It came up very short.  We took further review at Huddle, specifically the Enterprise Edition.  Brokers have inquired about its applicability to have a private community with collaboration, community and workspaces for objectives.

We have an Enterprise package for your review..."contact us" to see for yourselves.  For project management or a private intranet tool for small business, it is not recommended.

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(1) What we did not like about Huddle.net

-- Whiteboards - A core feature is a opensource, WYSIWYG editor to save a blip of HTML.  There is no immediate collaboration or discussion around the Whiteboard.  And it's unclear to what it's purpose is.

-- Online Meetings - Only discovered and available with "Premium", "Plus" and "Enterprise" editions (you won't see this in the free edition when trialing), are Online Meetings.  Biggest disappointment by far.  The online meeting tool is a 3rd party tool licensed by Huddle to power online meetings (like WebEx, GotoMeeting, etc).  The launch and use of meeting is ackward, and the inclusive whiteboard (upon mouseclick) simply opens Microsoft Paint on your computer (click "Start" -> Accessories -> click "Paint").

-- Meetings - you can schedule meetings in Huddle, but when scheduling in Enterprise, it always displays the details of the Online Meeting tool that comes inclusive with Huddle (which we don't recommend using).  You can't turn this display off as administrator for your users when creating meetings...but you can disable Meetings all-together, which nulls out a big component of scheduling meetings in the first place.

-- Not Intuitive - given overall workflow from using and administering Huddle Enterprise it can be confusing on overall purpose. 

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(2) What we did like about Huddle.net

Good staff there...but product just comes up very short.

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(3) Come Trial Enterprise With Us!

We have an Enterprise, Huddle.net package available for your review today to ensure you make a more informed purchase on higher level packages of Huddle.  We have this package for another 10 months that we're not using, so come and toy with it.  Feel free to "contact us" to have an account created in our Enterprise package to see Huddle Enterprise and draw your own conclusions.

The National Institute of Webographers is declaring the month of September, 2009, “Technology Education Awareness Month”.  To kick off the event NIW will be offering 7-day FREE trials of REW for the entire month of September.  For details or to signup, visit http://awareness.webographers.com.

As the leader in technology-awareness training, assessment and certification for real estate professionals, the National Institute of Webographers looks to showcase exemplary products to best promote technology awareness and adoption by real estate professionals.

"We are excited to offer REW for free to all enrollees during the month of September.  Many RE professionals understand the paramount importance of having a website, generating leads online, and blogging”, said Marc Grayson, president of the National Institute of Webographers.

Continued Grayson, “What they are wary of is the myriad of different technologies available to them – thus unsure of where to begin or how to get the most out of their current offerings.  REW offers a roadmap, a solution describing how to use these technologies in concert, to market online for their consumers – or as we say, a consumer facing web presence.”

Signup today and tell a friend - all the perks of REW for FREE with this 7-day trial!

How MLSs, Associations and other member groups spend their member dues, has changed in the last couple of years.  Healthy attrition-rates (few members leave...many more joining), meant positive cash-flow for such aggregates of real estate professionals. 

With such cash-flow, technologies and tools are purchased on behalf of members; tools such as Electronic Forms, Online Transaction and tools with native integration with the MLS.

There's been a trend as of late for leadership of such groups to limit purchase of tools, for all members, towards paperless transactions (Electronic Forms and Online Transaction Mgmt).  Is this a problem?

Some may argue such tools really are the responsibility of the broker to provide in-house to member agents.  Irregardless of where you stand, one thing remains true today...

Many brokers need to close brick & mortar offices, before giving up tools that assist a "virtual office" (such as Electronic Forms and Online Transaction Management). 

Many brokerages need to move office operations to the "cloud", executing transactions online versus the brick & mortar offices (not to mention the overhead costs that come with such brick & mortar operations).

Should MLSs & Associations maintain procurement of such paperless tools for all members? 

I feel the decision should not be made in haste, as such tools could lower the overall operating costs of dues-paying members when such tools are correctly utilized and adopted.

As we see with social networking, communication is commonly open, with rare opportunities for private communications of groups and teams to have online dialogue, collaboration, document sharing, and online meetings.

Enter center stage, Huddle.net

Groups & Teams
When we consider groups / teams of individuals, you really have two flavors.  (1) Homogeneous being that workgroup, like a brokerage or those involved in a real estate transaction whose final objective is reaching closing.  (2) Heterogeneous includes like-minded individuals, commonly in the same role/field sharing as a community (ActiveRain, RealTown, Zolve, RealSeekr).

Your Team
Whatever the purpose, your homegeneous team is out to meet objectives, collaborate, communicate, review / store documents...likely a very small community whose communication is meant to be private to those on the team; communication stored in an online repository and not buried in the inbox of team members.

Huddle.net
This online application has great potential and applicability to teams looking for workspaces online...as noted on their site:

"Huddle combines online collaboration, online project management and document sharing using social networking principles."

Personally speaking, it can fill the void many find in social networking, breaking off into teams and having the necessary online tools to conduct team activities.  Quick outline of features:

-- Unlimited users: Invite as many people as you need.

-- Discussions: Don’t ‘reply all’. Use Discussion forums to brainstorm ideas.

-- Document creation: Create and edit Word and Excel documents online.

-- Storage: Store, share and manage your files 1GB+.

-- Project alerts and notifications: Assign tasks, auto reminders and iCal integration.

-- Whiteboards: Or wiki, share ideas, comments, etc.

-- Document management: Automated versioning, audit trails and approval workflows.

-- Custom branding: Customize your dashboard, homepage, emails, own URL.

-- Notifications: Via dashboard, email, and RSS.

-- Online Meetings: Coming soon.

Please checkout Huddle.net

Candidates of the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ Certification have access to the Learning Lab. Today we examine what this area is, and what role it plays within REW™.

What is the Learning Lab?
The Learning Lab is accessible by all REW™ candidates from their post login homepage. From this area, candidates can try out the technologies discussed in each of the courses as well as additional "best of breed" RE technologies - all provided free of charge by technology partners.

Why utilize the Learning Lab?
Simple - get your hands dirty! Technology is inherently scary and intimidating - such is the primary reason for failure of, or slow adoption of the benefits included within each technology. REW™ looks to show folks what's under the hood of these technologies by giving a first hand look at how they work and how easily they can be UNDERSTOOD and APPLIED by anyone. Course materials are great information, but the meat of learning the technologies is seeing for oneself the benefits through live examples.

Why Technology Partners?
Technology partners provide the tools to demonstrate the course materials and additional beneficial technologies available today. REW partners were chosen as "best of breed" providers of each technology. Learning by example is by far the best form of education.

Just as one might learn word processing by using a popular word processing software such as MS Word, a great way to demonstrate electronic forms would be to experience it using the popular ZipForm technology. In no way are candidates required to purchase any products, however we invite them to try for themselves to determine if they are a good fit for their needs.

Recently I was in contact with one of our REW candidates, Kim Desroches-Noel, a virtual assistant with the REW technology partner Team Double-Click. I had a chance to catch up with her and ask her how her life as a VA is going (clients, technologies used) and how REW is playing a role.

KIM: "I am still with Team Double-Click and using my [REW] knowledge as I am working for a Real Estate company through them. I am working in LeadTrax CRM and online platforms through Yahoo. Currently I am using IM programs as we work in a team of three per shift and we use the conference functionality to keep in contact throughout the shift. I am now in the process of using RELAY with my new job for online transaction coordination and have a local realtor who has me doing his quarterly newsletters for him."

"Your [REW] certification has been wonderful in increasing my knowledge and allowing me to serve my clients in a more productive way. I have recommended it to many colleagues and I hope they take my suggestion and pursue the certification."

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Thanks for the feedback Kim and best wishes with your continued success!

At the completion of course materials for the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification, candidates adhere to (initial) the REW Commitment Document.  As REW Certificants, one must implement a real estate technology within their first year to remain in good standing with their certification status.

Technologies implemented by REW Certificants

Within their first year, REW certificants commit to implementing or administering at least 1 web-centric, real estate technology - whether for themselves (agents, brokers) or for their clients (assistants).  Certificants provide proof of implementing or adminstering a technology via the Technology Proof Form.

So what technologies have REW Certificants implemented...let's have a look!

• Gary Crutcher, REW™ - Gary implemented an agent website of http://www.garycrutcher.com/; sleek design and homepage graphic that captures the essence and culture of west El Paso.
   
• Kathy Goldman, REW™  -  Kathy implemented http://www.7225riverfrontdrive.com/, a single-property website on behalf of her agent, Lucy Bottorff in Nashville Tennessee.
   
• Sandra Sims, REW™ - Sandra, a virtual assistant, implemented a Point2 agent website as a hands-on, optional activity, showcased at http://sandrasims4.point2agent.com/.  In crafting a Point2 agent website from the ground-up, Sandra can now provide longterm administrative support for real estate professionals who use Point2!
   
• Tim Fisher, REW™  - Tim, with ResortQuestDE.com, has been busy implementing technology since completing the REW Certification. As Marketing Director, he supports technologies used by member agents in his firm. He created a Single-Property Website at http://www.1322oceanparkway.com/ and Corporate Blog to support ocean-side luxury rentals and homesales at  http://www.seamoresays.com/, in addition to many of the virtual tours found alongside listings at ResortQuestDE.com.
   
• Darlene Wills, REW™ - Darlene, REALTOR® and broker co-owner of Harris-Wills Realty, LLC, has implemented http://www.real-estate-southwest.com/ to service northern Arizona, specifically the Sedona - Verde Valley region.  This broker-owner site was established using Point2 technologies, Webographers.com newest technology partner/sponsor of the REW Certification. 

At the completion of course materials for the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER certification, candidates adhere to (initial) the REW Commitment Document. 

Within their first year, REW certificants commit to implementing or administering at least 1 web-centric, real estate technology - whether for themselves (agents, brokers) or for their clients (assistants).  Certificants provide proof of implementing or adminstering a technology via the Technology Proof Form.

Recently, we had an REW professional, Marie Martinez, go above and beyond in her implementation of web-based real estate technologies, per her completion of the Technology Proof Form.  Marie didn't just show proof of one web-based online technology, but FIVE!  Click each technology below (individual components of her fax to Webographers) as inclusive proof of implementing and administering real estate technology.   

- Broker Website - Maintaining a broker's website.  See website here. 

- Virtual Tour - See the actual tour here. 

- Single-property Website - using postlets.com

- Online Classifieds - syndication of a listing on craigslists.

- Direct Marketing - eNewsletter of the listing using constant contact.

The REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER certification is not just about learning the value-proposition of today's foremost real estate technologies--but having the commitment to adopt and implement real estate technologies.

Recently, Stefan Swanepoel’s 2008 Real Estate Trends has been released, and cast light on some extremely interesting movements in the RE market. Although I haven't had a chance to read it myself yet, the future of REAL ESTATE MARKETING blog posted an extraodinary graph of how real estate has developed over the years pictured below.

What do I make of this graph? Well, overall, technology usage and adoption appears to be on the rise. Secondly, RE technology appears to becoming more and more specialized. In the late 90's up to the peak in 2000, the trend was most driven by large changes in the dynamics of the technology itself, that is until the (dare I say it?) DotCom fiasco.

It took redevelop of Web 1.0 and the introduction of Web 2.0 to spark user confidence in the market again. In the most recent years, the driving force behind the trend has shifted from large overhauls to the technology itself to better and more specific exploitations of the capabilities behind the technology. This is most evident at the end of 2007 with the graduation of Virtual Tours to Online Video.

From a graph like this, anyone can conclude that RE agents, brokers and assistants should have been (and if not, should start) investing in these technologies to stay on the cutting edge. However, like they say, hind sight is 20-20 - it's easy to judge when the noise of the real estate boom as died down. But now that we have the facts, why are some so resistant to education. I see professionals so quick to spend money on billboards, and park benches - maybe it's time to re-evaluate those expenditures. Maybe it's time to invest in the services being offered and not just the number of places advertised.

It could just turn around the market...

Webography - is the art or practice of establishing a seamless web presence through the selection of various web-based applications, joined together through basic and applied web techniques.

Webographer - doer of Webography.

REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ - denotes standards in applied web techniques and adherence to the Commitment Document as set forth by the National Institute of Webographers, LLC (Webographers.com); the owner of the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification mark.

Unified Approach to Real Estate Web Applications
Webography implies using out-of-the-box solutions, joined together for your web presence (like a puzzle). When one considers business requirements like an agent website, virtual/online tours, electronic forms and online transaction management--is there one, all-inclusive service provider in existence of these technologies? The answer to that question is regretfully no.

An agent must establish customer relationships with various service providers, being mindful of how they can be joined together for seamless functionality, look, and appearance. After selection of these service providers, the agent or assistant applies basic web techniques, to establish a seamless web presence. Such efforts to establish a seamless web presence includes: selecting products “natively” compatible with each other, ensuring the same personal and corporate branding is applied across all web applications, selecting similar color schemes and much more.

This process is an evolution from traditional web design to establish and maintain an agent’s real estate, web presence. It empowers agents and their assistants the ability to self-serve their business objectives online the easy way. There are many providers of web-based applications for real estate, thus it may be a challenge for real estate professionals to choose the right services that best fits his or her endeavors and budget.

The REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification curriculum covers an array of web-centric technologies and services.  Although educating on the value-proposition of each distinct technology competency, the unified approach towards a seamless, all-inclusive web presence is carried through the educational experience.