Spend the day with top brokers, members of National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) leadership, staff, and industry experts at Broker’s Edge! This is your opportunity to receive high-level training from NAR which is only being offered in two states this year.

Broker’s Edge begins with a keynote presentation by Dr. Jennifer Golbeck, Director of the Social Intelligence Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park. Then, political victories and threats to the real estate market will be covered, strategies for brokerage professionalism, tips for hiring the right agents, guides for fighting wire fraud and other cybercrimes. An overview of legal topics and real estate trends will be discussed. You will leave the event feeling empowered and informed!

Seats will fill quickly, so register today! Registration includes lunch and an evening reception, and attendees may earn 4 CE credits. Register for Broker’s Edge with NAR.

MEMBERS EDGE
Network with fellow REALTORS® from across Region 12 at the Members Edge event at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA. This one-day, high-energy conference is geared towards REALTORS® who are eager to learn how cutting-edge technologies, the latest industry news, and NAR resources can benefit their business and clients.

NAR REGION 12 MEETINGS
Stay an extra day or two to collaborate with fellow Region 12 leaders. Get NAR and RPAC updates, learn NAR leadership tips, hear from key NAR candidates, and enjoy a lively presentation from Rick Harris of Ashland.

Note that Member’s Edge and the Region 12 Meetings require separate registration.

Learn more about these events on the Oregon Association of REALTORS® website.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently released a new tool to manage what potential clients learn about you on Realtor.com and major social media sites.

Have you claimed your free Realtor.com profile page yet?

The Realtor.com profile page is a one-stop portal that allows NAR members to connect with clients looking for a REALTOR® while searching for homes on Realtor.com.

The profile allows each REALTOR® to manage the display of information and client recommendations from a variety of social sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This means clients can easily find an experienced REALTOR® with a particular specialization or language, or discover a REALTOR® who has served someone they know. One-stop shopping for clients, and easy lead generation for brokers!

What do you need to start? A NRDS number and your browser. Claim your profile today on Realtor.com, then peruse the quick start guide to make the most of your new profile.

Smartphones are a vital part of daily business for an average REALTOR®, and the National Association of REALTORS® has a great idea for pooling resources.

REpurposed Apps connects REALTORS® to a variety of apps that can be used for real estate business. These apps can be sorted by platform (iOS or Android) or categories like finance, education, or media. Download links are available for each app.

Registered users can recommend or rate apps—and registration is available for anyone with their NRDS number. Users can even share information about how they’ve used an app for real estate that wasn’t necessarily built for real estate.

One area of the site showcases members who are particularly knowledgeable—the member’s top app picks, and how he or she uses each.

Check out a video from Washington REALTORS® about the site:

Which lesser-known apps do you find most useful for your real estate business?

REALTOR.com invites you to attend a free seminar with Stephen Pacinelli, REALTOR.com Vice President of Tech Savvy Agent and Industry Events.

Technology, Relationships, and the New Digital Customer
You already know repeat and referral business is key to your success and growth, but are you optimizing your communications and taking advantage of today’s technology to maximize your potential? Attend this must-see session as Stephen Pacinelli shares best practices data gathered from thousands of REALTORS® across the country.

The following strategies, guidelines, and behaviors will be addressed:
• Consumer expectations in today’s mobile market: learn some crucial mistakes you might be making right now.
• The importance of building, and maintaining, your relationships and the right tools and strategies to scale the workflow.
• How much time and money should you be spending on leads?

Register on the Marketing and Technology Real Estate Series website. Attendance and parking are free, and a complimentary continental breakfast will be available at 8:30am. Attendees could win a copy of the Tech Savvy Agent video coaching series!

Did you know?

• Mid-income buyers, those with income between $55,000-$75,000, are most likely to find their home through an open house compared to those in other income brackets.

• Married and unmarried couples are more likely to walk through open houses than single buyers.

• Repeat buyers use open houses more frequently, and are more likely to find their home from an open house than first-time buyers.

(Source: National Association of REALTORS®)

REALTORS® across the country will host the nation’s largest open house weekend Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21, 2013. Nationwide Open House, organized by the National Association of REALTORS®, allows real estate professionals around the country to showcase properties currently on the market.

How many open houses will be entered into RMLSweb this year? As of April 3, we have a mere three open houses scheduled.

Sharing your open house via RMLSweb will not just attract other REALTORS®—potential clients also access the information directly on RMLS.com, our public-facing website. The National Association of REALTORS® site, REALTOR.com, also displays this open house information. (On their site, click on “Advanced Search” and check the “Open House” box.)

We’d love more subscribers to join in and advertise their open house through RMLS™! Here’s how. In RMLSweb, navigate to the Back Office menu, and click on Listing Load. Find the right listing, and click on the box labeled OH/BT. Select New Open House. Then enter the date of your open house, the start and end time, directions to the property, whether you’ll be providing food, and any other remarks. Click on the Save button in the upper right hand corner. Congratulations—you’ve added your open house to Nationwide Open House Weekend!

If you’d like to read some tips on holding your open house, check out these articles:
• How to Prepare for the Open House (REALTOR® Magazine)
• Six Ways to Capture Clients at Open Houses (REALTOR® Magazine)
• Is an Open House a Waste of Time? (MSN Real Estate)
• Make Your Open House Memorable (RealtyTimes)

If you’d like a little break-time fun, be sure and check out the Who Comes to Open Houses? Quiz.