Blog & Facebook & Twitter Linking-FREE

Follow this link for very cool Free tips on linking your blog, Facebook & Twitter accounts:

http://techsavvyagent.com/video/social-ties-how-to-integrate-all-the-pieces-together/

If you don’t have a blog, you can get a FREE one here through Realtor.com:

http://blogsignup.realtor.com/

To put Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIN icons in your email signature look here:

http://www.snoitulosten.com/using-twitter-and-facebook-icons-in-my-email-signature/

Printing Tip for PDF files when using “markups” and “drawing”

If you are using Adobe Acrobat Full version or NitroPDF to alter pdf files using drawing commands, typewriter, pencil tool, etc…you need to be aware of this print setting if printing to paper.  If you don’t have this setting in your print dialog, you may lose the markups when it is printed to paper.  You should also share this tip with anyone you are sending marked up documents to if they are printing them.

Fotoflexer image software-Free online image editing

Check out this free web-based image editing software:

http://fotoflexer.com/

If you dont have image editing software liek Photoshop or that came with your camera, this is a good one.  Even if you do, you may want to check it out!

Alternative Browsers in place of Internet Explorer

Try These downloads:

MOzilla Firefox

Google Chrome

NitroPDF Software-a very good tool for Realtors

Some of the things you can do with this software when working with pdf files.  This is a BETTER & CHEAPER program than Adobe Acrobat Professional!

Free trial available here: http://www.nitropdf.com/professional/trial.asp

 Insert, delete, and reorganize pages in a pdf document.

Type missing information (dates, page numbers, etc..) into a pdf document.

 Draw on, highlight, and mark up a pdf document.

Add headers, footers and page numbers to pdf documents

Digitally sign a pdf document with your signature. (NOT docusign)

Shrink the size of large pdf files for easier emailing and downloading by other agents.

DOCSTAR AGENT PORTAL LOGIN

Docstar Agent Portal is the Interface for agents to upload or retrieve transaction documents to the Market Center’s System.  This can be used from any Internet Connection.

Your Docstar Login is:

username:  378xxxx  (where xxxx is last 4 digits of your SS#)

paswword:  xxxxyourlastname  (where xxxx is last 4 digits of your SS# and yourlastname is your last name)

PLEASE USE THE PROPERTY ADDRESS IN THE FILE NAME YOU GIVE YOUR DOCUMENT!   (123MainSt.pdf-for example)

 Please use the Transaction & Listing Checklists to verify you have a complete file!

Click Here to continue to the Docstar Agent Portal

Technology Alert! -cell phones, smartphones Supra eKey & Top Producer Compatibility

Many of you may know that the newest generation of 3G & 4G Cell phones that are very popular are not compatible with Supra Iboxes and eKey.  (like the IPhone, Droid, Palm Pre, all Blackberry’s etc..) This is primarily because they do not have an infrared port on them to send the signal to the lockbox.  Here are some things I discovered today after talking to GE Supra.

• Infrared technology in phones is obsolete and is being phased out.  This means it will not be possible to continue using a cell phone with an infrared port (like a Treo) to open a  lockbox once those phones are no longer available or the one you have breaks, unless you can find a factory remanufactured one or purchase a new but obsolete phone from a 3rd party vendor on eBay, for example.
• Because our current lockbox inventory (Blue Supra Iboxes) all have infrared ports as its only signal receptor, the only way to open them will continue to be with the standard Supra DisplayKey or infrared compatible phone as mentioned above.  There is a new technology for opening Iboxes called Active Key by Supra that our Associations have not adopted yet.  This is a device like the Displaykey, but it has the ability to connect with cell towers and update itself without being connected to a cradle/computer.  see here for info.  This is already in use in many markets around the country.  No word on when it will be adopted here.
• There is also a next Generation electronic lockbox in the works that will use Bluetooth technology instead of InfraRed for signal reception.   If and when this is rolled out, it should allow any Bluetooth phone (meaning most new phones) to open lockboxes.  This will require the Associations to once again go through a lockbox upgrade/change out again, which is why it is unlikely to happen soon, in my opinion.

 

The moral of the story is this:

If you do not mind carrying around 2 devices (phone and displaykey), you can use whatever phone you want now.  If and when Bluetooth enabled lockboxes come out and your phone is compatible, you would then be able to eliminate the DisplayKey device.

If you like carrying only one device, like I do, you need to try to keep an Infrared phone going as long as possible by working around the current phone availability at retail stores by using eBay, factory remanufactured, etc…

If our Associations adopt the ActiveKey device, it seems like that would be a likely stepping stone to pacify those of us who aren’t use to keeping an eKey device cradled to computer for daily updates, although it would require us to carry two devices again (phone plus ActiveKey) until Bluetooth lockboxes arrive.

On another note, Top Producer has no published timetable for TP mobile compatibility with the Iphone or Droid.

Hope you found this useful and informative.

A different View on Socal Media-Twitter, Facebook, etc.

For those of you who think you are missing the boat by not spending hours on social media every day, think again….

Click Here for a Great Article about the potential time trap of Social Media for Real Estate agents on RIS Media.  Article by Mike Parker.

Creating One Large PDF File in Webforms without Printing and Re-Scanning

Following is a tip about how to create one large electronic pdf file from Webforms without printing to paper and re-scanning.

Create your webforms forms as normal, and save them.

 

Depending on size of your files, it may take a few minutes to create the file.  When you get to this screen, Hit “Cancel” in the Print dialog box, and then look to top left to “Save” the File to your computer.

Book A Showing Feedback Tip about Price Changes

Make sure you have your settings as follows to notify past showing agents about price changes.

I also recommend when you take a listing that you set up a showing for yourself right away to make sure all your notifications are working.  IF THIS BOX IS CHECKED “YES” LIKE THE OTHERS IT WILL ONLY NOTIFY “UPCOMING” SHOWING AGENTS.