Weekly Update 4/20/20
From the Desk of Kristine Newell
My Schedule Week of 4/20/20
HI All-
This week, please be sure to join our company wide TOWN HALL for all of our Westchester, Connecticut and Massachusetts offices on Thursday APRIL 23rd at 1pm. This will take the place of our office meeting this week.
In addition, we have some exciting classes, events and lectures this week. See below for full details.
Thank you to all of you that donated items to Prime Time last week. They were so grateful for all of the food and items that our agents brought to help those in need. Wow! So proud of you!
On Friday, 4/24 from 12-1pm we will be collecting food and donations for FISH, a shelter and food pantry in Torrington. They are in desperate need. I need about 5 volunteers that can meet me at Ocean State Job Lot in Litchfield- we will meet in the parking lot with our tailgates up, collect food and bring to FISH. I will send details tomorrow.
We will end the week with a company wide Karaoke on Friday 4/24 at 5:30pm! Watch for sign up details laster today!
Be sure that you have signed up to be in our PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP - Club Pineapple. We will be streaming events in this group, and it's a great way to network with agents. Click Here to JOIN
I will be working remotely each day, as is all staff. Remember, we are all available each day 9-5 (and beyond) to help you. We can still process deposits and commissions as normal. Kindly mail checks to Debbie in Kent, or leave at the office and staff will deliver. We are doing daily pickups and mail: Keri/Litchfield, Holly & Kristine/Washington, Debbie/Kent. A reminder for agents: Please work from home and only come to the office ONLY to drop off or pick up items.
Stay positive, stay connected and stay focused during this time.
As always, call or email me anytime- that is what I am here for. :)
CT Realtor UPDATES
- Please refer to our dedicated web page at http://ctrealtors.com/coronavirus
Update FROM MLS
It is safe to say that the real estate industry looks and feels quite a bit different than it did just a month ago. At SmartMLS, we have been updating our systems and policies to keep pace with these ever-changing times and the challenges they bring with them. For instance, agents are now much more reliant on using technology to give consumers a first glimpse at a listing. But how do buyer’s agents know what listings are providing virtual options?
As a list agent, are you taking advantage of all the new tools and features at your disposal to alert those buyers’ agents that your listing is optimized for virtual showings?
Here is a checklist you can use to make sure your listing is primed for getting the most prospective buyer’s eyes on it in these days of social distancing:
· Live Streaming Options Available field: We have added a new field to Matrix that makes it easy for you to notify buyer’s agents that a live stream showing is welcome for this listing. Just go to the Additional Info tab in the listing entry form and place a check in the Live Streaming Options Available box. This will create an extra line in the Showing Instructions section of the Agent Full, Flyer, Summary and 1-Page displays indicating that the listing is authorized for non-traditional showings and directs the user to contact the list agent for the details. Click here for more details on enabling this for your listing.
· Configure ShowingTime to allow Buyers Agents to Schedule Live Streaming Showings: With a few minor changes within your ShowingTime profile, you can use ShowingTime to schedule live streaming showings. Click here for detailed instructions.
· Create pre-recorded showings: Prepare a pre-recorded walkthrough video of the property to highlight all of its cool features and desirable amenities. This is a great opportunity to showcase the home inside and out while simultaneously allowing your personality and expertise to shine through. As long as there is no branding in the video, add the URL to the Agent Remarks field in Matrix so buyer’s agents can use it as a first showing.
· immoviewer photo slideshow video tour: As of March 13th, a free slideshow tour of the first 15 photos is automatically created for any new listing added to Matrix that has at least 3 photos. If your listing was added prior to 3/13/2020 and you would like an automated video tour, go to the Virtual Tour section in Matrix Add/Edit and choose Yes in the immoviewer check box (click here for more details). Within a few hours, a slideshow tour will be added to your listing.
· Virtual Open House: Live Stream Open House and Live Stream Broker Open House options were added to the Tour/Open House functionality in Matrix. This allows you to conduct a broker tour or public open house of your listing online without having visitors step foot on the property. Click here to find out more about Live Stream Open Houses, and here for information about Live Stream Broker Tours.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions about how to optimize your listing’s virtual reach. We also recommend checking out our Real Estate Agent’s Virtual Tool Kit webpage. It is a great resource to view all of the tools at your disposal to help you continue doing business while operating within the confines of healthy social distancing. We are constantly updating and augmenting this page, so check back often.
Additionally, our trainers are here to help you master all of the technology that is so vital to your business right now - click here for the current class schedule.
As always, we are here to help. Stay well.
Kathy Elson
CEO, SmartMLS