There's a little Virtual in all of us

This morning the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® devoted its entire industry news section to the development of the "virtual office" concept at our firm. This is a gigantic bonus for us - and in my opinion validation of our ideas on how to best move this industry forward. I certainly encourage you to take a moment to jump over and read what Kim Shindle from the PAR Communications Staff had to say.

Over the last month (yes, it has been just about a month since we launched our Malvern pilot project) there has been a great deal of talk in all the offices about just what a virtual office really is, just how much change is required to become "virtual" and truthfully just how much "virtual office" runs throughout every one of our Hearthside locations.

Just to recap (and to steal verbiage I already used with our Collegeville folks) a virtual office has NOTHING to do with the physical space, rather, it has to do with the ways the agents do business, how we reduce the inefficiencies placed on them the traditional real estate model and at the end of the day make more money. Sounds pretty exciting, right? Apparently the REALTOR® Association thinks so too.

But I started thinking about each of our offices and just how "virtual" they already are - we really have come a long way in the last few years - further than the industry overall. You should really be proud of just how much technology you already incorporate in your business.

I thought of some examples of ways our "traditional" offices emulate our "virtual ones"...many of them you may not consider as "virtual" at all.

1. Contracts: We were one of the first companies in the nation to use RealFast2Go as an online contract program. Sure there were other online programs out there before RF2G, but the online/offline sync from RealFast and the ability to integrate newer technologies (including upcoming support for iPad & digital signatures) makes it much more "virtual" than anything on the market right now.

2. Video: C'mon now...how many other offices in this area (heck, in the country) are maximizing video the way we are?



The way the Bucks Managment Team is using video is amazing...and very virtual. Next step; bringing the "welcome to the week" message to live video through services like dimdim that support virtual meetings. We'll get there team, promise. And of course the way many of you have embraced the Coldwell Banker "On Location" YouTube channel goes a long way to show that you are working toward being virtual with your listings.

3. Smart Phones: According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2009 study 53% of real estate professionals never use a phone that does email or the internet. From going office to office recently and setting up email on what seems like a billion devices I know we are way ahead of that curve; we are working virtually. Add in the number of you drooling over iPads or newer, lighter laptops - and I see that we are less tethered to our office than ever before.

The moral of the story is that you don't need to be scared of the virtual office...you practically are in one every day. Think of how you did this business three years ago...one year ago...and I bet you'll be really proud of how far you have come. I know that I am very proud of all of you - and I look forward to helping you bring out your "inner virtual" as we continue down this road together.

Time to relive those University days!

You asked for it...and now it's here. The new and improved Coldwell Banker University launched today online. I've already been there, and I am pretty impressed. It is certainly a step up from the old system.

A University, whether in the real world or the online world is only as good as you make it. I'll save the jokes about my undergraduate days for later, but I am sure I could have done more with my University experience had I applied myself more. The same holds true with this new online academy. You need to use it to its fullest; that means building a training plan, working with Stefanie to realize what courses exist, and paying attention to the training (and not just turning it on to get the credits).

I look forward to diving deeper into the University over the next few days - I hope you will too. Share your thoughts with me here - I am eager to hear what everyone has to say.

Google Contacts just got better...

You may know from Stefanie's office visits this quarter (or you will when she gets to you soon) that we are both big advocates of Google's mail service called GMail. Available for free since 2004, GMail was one of the first services that really made AOL users think twice about paying for an email address.

Over the last few weeks GMail has been on a push to make itself even better. Stefanie noted a few weeks ago that they introduced multiple signatures and recently they cooked in some other neat stuff to streamline your email experience. One of my personal favs is the tool that embeds YouTube video into the email (so you know if the link someone is sending you is legit or maybe deserves a bit more inspection).

In November of last year I made the decision to give up on Microsoft Outlook and become 100% Google-tastic. I posted about it here (always funny to read stuff you wrote a while ago). In that post I mentioned that I was hoping to move more of you over, that I wanted you to learn more about GMail and that I wanted you to share the excitement I had for my new productivity tool (and my then-new phone).

What I learned after that post, however, was that many of you needed a more robust contact manager - something that could keep track of client info, remind you of things, and most importantly monitor things that were really specific to our real estate industry. So I backed off a bit and quietly pushed GMail to those who were nearby.

The other day Google upgraded its Contacts program - so now my cup of Google Kool Aid is full again. While some in tech aren't happy with the changes (mainly because they think Google didn't go far enough), as someone who looks for opportunities for REALTORS this is a home run. Still paying for TopProducer...bag it. Keeping your files in Excel...ditch that too. You now have a free tool that can import your contacts from any .csv file (which is what you get from all the services mentioned above as well as from Outlook) that is available to you anytime, anywhere on the web.

Truthfully, that part is not very revolutionary. The old Google Contacts did that. But the problem was (especially for REALTORS) that the contact record wasn't customizable...in other words you couldn't add fields for "house anniversary", "spouse name", "seller contact 2", etc. Now you can. Google Contacts now has a customizable fields that make storing your real estate data easier.

Of course (as I mentioned back in November) if you have an Android phone (or if you download the Google Sync tool for iPhone or Blackberry) you can have all that same data on your phone without ever having to connect or sync again. Having watched you do your business for years now that is a huge benefit to mobile professionals who often forget to sync up that random contact data.

So give it a try. If nothing else go to Google contacts and add in one or two just to see how well it goes. Maybe find your most in-depth record from the service you are using now and type it in...just to see if what I am saying is true. Then, if you are ready to make the big move, consider importing everything from your current service. I am sure Stefanie or I would be more than happy to give you a hand.

The Virtual Office - One Week Later

OK, I admit that it is actually just over a week...but that didn't sound as good in the title (and I did actually think up the idea for this post Monday). Needless to say I thought it was a good topic since many people seem interested.

First, a bit of review...last Monday Frank & Jamie came to our office in Malvern and made some administrative changes. The manager and admin asst were relieved of their duties and a new "virtual" office was created that leverages technology and new communication methods in the day-to-day operation of the business.

In the days that followed a few different interpretations of the word "virtual" crossed through my email. There was one instance where someone compared it to the "old MLS book days" (I guess if you took all the paper home you never needed to come in, right?) and one instance where the word "virtual" was carried over to "virtual reality" (like with the VR suits and holograms and everything - which totally made me think of Demi Moore in that 1994 flick "Disclosure").

While that was happening, our Malvern agents settled in and went back to work. They learned how to use their instant messenger and Skype accounts to chat with Pam Sheehan, Stefanie Hahn and me; they worked on making sure they scanned everything to Denise when they needed to; and they wrote business...a good amount of it...right from the start.

Sure the recruiters called. They all tried to tell them the office was closed, that we were pulling their leg, that we really didn't care about Chester County or the main line. Guess what - nobody has left since the minute the meeting ended last week. While I can't put words in their mouth, I think they see that we are working hard to help them stay in front of the industry, helping them succeed, and they appreciate the help.

Now...don't let me kid you that it has all been roses in Malvern. We have had some bumps along the way too. For example, the original phone solution that I thought would handle our virtual reception duties wasn't robust enough to manage all the agents who do floor time in the office. So...we changed it to something else. Now our calls come in to the main office number, are routed to a internet-based attendant, and are then sent to the cell phone of the person who is supposed to receive the call. Voice Mail messages are sent to their email inbox, and duty agents are never again forced to sit at the desk because their cell phone now is programmed to take calls for property info on the days they sit floor.

Week one is in the books...I can't wait to share more. If you have ideas please continue to share them with me - we can all learn to be virtual together.

Welcome to the Virtual Office

I will never forget when I interviewed with Frank about six years ago, he looked me right in the eye and told me "this internet thing is the future".

Needless to say we chuckle about that even today, because the internet was already the present the day they hired me - it was my job to help it along.

Today, I say that Frank was right - the internet is the future - the future of our offices. With that I am pleased to introduce our first "Virtual Office" environment in Malvern, PA.

Don't misunderstand, our Malvern office isn't going away. It will still be there, and we will still continue to grow market share in Chester County. We will just look at managing it in a new way.

Check out this quick "virtual office preview" we have put together in conjunction with our new opening.



I can tell you that everyone is excited about the transition - this is an idea that has been maximized in other areas of the country and that we are thrilled to implement here. If you have ideas, suggestions or comments please leave them here for us to review - and check back often to see how our "virtual office" is changing real estate in Pennsylvania.

Don't think you're the only ones...

Every now and then we create a brilliant marketing idea, spend hours and hours planning the strategies and deliverables, buy the ads and get excited.

And then something goes terribly wrong.

It has happened to me...and chances are good it will happen again someday.

The good news is, I've never spent the kind of money Radio Shack spent today.

For those of you who don't know, I am a big fan of the Tour de France. One of the key players in this years Tour (as has been the case for many, many years) is Lance Armstrong - who rides for Team Radio Shack. Chances are good you've heard of him and his charity Livestrong, which advocates on behalf of cancer prevention and treatment while also providing tons of support for the 28 million people afflicted with the horrible disease throughout the world. You've probably seen my yellow wristband and know that I have supported Livestrong for quite some time.

Livestrong has been at the forefront of social media. I have been getting tweets from @Lancearmstrong and @LivestrongCEO for almost two years. They really get it, and use it well.

Almost too well.

Today is the last day of the Tour, and as part of a campaign to promote the Livestrong charity Team Radio Shack created new black cycling jerseys for the team to wear. They promoted them by twitter(#team28)...they jazzed them on facebook (where you could send a facebook jersey & add "28" to your profile picture)...they even bought commercials on the TV broadcast promoting them and the "Team28" campaign.

Only one problem...they forgot to ask the Tour de France if the team could wear them.

Oops. Minor slip there. The team got to the starting line and the Tour referees told them they had to change back into their normal red jerseys. Even the mighty Lance couldn't convince them otherwise. Now the campaign had to run without one big element - the jersey itself on the backs of the riders.

Don't get me wrong, the "controversy" got a bunch of press too...and Radio Shack and Livestrong got plenty of attention during the early miles of the final day (if you follow the Tour you know the last day is not really that exciting as a bike race until the last half hour). Trust me, though, there are some very ticked off Radio Shack marketing execs stuck with a bill for an advertising campaign that the everyday consumer might have missed.

You're not alone, folks...but this is a reminder to us all to do our homework.

Postscript: OK, so Team Radio Shack got their revenge a bit. Because they were the top overall team TRS gets to stand on the podium at the Champs Elysees. The referees can't control what the team wears on the podium so of course they put their Team28 jerseys back on. Not sure it got them very far (since we could only see the front and they were really designed for the back) but they did get some additional publicity for the Livestrong cause. Cheers Lance, Cheers Livestrong.

Mark your Calendar - Great Learning Opportunity Ahead!

In my opinion CBHearthside agents are very fortunate to get the sort of training that Stefanie and her team bring to the offices on a regular basis. You have plenty of chances to learn right in your own space - something most other agents aren't getting these days.

If you are a member of one of the three suburban Philadelphia REALTOR® Associations (Bucks, Montco, Suburban West) however, you have another terrific opportunity to get some terrific training for next to nothing on SEPTEMBER 23rd at the Regional Education Conference being held at the Radisson in Valley Forge. Mark your calendars now and sign up to attend!

This conference is being partially underwritten by the Pennsylvania REALTOR® Education Foundation (PREF) for your benefit - normally each Association would have their own conference and try to attract a speaker...by combining all three we get to hear some top-notch people talk about things that matter in our business. Special thanks to the Associations too for their financial support.

The morning session features a presentation from Melynn Sight on using Social Media to benefit the business of a REALTOR® - certainly something we have all been wrestling with for quite some time. A panel discussion with local REALTORS® (including yours truly) will also be a part of that session (so if nothing else come to heckle).

After the morning session is a FREE lunch courtesy of the Suburban REALTORS® Alliance that will include a presentation by Terry Madonna, one of the leading political pollsters in the country who will discuss and take questions on the upcoming 2010 elections (and other topics I am sure).

Finally, the afternoon session features Terry Watson - well known in the real estate community - presenting "Think Globally, Sell Locally". It should be a terrific presentation; those of us who have seen him in the past say he has a great handle on business, and will definitely leave you with at least one thing you can take back to your office that very day.

But don't leave after Terry - the last presentation of the day features Mark Mayfield, who will blend his business wisdom with a bit of comedy...certainly what any of us in this industry can use right now. Mark is certainly a great way to finish what should be a spectacular day.

So while I'm bummed our Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and NJ friends can't join along I am encouraging those of you who can to sign up quickly! There are more than 10,000 REALTORS® getting the invite (which you should have already received in your email) and their are less that 500 seats. Sign up now! The $25 is well worth it!

BCAR MEMBERS - REGISTER HERE
MCAR MEMBERS - REGISTER HERE
SWRA MEMBERS - REGISTER HERE

Or call your Board of REALTORS® if you (BOOOOO) don't know your sign-on information.

Can't wait to see you all on the 23rd!