October ReView

Amendment 4’s Hidden Danger #1

by Kevin Hing Amendment 4’s Hidden Danger #1: It’s Impossible to Create a “Lawyer-Proof ” Ballot Summary that Describes a Comprehensive Plan in 75 Words or Less.

Florida Amendment 4 (also known as “Hometown Democracy”) seeks to give Floridians a final referendum vote on all comprehensive plan changes. It may seem like a good idea to folks who are frustrated with sprawl and overdevelopment, but voting for it is like bringing a piece of furniture into your home that looks nice but is infested with bedbugs...it’s full of hidden dangers that can make your home and town unliveable and are very difficult to exterminate once in place.

Amendment 4’s biggest (and most hidden) flaw is that by requiring all comprehensive plan changes to go on the ballot, Florida election law requires that those comp plan changes (which often involve hundreds of pages of complex land use language) must be summarized in a ballot summary that is 75 words or less, which exposes cities to massive litigation costs due to ballot language challenges.

Why is trying to create a 75 word ballot summary of a comprehensive plan change such a problem? What’s the big deal?

The problem is that it is impossible to adequately summarize hundreds of pages of land use changes into a 75 word ballot summary, and if Florida’s cities are forced to undertake this impossible task, they will be vulnerable to costly lawsuits challenging those summaries as deceptive and incomplete... which is precisely what happened in St. Pete Beach.

In 2008, St. Pete Beach put proposed comprehensive plan changes on the ballot. We did this because in 2006, we made changes to our city charter which (like Amendment 4) required that future changes to our comprehensive plan must be approved by a vote of the citizens. So when we put our comprehensive plan changes on the ballot in 2008, Florida election law forced the city to summarize the 150 pages of changes into a 75 word ballot summary.

The litigation that started in 2008 is still ongoing, and in 2010 alone St. Pete Beach has incurred over $200,000 in legal fees defending the vote of the people. By comparison, St. Pete Beach spent only $33,000 on litigation in 2001. Similar problems threaten all Florida cities if Amendment 4 passes, since azll Florida cities will also be forced to undertake the impossible task of crafting 75 word ballot summaries of comprehensive plan changes that involve hundreds of pages of complex land use changes.

The problem with summarizing comprehensive plans in 75 words under Amendment 4 is that you just can’t fit everything that everyone cares about into those 75 words. No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who can file a lawsuit alleging that what is most important to THEM was left out, and that the ballot language was “misleading” or “deceptive” or “incomplete.” And like a swarm of bedbugs, land use lawyers thrive by feeding on these legal vulnerabilities... with all Floridians suffering for it.

So why will fixing the problems caused by Amendment 4 be as difficult as exterminating a house full of bedbugs? The reason is simple: Amendment 4 is a statewide constitutional amendment. Once Floridians figure out how overbroad and damaging Amendment 4 really is, local cities won’t have the legal authority to alter or modify the scope of Amendment 4’s rules to suit the needs and desires of the local population.

By comparison, once St. Pete Beach’s voters realized the mistake they’d made by adopting their Amendment 4-style rules, we repealed their broad scope in favor of a much more restricted set of rules...but we were able to fix our mistake because we had the power to undo the changes we’d made to our local city charter. But since Amendment 4 is a constitutional amendment, no Florida city will have the power to undo its requirements once it’s been approved, even if a majority of the city’s voters want to alter or repeal it.

So, just like a bedbug infestation, once Amendment 4 is approved, Floridians will stuck dealing with the vexing problems that come with it for a very, very long time. ■

Here’s what the comprehensive plan change looked like....150 pages worth.

On Election Day, 2008, our comp plan was approved by the voters of St. Pete Beach by an overwhelming majority vote.

Happy Day, right? Wrong! After the comp plan was approved by the voters, St. Pete Beach was promptly sued by a resident who alleged that the city’s 75 word ballot summaries were “rife with deceptive and misleading statements” and that they omitted “material facts.” Ironically, the plaintiff alleges that the city’s 75 words were deficient, but in his complaint he cannot even describe what is missing from the city’s ballot summaries in less than 75 words!

October 2010

Managing Relationships

by Kemp Howard, GRI, SFR OSCAR Technology Committee If you are not currently using a robust CRM (customer relationship management) tool to control and enhance your business, now is the time to start. Innovation comes from obtaining and analyzing feedback, or simply finding out what customers want and delivering it to them. It sounds simple, but unless you have a thorough and comprehensive method to track every contact with every customer (and prospective customer), you are not doing the real work, and will not benefit from the rewards.

This means logging every phone call, every in-person meeting, and every piece of correspondence, whether it is email, snail mail or even a third-party contact initiated by you. Use the old five-W’s of information gathering: who, what, where, why when, and then add a “how”.

Here’s what you want to know about every customer interaction: 1. Who is the customer? (Name, address, phone, email, family info) 2. What was the topic and outcome of the interaction?

3. Where is this customer? (Think in terms of where they are geographically, and also in their buying/selling process) 4. Why are you engaging this customer? In other words, what benefits do both you and the customer expect from this interaction? Be frank and honest in your evaluation of both sides.

5. When did this interaction take place? When do you (or the customer) expect the next interaction, and what should be the context?)

6. How did you leave this with the customer? How should you proceed from here? How will the next interaction happen?

How do you want this to shake out: what results do you want? What does the customer expect next?

Separating the chit-chat from the meaningful give-and-take will help you to watch for trends, special needs, and new concerns shared by multiple customers. You may think you can track this in your head. However, unless you have just one or two customers, you need to use a CRM tool to really take advantage of the information being offered by your customers.

CRM tools can be as simple as a 3”x5” index card (this, however, does not qualify as technology!), as elegant as a customized MS-Outlook form and report template, or as efficient as one of the commercial CRM software packages, such as ACT!®, GoldMine®, or SalesForce®. You can construct your own CRM tool from MS-Access. You can use an on-line provider like Google® or YAHOO!®.

The tool you use should reflect your needs and expectations.

October 2010

If you want to spot trends; co-create your business using customers as your partners and employing their input; and shape the outcome of your efforts, you will need a robust CRM tool. Your ultimate results (the amount of increase in personal revenue) will be governed, to a large extent, by your selection.

The days of a single practitioner, or even a single brokerage, for that matter, continually creating innovative and unique products and service to attract buyers and sellers is long gone.

Even the largest, best-known brands, have trouble getting and staying in front of their customers’ expectations.

But the reasons are different: the huge, branded companies are slow, lumbering, multi-layered corporations. They are physically unable to respond quickly and efficiently to customer input. Whatever you see as cutting edge technology coming from a major real estate brand today is already old news, and probably out of date, if not obsolete.

The smaller broker and individual practitioner have a different problem. Without knowledge of trends and customer expectations, the small company, although nimble and able to change directions quickly, is uninformed as to the proper direction and velocity to apply to the business. So they do little or nothing, waiting for clues from the major brands, or from trade associations which are equally under-informed.

The company utilizing a comprehensive CRM tool can not only extract trends and track current expectations, but can use their prospects and customers to co-create the very solutions asked for by the customer!

A huge component of CRM is the ability to categorize customers’ needs and expectations, and to include them in the shaping of the business model. Effective interaction and discreet polling of target customer groups can help the small broker or individual practitioner select the highest-probability clients from a target-rich environment. Using the results of self-generated polls and the records of interactions, the small company can actually involve the customer in the shaping of the goals, objectives and methods the company puts in place.

Customers as co-creators are one of the greatest advantages of CRM. Maybe you are not yet known as an innovator.

Investigate installing and using a proper CRM tool to enhance your business and create better relationships. If you are properly interacting with your customer and reacting to their suggestions, tracking trends and creating solutions as situations arise, you are an innovator!

Today’s savvy Realtor must utilize CRM to remain viable. Use your customers as innovators. Tap into their pool of talent and resource. Extract more value from your customer interactions.

Use technology to build your knowledge capital. Involve your customers in shaping your outcome. It’s a whole new world, and you can reap untold benefits by letting technology help you navigate.

Kemp Howland is a career-long member of OSCAR. His company, Howland International, helps real estate professionals understand and implement CRM, web-based video and audio technology. ■

Florida Governor and Cabinet Hopefuls Focus on Agriculture

by Pam Golden For an afternoon, at least, agriculture was at the forefront for state office candidates who attended the Ninth Quadrennial Farm Credit & Agriculture Institute of Florida Candidates Forum in Orlando.

Florida Attorney General Candidate Pam Bondi seemed to expect applause when she stridently vowed to take on the federal government over healthcare reform during a speech at the Orange County Convention Center for the Ninth Quadrennial Farm Credit & Agriculture Institute of Florida Candidates Forum today.

She didn’t get it.

When she vowed to take on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over water nutrient criteria, the room resounded with applause.

In case any of the candidates who attended missed the point, agriculture wasn’t the primary topic the audience wanted to hear about. It was the only one.

Ag Institute President Betsy McGill said as much when she introduced the program by pointing out that the audience wanted to hear from the candidates, but they also wanted the candidates to know they’re priorities. Agriculture, McGill said, “is not only our job; it’s also a way of life.” The video McGill then played included information about agriculture’s economic impact on Florida and the challenges producers face. Most disheartening, the video noted, is an “often negative public perception of agriculture”.

Adam Putnam, center, gestures while talking to attendees after the Ninth Quadrennial Farm Credit & Agriculture Institute of Florida Candidates Forum. Putnam, a U.S. Representative, is the Republican nominee for Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

Governor-hopeful Alex Sink, a Democrate, and Republican Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services candidate Adam Putnam gave the most detailed information on their agendas regarding the industry whose economic impact is surpassed only by tourism.

“But for agriculture our economy would be in worse shape,” Sink said. “Thank you for continuing to do what you’ve always done, which is minding your own businesses.”

Sink supports all 10 of the issues in Farm Bureau’s ag policy statement, which includes property rights and financial support for research.

“As Governor,” Sink said, “I intend to support the goal to ensure that IFAS (the University of Florida’s agricultural arm) is the No. 1 research facility in the industry.”

Ag Commissioner candidate Scott Maddox, a Democrat., also addressed funding for the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Services in a brief run-down of his beliefs.

“I believe in full funding for IFAS. I believe in Farm to Fuel (an alternative energy initiative). I believe you can be taxed out of business,” Maddox said.

President Elect Tim Weisheyer, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Candidate Congressman Adam Putnam, President Veronica Malolos and Association Executive Carol Platt.

Continuing to build on business and public policy alliances, OSCAR representatives attended the AG Institute Candidate forum held at the Orange County Civic Center on September 24th to hear from Florida’s cabinet candidates including, Alex Sink, Rick Scott, Scott Maddox, Adam Putnam, and Pam Bondi. Farm Credit of Central Florida, an OSCAR affiliate, is the corporate sponsor for this event. *Interesting issue to note: One thing that all cabinet candidates agreed upon…Vote NO on Amendment 4!

Sink and Governor-hopeful Rick Scott both addressed immigration laws.

“I want you to hear me very loud and very clear,” Sink said.

When she is governor, “we will not have an immigration polity that negative impacts agriculture. I will veto it.”

Scott wants “a guest worker program that works,” secure borders, the right of law enforcement officers to ask offenders for residency documentation and a system such as E-verify for employers to check the status of employees.

October 2010

The greatest threat to agriculture in Florida, Putnam said, is government action. He’s opposed to estate taxes, a proponent of growing feedstock for alternative energy and a defender of agriculture’s water needs and everyone’s property rights.

In regard to changes they would make to the far-reaching department, Maddox said he wants more regional outreach regarding consumer fraud. Putnam wants to make the divisions for water policy, land use and energy his offense teams and he wants to cross-train inspectors so only one need visit the facility the department is charged with inspecting, a move he believes would maximize efficiency. ■ Courtesy of www.southernfarmer.com Florida Gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink with Cheryl Grieb at the Florida REALTORS® Convention.

NAR CEO Dale Stinton and President Elect Tim Weisheyer at the NAR Leadership Summit.

Tim Weisheyer and Florida Senatorial candidate Marco Rubio at the Florida REALTORS® Convention.

Association Recommendation Candidates The Osceola County Association of Realtors Board of Directors finalized their recommendations for the 2010 Election.

The following candidates are being recommended:

NAR Economist Lawrence Yun and Tim Weisheyer attend the NAR Leadership Summit.

COUNTY COMMISSION SEAT 2 JOHN “Q” QUIÑONES COUNTY COMMISSION SEAT 4 FRANK ATTKISSON SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 5 JOHN G. MCKAY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 41 STEVE PRECOURT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 79 JOSE ALVAREZ HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 79 MIKE HORNER HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 49 DARREN SOTO CITY OF KISSIMMEE COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 4 CHERYL GRIEB

The Osceola County Association of REALTORS® establishes its recommendations through prepared questioning regarding the significance of anticipated issues that affect the Real Estate Industry in Osceola County.

The screening committee, which consisted of nine members this year, was appointed by President Veronica Malolos and is ratified by the Board of Directors. The committee makes its recommendations to the Board of Directors whose vote establishes the final recommendation of the Association. The Board of Directors requests funding for the recommended candidates from the REALTORS® Political Action Committee.

All final candidate funding decisions are made by the Florida REALTORS® RPAC trustees.

President Elect of East Polk County Association of REALTORS® and President Elect Tim Weisheyer at the NAR Leadership Summit

October 2010

The mission of the Osceola Association of Realtors is to provide a dedicated success to our members, Real Estate Professionals, while adding value to the community.

Mlxchange Basic – Entering and Updating Listings Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Short Sales Thursday, October 21, 2010

Preparing a Listing Contract Thursday, November 11, 2010

Design Web Pages – Creating Professional CMA Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Negotiating Thursday, November 18, 2010

Negotiating Skills for the Real Estate Practitioner Thursday, November 18, 2010

In order to share the wealth of information contained in this newsletter in an efficient manner, please submit your articles via e-mail or fax by the 10th of the monthly. Please clearly indicate that submission is for the Osceola ReVIEW. Articles: communications@osceola-realtors.com Advertising: accounts@osceola-realtors.com For advertising inquiries please contact Bob St. Gordon at the Association Office. Your advertising defrays the cost of publishing. Thank you for your support.

The Osceola ReVIEW is published exclusively for the Association by The Baker Press Orlando, Florida tel 407.290.5800 • fax 407.290.5977 graphics@thebakerpress.com

Time: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Instructor: Marilyn “Charli” Phelps Location: Osceola County Association of Realtors Description: With this course, students will learn the motivations of the parties in the transaction and learn to funnel those motives toward significantly higher volume of closed transactions.

Cost: ______ CE Credit: 4 CE Hours

Congratulations!

Disclaimer: The Osceola ReVIEW is published for the member and affiliates of Osceola County Association of REALTORS®, Inc. by The Baker Press, Inc. as a courtesy.

The Baker Press, inc. nor the Association assume any responsibility for article content or advertising message as submitted for inclusion in the newsletter. Advertising and articles are not endorsed by the Association, nor is there any implied warranty by the Association or its staff.

Congratulations to our office staff for successfully completing their e-PRO certification: Anneris Rivera, Eli Perez and Chris Florence.

October 2010

• Stay flexible to reassess and adjust business practices.

OSCAR Brokers Focus on the Future

• Seek good statistical data regarding your business.

by Veronica Malolos

• Communicate to overcome negativity and inspire creativity.

In September, our Osceola Brokerage Council spent an evening being trained by our own, Nick Nichols, who was selected to facilitate Florida REALTORS® “training the trainer” program, as the new Residential Sales and Purchase (Florida REALTORS®/Florida Bar) contract becomes the standard in the industry, so that they could make sure their agents remained well versed in the completion of real estate’s most important document. Our association is fortunate to have so many brokers and broker/owners who are actively engaged in agent management and association leadership.

As I read a recent article by Alan Murray from The Wall Street Journal regarding how well good leaders manage the future, I couldn’t help but think of many of the brokers that I have met and served with here at OSCAR. This article mentions the following traits that business leaders must have to be successful in the future:

• Humbly listen to your clients, agents and peers.

• Practice good contingency planning.

• Proactively solve problems.

• Be honest and truthful in all your dealings.

• Stay involved with your agents and your professional associations.

• Avoid too much bureaucracy.

• Employ multi-talented people.

• Assess your team and your teamwork.

• Use good judgment and common sense.

Our members and leaders remind me of these very traits.

I’m proud and humble to represent you. We will continue to strive toward providing you with association resources, tools and education to assist you in your “quest for success”. ■

Donation Towards “Show Our Troops We Care”

by Wendi Jeannin Today the Osceola County Association of REALTORS® (OSCAR) proudly donated towards the Florida REALTORS ® “Show Our Troops We Care”. Deployed members of the U.S. Armed Services will benefit from this donation through the use of calling cards.

A $1700 check was presented to active duty officer MSgt Burnett Patterson Jr. from the United States Air Force Reserves and Vernon Taylor, Co-Chair for the Florida REALTORS® Association’s USO Committee.

“This donation represents a $1 contribution on behalf of each of our members”, says Carol Platt, Association Executive for the Osceola County Association of REALTORS®. “It is a true honor to help provide these soldiers a way to connect back to their home”.

OSCAR is one of only four associations that have met the $1 per member goal set by the Florida REALTORS® for the “Support our Troops” effort. Members in attendance also donated an additional $60 this morning.

October 2010

L-R: Vernon Taylor, MSgt Burnett Patterson Jr. and Veronica Malolos, President Osceola County Association of REALTORS®

To date, more than $50,000 has been donated. A donation buys international calling cards that the USO gives to deployed members of the U.S. armed services – the item most requested by our men and women serving overseas.

Donations are fully tax deductible and anyone may donate.

Visit www.floridarealtors.org/AboutFar/Support-our-Troops. cfm to learn more about the program.

The mission of the Osceola County Association of REALTORS® is to provide a dedicated success to its membership consisting of real estate professionals and affiliates, while adding value to the community. ■ www.osceolarealtors.org

President Veronica Malolos–Vote “No” on Amendment 4

President Elect Tim Weisheyer

President Elect Tim Weisheyer, Daniel Villazon, Esq., President Veronica Malolos

Host Lynn Goffredo

President Elect Tim Weisheyer, Central Florida Real Estate Council President Nancy Pico Campiglia, Esq., President Veronica Malolos

President Elect Tim Weisheyer, Henry M. Cooper, Esq. with Bogin, Munns and Munns, P.A., President Veronica Malolos

Barry H. Gleen, Esq. Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Greenberg, Formato & Einiger, LLP

Grace Anne Glavin, Esq. and President Veronica Malolos

October 2010

REALTORS® packed the room with engaged and inquiring minds!

Grace Anne Glavin, Esq. - “25 Practical Ways that a REALTOR® can Assist a Settlement Agent to get a Residential Transaction Closed”

“Feeling Distressed? Bankruptcy, Foreclosures and Short Sales Property Panel Discussion” Charles P. Castellon, Esq., Kenneth L. Schlitt, Esq., Barbara J. Leach, Esq. – Panel

Barbara J. Leach, Esq., Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman, P.A.

Kenneth L. Schlitt, President Elect of the Central Florida Real Estate Council

Charles P. Castellon, Esq., Kenneth L. Schlitt, Esq., President Veronica Malolos, Barbara J. Leach, Esq.

October 2010

CONGRATULATIONS to new SRES Designees that took our first SRES class!

LEN GOFFREDO MARGARITE HART BETSY HOLLISTER PRESIDENT VERONICA MALOLOS ANGEL L. ORTIZ, JR. PRISCILLA RODRIGUEZ MICHAEL E. STASTKA

October 2010

“Learning, Unlearning and Relearning” for the Future

by Carol K. Platt, CRB When I think of the professional education classes and programs that are offered and developed for our members toward meeting the challenges of success in real estate for today and in the future, I think of the words of Alvin Toffler (author of The Third Wave) who stated “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write. They will be those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” That one statement so aptly describes the constant continuing education necessary to maintain proficiency and market share within the real estate industry.

In a recent study that compared profit leaders to profit challengers, evidence showed that profit leaders provided professional continuing education for management, administrators, technology, sales and

customer service staff. It also showed that profit leaders spend 4.1% annually on that education while profit challengers spend 2% annually. It’s easy to deduce that many of our members function in their careers utilizing all those aforementioned roles. With that in mind, an agent grossing $40,000 per year, whose performance goal was in profit leadership, would spend approximately 4.1% annually or $1,640.00 annually on their training to comply with this 2005 Graphic Arts Monthly study.

I would urge our members, not only to begin to plan their goals and budgets for 2011 in October of this year, but to consider where they want to be in this diverse real estate industry. That decision is essential to focusing on personal market share and profitability and choosing “literacy” and performance education. Help us to provide you with what you need for success in our professional development, certification and continuing education by completing our 2011 education survey. The survey is anonymous and provides us with solid data for these important decisions that are more reflective of your objectives…which is our goal! If you have not received your survey by email call our office and we will make sure that you do! ■

Kurio Mobile MLS Real Estate Search For Mobile Devices Kurio Mobile MLS provides real-time access to MLS data from the convenience of your mobile device. Search property listings, view critical property details including price, square footage, REALTOR® and public remarks and showing instructions, email a property flyer to your client, and consumers can instantly connect with the listing agent. All this and more is now available on your mobile device with Kurio.

Consumers may also access MLS listings using the public portion of Kurio.

With an automatic redirect, if a consumer visits MyFloridaHomesMLS. com through any mobile device, they will be given the choice to view and use the new mobile site which will hide any Realtor specific information such as REALTOR®-only remarks, showing instructions and commissions.

Kurio Highlights Works with any mobile device—Kurio lets you and your customers search critical MLS data from any web-enabled mobile device including iPhones, iPads, Androids, BlackBerry’s, Palms and Windows Mobile devices.

Stay Connected to the MLS—Whether you are on your way to meet with a client, working an open house, or even on vacation, Kurio keeps you connected with your MLS so you can easily look up the information you need, and immediately respond to your client’s inquiries.

View Nearby Homes—Have you ever been showing a home, but your client wants to know what else is available in the neighborhood?

Kurio is specially designed for occasions like this! Using GPS technology, Kurio will automatically locate you and show you nearby listings. Some carriers may not support, or may limit access to, Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) for location services.

Get Instant Daily Market Updates—With Kurio, you can instantly get a complete picture of what’s going on in the market, such as nearby homes, new listings, price reductions, and upcoming open houses.

Search On-Market & Off-Market Listings—Kurio provides you with ‘REALTOR®-only’ access to all property types and all listing data

October 2010

including Pendings and Solds, showing instructions, private remarks, and more.

Instant Access to Your Own Listings—It has never been so easy!

With Kurio, you have one-click access to your own listings, so you are ready to respond when buyers or their agents inquire about one of your listings.

Roster Searches—Search office roster and agent contact information using Kurio. Convenient hyperlinks allow you to instantly initiate an email or phone call right from within the contact record.

E-Mail a Flyer—With Kurio, you can email professional, branded property flyers to your clients on the fly.

How to Get Started It is of vital importance that you take the following simple steps to get started using Kurio: 1. On your mobile device go to mfr.kurio.mobi 2. Click on “REALTOR® Sign In” then choose “Not Registered” 3. Verify your membership in the MLS by choosing “MFRMLS” in the drop down menu 4. Enter your MLS user ID and Password for validation. NOTE: Passwords are case sensitive 5. In the next step, you will be choosing your Kurio Username and password – My Florida Regional MLS recommends for consistency that you use your MLS ID as your Kurio Username as well as using the same password. By keeping the username and password consistent this will enable our Help Desk to assist you in the event of any technical challenges.

6. Be sure to check the box to accept the terms of service and then choose “Sign up.”

Consumers will also have the option to create a Kurio account. By registering, they will gain the ability to save their favorite properties to reference later. Consumer registration is optional and is not required to access the MLS listings.

October 2010

OSCAR STAYS AT THE FOREFRONT Oscar stays at the forefront OSCAR Stay Forefront in Technology For Members

by Wendi Jeannin Gaining more exposure for its members, the Osceola County Association of REALTORS® (OSCAR) joined forces with Point2 Technologies’ MLS and Association listing syndication program.

Point2 develops, markets and supports web-based inventory management and online marketing software solutions for the real estate industry. Now the nearly 1,800 members of OSCAR can efficiently distribute listings and offer their clients an unbelievable amount of viewership.

Once an OSCAR REALTOR® submits a MLS listing, it is disseminated to a national network of 55 syndication partner websites and search engines including Google, Yahoo!, Cyberhomes/AOL, Trulia, Zillow, Homefinder, Oodle, Vast, eBay, and Craigslist.

“Incorporating the Point2 technology with our Association provides leverage for our members to offer a better level of service to their clients,” says Chris Florence, Technology Representative for OSCAR. In addition to free listing syndication, the Point2 solution gives

October 2010

all MLS members, brokers and agents, free access to online traffic reports generated on key syndication partner websites, to enable more informed online marketing and advertising decisions.

Point2 was founded in 1996 and employs a staff of nearly 130 employees at its Saskatoon, SK headquarters, and at its Vancouver, BC and San Diego, CA offices. More information can be found at www.Point2.com. For ongoing news about Point2, please visit www.point2.com/news.asp.

The mission of the Osceola County Association of REALTORS® is to provide a dedicated success to its membership consisting of real estate professionals and affiliates, while adding value to the community. ■ www.osceolarealtors.org

President Veronica Malolos and her husband, Manny

Mr. & Mrs. Bob Caldwell (Bob is our District 12 RPAC Trustee)

October 2010

Voicemail 101: Simple Steps That May Save You Hours First and foremost, read the book that came with your voicemail system. Over the course of a year, you may waste a few hours repeating whole messages if you don’t know the simple commands for forwarding and rewinding calls. What?

You’ve lost the book, or they never gave you one? No excuse: www.google.com. Search for your phone model, and you will probably find the manual. No time to read it? Bring it with you to meetings, on airplanes, the grocery store – find a minute here or there to pick up a new tip.

Your Outgoing Messages 1. Identify your name, organization, and telephone number in your outgoing message.

“Hi, this is Karen Smith with Adcomine at 212-555-1234.”

2. State that you are not available and any other important information.

“I’m out of the office today, January 3rd, 2006. I will be returning January 5th, 2006. I will not check voicemail until I am back. If this is an emergency or you need immediate assistance, please call Bill Withers at 917-555-6543.”

3. Tell people how to leave an appropriate message. That’s right, if you want good information, ask for it.

their questions on their voicemail and move on with your day.

5. If you are super busy and have the luxury of an assistant or some other kind soul, ask this person to return some of your phone calls.

This is especially good if it is going to take an unusually long time for you to get back with someone.

6. Don’t save messages you really don’t need. If you wrote down the information from the call, most of the time there is no reason to save the original recording. After all, do you really want your box so full no one can leave a message? That’s embarrassing and unprofessional. Imagine that you are charging clients big bucks, and they can’t leave messages because you can’t get your act together well enough to leave them adequate recording room.

Pitiful.

Leaving Effective Voicemails

“Please leave a brief message stating how I can help you, along with your phone number, and I will call you back.”

When leaving messages, have mercy on your listeners and do the following:

4. If you prefer email, offer that as an option to callers. If you have an unusual name or company name, spell out the email address.

1. Speak slowly and leave your phone number at the beginning and the end of the message.

“You may want to email me at ksmith@adcomine.com.”

2. Limit your comments to one or two subjects. Voicemail is not a one-person show.

5. To cut down on repeat calls if you work in a high-volume call area, state that you will return calls within 24 hours or whatever time period your organization’s policy on return calls requires.

3. If you are rambling, for the sake of others and your reputation, stop yourself and rerecord.

6. If you update your message when you go out of town, don’t forget to update it again when you get back.

5. If the recipient of your messages tends to fall into the trap listed in the previous point, tell him or her, “When you return my call, please leave a message on my voicemail to let me know the status of the project if I’m not able to pick up the phone.”

7. If your system allows callers to bypass your message by hitting the pound key, tell them that, especially if you have an unusually long message.

When to Check and How to Check Voicemail The number of times you check voicemail each day will vary depending on your job function and industry. However, if you have not told people differently, at a minimum you should check messages once a day and return those calls. Here are some other helpful tips for checking voicemail.

1. Have a pen and paper ready when you begin dialing – duh.

(This is Voicemail 101).

2. Listen to all of the messages before you start returning calls.

3. Remember that you don’t have to return them in the order they were received.

4. Sometimes it’s easier to return calls when you are pretty sure the recipients won’t pick up the telephone. You can answer

October 2010

4. If you need action of some sort, state what you need.

Voicemails that simply say, “call me” are irritating at best.

6. If you are using a group distribution list that lists everyone’s name on the message, read the manual for your phone system and put the list at the end. If people want to listen to it they can.

Sample of a Perfect Voicemail “Hi, this is Karen Smith with Adcomine at 212-555-1234. I’m calling to let you know that we have received your package and will have a response to you by Friday. If you have any questions, please call me. Again, Karen Smith with Adcomine at 212-5551234.”

There you have it: Voicemail 101 in a nutshell. A little careful planning and attention can free your time and help you view voicemail as the useful tool that it is rather than the torture it can be.

Business Training Works, Inc.®

Keating Schlitt, PA Nancy Campiglia 250 E Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32024 Office: 407-425-2907 Fax: 407-425-6345 E-mail: ncampiglia@keatlaw.com Website: www.keatlaw.com

Homes.com Pamela Cameron 4501 Hills & Dales Rd. NW Canton, OH 44708 Office: 813-681-5117 Fax: 813-661-9036 E-mail: Pamela.cameron@homes.com Website: www.homes.com

October 2010

Standard Pacific Homes

Accu Title Agency Kathy Cape 22 W. Moument Ave., Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-738-8852 Fax: 407-641-9731 Email: kathy@accutitleagency.biz Website: www.accutitleagency.biz

Hilton Ayala 200 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 124 Orlando, FL 32801 Office: 407-304-2803 Fax: 407-304-2835 E-mail: hilton.ayala@stanpac.com Website: www.standardpacifichomes.com

Standard Pacific Homes Jesus Alvarez 200 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 124 Orlando, FL 32801 Office: 407-304-2803 Fax: 407-304-2835 E-mail: sbower@stanpac.com Website: www.standardpacifichomes.com

Globe Home Warranty Company Alex Peyton P.O.Box 620395 Orlando, FL 32862 Office: 800-842-2177 Fax: 800-597-3630 E-mail: apeyton@globewarranty.com Website: www.globewarranty.com

October 2010

Final Negotiation, LLC Rhonda Owen 1201 Emmet Street Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-846-0978 Fax: 407-846-6573 E-mail: rowen@stewart.com Website: www.stewart.com

Mr. and Mrs. Angel L. Ortiz, Jr. represented OSCAR last month at GALA OSCEOLA that was held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. This annual event honors exceptional members of the Kissimmee/ Osceola Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Business Council. OSCAR’s alliance with the Kissimmee/ Osceola Chamber of Commerce is an important part of our mission to add value to our community.

October 2010

October 2010

Entering and Updating Listings

Commercial Marketing Session 8:30 am - 10:00 am Short Sales

Election Day Public Policy 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm OSCAR Toastmasters Club 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am Affiliates Council Meeting 9:45 am - 10:45 am

MLXChange Basic 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Entering & Updating Listings in MLXchange 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Veteran’s V Day Daylight Savings Ends

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

November 2010

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

October 2010

MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

New Member Welcome 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Design Web Pages and Capture Leads 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Creating a Professional CMA 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Executive Committee Meeting 8:00 am - 9:00 am BOD Meeting 9:00 am - 10:30 am

Preparing a Listing Contract 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

WCR Meeting 9:00 am - 11:00 am

Negotiating Skills for the Real Estate Practitioner 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

MFRMLS BOD Meeting 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Thanksgiving Day ASSOCIATION CLOSED ALL DAY

ASSOCIATION CLOSED ALL DAY

PRSRT STD U S POSTAGE PAID MID-FL FL PERMIT NO. 581

NEW AFFILIATE OFFICES AB Realty, LLC............................................Leonardo Cano 3800 Red Road, Pembroke Pines, FL 33025 Office: 954-517-9800 • Fax: 954-499-7404 Abbey Road Realty, LLC ............................... Adlany Barboza 7203 Winding Lake Circle, Oviedo, FL 32765 Office: 407-366-0881 • Fax: 407-358-5002 Agent Trust Realty ........................................ Juan Paradas 13574 Village Drive, #130, Orlando, FL 32837 Office: 407-251-0669 • Fax: 407-209-3882 Celebration Executive Realty .......................... Paul E. Thomas 1420 Celebration Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34747 Office: 407-566-2188 • Fax: 407-475-7512 Coldwell Banker Feltrim ...............................James McCarthy 116 Polo Park East Blvd., Davenport, FL 33897 Office: 863-353-0011 • Fax: 863-353-0017 Dale Sorensen Real Estate .......................... Dale M. Sorensen 3206 Cardinal Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32963 Office: 772-492-5322 • Fax: 772-231-3726 TIR Prime Properties Corp. ........................... Tohilmy Alvarez 18851 NE 29th Avenue, Suite 732, Miami, FL 33180 Office: 305-931-7262 • Fax: 305-931-0230

NEW REAL ESTATE OFFICES Accu Title Agency ........................................... Kathy Cape 22 W. Moument Avenue, Suite #19, Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-738-8852 • Fax: 407-641-9731 Fifth Third Bank ......................................... Walter Alvarez 3801 Pleasant Hill Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746 Office: 321-697-5800 • Fax: 407-931-0112

Nominating Committee Submits Slate For 2011 The Osceola County Association of REALTORS®’ Nominating Committee met on September 21st, 2010, to select candidates for 2011 Officers and Directors.

The newly elected Officers and Directors will join the following Directors whose terms have yet to expire: Daisy Lopez-Cid, Re/Max Premier Properties Angel L. Ortiz, Jr., One Way Realty and Associates Denise Sacks, Sacks Realty Group, Inc. OFFICERS President Tim Weisheyer, Dream Builders Realty President Elect Renee Clark, Clark Investment Properties Vice President Susan Graves, Coldwell Banker Ackley Realty Treasurer David DeLoach, DeLoach Real Estate, Inc. Secretary Kim Goodwin, Goodwin Realty and Associates, Inc. 3-YEAR TERMS AS DIRECTORS Karen Dierickx, Weichert REALTORS® Hallmark Properties 2-YEAR TERMS AS DIRECTORS Cheryl Grieb, Olde Kissimmee Realty, Inc. Richard Knapp, Re/Max Pros 1-YEAR TERMS AS DIRECTORS Arlene Conow, Re/Max Premier Properties Hemendra Thakkar, International Professional Services Corporation Nick Nichols, Goodwin Realty and Associates, Inc. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact, Carol Platt at the Association Office.

Homes.com ............................................ Pamela Cameron 4501 Hills & Dales Road NW, Canton, OH 44708 Office: 813-681.5117 • Fax: 813-661-9036 Standard Pacific Homes .............................. Stephanie Bower 200 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 124, Orlando, FL 32801 Office: 304-280-3200 • Fax: 407-304-2835

October 2010