction Survey (ends Wednesday, November 24!) provides us with some of the best insights into what you are thinking, and we love your honesty in helping make our service even better. We also love getting suggestions through RMLSweb (just click on “Questions/Comments” under the “Toolkit” toolbar) and we always take these comments into consideration when deciding on future improvements.

Gravy = Connecting with RMLS™. I like to pour gravy over my whole plate, tying all the dishes together; similarly, your various ways of connecting with us help us to bridge the gap between RMLS™ and its subscribers. Through comments on this blog, Twitter or our Facebook page, and interactions via email and phone calls to the Help Desk, we love having a two-way conversation with our subscribers!

Cranberry sauce = Your patience. Although I have never, ever liked cranberry sauce, it would not be Thanksgiving dinner without a can-shaped, red blob in the middle of the table. Similarly, your consistent patience with us as we strive to make improvements, respond to your questions and requests, and the (hopefully rare) occasions where something just happens to go wrong are greatly appreciated.

Apple pie = Events! Much like a spectacular dessert at the end of a delicious meal, we love interacting personally with subscribers at various events such as our free classes or our RMLS™ Trade Fair (exhibitor registration now open!). We look forward to seeing many more of you in the coming new year!

Loose metaphors aside, everyone here at RMLS™ is extremely thankful for all of our subscribers and the passion, excitement, and varying perspectives you all provide. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and may your dinner tables be filled with delicious food and joyful company.



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of November 8 – November 14

Activity dips in mid November

When comparing the week of November 8 – November 14 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox decreased 2.8% in Washington and 5.3% in Oregon.

Washington

Oregon

Archive

View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.



Are “Walkable Cities” a Bright Light in Real Estate?

How does this affect Washington and Oregon?

A new Brookings Institute study predicts the future of real estate is in “walkable cities,” described as, “walkable, accessible communities with convenient transit linkages and good public services like libraries, cultural activities, and health care.” This is good news for Oregon and Washington, an area of the country particularly rich with interesting, walkable (and bikeable, of course) towns!

According to the report, the new real estate boom will come from the “Millennial” generation, or the kids of the Baby Boomers, born between 1977 and 1994, who amount to 76 million of our country’s population. (Full disclosure: I am one of those 76 million.) The report claims that Millennial aspirations “have been informed by ‘Friends’ and ‘Sex in the City’, shows set in walkable urban places, as opposed to their parents’ mid-century imagery of ‘Leave It to Beaver’ and ‘The Brady Bunch,’ set in the drivable suburbs.” (Unfortunately, the above examples of ‘Friends’ and ‘Sex in the City’ don’t quite match the ideal, walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods described elsewhere in the report, since both shows were set in New York City. But that’s beside the point.)

Rest assured: this study does not mean that Millennials will flock to Portland and abandon Oregon’s smaller towns. In fact, the report uses as a prime example Utah’s preparations for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In addition to building up Salt Lake City, Utah built up the entire surrounding four-county area to create a large variety of “dense walkable neighborhoods built around transit stops.” Additionally, Portland is used as an example of transit directly benefitting real estate, stating that the city’s decision to spend $50 million on the downtown streetcar created $3.5 billion in private-sector development around the streetcar lines.

The best news in the report simply counteracts the onslaught of bad housing news the media seems to focus on these days. Simply put, when the Millennials begin buying houses, they will constitute the largest market of first-time homebuyers in history. This is good news for everyone. Similarly, with a focus on public transit and less of a reliance on personal cars, homeowners will have more cash on hand. The study cites an astonishing figure: Cutting one car out of the typical household budget can allow that family to afford a $100,000 larger mortgage.

Overall, this spells good news for Oregon and Washington, which contain a wide variety of interesting, green communities (both large and small) that greatly appeal to Millennials. As this generation begins to wade into the housing market, the future of the real estate market in the Pacific Northwest looks very hopeful.



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of November 1 – November 7

Activity increases in Washington and Oregon

When comparing the week of November 1 – November 7 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox increased 9.8% in Washington and 1.4% in Oregon.

Washington

Oregon

Archive

View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of October 25 – October 31

Activity dips during week of Halloween

When comparing the week of October 25 – October 31 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox decreased 4.5% in Washington and 3.6% in Oregon.

Washington

Oregon

Archive

View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.



Bar or Line Graph? You Choose!

Listing View Counts has a new graph feature

We’ve had a lot of positive feedback regarding our new Listing View Counts feature on RMLSweb. As you know, Listing View Counts allows listing agents to see how often the public and other subscribers are viewing their listings. To make Listing View Counts even better, we’ve added a new graph feature that allows you to see a graph of listing views for the last 30 days!

You have the choice between inserting a bar graph, a line graph, or no graph at all into your report. We have also combined the RMLSweb Mobile Detail counts with the RMLSweb Detail counts.

Here is an example of the bar graph:

(Click on the graphs to view larger images)

 

Here is an example of the line graph:

 

If you’d like more information on Listing View Counts or the new graph feature, view the How to Use Listing View Counts document or the Accessing Listing View Counts online tutorial.

For additional information, please contact RMLS™ Training at 503-236-7657 or for immediate assistance you can contact the RMLS™ Help Desk at 503-872-8002 (toll free 877-256-2169 or via e-mail at helpdesk@rmls.com).