San Diego, California
A collection of notes and observations by Saul Klein, CEO of Point2 Technologies and InternetCrusade.
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2006
Dec. 7, 2006
Categorized in: RealTalk Notes
Every year I share the following with as many people as will listen.
I am the son of two Pearl Harbor Survivors. My Dad and Mom both survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1941, my Dad, who passed away on January 15, 2005, was a young sailor from Detroit and my mom, who now lives in Palm Springs, was a 17 year old local girl. They met in Hilo, Hawaii in January of 1941. They were married in June of 1941 in Honolulu by a Justice of the Peace and on December 7, 1941, they lived in Navy Housing Area Three (NHA 3, on Ninth Street) right outside of the Main Gate of Pearl Harbor (For those of you familiar with Pearl Harbor, you will know that close by the Main Gate of Pearl Harbor is also the Main Gate of Hickam Field, also destroyed that day).
My Mom and Dad's survival story of December 7 and the rest of the War is an amazing series of events. Not only did they survive that day, but shortly after December 7, my dad volunteered for Submarine Duty and they both traveled to New London, CT and Dad attended Sub School. They then headed back to Pearl Harbor where my Dad made several submarine war patrols in the South Pacific (those of you who are history buffs know that many of our subs in the Pacific were sunk with crews lost). I was raised surrounded by many who were Pearl Harbor Survivors and Submarine Veterans of WWII...all heroes to me, not only the men, but the wives who suffered those years of war and struggle as well. Each year there are fewer of them around...but I will always remember them.
Every year since the year I left home when I was 19 (1968), I call my Dad and Mom on December 7, no matter where I happen to be. We talk about Pearl Harbor and where they were that day, and what they were doing. "Happy Pearl Harbor Day" is the way I start each of those calls. I have known their story well, but I always call my parents to relive their Pearl Harbor experience with them. Last year was the first Pearl Harbor Day without Pop...I called my Mom and we shared stories about Pop...this year, I am driving to Palm Springs to spend the afternoon with my Mom. For many years my parents lived next door to me in San Diego. I was very lucky to have both of them so close for so much of my life.
The story of Pearl Harbor is part of my life and childhood memories. It was one of the defining moments in my parent's life, if not the defining moment and it had a major impact on my life. As a small boy in the early 1950s, my family lived in Navy Housing (NHA 1), right outside the Main Gate of Pearl Harbor. Our living room furniture was rattan, our carpets were lahala mats. In 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades I attended Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary School. Our classrooms were Quonset huts and we had concrete bomb shelters in our back yard...constant reminders of Sunday, December 7, 1941. When I was a young boy living in Hawaii in 1950, WWII and the attack on Pearl Harbor were still recent history.
For a survivor's perspective of what happened on December 7, 1941 (Dictated in 1991 by my Dad to my wife Janie)...go to:
http://MarcusAndLaniKlein.com and click on "Pearl Story."
Happy Pearl Harbor Day.
Saul
Dec. 5, 2006
Is your E-mail being delivered to your intended recipient(s)?
The simple answer is “not always.” Not only that, you will not always know whether or not that important piece of communication was delivered. Associations, their members, and their member’s clients all experience bounced, blocked, and undelivered e-mail issues.
For associations, this means you cannot always count on e-mail to reach your members even if you DO have their correct e-mail address. Whether you are working to move your association to online voting where e-mail notification is often important, or using e-mail for meeting notices and alerts, you cannot be certain the e-mail you send is being delivered to the intended parties. This is serious.
For your members, this means their clients may not receive e-mail promised by the member), resulting in a small but significant breach of trust as a promise made but not kept.
For your member’s clients who may have been promised listing information being sent directly from the MLS, the information flow is breached, and a sale possibly delayed.
How can we possibly expect REALTOR(S) and consumers to move towards online transactions when we cannot even insure that e-mail is being delivered...or can we?
The degree of damage undelivered e-mail causes is unmeasured, but one thing is certain, communication and information flow via e-mail has been impaired over the last 18 months.
Why is e-mail being blocked, resulting in undelivered communication?
In two words, SPAM and Viruses.
Too much e-mail is unsolicited, junk e-mail that chews up bandwidth, steals the time of those who must sort through it all, and creates storage problems.
Spam (unsolicited commercial e-mail) and e-mail borne viruses are threatening the usefulness of e-mail as a business communication tool. It has been reported by reputable sources based on numerous studies that close to 80% of all e-mail today is Spam, and it is affecting everyone's productivity and the quality of communication world wide. As horrendous as the spam problem has been for the last couple of years, it is getting noticeably worse by the day.
E-mail borne viruses are another problem. Today's viruses have the ability to "spoof" the "From" and "Subject" fields of an e-mail message which prevents you from knowing who really sent you the virus or the content of the e-mail. A virus goes into the address book of the newly infected computer, grabs an e-mail address at random and puts it in the "from field" of a new message. It then attaches a virus to the message, and sends the message to everyone in the e-mail address book of the newly infected computer.
There is no telling who sent you the virus. Familiar names are now a dangerous decoy, luring you into a false sense of security and tempting you to open infected e-mail.
If you are receiving e-mail from people, servers, or auto responders and you did not send an e-mail to generate a response, someone who has your e-mail address in their e-mail address book has been infected by a virus and your name was selected at random and placed in the “From” field of the e-mail launched from their infected computer. The e-mail sent from their computer triggered the response which is being sent not to the person who sent the e-mail, but to the person in the “From” field.
There is nothing you can do to prevent this, but you can protect yourself. Keep your virus protection software updated with the latest virus definitions. I have my computer set to scan on a regular basis and use the "Live Update" feature of my Norton Anti virus software. Run a complete virus scan if you ever suspect that you have a virus.
If your e-mail address is in the e-mail address books of others, there is a good chance that someday your e-mail address will appear in the "From" field of an infected e-mail and some of the recipients who do not understand the nature of today's e-mail viruses will think you sent them a virus. You can also count on receiving lots of e-mail you didn’t ask for.
Some Viruses (worms) turn your computer into an e-mail generator, sending itself to everyone in your address book. More “junk” e-mail even if it is detected by your antivirus software.
Can anything be done about the current e-mail problem?
E-mail users complain constantly about the state of affairs with e-mail and Spam and are ready to try anything, often without understanding that solutions to problems often create problems themselves. Many companies claim to have the prescription that will end the plague of Spam and many consumers are trying different solutions, both client side (on their computer) and server side (on their e-mail host's servers). It is important to keep in mind that different "prescriptions" (and combinations of prescriptions) carry different "side effects." Prescriptions and treatments always have side effects and you must weigh the benefits against the side effects and make your decision as to which solutions make the most sense.
The first and easiest solution is to get familiar with the delete key and simply delete the Spam you do not want. Do nothing to encourage Spammers. Do not respond to their solicitations or purchase their products.
If the "Delete Key" solution becomes too time consuming and burdensome, then consider both client side and server side solutions.
As previously mentioned, when looking for the right solution for your association or your member’s businesses, it is important to know about the side effects created by these solutions.
Both the e-mail sent to you by your clients and the e-mail sent by you to your clients through your ISP or through your MLS vendor or lead generation company you have hired, may not be getting delivered to the intended recipient. Many ISPs (and AOL) block e-mail for many different reasons and in many cases for very little reason (and they block LOTS of e-mail). They are setting up filters and gateways to block spam and anything they think has the slightest "appearance" of spam.
Why? Not only is spam an irritant to you, filling your Inbox each day and taking up your time as it downloads, spam is also choking the Internet providers.
You think you have problems with spam. Internet providers not only have their resources used in the delivery of spam (which costs them and ultimately costs you), they are often black listed because of new methods of spamming which turn innocent computer owners into spam generating zombies. Black listing causes the e-mail of all their clients to be blocked...not a good situation for an Internet provider.
Is there a way to increase the flow of legitimate e-mail and decrease the spam?
Yes. Implementation of simple standards (known as RFCs) can improve the current flow of legitimate e-mail.
NOTE: RFC is an acronym for “Requests for Comments” which is a set of technical and organizational notes about the Internet (originally the ARPANET). Memos in the RFC series discuss many aspects of computer networking, including Internet protocols, procedures, programs, and concepts, as well as meeting notes, opinions. For more information on the history of the RFC series, go to ftp://ftp.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/rfc2555.txt
The official specification documents of the Internet Protocol suite that are defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) are recorded and published as “standards track RFCs”.
Another solution for AEs who are not receiving all of their e-mail is to discuss blocked mail with their ISP, which may help or it may get them nowhere as technology as companies always like to blame "the other guy." At InternetCrusade we refer to this as the "Chain of blame."
America Online blocks some half billion pieces a day. In everyone's attempts to reduce the flow of SPAM, filtering is taking place to the detriment of all those who want to continue to use e-mail as an effective business communication tool.
ISPs and other email carriers have been frantically reviewing their rules regarding accepting email. E-mail may be blocked (rejected) if:
1. The message being sent exceeds limits set by the recipients ISP
2. The message being sent has too many addressees in the address fields (To, Cc, Bcc)
3. The message is being sent to an AOL user (we need to move REALTORS away from AOL as their business communication manager).
4. The recipient has attempted to utilize spam filtering software and "good" e-mail is being filtered
5. The recipient has included certain word blocks, which can block otherwise good e-mail (I once had an e-mail blocked because the word Middlesex was in the subject line)
6. Standards are not being adhered to by e-mail providers who do not really understand e-mail. Prior to the days of SPAM, it was not as important for e-mail providers to know all the required e-mail standards. All e-mail was delivered. Today, if certain standards are not met, e-mail may be blocked by legitimate e-mail providers. "Good" e-mail is being blocked because to the intended recipients e-mail provider, the e-mail being blocked "looks" like SPAM (identified as such because of information in the header of the e-mail that has the characteristics of SPAM).
Certain ISPs only accept email from servers that comply with certain standards (such as RFCs mentioned above).
Some well known MLS vendors, Web hosts, e-mail marketing companies and lead generation web sites do not comply, and as a result, lots of legitimate email (false positives) is being rejected.
In addition, a simple group of tests called SAV (senders address
verification) are also being used by major ISPs and mail handlers.
SAV (senders address verification) is "call back to sender" which attempts to verify if the sender is legitimate before accepting the email. This stops the forgery of senders addresses (what most spammers attempt to do).
Detecting the rejection of legitimate mail is made difficult because:
1. The recipient, don't know it's being rejected.
2. The administrator of the "sending service", (MLS, web servers, etc), is not informing you, their client, that email for you is being rejected.
3. Some vendors deny the situation even exists, BUT IT DOES EXIST.
At InternetCrusade, we work with vendors (as much as they will allow us) to help them solve their issues.
InternetCrusade has a system in place that allows us to trace and track each attempted email delivery so we can prove to vendors (and our customers) what the issues are in the first instance.
For over 10 years, email has been a core product for InternetCrusade and we have been delivering email (primarily to the real estate industry).
InternetCrusade’s Vice President of Technology, Mike Barnett suggests the following "best practices" which assure that mail will be delivered with the fewest difficulties for ISPs. Please pass along this technical information to those responsible for your e-mail system:
DNS:
1. The web server must have a fully qualified hostname, like label.domain.com which has an A record.
label.domain.com. A ip.ad.re.ss
and the webserver should not be just domain.com, but label.domain.com.
2. the IP of the webserver should have a PTR hostname, label.domain.com ...
ss.re.ad.ip.in-addr.arpa. PTR hostname.domain.com.
3. ... whose A record should own that IP:
hostname.domain.com. A ip.ad.re.ss
In SMTP:
4. the webserver's Helo hostname must have a fully qualified domain name, label.domain.com, that ideally is the same as the PTR hostname (but not
required)
HELO label.domain.com.
... which itself must have a A record
label.domain.com. A ip.ad.re.ss
5. the envelope sender address used by the emailing web application ...
MAIL FROM:
... must accept _inbound_ mail at the MX machine for sender.domain (sender address verification). And it should not use a "null sender" or "nobody@"
or "www@" or "web@" or "apache@" or other default/generic name, but something self-explanatory like :
MAIL FROM:
MAIL FROM:
MAIL FROM:
... meaning that if anybody, like postfix's sender address verification function, tried to send mail back TO: complaint_form@domain.com, the MX (mail server) for domain.com would accept it.
6. The above sender domain doesn't have to be, and probably should not be, sender@label.domain.com but just sender@domain.com. If it were sender@label.domain.com, there would have to be an MX record and mail domain setup for label.domain.com, which is usually not what the client needs or wants.
7. the MX for domain.com must accept mail for abuse@domain.com and postmaster@domain.com and that msg but be delivered to a real person.
Spam Blocking Software
There are many different applications that promise to limit spam, both client side (on your computer) and server side (on your ISPs server). The problem is that none of them are perfect and they often block not only spam, but legitimate e-mail.
A false positive occurs when spam blocking software incorrectly identifies genuine email as spam. You cannot trust these applications to block only spam, and so you end up wasting time sorting through “spam folders.”
There is also the other side of the coin, the miscategorizing of spam as legitimate e-mail.
Black Lists, White Lists, and Gray Lists
Some ISPs will block all mail from servers that have the appearance of spamming activity. Blocking all mail from a server is black listing.
White listing is just the opposite, accepting mail from a server or individual regardless of the appearance of the e-mail…even if the e-mail has characteristics of spam.
Gray listing is temporarily blocking e-mail and can be quite effective in reducing spam.
If an e-mail is not accepted by the server to whom the e-mail is sent, the sending server will normally try again over periods of time and eventually give up if the e-mail cannot be delivered. It makes sense for sending servers to operate this way as there could be any of a number of reasons a single piece of e-mail is not accepted at a particular moment in time (examples: breakdown in connectivity, power interruption, filters, full mail box, etc).
Many spammers are using "zombie" computers to send spam (computers of the innocent upon whom a worm or trojan is planted for the benefit of the spammer). When these zombies generate spam, there is no allowance for undeliverable mail. If the spam is not delivered on the first attempt, the zombie will not send it again.
Now, what "gray listing" does (as opposed to white listing and black listing), is block all incoming e-mail on the first attempt. It then lets it through on the second attempt. You would be surprised at how much spam this eliminates.
What can you do about the current state of e-mail?
There are steps one can take to both eliminate large amounts of spam and have a greater assurance of delivery of one’s e-mail. It all begins with education. Don’t be afraid to have frank conversations with vendors and ISPs when you feel your e-mail is not being delivered.
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Saul Klein e-PRO/GRI/CFP is President of InternetCrusade®, the home of REALTOR® e-PRO and NAR’s Domain and e-mail VIP Partner. InternetCrusade® has a number of different programs available to local associations which provide the associations with revenues and their members with effective, efficient services. Send an e-mail to Saul@InternetCrusade.com for more information.
Nov. 22, 2006
Categorized in: REALTOR.COM
I was an advocate of keeping REALTOR.com and not spinning off the asset. I was a vocal advocate of keeping listings exclusivity on REALTOR.com...having MLSs and brokers display their listings only on REALTOR.com, and then selling ad space on REALTOR.com to the many advertisers already advertising on the many venues offered by NAR. I believed then (and still do) that if the listings were organized, easy to search, and branded...that consumers would learn that there is on place to go to look for real estate for sale, and that place would be REALTOR.com...100% owned and operated by NAR.
Attempting this would be a financial risk for NAR...and here is an e-mail that I sent to the then Executive Officer of NAR, Bud Smith on July 12, 1996, about 6 weeks before the Special Meeting of the NAR BOD in Chicago at the Airport Sheraton. As this was very controversial, and much was at stake, you may note a conciliatory style in my e-mail. Emotions were running high and wanted a hearing and did not want my e-mail to be dismissed out of hand:
_____________
July 26, 1996
Hi Bud,
Please forgive me if I am stating the obvious or if I am being presumptuous. That is not my intent. I would like to share with you certain concepts and ideas as they appear to me, someone who has been a very keen observer of RIN, the people associated with RIN, and the members and their perceptions and expectations of RIN. Again, I apologize if I am being to basic or covering ground you may have already handled.
The first one that came to mind is advertising on REALTOR.com.
If it is determined that the sale of ad space can be a net revenue generator for RIN (REALTOR.com), a sales team will be needed to market the various advertising packages. I believe that team already exists at NAR. You have in Advertising and Conventions, experienced people selling ad space, convention space, marketing, etc. and they are managed by your very capable senior staff. Advertising space on RIN (REALTOR.com) could be one more product they offer to their advertising clients, many of whom would probably love the opportunity to purchase electronic ad space on RIN (REALTOR.com) through NAR. You build a revenue share into your business plan. An opportunity to increase the revenue of the Advertising Department, and provide revenue for RIN (REALTOR.com).
You have no doubt already thought of this and either ruled it out based on your sound evaluation of the current circumstances, conditions, and restraints, or have decided that it is an option to further pursue. I am sorry if I have needlessly taken your time.
Saul
_____________
So...in a nutshell...I would have incorporated REALTOR.com into the operation of NAR and used NAR resources to build the brand and traffic...that is what I believed at the time and what I would have done.
As for Google...I think that if REALTORS nationwide understand what is happening, and had a longer term vision and outlook, they could effectively counter the Google threat...which I truly believe is a threat and will change real estate sales forever within the next 10 years.
It is not, in my opinion, "just information" in the future. Artificial intelligent, virtual worlds, and more will be nothing less than a paradigm shift and all those with money invested in the "old ways" will lose their fortunes. Remember, when a paradigm shifts, everyone goes back to zero...your past success guarantees NOTHING when a paradigm shifts. As a matter of fact, your past success may blind you from seeing the future.
MLSs will disappear and the role of the REALTOR will be forever changed.
Saul
Original Post
Hi Saul:
The other day I posted and you were straight out responding to others.
I know that many are keeping you busy defending REALTOR.com. and NAR, I am not one of them. I personally believe that the site needed the for profit element to succeed.
I am curious though if you think NAR could have done anything differently way back when, that would have avoided some of the issues that we read about today?
Also, your concerns regarding Google. I feel that all of this is just information and that today more than ever, buyers and sellers are looking to Realtors to guide them. Do you feel any internet site with any amount of information can replace this?
I am in the process of making technology decisions for myself and my company. Yours and others thoughts on these are helpful.
Thanks,
Art Ferrara
Nov. 19, 2006
Categorized in: REALTOR.COM
With a lot of the conversation lately being about REALTOR.com, I decided that I would add an historical perspective as I know many people selling real estate today were not in the real estate business when REALTOR.com was created and later placed under the management of what became (by design) a publicly traded company (Homestore, AKA Move Inc).
In 1992, as president-elect of the San Diego Association of REALTORS, I metRichard Janssen, a local business man. He was building Kiosks to display limited amounts of listing data at some 50 Longs Drug Stores in San Diego County. I thought his idea was a good one. Richard had a contract to receive the listing information directly from our MLS. It made sense to me to give the public a glimpse of the property data before they went out to actually view the properties.
As the president of the San Diego Association of REALTORS in 1993 I promoted Richard's concept and company (RealSelect) at the orientation presentations at my association and at the 3 office meetings I attended each week, as I believed in the power of information and making it available to the public.
Richard's business model was to charge agents to have a one page "bio" page displayed on the Kiosks along with the listing information. Interested consumers would "log on" to the Kiosk by entering their name and phone number, which was then provided to the agents with accounts with Richard's company. A big industry controversy at the time was "public access to MLS."
Richard's idea seemed to satisfy consumers need for basic information and lead the consumer to the REALTOR (the computers at those Kiosks later became the first REALTOR.com servers).
In January of 1995, At what was then called the NAR Mid-Winter Meetings, in Orlando, I was interviewed by Jim Tebay, the "Field Marketing Vice President" for RIN and two other members of the "RIN Team," Kathy Hartke and John Schladweiler. Jim, Kathy and John had only been with RIN a few months and they were recruited by Ed Evans, the RIN president, who had only been with RIN about 2 months longer than Jim. All four of them came from Comdesco, a "disaster recovery" company. I was contracted to do a presentation and workshop for the first major RIN event which was put on for the MLSs that had paid RIN $$$ to become "RIN Charter Members." The event was held at the Drake Hotel in Chicago on March 4, 1995.
It took me all of February to learn all that RIN had done and to put together an all day program...and, contrary to what some may believe, they had done quite a bit at that point. The main consultant and "RIN Technology Partner" was Booz Allen Hamilton. In March of 1995 there was no serious conversation about advertising listings on the Internet. As a matter of fact, the concept was foreign to most REALTORS, and to NAR and RIN Leadership..."make my listing info available to the world on the Interwhat...are you crazy!!" was a common response back then (seems like a million years ago).
The event was deemed successful and I then became a full time consultant for RIN. My job was to travel and prepare the REALTOR marketplace for technology and what RIN would bring to the market, which at the time, was a proprietary network. I was a "technology evangelist," socializing the REALTOR population about the coming changes in marketing and the conduct of business.
On August 9, 1995, Netscape went public and the RIN Board of Directors decided the REALTOR organization needed to make a move to the Internet. Part of my charge was then to examine and advise the RIN BOD and staff on the evolving World Wide Web and its advertising potential and to create a strategy for gaining listing content.
Back to Richard Janssen...Richard had an idea as to how his Kiosk technology could be adapted for use on the WWW. Walt Baczkowski (SDAR EVP at the time and a member of the RIN BOD) and I then introduced Richard to the RIN Board of Directors. There were few real vendors of Internet services at that time (for the purpose of displaying data on the web) and Richard's Kiosk idea looked adaptable to this new and growing medium, the www.
The first name for the project of displaying listing information to consumers on the web (which we all now know as REALTOR.com) was "National Electronic Advertising Program." We quickly shortened it to RPA (Real Property Ads). The first presentation on the subject was done for the Colorado Association of REALTORS (they were a "pilot state"). There were no listings on REALTOR.com at that time and the whole concept was just that, a concept. The presentation slides were acetate overheads of Kiosk screen shots I got from Richard Janssen. I still have those original overheads.
First listings up on the Web on REALTOR.com were from the San Diego County MLS, Sandicor, which Richard had under his Kiosk contract. Next MLS to go up was Austin. Next was Miami. The first name given to online listings was NEAP (National Electronic Advertising Program). We did not want to confuse it with "consumer access to MLS" so we made a point to call it advertising.
RealTalk, our online community, began a few months before REALTOR.com. As a consultant to RIN, it was my responsibility to build a structure for online community and then populate it with people and content. With the help of John Reilly, Mike Barnett, and Jack Harper, we did just that (and when RIN spun off REALTOR.com...we took our little community and put it on a listserv, the predecessor to what we have today).
RIN was formally launched at the NAR Trade Show and Convention in Atlanta in November of 1995 and by mid 1996 about 18 million dollars had been invested by NAR into the RIN project, both "sides" of RIN, the private side which we referred to as the RIN Network Desktop (where most of the money had been spent), and the Public Side which was REALTOR.com (and for which RIN owed Richard Janssen around $1,000,000 in back fees, costs, expenses, etc.
Certain people in leadership and the NAR Board of Directors, under pressure from the press and a few other groups (and based partly on the "bad acting" of the president of RIN, Ed Evans), feared NAR would lose all the investment in RIN and more, so there was a special meeting in Chicago in August of 1996 to decide what to do about the debt of RIN and what to do with the assets.
It was then that NAR decided to change the course of RIN and sell the public side (REALTOR.com) for past money owed to Richard Janssen and RealSelect for future stock in a new company (which turned out in final form to be Homestore, now Move, inc.). NAR subsequently recovered all of its investment in RIN and maintained control over many of the aspects of REALTOR.com based on the 1000 page document you hear discussed on occasion. No one at NAR saw any value in the community we had created, around 500 people, so InternetCrusade set out to build an online community on its own.
What all of us involved back in 1995 saw, was that the WWW gave consumers the ability to access information about property and it seemed like a great idea, and it seemed like the future.
There is a lot more to this story, but this should put a little historical perspective into the recent REALTOR.com conversations.
Oct. 29, 2006
Real Estate Consumers of the not too distant future
Who and where are the real estate buyers and sellers of the future and how can you meet them today? The buyers and sellers of 2010? 2015? 2020?
If you plan to be in the real estate business in the future, then these buyers and sellers must be part of the vision of your business and your career. Why not begin prospecting now?
Who are the real estate buyers and sellers of the future?
This is obvious, they are the 15 to 20 year olds of today. They are your buyers and sellers of tomorrow.
Where are they and how can you meet them?
They are spending time on the Internet in "Virtual Worlds" creating and leading "Virtual Lives." This includes, among other things, buying "Virtual Clothes" for their "Virtual Selves" and buying and selling "Virtual Real Estate," and running "Virtual Businesses."
On another level, some companies are using this technology to develop real life solutions in a virtual environment...but let's get back to play...
In my youth, I loved to play Monopoly. Back then, I really didn't relate the game of Monopoly to real estate. It was not until later in life, as a real estate broker and real estate educator, that I realized Monopoly was a real estate game and that it taught basic real estate principles such as title and deeds, assemblage, plottage, plottage increment, rent collection, risk and yield, mortgaging, exchanging, taxation, bankruptcy and more.
Back then, we played Monopoly at most a few times a year. There was always the problem of finding enough kids (and/or parents) who could take the time to play a game of Monopoly...and many games went unfinished because Monopoly is a game that takes a long time to play from start to finish.
In Virtual Worlds, people are free to develop new social and business skills as they meet, dance, and create with their "Virtual Friends," who, in many cases, are people they have never and will never meet "in the flesh." You can leave a virtual world at will...and you will always find people and things to interact with when you return. Your new virtual friends could become your virtual customers and some day your real life customers...or at least learn about your real life services from their interaction with you in a virtual world.
In the process of this new type of "play," many young people are learning...increasing their knowledge, honing their skills...and spending "Virtual Money" ("Lindens" in one of the Virtual Worlds, a virtual currency that has a US Dollar conversion rate). There are many lessons one can take from buying real estate in a virtual world to the purchase of real estate in the real world.
Virtual worlds are not perfect "worlds" and in fact, have some of the negatives of the "real world." But they offer the ability to merge information and creativity in a new way.
By now you might be scratching your head and asking yourself what in the world I am talking about.
No....the question you should be asking is what in the Virtual World am I talking about?
You have to experience it to understand...and at this point in the evolution of virtual world research, it also takes a little vision and imagination to get beyond the concept of "play." What is being created is an easy to use interface with immense expressive power, where people can share, collaborate, and create new kinds of information, allowing the interaction of people, information and ideas in a new way. The potential is enormous.
Who would sit in front of a computer screen for a half hour or even hours at a time? The same question was once asked about the radio, and the television.
Today, kids are spending time in virtual communities. I read where http://SecondLife.com just went over one million users, 50,000 online at any given time. Another popular location is http://There.com There are many more and lots of research money is going into the continued pursuit of a truly "interactive web" in general, and this concept in particular. Before you write this off as trivial and inconsequential, know that MTV, IBM, Reuters and other major players are investing time and money into the emergence of what some are calling the "MetaVerse." But don't take my word for it, check it out for your(virtual)self. You may want to set up your virtual real estate office while virtual real estate is still affordable (at least while the good "locations" are still available and affordable).
See you online...let me know if I can help you with your virtual real estate needs.
Noah Boardwalk (SecondLife.com)
RealEstateBroker (There.com)
AKA...
Saul
Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade
Oct. 17, 2006
There's so much to do in New Orleans. What a fun place.
Use this Message Board to share information and arrange get-togethers with friends and associates.
Simply click the Post A Comment link below and post your message. If you want, use the Email This Entry link to send to a friend.
Enjoy
Saul
Oct. 17, 2006
We thought this would be a good place for you to announce that you'll be in New Orleans in November for the NAR Conference & Expo.
Leave your name and any contact information you want published.
We'll also create a New Orleans Message Board in case you want to try to get together with others or announce any special events. A good place to share information on places to visit, restaurants, etc.
Simply click the Post A Comment link below and make your entry. If you want, use the Email This Entry link to send to a friend.
See you in New Orleans!
Saul
Oct. 3, 2006
Categorized in: MLS Issues
The discussion and resulting position of this paper must start with the basic question, what is a Multiple Listing Service (MLS)?
>From the NAR MLS Handbook:
>>
A multiple listing service is:
. a facility for the orderly correlation and dissemination of listing information so participants may better serve their clients and customers and the public
. a means by which authorized participants make blanket unilateral offers of compensation to other participants (acting as subagents, buyer agents, or in other agency or nonagency capacities defined by law)
. a means of enhancing cooperation among participants
. a means by which information is accumulated and disseminated to enable authorized participants to prepare appraisals, analyses, and other valuations of real property for bona fide clients and customers
. a means by which participants engaging in real estate appraisal contribute to common databases (Revised 11/04)
Entitlement to compensation is determined by the cooperating broker's performance as procuring cause of the sale (or lease). (Revised 11/94) <<
Of critical importance to the conversation and debate over what type of listings should be accepted into an MLS (and published on REALTOR.com) is understanding the fact that an MLS is a "unilateral offer of compensation,"
and why the issue of compensation is important and a key element.
It seems we lose sight of this (maybe as a matter of convenience by some)...or in some cases maybe we never knew this...and in other cases, maybe we do not really understand the importance of this basic and fundamental fact.
so for emphasis, I want to say it a few more times...
An MLS is an offer of compensation.
An MLS is an offer of compensation.
An MLS is an offer of compensation.
An MLS is an offer of compensation.
Just in case some are unclear about this, let me reiterate:
An MLS is an offer of compensation.
An MLS is an offer of compensation.
An MLS is an offer of compensation.
When an MLS accepts a listing into its inventory, that listing is then made available to all of the Subscribers and Participants of that MLS, for the purpose of sale of the property, per the terms of the listing agreement or any other price and terms the owner may accept. Why would someone other than the listing broker want to sell another broker's listing? Because there is, by virtue of the MLS, by the very definition of an MLS, a means for a "cooperating broker" (broker other than the listing broker) to earn compensation for bringing a buyer (ready willing and able to purchase the property under the exact terms of the listing agreement, or any other price and terms the seller may accept). If there were no means to earn compensation on the purchase of a property, why would a broker work to help their buyer obtain the property? Absent some promise of compensation and means to enforce it, brokers would only work to sell their own listings, as the only assurance the broker would have for compensation would be only the listing agreement the broker has with their sellers under listing contract.
The MLS allows Participating brokers to offer compensation for a sale to any broker who brings in an offer which is accepted, even though that broker has no contractual agreement for commission from the seller.
Brokers
bring buyers because they trust they will be paid and the vehicle which provides that trust is the MLS. MLS has provided tremendous consumer service for many years by creating the apparatus for competitors to cooperate and share compensation. MLS has created trust in the structure, format and discipline which allows for the orderly marketing of real property. MLS is part of a system which has resulted in a real estate marketplace where once illiquid assets can be sold efficiently and timely.
The compensation structure in real estate can best be described as a contingency based compensation structure (Work for Free...Work for Free...Work for Free...Work for Free...close a deal and earn compensation).
For the most part, real estate licensees are only compensated when a property closes and title is transferred. Licensees work for free until the transaction closes. Many transactions do not close. Often consumers will go from one licensee to another...getting the free work of one agent after another, and then, in some cases, buying from a "For Sale By Owner."
Would an agent, who works for free, want to show any properties where there is the chance that they will not be compensated for their work? Does an agent have an obligation to show properties where they earn no compensation because "someone" says it is in the consumer's best interest for them to do so?
Should licensees be required to support systems which will decrease their opportunity for income and systems which allow for consumers to avoid justifiably earned commissions? Might licensees lose confidence in a system that allowed for them to be "cheated" by consumers?
What makes an MLS work is the fact that Subscribers and Participants are confident that should they show another broker's (Participant's) listing which has been submitted to the MLS, then the agent (Subscriber or
Participant) bringing in the buyer, even though they have no contract with the seller (or contract with the buyer for compensation), will be compensated for the sale should one ensue. This is a key factor in a contingency based compensation system.
If that confidence about compensation did not exist, would not agents with buyers be reluctant to show another broker's listings? I submit that they would be reluctant. This reluctance would result in fewer MLS listed properties being shown and this would not be in any one's best interest...the seller's, the buying public, the listing broker, or agents working with and representing buyers.
Anything which jeopardizes or minimizes that trust and confidence in one's ability to collect compensation for their efforts would be detrimental to the MLS. It is our position that MLSs can and should set up and enforce business rules which ensure the benefit of those who belong and also which ensures the successful operation of the MLS.
Exclusive Agency Listings in the age of instant dissemination of listing information, could result in a decrease in the trust and confidence brokers currently place in their MLS. Think about this...are agents working with a buyer willing to show their buyers FSBO (For Sale By Owner) properties?
Usually not. Why not? Because there is no confidence that the agent showing a FSBO will be compensated...there is no "trust and confidence."
Position:
MLS allows competitors to work together for the benefit of buyers, seller, Subscribers and Participants.
An MLS should have the right to determine the type of listings it accepts into its MLS inventory of properties.
REALTOR.com has the right to publish the listings provided to REALTOR.com by the MLS.
Allowing Exclusive Agency Listings into an MLS inventory, and then requiring the subsequent posting of those exclusive agency listings to REALTOR.com, would establish a direct path from a buyer, not using a REALTOR, to a seller directly, avoiding the payment of a commission to an agent. Forcing MLSs to accept Exclusive Agency Listings may in time, erode broker trust and confidence in the MLSs as it pertains to payment of commission. MLSs might then decide not to publish MLS listings on REALTOR.com and this would not be a benefit to REALTOR.com or to the public, as the public loves REALTOR.com as is evidenced by the fact that REALTOR.com is the most visited real estate web site in the world.
This is a complicated issue with many comments being made by those who are ignorant of the business of real estate brokerage or who have their own agenda to accomplish.
InternetCrusade applauds Realcomp for taking a stand and not caving into the bullies of the DOJ and FTC, who once again prove they are ignorant of the workings of the real estate industry and the value the industry provides to the economy and to our country.
*Definitions of Listings from the NAR MLS Handbook:
Exclusive Right-to-Sell Listing: A contractual agreement under which the listing broker becomes the agent of the seller(s) and the seller(s) agrees to pay a commission to the listing broker, regardless of whether the property is sold through the efforts of the listing broker, the seller(s), or anyone else; and a contractual agreement under which the listing broker becomes the agent of the seller(s) and the seller(s) agrees to pay a commission to the listing broker regardless of whether the property is sold through the efforts of the listing broker, the seller(s), or anyone else, except that the seller(s) may name one or more individuals or entities as exemptions in the listing agreement and if the property is sold to any exempted individual or entity, the
seller(s) is not obligated to pay a commission to the listing broker.
Exclusive Agency Listing: A contractual agreement under which the listing broker becomes the agent of the seller(s) and the seller(s) agrees to pay a commission to the listing broker if the property is sold through the efforts of any real estate broker. If the property is sold solely through the efforts of the seller(s), the seller(s) is not obligated to pay a commission to the listing broker.
Open Listing: A contractual agreement under which the listing broker becomes the agent of the seller(s) and the seller(s) agrees to pay a commission to the listing broker only if the property is sold through the efforts of the listing broker. (Amended 11/89)
PS: Real estate, real estate law, and the real estate brokerage business is complex and detailed. While I have worked to achieve a certain level detailed in this Position Paper, even more detail and definition is always possible and so I assume a certain level of industry knowledge, hoping the threads of thoughts and conclusions can be easily followed.
Saul
Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade
http://InternetCrusade.com
Sep. 6, 2006
Categorized in: MLS Issues
Here is a Guest Perspective comment from NAR President Thomas M. Stevens published in Inman News Sept 5, 2006 at http://www.inman.com/hstory.aspx?ID=56240
Please post a comment below.
MLS: The essential difference
Guest perspective: Interbroker cooperation defines the system
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
By Thomas M. Stevens
Thomas Stevens, NAR president
Ever since brokers and Multiple Listing Services began posting abridged
versions of MLS listings on the Internet some 15 years ago and real
estate consumers have been able to see for themselves what's available
in their neighborhoods, the public has confused MLSs with online auction
sites like eBay or electronic classified ads like CraigsList. To the
layperson, the MLS looks like any other marketplace where properties are
bought and sold. But nothing could be farther from the truth.
What makes MLSs special is not just that they introduce extraordinary
efficiencies into the real estate transaction, or that they level the
playing field so that the newest, smallest, greenest broker has just as
much ability to profit from the system as the biggest guy in town. Even
the fact that they are probably the safest databases on the Internet --
thanks to the standards of quality and care exhibited by the
organizations that own and run them -- is not the single most
distinguishing feature of MLSs.
What makes MLSs unique in the business world is that they exist first to
facilitate cooperation between brokers, and that includes interbroker
compensation.
Lately a number of people -- among them those who don't understand the
MLS system at all and those who do but would like to change it to fit
their own agenda -- have voiced concerns with the principle of a
seller's broker compensating a buyer's agent. They believe the practice
is anachronistic, illogical, or that it should be ended because it
raises suspicions among federal regulators who, in my opinion, truly do
not understand how and why the system works.
To eliminate interbroker cooperation in the MLS is to eliminate the MLS
as we know it today. Once compensation offers are stripped from the
system, no longer is there a significant reason for the MLS to remain a
broker-to-broker system and it can become what so many outsiders would
like it to be -- a simple database that can be opened to all and mined
for the value resident in the real estate listings it contains. Welcome
to the MLS as a public utility.
There can be no doubt that stripping compensation from the MLS will make
interbroker cooperation infinitely more difficult. What the current crop
of reformers fails to recognize is the value the current system brings
to the buyer and the buyer's agent. The current system has made the
proliferation of buyer's agency possible, and with it, the vital
benefits of professional representation for home buyers, especially
first-time home buyers.
Consider for a moment the importance of buyer's agency -- and
interbroker compensation -- to the cause of minority home ownership in
America. Progress toward parity in home ownership has been
excruciatingly slow, and now the housing economy is slowing it even
more. Interest rates are ramping up in response to the Fed's policies to
check inflation, and many expect rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage to
exceed 7 percent. Higher rates coupled with high property values make it
more difficult than ever for lower- and middle-income families to cross
the threshold of their first home.
Now comes the Consumer Federation of America with a proposal that will
make minority home ownership even harder to achieve. CFA would restrict
the ability of sellers to offer partial commissions to buyers' agents to
pay for their services in the real estate transaction, forcing buyers to
be responsible for some or all of the cost of professional
representation. The result could be that buyers' agents would not be
paid from proceeds of the transaction received by the seller but by fees
charged directly to buyers. For thousands of lower-income and minority
buyers, professional help would be out of the question under these
conditions.
The CFA plan, proposed in a white paper issued June 19, would also have
a devastating impact on the small but growing corps of minority agents
and brokers that specializes in turning minority renters into
homeowners. Those professionals help their customers access an extensive
array of services such as credit counseling and home-ownership
education. Without help from those professionals, people unfamiliar with
the home-ownership transaction may never make it over the financial and
cultural hurdles standing between them and their first American Dream.
Don't get me wrong: We believe in change. The MLS has evolved over the
years to meet the needs of the marketplace and will continue to do so.
At NAR, we have created a Presidential Advisory Group to look at the
future of the MLS, and the PAG will consider a wide range of options on
handling compensation. It's anticipated (but not guaranteed) that a
report with recommendations will be made to me at the Convention in
November. The PAG has met with people from outside the Realtorfamily
like Michael Adelbeg of Google and Pete Flint of Trulia. I'm sure that
its findings will make a very positive contribution to the debate -- and
foster changes that will improve the service that MLSs provide for
consumers and the industry alike.
Thomas M. Stevens
President
National Association of Realtors
Sep. 1, 2006
Categorized in: Publishing
The secret to success in marketing is to put your name in front of people everywhere you can, as often as you can.
Aug. 30, 2006
Categorized in: Publishing
Here are some blog tips I recently contributed to REALTOR magazine:
Blogs are online journals that give everyone the opportunity to be a writer and publisher. Real estate practitioners use the medium to interact with their community and reinforce their professional expertise.
InternetCrusade, the San Diego-based real estate technology company, provides these tips for getting started:
- Understand what a blog can do for you. Blogs are frequently updated and blend personal opinions and fact with links to other resources. If done right, your blog will showcase your real estate know-how and differentiate you from other practitioners in your market.
- Determine the purpose of your blog. Before you leap into the world of blogging, find your focus. Your blog can be professional, fun, or educational, or any combination of those. Define your blog’s goal. Will it position you as the neighborhood real estate expert? Will it service your clients and prospects? Will it help you network with other real estate pros or with fellow hobbyists?
- Select blog software. There’s no shortage of programs that make it extraordinarily simple to create and update a blog. With no more effort or time than it takes to compose an e-mail, you can have your latest blog entry on the Web. Experiment with different software programs, such as Google’s Blogger or InternetCrusade’s RealTown Blogs, both of which are free.
- Address the needs of your target audience. Think of yourself as an editor who must provide compelling and relevant news and filter information on your audience’s behalf. For example, if your audience is primarily buyers, use your blog to deliver buying tips and information on properties just minutes after they hit the market.
- Update your blog regularly. Create a schedule of when you’ll add new postings, whether it’s three times a day or once a week. Let readers know how often the site is updated, and stay true to your word. Fresh content will keep your audience interested and will help the blog rank higher on search engines.
- Encourage audience participation. Ask for opinions and feedback on the issues you cover in your blog — for example, “Which architectural style do you like best?” or “What would you like to see developed at the corner of Main Street and Forest Drive?” Also include a “comments” section where readers can post other feedback any time.
- Jazz it up. Add dimension to your blog with photos, videos, and links to news articles, relevant Web sites, and your favorite blogs.
- Use RSS feeds. A technology called RSS, short for “really simple syndication,” allows you to proactively distribute your blog content. It works like this: People who visit your blog—and have already installed an RSS reader on their computer—can click on a link you provide to have the content delivered straight to their reader. Make sure your blog software has RSS feed capability.
- Arrange postings by categories. Your blog software will automatically sort your postings on your blog site with the newest content on top. But that makes it difficult for visitors to your site to zero in on the topics they find most interesting. Use the “categories” feature of your blog software to organize your postings by topic.
- Promote your blog at every opportunity. Create a prominent link to the blog on your Web site, include the blog’s Web address in your e-mail signature, and reference your blog in all advertising and marketing materials. If you publish an article in your blog that you’re particularly proud of, send a link to everyone in your sphere of influence. Be sure to have someone check your spelling and grammar before you publish. Errors will reflect badly on you.
Source: REALTOR® Magazine, The List Issue 2006
The following should be the general theme of the mission of all real estate associations:
To provide a consistent level of service(s) to the membership...day after day, month after month, year after year, business and real estate cycle after business and real estate cycle.
Services should not decline because of general economic conditions. That is why associations build and maintain reserves.
Part of the purpose of reserves, other than to provide financial stability for an association in the time of emergency, is to provide funds when the current income is inadequate to maintain the needed level of service...to help the association continue to offer services to the membership when the members need them most. To cut services in a declining market because of loss of membership and dues income is the sign of a poorly run association.
Plan for the future. Have adequate reserves for the "rainy day." Generate income from sources other than dues, in small but consistent amounts. Run the association like a business, always keeping in mind that profit is not a dirty word and that the efforts to build reserves are the combined efforts of lots of people over many years and should not be the windfall of those who happen to be members in the year when things are good and the association is making money. Never rebate reserves to members. That is a disservice to all who were members over all the years of the existence of the association.
Saul
Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade
Aug. 17, 2006
Categorized in: Publishing
Ask any 10 REALTORS® you know: "What's a Blog?" You'll likely get a variety of responses including a few "What’s a what??"
Selling real estate requires constant contact with people. “Contacts create contracts.” Since the average term of homeownership is something like 5 to 8 years, what method or methods do you use to keep yourself and your name in front of people? Prospecting consumes a good amount of time for most successful real estate professionals.
While the traditional methods of participating in community and church activities works well for many, the Internet -- and a fairly “new” concept known as Blogging -- can increase your Internet presence and fit nicely into your web site and Internet marketing strategy. It can be very cost effective and, for many, actually a very enjoyable way to prospect and keep your name in front of people. After all, the secret to success in marketing is no secret at all…whether you are Coca Cola or a one person real estate business…you work (and often pay) to keep your name (and brand) in front of people.
According to Technorati, a web site that tracks Web log activity, the “Blogosphere” continues to grow at a breakneck pace. Technorati currently tracks 35.3 Million weBlogs (Blogs), and reports that the “Blogosphere” has doubled about every 6 months for the past 42 months. The “Blogosphere” is over 60 times bigger than it was only three years ago.
What’s a Blog?
The term Blog is “short” for Web Log, a type of website content that is updated on a regular basis. It is different from the “usual” website in that it may contain information written and submitted (posted) by various contributors in addition to the owner of the Blog. A Blog can be a one-sided or a multi-sided Internet “conversation.” When you comment on a Blog, the comment remains attached to the Blog, usually for public viewing. An e-mail alert is usually sent to the Blog owner to notify him/her that there is a comment from a reader. This is a feature that makes a Blog interactive. Authors can respond via additional notes or comments on the Blog and/or via e-mail.
The blog should have a “mailing list” feature in which your regular readers can subscribe to receive e-mail alerts when you post something new to your blog. The alert can contain a custom message from you along with a hot link to the specific posting. This is a good way to maintain contact with your “friends.”
"A Blog is the website you always wanted." Today, a Blog, a domain, and an IDX solution can provide the marketing side of a web presence for many REALTORS® and the cost in dollars is nominal…there is however, the cost of time. Blogs often mix candor, informality, opinion and links to related information. A Blog is much easier to work with than the usual web site or web site template. No programming skills are needed to create and maintain a Blog, just content. Actually, if you are able to send informative e-mail messages, then you’ll have no trouble “Blogging.” Do you have a subject or a passion you want to share with the world? Start your own Blog. Does it have to be real estate-related? Not necessarily.
A Blog is the ideal vehicle to showcase your expertise, interests and personality. Today, it seems like everyone is jumping on the Blogging bandwagon. Blogs written by politicians, musicians, novelists, sports figures, newscasters and other notable figures can be found in the “Blogosphere.” Millions of Americans are now “Blogging.” If you can think of an idea or subject, you can probably find a Blog about it. These personal journals have taken the Internet by storm. Thanks to easy-to-use programs and websites, the most technically challenged person can create a Blog and populate it in real-time. A blog can be created the instant a need arises. Take a look at http://KatrinaBlog.RealTown.com.
Blogging has now reached the real estate industry. Blogs can be used in a number of ways, which will be explored later in this article. A Blog is the perfect Internet publishing tool for some people, but not for everyone. It is very easy to start one up, although it takes a certain discipline to seed it and keep it growing. For further examples of Blogs, see http://Blogs.InternetCrusade.com.
WCR member and trainer Joeann Fossland uses the Blog in her real estate coaching business. Take a look at http://Blog.Joeann.com. Joeann also has a website -- http://Joeann.com -- that is designed and maintained by a professional. Joeann doesn’t need a webmaster for her blog, she is able to make entries herself "on the fly" and they are instantly viewable on the web. Also take a look at my Blog, http://Blog.SaulKlein.com, and note the flexibility that the use of categories offers.
How can I set up a Free Blog?
If you are interested in exploring the wonderful world of Blogging, go to http://RealTownBlogs.com and take a few minutes to set up your personal Blog. There is no charge. You'll be joining a rapidly growing community currently at 500. There's also a neat feature in which you can elect to have your Blog run privately while you go about creating it to the level you would want it added to our public directory.
10 Tips for Prospective Bloggers
1. Understand what a Blog is and what it can do for you.
A Blog is a web publishing tool in the form of a frequently updated, online journal that blends personal opinion and factual information with observations and links to other resources. A Blog can showcase your expertise and afford you an opportunity to differentiate yourself from other real estate professionals. You can Blog about your community, restaurants in your community, charities you support, or anything about which you have an interest or a passion. It does not have to be about real estate.
2. State the purpose of your Blog.
Your Blog can serve many purposes. Clearly state what it is your Blog intends to accomplish. Define your Blog’s goal. Will it position you as the neighborhood real estate expert? Will it service your clients and prospects? Will it help you network and share helpful information with other real estate pros or with fellow hobbyists/club members? Maybe you can set up and maintain a Blog for an organization. Every WCR Chapter could use a Blog as a means to get information out in real-time and to solicit input and conversation, and all this at no cost and requiring no technology skills.
3. Take control of your Blog.
Think of yourself as a tour guide whose role is to direct the attention of your audience to compelling content. With today’s information overload, they'll appreciate your efforts to filter news and information on their behalf. Use it to update clients with new properties minutes after they are listed.
4. Remember: It’s content, content, content.
Plan to add new postings every week (everyday is even better). Fresh content will not only maintain the interest of your audience, it may have a positive impact on search engine optimization rankings.
5. Encourage participation and community generated content.
Include a “Comments” feature that enables your audience to append their comments in a threaded discussion. Make your Blog interactive. People will return if they are submitting posts and asking questions…and that is what you want, participation, both active and passive.
6. Add links, photos, video, permalinks, Blogrolls.
In addition to the text message, you can include links to relevant resources; photos, even videos, give added dimension to your Blog. Be sure your Blog software offers a 'permalink' feature that enables you to create a unique URL for each posting. Add links to your favorite Blogs, called a Blogroll.
7. Use RSS feeds.
RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication and is a means of easily distributing your Blog content so that it appears on the desktop of anyone with a RSS reader that subscribes to your Blog feed. If you are not familiar with a RSS reader, download one to your desktop and subscribe to a few news feeds and some Blog feeds (e.g., the orange RSS feed button at http://Blog.SaulKlein.com). Be sure your Blog software has RSS Feed capability.
8. Arrange postings by categories.
Blog postings typically appear with the newest at top. Use the Categories feature to help organize your postings and make it easy for readers to locate topics of interest.
The RealTownBlogs.com software has a unique feature called “Sticky Entries” that enables you to re-order your postings and keep special announcements at the top. Both the Categories and Sticky Entries features are great publishing tools. And, yes, you are “publishing” when you are blogging!
9. Promote your Blog at every opportunity.
Create a link on your website; include the URL in your signature; and reference your Blog in all your advertising and marketing. When you publish an exceptional article, be sure to send the 'permalink' URL to your sphere of influence - you can use a third level domain for this purpose. For example, I often reference a piece I wrote on the topic of Commitment. See http://Commitment.SaulKlein.com
10. Do it now.
InternetCrusade®, NAR's partner for domains and e-PRO®, will host your Blog on their servers at no charge; go to http://RealTownBlogs.com and click the 'Create One' link. In addition to the free blogs, InternetCrusade has created a community of bloggers on BlogTalk who provide ideas for improvements to the blog software you will be using. BlogTalk uses the latest technology to network the community via e-mail and web-based discussion forums. Become part of the number one real estate blogging community today.
Jun. 18, 2006
Categorized in: MLS Issues
From a recent NYT Article - Commission Accomplished:
"For starters, this legislation should make clear that multiple listing
services must provide all properly licensed brokers access to the
marketplace on equal terms. Moreover, while individual states are the
primary regulators of real estate markets, this legislation should enable
the Federal Trade Commission to monitor and pre-empt laws that are intended
more to protect Realtors from new competition than to protect consumers from
possible abuses by discount real estate agents."
It drew this comment: Let's face it guys, aren't we all fed up with this "protecting our data"
nonsense? Who are we protecting it from, the KGB? I totally agree with the
author that all properly licensed RE Professionals should have access to at
least all listings in the state they are licensed in. Just imagine how this
should register with the Seller: "Mr. Seller, I want you to understand that
your listing is very well protected, in fact only a few members of one board
in our county will see it. Isn't it just great?"
Saul's response:
You should have the right to protect the value that your listing contracts bring to you.
You should have the right not to let your listing contract value be used to put you out of business.
You should have the right to charge whatever you want to charge.
You should have the right to list buyers only if that is your choice.
You should have the right to go out of business if no one wants to work with you because the cost of doing business with you is greater than the value you bring to the consumer.
Listing contracts have a cost to create...stated here many times before. The critical mass created by the money and work of brokers and their "agents" (lower case) should not automatically go to the benefit of a FSBO who does not want to hire a broker but who wants to use the eyeballs captured by the broker.
A broker who wants to participate in an MLS, which is for brokers and not consumers, should be allowed if the broker agrees to play by the rules...ethics, etc.
This article may be well written, but it shows an ignorance of what it takes to sell real estate.
What is a discount if there is no standard commission? That statement right there alone shows a bias and ignorance of the writer of that op ed piece.
Saul
Jun. 16, 2006
Categorized in: Communication
Hi everyone,
Listserv is a Trademark (like Kleenex) and if you look through the e-PRO
course, you will see we always refer to it in proper noun format...Listserv
and not listserv. In the e-PRO glossary in the course we define a LISTSERV
as:
>>
Listservs/Mailing lists - Those mailing lists in which the participants
share a common ground (same business, etc.) and they come together through
e-mail discussions using technologies like Listserv(R).
<<
Webopedia says:
>>
A LISTSERV is an automatic mailing list server developed by Eric Thomas for
BITNET in 1986. When e-mail is addressed to a LISTSERV mailing list, it is
automatically broadcast to everyone on the list. The result is similar to a
newsgroup or forum, except that the messages are transmitted as e-mail and
are therefore available only to individuals on the list.
<<
The Trademark term LISTSERV is currently a commercial product marketed by
L-Soft International.
We are often asked "what about Internet Bulletin Boards and
Forums...wouldn't they be better and easier than an e-Mailing list?"
The most effective form of internet communication is anything "pushed" at
people...e-mail, which is why mailing lists (LISTSERVS), even though old
technology, are still the best way to consistently reach the most
people...most people go to their "inbox" multiple times a day.
Using mailing lists for MLS beta testers has been effective. They are also
effective as a one way communication flow, telling committee members what
happened at a meeting. To get a good multi way conversation going requires a
"critical mass" of participants or/and a good moderator or "electronic
publisher."
Forums/Bulletin Boards have not done well in the industry...web based is
still too much work for most REALTORS. Blogs are catching on slowly, and
with our including blogs in the e-PRO course, more and more REALTORS will
begin to use them.
Blogs are great for one way communication, such as an association
e-newsletter.
If you haven't been there, go to http://RealTownBlogs.com
You can set one up (as many as you like) for free for your association. Your
members can also set up blogs for their own use, again, at no charge...so
help us let everyone know. I recently wrote an article on blogging which I
will post in its entirety here in the next few days.
Saul
Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade
Jun. 16, 2006
A RealTalker writes:
>>
If you find a way to take it with you, be sure to let us know how.
Meanwhile, is the government entitled to a portion of your income?
<<
Not from the government's perspective.
The government thinks it is entitled to ALL of your income.
The government believes it is being gracious if it lets you keep some of the government's income...it is not your income. Whatever gave you that idea? It is the government's income. Your deductions are considered expenditures to the tax code creators and writers...expenditures.
The purpose of the tax code is not only to facilitate the collection of
revenue to run the government, the purpose of the tax code is also social and economic engineering. This is not a judgment...it just is.
Estate Tax percentages amount to nothing more than confiscation. You would think that the greater the portion of one's estate allowed to pass to one's heirs, the more encouraged some people would be to work harder and more efficiently for the benefit of their heirs. Confiscatory estate tax rates can be counter productive and a disincentive.
Now, if you want to leave your entire estate to Uncle Sugar, you should have every right to do so and I would support you in having the option to do so.
Having said the above, most of us pretty much agree that the government(s) should be allowed to confiscate some of our hard earned income for the "common good." The question and the disagreement arises over how much, when and for what "common good" should the confiscation be allowed.
The unfairness of taxing income twice has been mentioned...taxed first as income and then as an estate. It may be unfair, but tax law is not fair, and it is not simple, no matter what the politicians try to tell us.
And, it never will be fair and simple. Tweaks and small changes result in huge revenue increases for the government, and usually with little outcry because the tax law is so complex, most people don't want to think about it.
In 1984 most deductions were taken from taxpayers and the marginal rates were reduced to 15% and 28%. A few years later, with our deductions gone, the government began to raise marginal rates again. You try to tax plan and then the next year congress changes the rules.
We say it is a "voluntary system." But the most powerful enforcement agency of the US government is the Internal Revenue Service.
Having read this, you might have the idea that I am against taxes. That, in fact, is not the case. And I see no solution that would not incur a stream of unintended consequences. I do know this...by paying attention to taxes and tax laws, you can make sure you pay no more than that which the law requires you pay. You'd be surprised how many people pay more than they are obligated to pay because they lack understanding of the tax law.
"Anyone may so arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible. He is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes."
Justice Learned Hand
Saul
Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade
May. 31, 2006
Categorized in: Contracts
Statute of Frauds - That law which requires that certain contracts be in
writing and signed by the parties in order to be legally enforceable.
A contract is an enforceable promise to do or not to do a certain thing. To
be a binding promise, several essential elements are required, easily
remembered by remembering COCA COLA.
COnsideration - anything of value that influences a person to enter into a
contract, including a promise, an act, or payment of money. Although
standard, earnest money is not required.
CApacity - adults (over 18) with mental capacity, as well as properly formed
corporations and partnerships.
COnsent - mutual consent is evidenced by a definite offer that is properly
accepted - said to be a 'meeting of the minds.' A valid offer may be revoked
any time prior to notice of acceptance or it may be rejected by the
offeree. Acceptance must be communicated to the offeror in the exact terms
in which it was made (the 'mirror rule') - any change, no matter how slight,
results in a counteroffer (which extinguishes the original offer).
LAwful Object - The object of the contract must be lawful when the contract
is made and possible when the contract is to be performed.
Contracts are classified as Express or Implied; Unilateral or Bilateral;
Executory or Executed; Valid, Void, or Voidable; Some contracts may be
Unenforceable under the Statute of Frauds. With a few exceptions, real
estate related contracts must be in writing to be enforcable. A verbal
contract to purchase real estate may be Valid, and Unenforceable.
A verbal contract to purchase real estate is not fraudulent, it is
Unenforceable.
Real estate contracts not required to be in writing to be
enforceable...agreements between brokers to spit commissions...leases for
more than one year.
Notice I did not say that it is a a good idea to have verbal contracts. I
have merely attempted to clarify terminology (that's what happens when one
teaches real estate principles for over 20 years :-)
Saul
Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade
May. 22, 2006
I think this is big news and will be a great benefit to REALTORS and the
people they serve.
The FTC has received thousands of real estate-related identity theft
complaints. Many consumers first learn they are victims of identity theft
when they are in the process of renting or buying a home, derailing their
real estate dreams while they work to rebuild their good name and destroyed
credit. Identity thieves may also rent or purchase a home fraudulently.
Identity theft is an important issue impacting both home buyers and real
estate professionals across the nation.
NAR is now working with the FTC on a new nationwide campaign to educate
consumers on how to minimize risk of identity theft and quickly fight back
if they become a victim: AvoID Theft: Deter, Detect, Defend . Preparing for
its official launch by early summer, the new initiative aims to educate and
empower consumers to protect themselves against identity theft and to
minimize the damage it can cause.
On behalf of our industry, NAR plans to play a key role in the fight against
identity theft by reaching consumers with much-needed information at points
where financial investments and credit is top-of-mind. To arm our members
with the materials necessary to join this effort, NAR, in cooperation with
FTC, will have numerous resources available to make it easy for any REALTOR
to communicate about identity theft to existing and potential customers.
Use these resources and help your clients, and yourself. For more info on
this go to:
http://www.realtor.org/idtheft
Saul
Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade
Mar. 27, 2006
Categorized in: MLS Issues
-Comment from Allen Benson:
I'm surprised I haven't heard much talk about the new Google Real Estate category they just launched on Thursday.
I know it doesn't show up every where but if you type in "Seattle Real Estate" you will get a new option just above the normal results.
Refine your search for Seattle real estate
With a form below it.
This form posts to a real estate search tool. Check it out.
All the listings post to the suppliers website.
I have looked at a few major cities and this seems to be the case. It is feed from Google Base.
Some things you should know about "Google Base"
1) you can load data into it
2) you can update the data
3) it is only available for 30 days or less if you choose
Here are my questions.
1) How do you think it will impact the traffic to your site?
2) How is Google going to monetize this product?
3) Is this going to be the FSBO MLS system?
4) Are your clients going to expect you to put their listings on there?
5) Could this become the national MLS?
Allen Benson
Graphicaldata Inc.
http://www.graphicaldata.com
253-851-0366
benson@graphicaldata.com
Saul's note:
Hi Allen,
Great to hear from you.
We have been talking about this eventuality in our classes for a few years now...since the Prudential/Yahoo deal.
What might happen if Google has trouble gathering content, is a deal with a brokerage firm (and IDX feed, etc). We think there will in time be alliances between the major portals and brokerage firms that can provide listing content as the industry continues to evolve into the use of technology for the dissemination of listing information (Amazon/e-BAY/Google/MSN, etc.
Watch for developments in peer to peer over the next few years as well.
The 30 day rule serves to keep the inventory current, a function of MLS but one we have said for years now could easily be handled by requiring resubmission to the database on a timeline (such as every thirty days).
You ask great questions...and the lion is coming over the hill and look and listen to all those damn Chihuahuas!
And...could the lion be congress?
<http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php/2006032315414432>
For those who think this bill, if enacted, would not affect MLSs.."Bet your Ass." (Please see my post on Betting One's Ass" if offended by this comment.)
Saul
Feb. 24, 2006
Categorized in: MLS Issues
-
I think it is time to do a little research so that there is better understanding as to what an MLS is and what an MLS is not. Do yourself a favor and go to http://REALTOR.org and search for MLS and begin to understand more about your business, and perhaps your future.
MLS is a very important business tool for many REALTORS. I believe that it is your professional duty to know about the tools you use and that are important to you.
I, know..."I just want to sell real estate, I can't be bothered with the details."
Would you go to the doctor who says..."I just want to practice medicine, I can't be bothered with the details."
or the attorney who says..."I just want to practice law, I can't be worried about the details."
NAR has, over the years, created and amended model MLS Rules and Model
By-Laws for local associations to follow. If associations follow the model
rules and by-laws for their MLS (of which some parts are optional and some
parts are mandatory), associations are covered by NAR's Errors and Omission
insurance. An association that prefers not to be covered by the insurance
provided by NAR can have any rules and bylaws the association wants to
adopt, and can then obtain their own insurance, or have no coverage and put
all the directors of that entity at risk (would you serve with no insurance
coverage?).
MLS governing documents for multiple listing services owned/operated as:
1) Committees of associations/boards, or
2) wholly-owned subsidiary corporations of the associations/boards.
These documents are designed for use by local associations/boards in the
development of local MLS governing documents.
I quote the following just so there is no mistake as to what an MLS is:
Part 13
Board Bylaw Provisions Authorizing a Multiple Listing Service as a
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Corporation of the Board
Article ________________
Subsidiary Multiple Listing Corporation
Section 1-Authority: The Board of REALTORSR shall maintain for the use of
its members a Multiple Listing Service which shall be a lawful corporation
of the State of _________________________, all the stock of which shall be
owned by this Board of REALTORSR.
Section 2-Purpose: A Multiple Listing Service is a means by which authorized
Participants make blanket unilateral offers of compensation to other
Participants (acting as subagents, buyer agents, or in other agency or
nonagency capacities defined by law); by which information is accumulated
and disseminated to enable authorized Participants to prepare appraisals and
other valuations of real property; by which Participants engaging in real
estate appraisal contribute to common databases; and is a facility for the
orderly correlation and dissemination of listing information among the
Participants so that they may better serve their clients and the public.
Entitlement to compensation is determined by the cooperating broker's
performance as procuring cause of sale (or lease). (Amended 11/96)
For those of you who ask something like the following:
>>
I thought the MLS guarantees co-operation but does not require compensation.
That is the reason (I thought) that you can have exclusives and "0" %
offered to a particular agency
relationship....such as a Buyer's Agent or Transaction Broker?
Again and again I am told it is an agreement to "co-operate" but not
"compensate". But now you say it IS an offer of compensation. I'm confused!
Has
this changed for all States?
<<
Yes, you are confused. Again, I recommend you go to http://REALTOR.org and search
for "MLS Model Rules" for a better understanding of what to many, is their most important business tool.
Saul
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