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Larry,

I'd really like to sit in on a discussion but I can't this Tuesday. Could you let me know when you will do another? I've used Outlook for years but going to a meeting on Wed. with Top Producer and would really like to compare before I make my choice.

Thanks

Cheryl Laxton

Hi Cheryl,

I'll probably have one on Thursday the 29th, same time, 10AM to Noon. But, if that doesn't work for you, just give me a day and time that is and I'll see what I can do to fit it in. Also, when you are meeting with Top Producer, ask them how much their classes cost.

Larry Perry
RealeSeller™ Transforms Outlook Into a "Genuine Real Estate CRM Application"
Our Online RealeSeller training classes are FREE!
Phone: (972) 514-3218
Skype: RealeSeller.Larry
Email: Larry@realeseller.com
Web: www.realeseller.com
Blog: The Real Blog

Class cost is a great concern. Top Producer had scheduled a meeting in our office for agents but they did not get enough response so he is having one in Knoxville. I'm going to check it out and see what the costs so I can do a total comparison.

Thursday doesn't work for me either. My dad just passed away and I've having to deal with my mom so I'm either working or taking care of her and mornings just don't work well. Let me know if you will be having one the next Tues. I'm free that day.

Cheryl

I have a class every Tuesday...

Send me an email and I will invite you to the Feb 3 class.

Thanks,

Larry Perry
RealeSeller™ Transforms Outlook Into a "Genuine Real Estate CRM Application"
Our Online RealeSeller training classes are FREE!
Phone: (972) 514-3218
Skype: RealeSeller.Larry
Email: Larry@realeseller.com
Web: www.realeseller.com
Blog: The Real Blog

We just posted an update to RealeSeller. We have several more updates scheduled during the first half of 2009 with some exciting additions that I can't wait to talk about. But, I don't "officially" post about them until they actually show up in the program. Nothing I hate worse than "Vaporware."



Version 3.7.4.2
Added - Softphone "Click to Call" feature.
Added - Softphone support for magicJack and Skype.
Added a "Carrier" selection in the Phone list.
Added - Click to Text Message. You can now quickly send a text message to any mobile phone if you know the cell phone carrier.
Added - Expanded the "View Map" feature. You now can select from a list of Google maps to display.
Added - A selectable list of Company Types for the Company view.
Added - When viewing a property, the display maps feature has been expanded to include many other Google map features like Local Schools, Satellite view, driving route directions, and lots more.
Added - Two more sample RealePlans
Improved - Complete phone number update in mass update window.
Changed - When using OL 2007 the Expand Reminders feature is now disabled (it isn't needed).
Corrected - When using the Outlook import feature, a property would not be created, nor a category added. This has been fixed.

Various other reported small issues were fixed.

If you ever have issues after installing our software, please give us a call. It is an ultra-rare situation when a problem just can't be resolved.

Larry Perry
RealeSeller™ Transforms Outlook Into a "Genuine Real Estate CRM Application"
Our Online RealeSeller training classes are FREE!
Phone: (972) 514-3218
Skype: RealeSeller.Larry
Email: Larry@realeseller.com
Web: www.realeseller.com
Blog: The Real Blog

Larry,

I have abandoned my efforts to use Top Producer. It sounds like Outlook is the easiest contact management software system to use or is there an easier system? Vicki Longley Broker Associate, GRI, CRS

If someone knows a more simple system, I'm interested.

Lynn

Hi Vicki,

I guess the answer to this is this: Outlook is both easy and "complex" at the same time. Most of the time it seems very easy because so many of us have used it to manage our email, and maybe used the calendar and possibly the tasks. But, using just the email portion of it has at least made most people fairly comfortable with what it looks like. So, in that, most of the time I can say Outlook is easy. 1/2 an hour to an hour of training, and you should be able to use Outlook to manage your email, set appointments and tasks, add new contacts, and that's about it. For some, if it can do that, then all is good. It doesn't get much more simple than Outlook for that stuff.

But, moving to any system, Outlook or whatever it is, is going to involve some amount of pain... not severe in the case of Outlook, but still, some if you want to really get a lot out of it. Because Outlook is part of Office, a suite of products that work together... and it becomes a little more complex because of that. But Outlook can and is used all by itself. I always suggest at least Word be added, but it isn't 100% necessary.

There probably is some kind of simple contact management system out there that might be considered "the easiest" ... but if so, that means that it has to lack the abilities you, as a real estate agent, need to make your actual job easier. Fighting a database manager every day doesn't help you make sales, get new clients, or bottom line, make money. A large number of people find Top Producer difficult. You aren't alone.

I wish I had a good answer. We chose Outlook to build on because the vast majority of people who have a contact manager, have Outlook installed and many are already using it. So the hardest part, having something familiar to start from, is already taken care of... no scary new interface to learn or figure out. It sync's with any PDA, by default. If you want to sync your phone and add a zero cost to do it, Outlook is the way.

What works best for one person, isn't the answer for another. I know Outlook like the back of my own hand... I should, I've been using it since it was released. It may work well for you. You can download and install a free copy of Office from the Microsoft web site if you don't have one... I think it works for 60 days... long enough to give it a try... and cheap enough (it's a free trial) that if you don't like it, just uninstall and it's done.

Every situation is different... yours included. And I won't kid you, I am biased in favor of Outlook as I have used it for years and honestly consider it to be one of the best basic contact management systems you can get.

Others out there, please feel free to chime in here. Vicki isn't alone in this question and my total focus is on the Microsoft Suite.