VOLUME: 7 • ISSUE 44 • FEBRUARY 2013
RE/MAX Professionals INSIDER Newsletter
M a k ing Options Let’s talk about a moneymaking option that is only available to you as a RE/MAX Professionals agent: the Home Hotline. This is an efficient and productive tool that will make you money, if you know how to use it right. On my team, we put a sign rider on every property we list that has our Home Hotline number and we follow up on these leads as they come in. There are several ways you can use the RE/MAX Home Hotline to make money. Let me explain more… About two weeks after the lead comes in, a second phone call needs to be made. That call would go something like this: “Hi Mary. This is Frank Russo at RE/MAX Professionals.You called our Home Hotline about a property we had for sale. Did you receive the information you needed?” Mary will probably answer by saying she was only looking for the price and that they are already working with a REALTOR. “Thanks Mary, that is great. I hope you receive the service you need and feel free to call me at 602-864-1200.” The key is in the next follow up. Here is how the next call might go: “Hi Mary, it’s Frank Russo from RE/MAX Professionals. I spoke to you several weeks ago about a home we had listed. I am just checking in to see how your home search is going.” Mary will probably respond by telling you that things are not going so well and that they have had no contact from their REALTOR in two weeks. Now is your opportunity to tell Mary why she should be working with you. “I am sorry to hear that Mary. I am sure they are a great REALTOR but perhaps they are too busy for you right now. Are you working under a buyer broker agreement?” Mary will probably say no. “I’d like to share some of the benefits I provide. Are you aware, Mary, of the tight inventory? I work with 200 agents at RE/MAX Professionals. Every time a new property is listed we share this information, which gives me an advantage over other agents. I have
knowledge of new properties coming onto the market before they do. Why don’t you come into our office so I can share with you exactly how I work? Together we can explore your expectations to be sure we are on the same page. Does that sound good to you Mary?” The Home Hotline system is also a great listing tool. You can use it to alert leads of a new listing coming onto the market or you can use it to WOW a potential seller by recording their home on the system prior to your listing appointment. At the listing appointment have the seller call your Home Hotline number, listen to the information and press one. They will be transferred to your cell phone, while sitting right in front of you. If you are working with a buyer, they can be registered on the Home Hotline system. The benefit to them is access to recorded information on properties for sale, without calling the listing agent. And you can see all the properties they have called on – which helps you know what they are looking for and gauge their motivation. If you need help setting up your Home Hotline account, please let management know. If you are looking for a way to generate more leads and more income this year, the Home Hotline is a great option. We are always looking for ways to improve the services we provide to you as affiliates – the Home Hotline is one of them – I hope you will utilize this tool to help you make more money in 2013.
- Frank Russo
Frank Russo
Designated Broker 7111 W. Bell Rd. Suite 101 | Glendale, AZ | 85308
Professionals
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Paula Farace Kristie Lund Audrey Schultz Chris Thomas Cara McGuire
2/1 2/3 2/3 2/4 2/5
Anthem Arrowhead North Arrowhead South Anthem Arrowhead South
Michael Higgins Kim Whitley Sam Estrada Theresa Malone Mounty West Tim O’Buckley Jane Rodriguez Lee Moore Jr. Jay Patel Mariana Oberschi Stacey Ogg Carol Murr Sherry Samuel Karen Grieser Vern Stevens Carl Phillips Ron Roberts Jodie Luke
2/6 2/6 2/7 2/9 2/10 2/10 2/10 2/11 2/13 2/13 2/16 2/17 2/19 2/23 2/23 2/24 2/25 2/27
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*Anniversary years are based upon information received from RE/MAX, LLC Membership Services Dept.
The USPS began implementing strict new standards that affect almost every mail piece produced. Changes to mailing panel location, tab style/size and tab location are few of the changes. In addition, highlights of the new single-piece First Class Mail pricing, affective January 27, 2013 include: Letters (1 ounce): 1 cent increase to $0.46 Letters (additional ounces): unchanged at $0.20 Letters to all international destinations (1 ounce): $1.10 Postcards: 1 cent increase to $0.33
Get a strong team to pull for you We are proud to be part of the community and invite you to discover how we may assist you with your mortgage needs. David Pineda Sales Manager P: 602-703-8123 david.pineda@wellsfargo.com NMLS ID: 473029
Kurt Zimmerman HMC P: 602-390-0164 kurt.t.zimmerman@wellsfargo.com NMLS ID: 418904
Fran Comer HMC P: 602-291-2822 frances.j.comer@wellsfargo.com NMLS ID: 404801
Michelle Reale HMC C: 602-339-9443 O: 623-878-2201 michelle.m.reale@wellsfargo.com
Keith A. Knoeferl HMC P: 480-316-8064 knoeferl@wellsfargo.com NMLS ID: 502440
This information is accurate as of date of printing and is subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. ©2012 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801
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ATTENTION RE/MAX Professionals! Do you need help but think you can’t afford it?
Good news - I can help! If your business is at a point where you need help, but you think you can’t afford it, I can provide you with an alternative. If you want to take your business to the next level in 2013, hiring a transaction coordinator might be exactly what you need. Please call me today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your individual needs. I work in the Arrowhead North Office, however, I am available to all RE/MAX Professionals agents, in any one of our six office locations. Let me help you in 2013 - I look forward to hearing from you soon! Lynne Turschmann Office: 623-362-3031 • Email: lynneturschmann@remax.net
Valley Market Update Each new year generally begins with an influx of new listings in preparation for the peak spring sales season. This year, new listings are down and located in less desirable areas of the Valley. So far in 2013, we have an even lower supply of homes on the market than last year. Does that make it a great time to sell? It’s easy to sell now, but these market conditions may force prices even higher in the coming months. Many potential sellers may find it advantageous to wait in hopes of listing their homes for a higher price later in the year. Keep an eye on the number of new listings in the market for a quick indicator of how this year will progress. More new listings will balance and stabilize the market. Continued low numbers of new listings will mean rising prices, with better opportunities for sellers and difficult times for buyers. Now for a West Valley snapshot: Low supply in the West Valley is concentrated around Peoria, Goodyear, and Glendale, so listings in those areas promise to be very hot. Look in Buckeye, Surprise, and other outlying areas for opportunities for buyers who want more options and less competition. Contact me today for more information about accessing the most up-to-date data for your marketplace and to find out about the Cromford Report Website where you can access a subscription through Fidelity and pull customized reports DAILY!
TRAVIS ZIMMERMAN
OneGuard/Professionals Home Warranty 602-757-2959 • t.zimmerman@oneguardhw.com
Outstanding Agents.Outstanding Results®
ROB CANNON
C: 623-302-3684 • O: 623-256-6070 E: rob.cannon@fnf.com • www.RobCannonFNT.com
Professionals
Have you seen the special 40th Anniversary Edition... Available now on Mainstreet!
Do Yo u r Re s e a rc h We work hard for our money, looking for deals to save and stretching our paycheck has become a form of art. The most common way to save money is by cutting coupons. How about searching Craigslist, where we find items from clothing to cars? We all want a deal and searching for special pricing for our home improvement projects is no exception. Often we are asked about money-saving ideas for new cabinets, counter tops and flooring. Counter tops, cabinets and flooring come in different price ranges. The cost for labor is usually standard, unless you look online, such as Craigslist, for a deal. We understand looking for a painter or someone to install the flooring would be more appealing and less money. However, more often in the end, the deal received could cost more money for the homeowner. In an article written by LiAna Gonzales with 3TV, Lisa Schmid, an Arizona resident wanted new flooring installed, and in the end, found herself with an unfinished project, and out thousands of dollars. After several months of trying to research her Craigslist contractor and money going out the door, Lisa finally looked to 3TV for help! When it comes to labor, more involved items such as a new roof, adding/removing a wall, painting or new flooring, should best be left to licensed Contractors. Licensed Contractors are required to provide insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstances, and must keep an active, up-to-date license. In the case of this Arizona resident, a deposit was given and some work was completed, but the homeowner felt exhausted by the ordeal and out of options for how to actually get the job done. Research any company you are looking at hiring. They are in your home, so be sure they don’t have any open complaints or disciplinary actions on their record which you can find by checking the Registrar of Contractors. Check out the name of the company as well as the owner’s name. The Better Business Bureau will list the current rating as well as any complaints that have been filed against the company. You should also “Google” the company name and owner. A licensed handyman will be great for some projects and can even save money, though when it comes to larger projects, especially ones that could require permits, we recommend hiring a licensed general contractor.
- Knipp Contracting
I.T. Message
Protecting Sensitive Data - Mobile Devices
Last month I wrote about protecting your and your clients’ sensitive data in the “cloud” and on your PC. Taking steps to make sure your mobile devices are secure is at least as important to address; it’s easy to see how a situation like a smartphone left in a coffee shop with your email and perhaps something like the Dropbox mobile app installed on it could expose quite a lot of important data. Thankfully, it’s relatively easy to take measures that both secure your mobile devices in case of loss or theft as well as provide ways to locate and recover them. I’ll touch on the 3 most common items (smartphones, tablets, and laptops), and the 2 most common operating systems for each (iOS/Android for phones/ tablets, Mac OS and Windows for laptops). First, for all of those devices, it’s a good idea to set up a password that’s required to unlock the device so there’s at least a basic level of protection to “keep honest people honest” if you just happen to leave a device somewhere by mistake. That’s very easy to do in the device’s settings or in the user account preferences on a laptop. Taking things to the next level on any Apple product is easy using their free Find My iPhone (or iPad/Laptop) service. Once activated, Find My iPhone allows you to locate your device on a map in realtime, lock the device so it can’t be used, display a message on the screen alerting people that the device is lost or stolen and requesting that they call or message you about it, or even just have the device play a sound so you can find it if you’ve simply misplaced it somewhere in your house! Most importantly, if you’re particularly concerned about the data on the device or think you’ll be unlikely to recover it, you can send a command to remotely erase all the data on the device leaving it in a factory-clean state. Find My iPhone is free and only takes a couple minutes to setup and activate on all your devices. For a quick how-to for both iOS devices and Macs, take a look at this Apple
24654 N Lake Pleasant Prkwy #103-139 Peoria, AZ 85383 P: 623-561-0803 • E: sales@knippcontracting.com Support Page: http://rem.ax/10pSHz9 Most Android-based phones and tablets don’t have that feature built-in, but there are programs that you can download and install that provide the same sorts of capabilities and even some other bells and whistles like the ability to remotely take a picture with the phone’s camera to help figure out exactly where it is. Two good options that are both under $5. Cerberus Anti-theft: http://rem.ax/10pZ5Gl SeekDroid AntiTheft & Security: http://rem.ax/10pZf0x Setup is a little more complicated than Find My iPhone, but it still takes just a few minutes and the documentation gives an easy-to-follow walkthrough of the setup process. Lastly, for a laptop running Windows there are far fewer options that really work as advertised, but one that usually gets the job done is LoJack for Laptops. There is an annual subscription fee for their service, but they provide professional support in recovering the laptop if it is stolen and also offer similar remote locking and data deletion options as the other services. You can find more information at: http://www.lojackforlaptops.com All of the services above can be used from another mobile device with the appropriate app installed or from a web browser on any internet-connected computer so you can quickly take action to lock and attempt to locate the missing device. For the extremely low cost in both time and dollars associated with most of those options you’d be hard-pressed to find a better security investment to help mitigate some of the exposure risks in our data-driven, data-everywhere world!
- Mike DeRosa
Outstanding Agents.Outstanding Results®
Professionals
7111 West Bell Road, #101 Glendale, Arizona 85308 Each office is independently owned and operated
“The Real Estate Company You WILL Refer”
We are experienced professionals providing world-class service with integrity and respect. ARROWHEAD SOUTH 7111 W Bell Rd #101 Glendale, AZ 85308 623.643.1000
NORTHWEST VALLEY 15003 W Bell Rd #100 Surprise, AZ 85374 623.533.3100
SOUTHWEST VALLEY 10320 W McDowell Rd Bldng B #2005 Avondale, AZ 85392 623.344.7300
ARROWHEAD NORTH 20241 N. 67th Ave #A-1 Glendale, AZ 85308 623-362.3000
RE/MAX Professionals INSIDER Newsletter EDITOR AT LARGE: Sarah Bliss • sarah@nateshomes • 623-643-1015 GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Orlando Diaz • odiaz@azpros.net • 623.643.1000 CONTRIBUTORS: Frank Russo Fidelity National Title Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Mike DeRosa Knipp Contracting RE/MAX Professionals Newsletter is created and distributed on a monthly basis. All rights reserved. If you would like to submit an article or advertise in our newsletter, email Sarah Bliss at: sarah@nateshomes.com
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If you find yourself in a fiancial struggle, don’t stress. We are here to help you! As an added benefit of services to our agents, RE/MAX Professionals would like to remind you that we offer a competitive Commission Advance Program to help our agents when transactions may not close on time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your office manager at your respective office.