Does Your Social Media Need A TREC Check Up?

Posted on February 15, 2018February 19, 2018 by Sandy Lambright

Is it us or do the TREC requirements for posting the IABS and Consumer Protection Notice on social media seem a little confusing? “So what exactly DOES TREC want from me? Am I compliant?” These are questions we are asked often.

We all know TREC is asking that the Information About Brokerage Service and Consumer Protection Notices be accessible on any platform that is used as a business website, right? Not only do they want you to have both of those notices, they also want it to be in a certain font size! Did you know that a “business website” doesn’t just mean your real estate website? It also means social media! Seems simple enough until you start trying to figure out how to have those two notices front and center on your Instagram feed that is ever changing, or on your Facebook page using the correct font. It’s one of the top concerns we hear from our agents.

TREC recently put out this article giving more clarification on compliance with social media and the two notices. We’ve read through it and basically, this is what it is saying:

IF both notices are “readily noticeable” on the first page of your website, you can add a link to that website from the social media account holder profile. Make sense? In other words, in your ABOUT ME section of all platforms, if the website link you have listed goes directly to a page that has the links to both forms READILY NOTICEABLE (correct font and all), that works for TREC. See example below.

Also, aside from addressing rules on providing the two notices, the Texas Real Estate Commission recently released other rules and changes about the way you advertise your business. Here is the original article: TREC Advertising Rules

They break it down here in this video.

Of course, you should ALWAYS consult with your Broker and/or TREC for any questions or more clarification.

(That “website” link should go DIRECTLY to a webpage that has both notices readily noticeable on the front page.)

[AUSTIN] Spring into Education! New Classes Available.

Posted on April 30, 2017May 3, 2017 by Sandy Lambright

The Independence Title Education Team has been working hard on developing new and improved classes for you! See a list below of all the brand new classes we are offering this Spring. Please also check out our menus for all classes offered by the Education Team. To schedule one of these great classes in your office, contact your local business development representative. You may also join us at any of our public classes.

Power of Personality – Every buyer, seller, and Realtor have a different and distinct personality. In this class, we will walk you through how to determine a person’s personality style. You will discover how to assess different personality types and ultimately learn to communicate with and market to all types of people effectively.
Facebook for Real Estate – New to Facebook or struggling with managing it? Join us to learn the difference between a personal profile and business page; learn tips and tricks on managing the two separately or just utilizing your personal profile. We will talk about controlling privacy settings, sharing engaging content, empowering your brand, and truly connecting with current and prospective clients.
Facebook: Beyond the Basics – What is your main goal for Facebook? Get leads? Market your listings? Engage with clients? If you answered yes to those questions and already know the basics of Facebook, then this class is for you! In this hour, you will learn how to set up Facebook Ads, understand the importance of a landing page, use Facebook live to increase exposure on certain topics, and learn tips and tricks that will help you engage with your Facebook community.
Instagram: Beyond the Basics – Due to Instagram’s visual nature, more and more Realtors are using it to build and promote their real estate brand. In this advanced class, we will discuss recent updates and new tools such as Instagram Live. We will identify a target audience and unveil clever ways to engage with them. We will also go over hashtags and real estate branding tips. Lastly, we will look at ways to connect with your followers and promote your listings via Instagram Ads.
ITC University – ITC University is designed to provide essential knowledge to a brand new assistant, closing coordinator, or newly licensed agent. The group will meet on Wednesdays from 10-3 for 4 weeks. We will define basic real estate terminology and lingo, learn those perplexing acronyms everyone uses, and study commonly used TAR forms. We will touch on all the major software platforms including, Zipform Plus, DocuSign, Matrix, Realist, and Supra. We will also explain and examine the Title Commitment, Closing forms, and a Contract to Close Checklist. Our University will have you or your team proficient by the end of the 4-week course.
Principles of a Smart Transaction – This class highlights the major benchmarks in a real estate transaction. Starting with helpful things to collect at a listing appointment, to reviewing commonly overlooked sections of the contract, breaking down the basics of understanding a title commitment, and concluding with other contract to close tips. This course is just what any agent needs to execute a smart transaction.
Real Estate in a Snap – Most Realtors have heard of Snapchat; however, many aren’t aware that it has higher engagement than any social network on the planet! Snapchat’s instant, visual nature allows Realtors to send content to potential clients and customers in a fast, fun, and creative way. In this class, we’ll start with the basics of Snapchat, then teach you how to engage and interact with your followers in an authentic way
Time-Saving Tips for Realtors – Do you wish your days could be more productive? Do you feel overwhelmed when trying to complete daily tasks? In this class, we will look at a day in the life of a Realtor and give you some “life hacks for real estate”. You will also learn ways to make your business more productive, more efficient, and hopefully more fun!
Translating Transaction Desk – Do you ever feel like implementing new technology into your business is like learning a foreign language? Well, leave it to us to translate Transaction Desk for you. This class will cover all the dierent aspects of Instanet Transaction Desk. You will learn how to use the platform as a one-stop-shop for managing documents and transactions.
Matrix on the Go with goMLS – The goMLS Austin mobile application not only lets you search the MLS and access showing instructions on the go, it allows ABOR members and their customers to work together and remotely share information throughout the home buying and selling process. In this class, you will learn different features of the app such as automatic agent branding, accessing MLS data, and sharing information on listings with clients via your cell phone!

Top 10 Google Chrome Extensions

Posted on November 2, 2016December 16, 2016 by Sandy Lambright

One of our favorite groups on Facebook is Tech Support for Real Estate. This group allows you to post technical questions concerning the real estate industry letting others chime in on a solution or with their opinion. Lately, a common question has been “What Chrome extensions can you not live without?”

What is a Chrome extension you may ask?
Extensions are small software programs that
can modify and enhance the functionality
of the Chrome Browser and Gmail.

If you are a Chrome (& Gmail) user and haven’t surfed around on the Chrome Web Store, do it! Although… there are so many options, it can be a little overwhelming. Because of that, the Independence Title Education Team has decided to put together a list of our own Chrome extensions that we think you can’t live without. Most of them have to do with real estate, others are just because it makes life easier. Between open houses, following up with your client database and focusing on your marketing efforts (not to mention your personal life), it’s no surprise that your time is stretched thin. Why not utilize a few of these?

DocuSign
We love showing our Realtors this one! No more saving the PDF to your computer, going to DocuSign and uploading the document. You can send documents for signature directly from Gmail, Google Drive, and the Chrome browser. (Download Here)
Buffer
No more copy/paste to social media! Click the Buffer button on any website to quickly tweet or add as a Facebook or LinkedIn update. You can even schedule your future tweets and Facebook updates easier than ever before with Buffer. With each update posted, it will also give you analytics about clicks, retweets, mentions, shares, likes and more. (Download Here)
Wunderlist
Love to-do lists or maybe you have sticky notes all over your desk? Whether you’re sharing a grocery list with a loved one, working on a project, or planning a vacation, Wunderlist makes it easy to share your lists and collaborate with everyone in your life. Wunderlist instantly syncs between your phone, tablet and computer, so you can access your lists from anywhere. (Download Here)
Grammarly
Grammarly makes sure everything you type is easy to read, effective, and mistake-free. Adding Grammarly to Chrome means that your spelling and grammar will be vetted on Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and nearly everywhere else you write on the web. (Download Here)
Folio
Folio helps busy real estate agents organize and manage their transactions right from their email inbox. When you connect Folio to your email inbox, Folio analyzes your inbox for keywords and phrases that identify that an email thread is about a transaction. It then automatically categorizes the emails, files, and contacts related to each transaction. (Download Here)
Wisestamp
Want your latest tweet or maybe your latest post to show on your email signature “live?” WiseStamp enables you to share your social profiles and promote information you care about in every email you send. (Download Here)
MixMax
Ever wanted to track an email to see if it gets opened? Or maybe hit “snooze” on an email so you don’t forget to respond later? This extension is a must in the real estate business! It allows you to reach out more effectively to prospects, clients, and customers with these essential features: track opens, clicks, and downloads, schedule meetings and plan events, write faster with templates, snooze and set reminders, send later, embed polls and surveys and much more! (Download Here)
Boomerang
Maybe you don’t want all the bells and whistles of MixMax and just want to be able to schedule emails to send at a later time? Boomerang allows you to schedule messages to be sent or returned at a later date. Write a message now, send it whenever, even if you’re not online. Track messages to make sure you hear back, and schedule reminders right inside Gmail. (Download Here)
Honey
Alright, so this one isn’t exactly real estate related but we can’t help but share. Have you ever shopped online and know you have a coupon somewhere but can’t find it? Click on the Honey button during checkout and Honey will automatically apply known coupon codes to your shopping cart! It’s basically free money! (Download Here)
Awesome Screenshot
Want to send a screenshot but all of what you want to send isn’t shown on the screen? Or maybe you want to send a screenshot but want to blur out certain things or add text or shapes? Awesome Screenshot allows you to capture all or part of any web page, add annotations, comments, blur sensitive info, and share with one-click uploads. (Download Here)

Have You Updated IndependenceTitleAgent?

Posted on August 4, 2016August 2, 2016 by Emily Rice

Have you ever tried to explain a Seller’s Net Sheet to someone and their native language is Vietnamese? Or have you ever had trouble comparing multiple offers IndependenceTitleAgent can help! IndependenceTitleAgent is a closing cost app that will help you calculate closing costs, run Seller Net Sheets and Buyer Quick Estimates, and so much more!

IndependenceTitleAgent has added new features in its most recent update! Below are the features you can start using today:

Languages: IndependenceTitleAgent has added 6 new languages to the app: Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, and Arabic. The new languages can be applied to all printouts and marketing pieces. To change the language, simply select the language icon at the top of the preview screen.

Multiple Offer Comparison Enhancements: Comparing multiple offers can be confusing and time consuming. Instead of creating a spreadsheet, have the app do the comparing for you! Before the update, you could compare up to 3 offers but now you can compare up to 12 offers!

New Printout Styles: Every client that you work with is different. Some may be visual learners while others may just want a list of data. There are many new printout styles to choose from when sending customized reports to your clients. After generating a report, simply swipe left to see the different styles.

Closing Date Default: Instead of choosing a closing date every time you run a quick estimate or seller’s net sheet, simply choose a default of 30, 60, or 90 days out and it will automatically default to that every time.

Contact your ITC Business Development Representative for more information about IndependenceTitleAgent!

To Download click below!

Top Five Tech Tips for Real Estate Agents

Posted on June 22, 2016June 23, 2016 by Sandy Lambright

The Education Team of Independence Title frequently attends conferences and webinars to stay up with the latest and greatest in technology in the real estate industry. Using that information, we created a list of “tech tips” that we think are worth your while. Here’s the first 5 for you to check out:

1) LinkedIn Export

Did you know you can export the email address and job title/company of all of your LinkedIn connections into an excel file for an easy upload into say… your CRM?! YES! We were just as shocked and it’s easy to do. You can simply follow this LINK (you must be logged into LinkedIn) or click on “connections” on your home page in LinkedIn, click on the settings wheel, and then export your connections. VOILA!

2) Assistant.to

Have you ever tried to book a meeting with someone and end up 15 emails later with no agreement on time/date? So frustrating, right? Wouldn’t you love to eliminate the back and forth and just send one email with all of your availability and then they can select the time slot that works for them? AND wouldn’t it be cool if it auto adds to both of your calendars as soon as they select the time slot?! CLICK HERE to see this life saver you won’t be able to live without. Note** This is only available for Gmail users through a google extension for our google calendar. (We see they are working on compatibility with outlook so stay tuned!) We can’t help but love the quote on their site: “THE TROUBLE WITH BEING PUNCTUAL IS THAT NOBODY’S THERE TO APPRECIATE IT ” — Franklin P. Jones 🙂

3) RE Clarity App

Out of town clients? Use the REclarity App to send specific, personalized zoom and point video messages that communicate as if you were there in person. You can showcase key features of a home that is tailored to a particular client’s needs such as providing specific instructions or requests to contractors for repairs, property management or staging, follow up with clients and answer questions, share visual status on repair work or construction or report/describe property damage or areas in need of attention. Click HERE for a video demo. We think this will definitely make you look like a ROCK STAR to your clients!

4) Google Alerts

Did you know you can get an email as soon as something hits the internet? Want to stay on top of anything that is on the web about you? Or maybe a client? Maybe you want instant updates about a product you like or to keep up with news stories… By creating a Google Alert, you can get email notifications any time Google finds new results on a topic that interests you. No need to keep hitting refresh… CLICK HERE to get started.

5) GBoard for iPhone

Last but not least, we all got really excited about this one. It’s a keyboard add on for your iPhone (we hear it’s coming to Android sooner rather than later so stay tuned!) Basically its main functionality is to eliminate the frustrating back and forth we all go through when bouncing between apps; no more Google searching, copying the link, jumping back into messages, and then pasting the results. Watch this quick little video… We’re pretty sure you’ll be racing to download it like we did!

Back to School with Independence | Austin

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Independence Title

We pride ourselves on providing information relevant to today’s real estate agent. If you’ve never joined us for a class, you can count on walking away with new ideas to immediately implement in your business. Our goal is to not only be a resource for your title needs but also your education and technology needs, which is why we were busy writing these brand new classes for you this summer, with more on the way:

Tools for Target Marketing | October 2nd at 9:30am | Click here to register
Have you ever wondered how to identify profitable neighborhoods to market or how to calculate the turnover rate in an area? What if we told you the tools are at your fingertips! Join us for our first Tools for Target Marketing class to learn the answer to these questions as well as how to easily print Realist mailing labels and utilize REI Source to find specific targets.
MCE COURSE NO: Pending

Google Apps 101 |September 23rd at 1:30pm | Click here to register.

There is so much more to Google than just Gmail and a search engine. Find out how to take advantage of the many free apps included with a Google account by join us for a one hour introductory course. Learn how to master Gmail, Google Calendars, Google Drive and so many more!
MCE COURSE NO: Pending

Research with Realist | October 2nd at 2pm | Click here to register.
Realist from CoreLogic is a public-record database that seamlessly integrates into Matrix providing in-depth and ownership data. Learn to search for individual homes, entire subdivisions, target specific property or ownership types and create mailing labels.
MCE Course No: Pending

Authentic Agent | September 17th at 10am | Click here to register.
Authentic agents know the value they bring and contribute it to every human interaction. Intentional relationships combined with the value you bring as a Real Estate Agent lay the groundwork for consistent referrals. Join us to learn about building social capital and cementing relationships to grow your business.
MCE Course No: Pending

View our entire menu of classes here. To register or find out class times, contact your Business Development Representative or sign up here.

If you have questions or inquiries about any of our classes, reach out to a member of our education team.