I recently attended a large national real estate company conference – the name of the company is irrelevant. (In some ways they’re all the same: the expo hall full of vendors hawking their wares, the agents and brokers and staff decked out in company colors, the shirts and bags and hats and jackets with their company name or city emblazoned across  the front in rhinestones, the endless talk of listing presentations, new technology, prospecting and lead generation, and numbers, numbers, numbers.)

Brian Copeland kicks off DATAsfaction. Photo credit: Megan Manly

This week in Nashville, Tennessee, Brian Copeland and Village Real Estate hosted the inaugural Datasfaction:  Economics | Data | Syndication, an innovative and important event for real estate professionals which focused on the importance of data to our businesses. Described on the Village Consults website as “an intensive day of analyzing the 2012  real estate market from an economic and statistical point of view, candid questions and answers regarding your data with Zillow and Trulia and hyperlocal information“, DATAsfaction provided what no other real estate conference or  educational opportunity has to this point: the know-how “to articulate to your sellers and buyers about how our data works.”

Here are my top five takeaways from this awesome afternoon:

5. Brian Copeland said, “We are the stewards of data” for our consumers; take that role seriously. The average agent doesn’t really understand how to use the data to which we all have access – via our MLSs and sites like altosresearch.com – in order to service our clients. Be the person who articulates and interprets the data that buyers and sellers want and need, and you will be the one those buyers and sellers hire.

Jay Thompson, former REALTOR and broker and now Director of Industry Outreach and Social Media at Zillow.com, talks Zestimates and real estate.

4. “A Zestimate is not a Zappraisal. Or a ZCMA.” ~Jay Thompson, Zillow.com Most agents I talk to have a beef with Zillow, mainly because of their Zestimates. I beg to differ: the accuracy issues with Zestimates are the biggest gift Zillow can give me, as a REALTOR®. They are an educational opportunity for me to present information – data! – and help my clients to understand what a Zestimate is and what it is not. Zillow itself admits that Zestimates are not perfect, that they are not meant to replace the work of REALTORS® and appraisers and other real estate professionals. Coming from Jay Thompson, a former REALTOR® and broker, those words seem to ring more true than before. I hope they resonated for others in that room.

3. “What’s worse than having an inaccurate listing on Trulia? Not having your listing show up to consumers at all.” ~Todd Carpenter, Trulia.com In response to questions of inaccuracies in listing data, Todd spoke to the alternative: taking your listings out of syndication and not having them show up in searches for consumers on sites like Trulia (and Zillow, etc.). My job is to get as much traffic – online and in person – to my listings as possible and having my listings on sites like these gets them traffic. And occasionally, buyers.

2. “Data makes you look like the expert.” ~Luke Glass, ListHub True. Data does make you look like the expert. And if you understand it and pay attention to it, data will make you the expert. If you ignore it, consumers will find someone else who is paying attention and can give them what they’re looking for.

1. At the end of the day, Nobu Hata, Director of Digital Engagement for NAR said it best: “Nobody – Zillow, Trulia, no one – intended for their data to become law. The human element is what sets [REALTORS®] apart. Data doesn’t sell real estate. I do.” Take that in, chew on it for awhile, and then get out there and show your clients some data!

Below are my Top 10 Apps for REALTORS® – ten apps that fit what I think are the five basic needs for today’s mobile real estate agent: document storage, electronic signature, social networking, real estate, and document management.  For about $25.00, you can download all ten of these apps to your smartphone and/or tablet and take your business on the road…today.

1. Dropbox. FREE
(iPhone, iPad & Droid)

Dropbox is the best way to store your documents in the cloud – it’s the best way to bring all your docs, videos, and photos with you, wherever you go. With 5 GB of FREE storage (and then reasonable pricing for increased storage and free storage in return for referrals), you have enough space to test it out and allow your account to grow as you and your business grow. Create unlimited folders for organization: listings, buyers, potential clients, forms, buyer and seller presentations, etc. Access them from any computer (via the Dropbox website) or from your smartphone or tablet and share documents and folders with the click of a button. Save files directly from your email on your computer, smartphone or tablet to your Dropbox for easy interface.
For iPhone/iPad: http://goo.gl/CPRj
For Droid: http://goo.gl/XHWKk

2. Evernote. FREE
(iPhone, iPad & Droid)

Evernote helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders, save articles from the Internet, and more, and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go. Access them from any computer (via the Evernote website) or from your smartphone or tablet and share documents with the click of a button. Keep notes on each of your transactions/clients/files, make them searchable, and easily combine them with your Dropbox files to keep tabs on every single client you have.
For iPhone/iPad: http://goo.gl/PDmo
For Droid: http://goo.gl/WXZVG

3. PDF Expert. $9.99
(iPad only)

PDF Expert lets you read and annotate PDF documents, highlight text, make notes and save these changes being compatible with Preview and Adobe Acrobat. Moreover, PDF Expert is the only iPhone application that can fill PDF forms! Great for explaining contracts to clients, taking notes for a conference call, and more. My favorite feature – PDF Expert lets you change the page order, for when those times that clients fax or scan pages out of order, and add/delete/export pages.
For iPad: http://goo.gl/fVOqB

4. Hootsuite. FREE
(iPhone, iPad & Droid)

Hootsuite lets you manage your social networking platforms – Facebook profile, Facebook pages, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Foursquare – all from one place. Schedule updates in advance, respond to posts and tweets, and keep track of everything from one place. Manage up to 5 profiles with the free account, or upgrade to PRO for $9.99 a month for upgraded analytics, custom URL shortener, and more great features! Keep your social networking at your fingertips – never miss a client’s tweet or the opportunity to promote your latest blog post!
For iPhone/iPad: http://goo.gl/74vw
For Droid: http://goo.gl/XBHCp

5. Chrome (Google Chrome) – FREE
(iPhone, iPad & Droid)

Browse fast with Chrome, now available on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Droid. Sign in to sync your personalized Chrome experience from your computer, and bring it with you anywhere you go. Open unlimited tabs (unlike in Safari) and sign in to Chrome to sync your open tabs, bookmarks, passwords, and omnibox data from your computer to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Pick up right where you left off. Even though you can’t change your iPhone/iPad default browser (Apple wants you on Safari, so with Safari your default will stay), you now have the option to use Chrome…and why wouldn’t you?
For iPhone/iPad: http://goo.gl/gvtQs
For Droid: http://goo.gl/NnVUF

6. Cloud On – FREE
(iPad & Droid)

CloudOn brings Microsoft Office® to your iPad or Droid and links it to your Dropbox (also Box.net and Google Drive) account. In addition, the built-in Adobe Reader and File Viewer lets you open and view virtually any file type, including PDF, JPG, PNG, GIF, etc. Best part – it automatically saves documents to avoid lost work. (I suggest saving a duplicate file in case you want to go back to your original.)
For iPad: http://goo.gl/Sbkdq
For Droid: http://goo.gl/uaoiH

7. SignMyPad. $3.99
(iPad & Droid)

SignMyPad lets you sign and save documents electronically – be totally green! Open a PDF file on your iPad or Droid, and SignMyPad lets you sign it, save it, and send it without ever printing it out. No more scanning, no more faxing, no wasting paper. It’s the green solution for people on the go! Save one signature (yours!) and then let clients sign with a stylus or even their finger. Sync with Dropbox or GoogleDocs to open docs and save signed docs.
For iPhone/iPad: http://goo.gl/egSDi
For Droid: http://goo.gl/tk6iE

8. REALTOR.com. FREE
(iPhone, iPad & Droid)

Updating every 15 minutes, just like the REALTOR.com website, REALTOR.com is the most accurate real estate search, with the most homes for sale and the best photos. Share listings via social media channels or via email, create and save notes about listings, rate listings, and search via free-form area highlighting on map. Multiple photos, property details, open house information and pricing on nearly any home for sale. If you’re looking for accuracy in a real estate app, REALTOR.com is the one for you (and your clients)!
For iPhone/iPad: http://goo.gl/FgZgF
For Droid: http://goo.gl/hcsSZ

9. Zillow. FREE
(iPhone, iPad & Droid)

Your clients are using it, so you should be, too. Even if you love the REALTOR.com app, Zillow lets you see what your clients are seeing and answer their questions and objections. It’s not as accurate as REALTOR.com (it doesn’t update as quickly and often has sold or expired properties still listed, the same as the Zillow website), and it does include Zillow’s famous “Zestimates” – it’s a great opportunity to educate clients about the uses for Zillow and its limitations. Filter searches by price, beds, baths, keywords, monthly mortgage payment, and more. Save your Favorites Homes and Searches and access them both on your device and Zillow.com after syncing. Share listings via social media channels and via email. Make sure you see what your clients are seeing in order to serve and educate them better.
For iPhone/iPad: http://goo.gl/Ni1aA
For Droid: http://goo.gl/7m0UK

10. Open Home Pro. $11.99
(iPad only)

“The #1 most downloaded app for real estate agents!” Open Home Pro is now FREE, with new upgrades, such as unlimited, customized questions. Manage all walk-ins at weekly open houses or broker opens, automatically follow up with leads using new contact methods “that get opened and read more than two times the industry average” (according to the app’s creators), and create beautiful listing pages for all of your properties that buyers can leave feedback on or get in touch with you with one click. It will change the way you think about open houses!
For iPad: http://goo.gl/1bljw

Download this list as an easy-to-print handout!

Adorna Carroll speaking to Louisiana REALTORS® about True Leadership

One of the highlights of my trips to speak at various state association conventions is the opportunity to hear great speakers from around the country. The Louisiana REALTORS® Association Fall Convention this week was no exception.

On Tuesday afternoon, I sat in on Adorna Carroll‘s session on “The Keys to True Leadership” for the leadership training for the current and future leadership of the state.

While the session was aimed at local and state association leadership and planning, there were lessons here for everyone – individuals as well as associations. Here are a few of my takeaways:

Not everyone should be a leader. There is nothing better than group involvement and collaboration. Adorna said she would much rather be a good team member than a leader. She’s a leader because she’s good at it, but given the choice, she wouldn’t necessarily choose to lead. Let’s be honest – not everyone is a good leader, not everyone should be given a leadership position. We often hear the expression (forgive the cliche and possible non-PC-ness) “too many chiefs and not enough indians” but I’ve never heard “too many Indians and not enough chiefs”. Consider why you want to lead: if it’s for selfish reasons – for the title or the recognition – and not for the opportunity to do good – then you should reconsider whether or not leadership is right for you. Similarly, if you are screening leaders, you should carefully consider whether each applicant is cut out for leadership and what their motives are. It really is true: there is no “I” in “team”.

Ribbons don’t mean you’re a leader; they just mean you accomplished certain things. So you’ve won a bunch of awards and you’ve earned a bunch of designations. That’s great. That doesn’t make you a leader. That does, however, mean that you’ve (hopefully) learned things in designation classes, accomplished things you can be proud of, and added to your resume. Those are good things. But they don’t entitle you to be a leader.

Leaders know what they don’t know. No one can take away from you the knowledge that you have. Real leaders verify what they know with actual data, information that they have gained themselves, facts they have researched personally. NOT hearsay. NOT what they heard from a friend, their broker, their association president, etc. Max DePree said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” You need actual information and facts, not vicarious knowledge. In short: use your brain, do your homework, and think for yourself.

“If you have to think ‘out of the box’, you’re already in a box. Leaders understand that there is no box.” ~Adorna Carroll. Leaders need to be creative, plain and simple. Of course, there are restrictions – legal restrictions, ethical restrictions, those set in place by your By-Laws; those should be your only “box” (which of course you cannot think outside of!).True leadership requires creativity.

Leadership is about courage, not popularity. Your legacy will be what people talk about and say about you behind your back. Did you challenge boundaries? Were you afraid to say no? Did you let others push you around or did you stand up for what you believe and know is right? Did you worry too much about what people thought of you to be an effective leader? You’ll always be judged by your last activity – keep that in mind with every decision you make.

In keeping with the theme this year – Unlocking Your Success – my session will focus on being a mobile REALTOR®, servicing the modern clients’ needs by having all of the information you need at your fingertips, answering inquiries as quickly as our clients expect, and

I hope that all of you fared well during Hurricane Isaac and have been able to keep your plans in place to attend your Fall Convention and Expo – I’m looking forward to meeting you!

1. Learn to create a “Mobile Plan” – complete with checklists and strategies for taking your business on the road.
2. Decide how much mobile is right for you – exploring a number of mobile business model options to find the right fit for your personal business.
3. Explore 50+ mobile applications, most of which are FREE, that can be downloaded on Smartphones and/or tablets to make mobility = productivity.
4. Make your clients comfortable with mobile – overcoming obstacles and objections to your mobile business from clients who are not at your level of tech-comfort.

Those of you who know me (or who have heard me speak) know that bacon often makes its way into conversation with me. I like to serve it at dinner parties, coat it in chocolate, post recipes involving bacon. In short, I ♥ bacon. For my birthday this year, I offered a prize on my Facebook page for “the most creative, dramatic, impressive Facebook birthday wishes.” Totally self-serving? Perhaps. Shameless plug for my own birthday? Absolutely. But my amazing friends took the bait and came up with some spectacular stuff…most of which involved – what else? – bacon. For example, one of my favorites is my friend in Nashville, Tennessee, John G. Brittle, Jr., of the Infill Nashville team - he cooked up a 2-pound bacon birthday greeting for me and delivered it via YouTube. I could practically taste the cracklin’, sizzlin’ birthday love.

Others employed their adorable children, the (original) cast of 90210, gangsta rap, and more. My friend, Sean Carpenter, even disrespected his own Gator roots to give me a good old FSU Seminole chop (on video – I have the proof!). And to keep my promise, I locked myself in my kitchen for a weekend, coming up with a sufficiently succulent prize to send around the country to my amazing friends who stepped up and played along. Since The King passed away one week before my birthday (well, technically, one week before I turned two, but in August, so I make the loose connection and call it close enough), I decided that an Elvis-inspired cookie was the way to go.Legend has it that Elvis enjoyed a unique combination of peanut butter, banana and bacon as a sandwich, but doesn’t it sound much more amazing as a cookie? And the addition of chocolate chips is my twist, but isn’t everything better with chocolate?

Here’s the recipe, for your enjoyment. Beware: you will sample the raw dough, salivate through the baking time, and most likely eat the entire first batch you make, all by yourself, hiding in the laundry room or pantry where the rest of your household can’t find you. Not that I know from experience. I’m just guessing…

Elvis Cookies (a.k.a., Peanut Butter-Banana-Bacon-Chocolate-Chip Goodies) [adapted from peanut butter banana chocolate chip cookies]
makes about 18-20 cookies

• 12 ounces bacon, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon hickory-smoked salt (I get mine from Trader Joe’s)
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted* and cooled
• 1/2 cup bacon grease, chilled
• 6 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, melted* and cooled
• 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract (I also get this from Trader Joe’s)
• 2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chunks, coarsely chopped)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips (like Reese’s)

Your theme this year is Mission: POSSIBLE 2012: Mobile Revolution - I’m bringing you three workshops – Digital Marketing, REALTOR® on the Go, and Mobile Apps for REALTORS® - that I think fit right in with this theme. See the descriptions below and watch a brief preview in the video!

I’m looking forward to spending September 9 – 11, 2012 with you – starting with your REBarCamp on Sunday, led by my friend and technology genius, Amy Chorew. If you haven’t already registered for the WRA Annual Convention 2012, click here now! I hope you’re planning to be there – see you soon!

ING Direct Hawaii in Waikiki – not your “normal” bank.

Hawaii REALTORS®: Bookmark ING Direct Cafe as the perfect place to meet a client, sign a contract, or spend an afternoon writing.

No upcharge for soy milk? Take note, Starbucks.

Last month, I visited Hawaii as the guest of the Hawaii Young Professionals Network. When they invited me to sit in on their committee meeting, I jumped at the chance to learn a little more about their network and see them at work. Little did I know, I would be walking into maybe the coolest bank-slash-coffee-shop-meeting-spot ever.

The meeting was held at ING Direct Cafe in Waikiki – and let me tell you, this is not your “normal” bank. For starters, it’s also a coffee shop. But it’s also not your “normal” (and by that, I mean your stereotypical overpriced) coffee shop. If you’re familiar with the ING brand, you know that they’re all about savings, and that philosophy (apparently) extends to their coffee. Think: affordable coffee drinks ($1.50 for espresso drinks, like lattes and Americanos). Think: no upcharge for soy milk. Wow.

My $1.50 Iced Americano – the same size as a grande at you-know-where…and just as good (if not better, for the savings).

As a long-time customer of ING Direct, I had no idea. No idea they had brick-and-mortar locations. No idea their bankers are also baristas. No idea that behind their slick, cool online marketing was also a slick,cool way of doing business in person. Now that I know, I’m an even bigger fan.

In case that isn’t proof enough that this is a cool place, they have a green screen, which you can use for creating videos. They have a meeting room, which local nonprofit groups can book at no charge for their meetings.

Oh, and they also have a DJ booth. Excuse me? But aren’t you a bank?

Yes, they are – and a super cool one, at that.

INGDirectHawaii tweets, too…and with a sense of humor!

The view I tweeted about…

The meeting room – if you’re a local nonprofit, you can book it for free!

The green screen is free to use to create videos – I know, for REALTORS, this is a huge pull!

Breezy and cool – the patio at ING Direct Hawaii, at the gateway to Waikiki

Does your bank have a DJ booth? I didn’t think so…

A moment for RPAC: Hawaii’s YPN is trying to raise awareness about RPAC, so I gave a little PSA about what RPAC means to me.

A big thank you to the Hawaii YPN Network for hosting me last month, especially to those who made it all possible: Joanna Matsuoka (Momma Joan), my good friend and one of Hawaii YPN’s founding members; Ashley Metcalf, President of Hawaii’s Young Professionals Network; and Aron Espinueva, HAR’s Governmental Affairs Specialist.

Welcomed by YPN – Hawaiian treats and welcome snacks after a long flight!

Besides being my first trip to Hawaii (which is exciting enough in and of itself), the Hawaii YPN Network and Hawaii Association of REALTORS® could not have been more hospitable. I loved the great ideas and participation in the class and the enthusiasm of Hawaii REALTORS® to adapt new offline strategies into their businesses.

While visiting the Hawaii YPN, I got to sit in on one of their committee meetings, which shed new light on the difficulties of being a REALTOR® and coming together as an organization in such a “non-traditional” state. The Hawaii committee members are working hard to promote events on all of the islands and led a lively discussion on getting more of their members involved and active investors in RPAC (the REALTOR® Political Action Committee).

As they gear up to host their first ever REBarCamp Hawaii with Nobu Hata at the helm this fall (follow the YPN808 Facebook page for all the details), I wish the Hawaii YPN committee and members the best of luck…and hope to see you again soon!

With my amazing hosts, Hawaii’s YPN President Ashley Metcalf (left) and Momma Joan (right).

Hawaii YPN Committee meeting – at ING Hawaii in Waikiki

I’m thrilled to be heading to Honolulu at the end of this month to present “Unplugged: Offline Networking in an Online World” to the Hawaii Chapter of the Young Professionals Network (YPN).

This is exciting to me for two reasons: first, this is a topic about which I am very passionate: the online space has taken over our lives and oftentimes we find ourselves forgetting to engage face-to-face; and second (and kind of obvious), this is my first trip to Hawaii – how can that not be exciting?

Hawaii YPN-ers, I hope to see you in Honolulu on July 27, 2012 – see the flyer below for all the details. Feel free to tweet me (@MauraNeill) or friend me on Facebook ahead of time…and I look forward to our facetime on July 27!