October Real Estate Events & Education

This October, take advantage of FREE RMLSweb training

Here’s a quick rundown of upcoming real estate events & education for October in Oregon & 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™ Events:

– October 14: RMLS™ Fall Education Summit and Trade Fair at The Mill Casino in North Bend (Coos Bay area), Oregon.

Events around the Region:

– October 2: Salem Association of Realtors® and Community Fund, Inc. presents the Expect the Unexpected talent showcase.

– October 4: Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors® hosts PMAR’s Got Talent, a talent show at the Tiffany Center in Portland.

– October 7-8: The Oregon Chapter Council of Residential Specialists presents CRS 201: Listing Stategies, a two-day course in Bend, Oregon.

– October 7-8: The Oregon/SW Washington Certified Commercial Investment Members chapter presents the 2010 Regional Commercial Real Estate Conference.

– October 12: Oregon Association of Realtors® hosts the Law and Rule Required Course.

– October 14: Women’s Council of Realtors® Greater Portland Chapter presents Business Resource Breakfast – Business Planning.

– October 28: Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors® hosts At Home with Diversity course.

In addition to these events, RMLS™ is offering a new training course called CMA & Statistics. Here is a brief description about the class:

Want to be the expert in your market area? Want to better explain pricing to your clients? In this class we’ll show you how to get the statistical and comparable data you need to do just that. We’ll use the RMLSweb Statistical module to examine MLS Areas for trends and the CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) module to search for comps to create a customized report that stands apart from the rest.

Also, if you’re 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 October Training Calendar:

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



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of September 13 – 19

Activity rises in Washington and Oregon

When comparing the week of September 13 – September 19 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox increased 9.2% in Washington and 6.4% in Oregon.


Archive

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



RMLS™ Subscriber a Finalist for the 2010 REALTOR® Technology Spotlight Award

Congrats to Kelly Ranstad of Hybrid Real Estate

The Center for REALTOR® Technology (CRT) holds an award each year to honor REALTORS® who have shown excellence and visionary use of technology. This year, an RMLS™ subscriber has been announced as a finalist for the 2010 REALTOR® Technology Spotlight Award. Congratulations are in order for Kelly Ranstad, principal broker and owner of Hybrid Real Estate!

According to CRT, the award aims to recognize those who have implemented, created or embraced technology in a way that shows understanding of the medium and therefore puts them in a ‘best in class’ category. In addition, these individuals utilize innovative and effective strategies and increase awareness within the real estate industry of technology trends. For more on the award, visit CRT’s website.

Kelly Ranstad has been kind enough to give us some intellectual morsels in response to questions regarding this award. Her answers provide key insights into how technology can be useful for real estate professionals. Below are her answers:

In what ways have you used or implemented technology to get you recognized for this award?

Kelly: It is very easy to get caught up with a lot of “meaningless” technology as a REALTOR®. Agents can spend a lot of time and money on programs that are ineffective and often difficult to use. One of my roles within my company, Hybrid Real Estate, is to train agents on how to implement technological tools that are relatively inexpensive, but extremely effective when used correctly. A lot of agents would like to do more with the Internet, but don’t know where to start. I offer a class called, “Tech Tuesday,” where agents get together to bring their tech questions and demystify the Web. We have covered a variety of things: From something as easy as e-mail signatures to Facebook and social networking to websites. I have agents that hardly used e-mail before and are now building individual websites for their listings. It’s beautiful!

What were your feelings when it was announced that you were a finalist?

Kelly: I was honored just to be nominated for this award and to be recognized for my efforts nationwide. I am ecstatic! We have put an enormous amount of energy to build our company’s practical implementation of technology and to not just gain Web presence, but to help our REALTORS® secure listings, buyers for those listings, and for the buyers themselves. To be associated with such a young company (only 2 years old in December) and gain this kind of attention already is truly awesome.

How do you think the use and knowledge of technology benefits REALTORS®?

Kelly: In the past many of the technology-based marketing tools that we use today were very expensive, not practical, or overly technical. The tools that make a difference today are affordable, intuitive to use, and can be quickly learned. My focus is to see technology for what it is in today’s market and implement it in a practical way. Our agents don’t want another tool that looks neat, but that doesn’t increase their bottom line. We are talking about “practical technology.” Practical technology is a tool that benefits an agent by attracting more business in an affordable way.

There is a tool right now that I’m anticipating implementing over the next year. I started looking for it a year ago, but it didn’t exist. Six months ago companies popped up and offered what I was looking for. It is very likely that in the next six months it will be affordable and I’ll look forward to implementing the tool into Hybrid Real Estate. It will save everyone time, the company money and allow everyone to do more. That is practical technology and that is what our company is about. It’s about merging everything you have come to expect from a traditional real estate company with that next step in technology. It’s also about understanding where we are with technology, looking for needs within our industry and then anticipating the changes that will happen before it’s already happened. That is what it takes to be on the cutting edge of our industry.

According to Kelly, Hybrid Real Estate’s motto is “Innovation is our Tradition.” The 2010 REALTOR® Technology Spotlight Award is designed to honor individuals such as Kelly, who believe that technology is a powerful tool in the real estate world.



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week Of September 6 – 12

Activity is mixed after Labor Day

When comparing the week of September 6 – September 12 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox decreased 6.4% in Washington and increased 2.2% in Oregon.

Archive

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



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of August 30 – September 5

Activity is mixed in early September

When comparing the week of August 30 – September 5 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox increased 0.1% in Washington and decreased 12.7% in Oregon.

Archive

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



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of August 23 – 29

Activity falls from previous week

When comparing the week of August 23 – August 29 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox decreased 9.7% in Washington and 1.5% in Oregon.


Archive

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



RMLS™ Communications Department Receives Bronze Beacon Award

Awarded for communications plan during the new RMLS™ Comparative Market Analysis release

The RMLS™ Communications Department has been honored with the Bronze Beacon Award of Excellence by the Oregon-Columbia Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (OCIABC).

According to OCIABC, the annual Bronze Beacon Communicator Awards program was created to give local communications professionals the opportunity to showcase their work and receive recognition for communication excellence. Past award recipients include Kaiser Permanente, Nike, Conkling Fiskum & McCormick, and Providence Health & Services.

OCIABC also aims to provide communications professionals with networking and learning opportunities. The organization’s mission is: “To foster excellence and awareness of communications as an integral function of every organization.”

Last spring, members of the RMLS™ Communications Department submitted an entry for the Bronze Beacon Award. The entry was entitled, RMLS™ Comparative Market Analysis Release, and gave a comprehensive overview of the communications plan for the new RMLS™ Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) report feature. The entry included samples of communications tools that were used during the release, as well as a written explanation of the plan’s goals and results. These samples consisted of Twitter, Facebook, RMLSweb and blog posts, as well as printed materials and eight electronic tutorials.

This week, the RMLS™ Communications Department was notified as a recipient of the Bronze Beacon Award of Excellence. This wonderful news has instilled a sense of pride in members of the department, as well as the whole company, who all contributed in making the CMA release possible.

In case you didn’t know that we recently released a new CMA, here is some information about our new, transformed CMA report feature. View our tutorials below:

Or, print out our Creating a New CMA in RMLSweb quick reference guide.

In addition, RMLS™ is offering a new training course called CMA & Statistics. To view the training calendar, log onto RMLSweb, go to Toolkit on the toolbar at the top of the screen and scroll down to Training Calendar.

Or, you can contact the RMLS™ Training department at 503-236-7657 or call help desk toll-free at 1-877-256-2169 or via email at helpdesk@rmls.com



September Real Estate Events & Education

This September, take advantage of FREE RMLSweb training

Here’s a quick rundown of upcoming real estate events & education for September in Oregon & 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™ Events:

-September 30: RMLS™ presents Show Us the Money!, an educational event in Salem. Come hear the latest on USDA Guaranteed and Direct Home Loans that are fully funded and waiting for your clients! Register here!

Events around the Region:

-September 8: Join other brokers for the Sherwood Broker Tour. Meet at the Sherwood Subway sandwich shop at 8:30 a.m. Call Angel Aguiar, Mortgage Broker for Sunset Mortgage Co., directly at 503-437-9000 for more details.

– September 9: Women’s Council of Realtors® Greater Portland Chapter hosts The Real Estate Business Resource Breakfast Series: Cultural Awareness.

-September 16: Oregon Association of Realtors® Home Foundation hosts A Taste of Portland.

-September 16: Clark County Association of Realtors® presents the Barn, Bottles & BBQ benefit.

-September 22: Inman News is taking its Agent Reboot one-day class on the road to 12 cities this year, including Portland on September 22.

-September 27: Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors® hosts the PMAR Education Event.

-September 30: The NE Branch of Oregon First is sponsoring the fundraiser,  Friends of Trees Benefit & Last Thursday Alberta Arts Walk, which is open for all members of the real estate industry.

In addition to these events, RMLS™ is offering a new training course called CMA & Statistics. Here is a brief description about the class:

Want to be the expert in your market area? Want to better explain pricing to your clients? In this class we’ll show you how to get the statistical and comparable data you need to do just that. We’ll use the RMLSweb Statistical module to examine MLS Areas for trends and the CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) module to search for comps to create a customized report that stands apart from the rest.

Also, if you’re 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 September Training Calendar:

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



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of August 16 – 22

Activity up from previous week

When comparing the week of August 16 – August 22 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox increased 7.3% in Washington and 1.5% in Oregon.


Archive

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



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of August 9 – 15

Mixed, yet small, changes in both states

When comparing the week of August 9 – August 15 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox increased 1% in Washington and decreased 0.6% in Oregon.


Archive

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