CMA Success Story Contest

Enter to win one month of free RMLS™ dues!

We’ve noticed that several of you have been using the new RMLSweb Comparative Market Analysis and we’d like to hear about what’s working for you.

Send us your success story about how you have used the new CMA  and you can win one month of free RMLS™ dues and your story will be featured on our blog!  There will be only one lucky winner, but any additional submissions that we find inspiring will be compiled into a blog post at a later date.

Details of the contest:

  • Entry is a story about how you have successfully used CMA
  • Your story can be a maximum of 200 words
  • Type your entry into the body of an email
  • Submit your entry via email to communications@rmls.com
  • Must be submitted by June 30th, 2010
  • Winner will be notified by July 1st, 2010
  • All submissions may be published by RMLS™ at later date

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.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing your submissions for our contest!



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through June 6

Down slightly in Washington, but up slightly in Oregon

When comparing the week of May 31 – June 6 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox decreased 2.1% in Washington and increased 2.2% in Oregon.



Click the chart for a larger view

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



New RMLSweb Feature: Links Available for City and County Names

Learn more about an area by clicking the links!

Recently, RMLSweb was updated with several new features. One of these features is the ability to view a city or county’s Web page by one simple click of the mouse. In client and agent reports, most city and county names are now links to local Web sites of municipalities for that area.

This can be useful if you have a client who currently lives in Ashland, Oregon, but is interested in buying a home in Portland, Oregon. After performing searches to find an appropriate listing that meets your client’s needs, you can email them a client report and they have the ability to also view the city or county’s Web page for more information.

By looking at the city or county’s Web page, your client can decide if that particular area would be a good fit for their needs. This new feature can also be used by agents who would like to learn more about a particular area in order to educate potential clients.

Take a look at the image below. This listing has links for both the city (Portland) and the county (Multnomah). These links will take the viewer to the official Web site for the city of Portland and to the Multnomah County home page.

How else have you used this new link feature?



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of May 24 – 30

Activity takes a downward turn in Washington and Oregon

When comparing the week of May 24 – May 30 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox decreased 8.4% in Washington and decreased 8.8% in Oregon.


Click the chart for a larger view

Archive

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



New RMLSweb CMA Available Now!

The new, improved CMA report has arrived

The transformed RMLSweb CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) has a brand new look and feel, as well as a new location! In addition to an extensive remodel of CMA, RMLSweb also now contains a Radius Search and enhanced User Preferences. Creating a CMA has never been easier and yet offered so many customizable options to set your CMA apart from the rest!

Highlights of the CMA include:

1) Navigate forwards and backwards without losing data
2) Adding comparables via seven different methods (MLS Numbers, Radius Search, Map Search, Address Search, Advanced Search, MLS Number Search, Saved MLS Numbers)
3) Saving the CMA in progress
4) Printing to PDF, printing to your printer, or e-mail with the touch of a button
5) Reorder your comparables or the pages of your CMA report by dragging and dropping them into the order you desire
6) Incorporate properties that are in different categories (ex: Farms/Ranches + Lots/Lands)
7) Display your recommended price through a graph
8) Customize your report with pages dedicated to Company Information, your Resume, and/or color themes to match your office/team
9) Auto-populate subject property information with Tax ID or previous MLS #

For more information, print out our quick reference guide.

Want a trainer to come out to your office and demonstrate this enhanced functionality? Call our Training Manager, Kerry Meeuwsen at 503-872-8051 or e-mail kerry.m@rmls.com.



June Real Estate Events & Education

This June, get educated with FREE RMLSweb training

Here’s a quick rundown of upcoming real estate events & education for June 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.

Events around the Region:

–June 3: RMLS™ sponsors the BuzzRE event at McMenamins Edgefield

-June 7: Oregon Chapter Council of Residential Specialists presents the “Ninja Selling with Walt Frey” CRS course in Salem, Oregon

-June 9: Earth Advantage® presents the “What’s Green Building?” seminar

-June 10: Women’s Council of Realtors® Portland Chapter presents the “Keeping You Legal” business resource breakfast

-June 14: PMAR® presents the “Short Sales: The Fine Print” course offering a one hour elective continuing education credit

-June 15: HBA Communications Committee and Sales & Marketing Council present “Building Your Business From the Foundation Up”

-June 22-25: OAR® presents Oregon GRI Course (Realtor® Institute)

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 June Training Calendar:

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



RMLSweb CMA Getting a Makeover in June!

The new, improved CMA report arrives soon

The transformed RMLSweb CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) will have a brand new look and feel, as well as a new location! In addition to an extensive remodel of CMA, RMLSweb will also contain a Radius Search and enhanced User Preferences. Creating a CMA has never been easier and yet offered so many customizable options to set your CMA apart from the rest!

Highlights of the CMA include:

1) Navigate forwards and backwards without losing data
2) Adding comparables via seven different methods (MLS Numbers, Radius Search, Map Search, Address Search, Advanced Search, MLS Number Search, Saved MLS Numbers)
3) Saving the CMA in progress
4) Printing to PDF, printing to your printer, or e-mail with the touch of a button
5) Reorder your comparables or the pages of your CMA report by dragging and dropping them into the order you desire
6) Incorporate properties that are in different categories (ex: Farms/Ranches + Lots/Lands)
7) Display your recommended price through a graph
8) Customize your report with pages dedicated to Company Information, your Resume, and/or color themes to match your office/team

To schedule a preview of the new CMA, contact Kerry Meeuwsen, the RMLS™ Training Manager, at (503) 872-8051 or kerry.m@rmls.com.



Supra Lockbox Activity – Updated Through Week of May 17-23

Activity rises again in both states

When comparing the week of May 17 – May 23 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox increased 1.3% in Washington and increased 2.2% in Oregon.


Click the chart for a larger view

Archive

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



Enhancements to Supra’s Support Line

Updates make support quicker and more efficient

At the end of last year, Supra announced some enhancements that are useful for agents who need to speak to a support representative. Now, when you contact Supra for support, you can enter your serial number and automatically be directed to the correct support representative.

Instead of being required to select from a menu, you will be directed based on your key type, the status of your key, or the status of your account. This means that you will spend less time on the phone.

Here are the key benefits of the new phone system:

  • When calling in, agents will be asked to enter their key serial number and PIN code. This will help confirm that the key is in the possession of the authorized user. The serial number is then used to direct their call to the correct support representative.
  • Because the system knows what kind of key the agent has (based on the serial number), it helps ensure that the agent is connected to the correct representative. In this way the agent can get their questions answered quicker.
  • If a customer doesn’t know their serial number, they will still be able to get assistance by choosing to be directed to a support representative.
  • In some cases, the new system may advise callers to contact their MLS directly. This could happen under specific circumstances such as:
    • The keyholder is on “hold” or “inactive” status.
    • The keyholder is not paid at their MLS.
    • The keyholder’s broker office status is “hold” or “inactive”.

If you have a Supra ActiveKEY, just turn the key over to locate the key serial number. If you have eKEY software on your smart phone or PDA, here are instructions on how to locate your serial number:

Palm based eKey: Open the eKEY application. The very first screen will state the key number and if the key is updated.

Windows Mobile based eKey: Open the eKey Suite and select Options in the lower right hand corner of the screen and then choose “About.”

Blackberry based eKey: Open the eKey application, press the Blackberry Menu Button (the one with the cluster of dots) and choose “About.”



Press Release: RMLS™ Awards Scholarships to PSU Students

For Immediate Release: May 25, 2010

RMLS™ Awards Scholarships to PSU Students

Four Portland State University students receive the RMLS™ Scholarship

PORTLAND, Ore. – RMLS™ (Regional Multiple Listing Service), the largest Realtor®-owned multiple listing service in the Northwest, has donated four $1,000 scholarships to students in Portland State University’s Center for Real Estate program.

             “We are pleased to be a part of PSU’s program because we understand the importance of attracting motivated and skillful individuals into the real estate industry,” said Kurt von Wasmuth, President and CEO of RMLS™.

            The award reception, which was held last Friday, May 21 in PSU’s Urban Center, was comprised of students, teachers and those working in the Portland real estate community, to honor those receiving scholarships. The recipients of the RMLS™ scholarship were: Raihana Ansary, Eric Hayes, Emily Picha and Nicholas Wright.

            With an array of food and beverages, the reception was an intimate gathering and gave students the chance to speak with a representative of the company that sponsored their scholarship. These motivated young students spoke of the various projects they were working on and enlightened the crowd about their desire to pursue goals in the real estate industry.

            “Each of the RMLS™ Scholarship recipients is a student in Portland State’s Graduate Certificate program in Real Estate Development, which is a 25-credit program focused in training in real estate finance, real estate development, and real estate economics,” said Director of the Center for Real Estate, Dr. Gerard C.S. Mildner.

As stated on PSU’s Center for Real Estate program’s Web site, The Center strives to “provide the real estate industry with talented and well-prepared graduates seeking careers in real estate.”

            The reception demonstrated the success of Portland State’s program in helping to mold students into future leaders of the real estate world.

About RMLS™

RMLS™ produces and provides multiple listing and related services to facilitate cooperation between its more than 12,000 REALTOR® subscribers. It is the primary source for real estate information and the premier Multiple Listing Service in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, visit www.rmlsbenefits.com.

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