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. 

We had the pleasure of interviewing Megan Barber, a recent REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certificant.

Megan is a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant (PREVA) and is both an EthicsChecked VA and Certified Real Estate Support Specialist (CRESS), by the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA).  She has also earned Real Estate Sales Person's licenses in the states of New Mexico & New Jersey.  Megan owns and operates her own VA company, Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions, and maintains an active account on activerain. 

In light of her experience and certifications / designations, we took a few moments to ask some questions on her thoughts of the program.

1) What is your background?

I have been involved in working “behind the scenes” of the real estate industry for nearly 10 years. I started as a support staff for a large real estate office, and worked my way up within Oregon’s largest real estate company to become a marketing assistant and newspaper advertising coordinator in their corporate office. Later, I gained additional experience through being a real estate office manager, and an “in-house” RE assistant. In January, 2005 I started Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions, and have enjoyed being a Real Estate Virtual Assistant ever since.

2) Why did you undertake the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certification?

I am always searching for ways to better myself, improve my education and enhance my service offerings for my clients. I always like to stay on top of what’s new in real estate technology. When I came upon the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification, I was happy to find a program that could help me sharpen my skills with programs and technologies important to the real estate industry.

3) What are your impressions of the online experience?

The online classroom was a great interface. With my busy and very unpredictable schedule, I especially enjoyed the self-paced environment that I could start and stop when ever I needed to. The presentations were very well laid out, clear to understand and paced well.

Getting the chance to use demos of the products discussed in the courses was also a major plus. Also, I learn better by doing, so it’s better if I can dig in and “get my hands dirty” with the programs and products.

4) How long did it take you to complete the certification?

Overall, it took me about 10-11 hours to complete over a few months. Again, the self-paced environment was nice so I could fit it into my free time.

5) What would you tell those who are considering this certification?

I recommend this certification to any and all VA’s that are considering serving real estate professionals. I think it especially will be of great value to those who that may not have an extensive real estate background and will help them gain the knowledge and experience necessary to confidently meet the administrative needs for real estate professionals. Even those that have real estate experience will benefit greatly from the training available in this certification. It doesn’t hurt to sharpen your skills and you will discover new technologies and internet marketing strategies that you may never have thought of before.

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Thanks Megan and all the Best!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Lindsay Pendleton, a recent REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certificant.

Lindsay's experience, skill and familiarity with the Baton Rouge real estate market are essential ingredients in providing her clients with an enjoyable Real Estate experience. Her RE Certification and Designations, such as e-Pro and REW™, strong communication and negotiation skills, high energy and effective marketing tactics make her service offerings unsurpassed in today's market!

Lindsay is really taking her website, http://www.forsalebylindsay.com, to the next level. Not only does she have an extraordinary amount of useful real estate tools accessible directly from her site (such as mortgage calculators, property searches, etc), she has already implemented some of the competencies available in the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ - such as Blogs AND Single-Property websites! Combined with appealing aesthetics, she is truly creating a viable and successful web-presence and demonstrating her understanding of Real Estate Technologies! Because of this success, we took a few moments to ask some questions on her thoughts of the program.

1) What is your background?

I am currently a Real Estate Agent with Prime Location Realty, located in Baton Rouge, LA.

2) Why did you undertake the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certification?

I am proud to say that I have my e-Pro and REW™ certifications. I took both certifications back-to-back and enjoyed both of them. e-Pro definitely benefits the real estate agent who is just entering the technology world. It expresses the importance of the Internet (i.e., e-mail, websites, domain names, DSL, forums) and the impact it is making on the real estate industry. I learned a number of things from e-Pro that increased my Internet knowledge. I think and know that the e-Pro class is imperative for every real estate agent.
 
REW™ is the follow-on to e-Pro, in my opinion. In the REW certification, I learned so many amazing new things. A great example is "single-property websites". I'm proud to say that through the knowledge of single-property websites I learned within REW™, I was able to create my own single property website allowing my customers to get 24/7 information (http://www.beaudarren.info/). The REW certification is a step further - it really delves into all of the technology options that are available to real estate professionals.
 
3) What are your impressions of the online experience?
 
Being that my time is limited, and I truly love utilizing the Internet, I was elated that I could take REW™ online.
 
4) How long did it take you to complete the certification?
 
I signed up Dec 20 and was done on Christmas Day! 5 days with an hour or so each day.

5) What would you tell those who are considering this certification?

People underestimate the power of e-mail, websites, domain names, blogs and so forth as highlighted in e-PRO. A number of RE professionals are overwhelmed by all the new technology. Technology is taking real estate in a new direction and it's time to jump on board.
 
When comparing e-Pro to REW™, they do not compare - rather, they really compliment. While e-Pro was very informative and detailed, REW™ went a little deeper into the technology options of today. 
 
While e-Pro teaches and explains the basics of technology to newbies, REW™ enhances it. Every single course that REW™ offered was extremely beneficial. I actually felt more capable and confident with technology options, instead of being overwhelmed. It was very detailed and easily formatted.

I consider e-Pro and REW™ like peas and carrots. While they are both based in Internet technology education, they teach different aspects. They both offer great, in depth information - but it's information that compliments one another. Collaborating e-Pro and REW™ just makes sense. I cannot express how both certifications broadened my horizons and made me feel like an Internet real estate queen! Thank you both, e-Pro and REW™, for making this available to all real estate professionals who want to go above and beyond.

The information available in REW™ and e-Pro combined is priceless!

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Thanks Lindsay and all the Best!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Phyllis Harb, a recent REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certificant.

Phyllis spent a successful decade in mortgage banking and entered the real estate profession in 1989. She is a well-established negotiator, ranked in the top 5% of agents in the nation. In addition to her REW™ certification, e-Pro, S.R.E.S. designations, Phyllis is an approved course instructor for the Dept. of Real Estate in California and is licensed to teach continuing education (CE) courses to her peers in the Real Estate and Mortgage Banking fields.

Phyllis is well known for utilizing the latest, time-proven technologies and she has several highly ranked award winning web sites. Because of her decorated real estate career and her highly established web presence, we took a few moments to ask some questions on her thoughts of the program.

1) What is your background?

I have been selling real estate since 1989, prior to that I was in mortgage banking.

2) Why did you undertake the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certification?

I undertook the REW™ certification because I wanted to learn more about blogging and search engine marketing. I have two web sites: www.RealtorHarb.com and www.Glendale-Real-Estate-Agent.com. I also have a blog at http://los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com. In addition, I have three interactive community forums.

• www.LCFOnlineCommunity.com
• www.GlendaleOnlineCommunity.com
• www.PasadenaOnlineCommunity.com

3) What are your impressions of the online experience?

The certification was easy to take (at my leisure) and simple to grasp concepts. Although I feel that I know a lot about the Internet and Internet Marketing, I was delighted to learn even more about RE Technology from the REW program. In addition, the search engine marketing was especially helpful for me at this time (because of my blogs).

4) How long did it take you to complete the certification?

The training took approximately 12 hours.

5) What would you tell those who are considering this certification?

Internet Marketing is often overlooked by Realtors. There is a lot of business being done on the Internet by web savvy agents. Internet marketing is much less expensive than more traditional advertising such as print and farming. With less marketing dollars, more business can be gained through the Internet.

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Thanks Phyllis and all the Best!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Butch Daviau, a recent REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certificant and top-producing REALTOR®/Associate with Emerson REALTORS® in central Massachusetts and the Boston metropolitan.

He services Boston and surrounding suburbs (Worcester, Blackstone, Sturbridge, Holden, Middlesex, and more). He represents both sellers and buyers in the Central Mass. area, specializing in single-family homes, condominiums, land, and income property. For more information about Butch, please visit his website (with a very slick flash-intro) here.

Butch recently completed the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certification and we asked her a few simple interview questions.

1) What is your background?

I'm a Worcester native having been born and raised in the local area. I graduated from high school in 1964 and immediately enlisted in the Air Force specializing in maintenance of jet fighter aircraft. After being Honorably Discharged in 1968, I started working as a civilian on Army helicopters for the Dept. of Defense. I retired in 1994 with the closing of Fort Devens in Massachusetts. I became interested in real estate and passed the state requirements for my real estate sales license. I have been representing both buyers and sellers since 1994.

2) Why did you undertake the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER certification?

Simply stated, it looked appealing. The curriculum looked in-depth, rather than just scratching the surface but getting deep into the "nuts & bolts" of real estate technology. I had been curious of technologies such as single-property websites, virtual tours and neighborhood search. The REW certification had training that looked comprehensive, discussing technologies I could add to my arsenal.

3) What are your impressions of the online experience?

It was better than just about all online trainings that can be found in the industry. Course materials were voice-driven, keeping my attention. In addition, strategy was also discussed alongside the value-proposition of various real estate technologies.

4) How long did it take you to complete the certification?

I was on the fast track and completed in less than two weeks. Took some extra time to play with some of the showcased products as well.

5) What would you tell those who are considering this certification?

In terms of continuous learning, every agent should consider taking the REW certification. For Brokers, consider making it available to your agents!

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Thanks Butch and all the Best!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Judy McElvogue, a recent REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certificant and REALTOR®/Associate with RE/MAX properties in La Grange, IL.

Judy services many of Chicago's western suburbs (Westchester, Brookfield, Riverside, Clarendon Hills, Western Springs, Countryside, Willow Springs, and more). She and her broker's clients enjoy both convenient access to the big city and all the lifestyle benefits of small town Americana. For more information, please visit her web page here and review her broker's listings in Illinois here.

Judy recently completed the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certification and we asked her a few simple interview questions.

1) What is your background?

Over the past 3 years, my job has evolved from an administative assistant/buyer's agent to more of a webographer/photographer. My plan is to focus more on this side of the real estate business. My broker was the first in the area to engage Single-Property Websites, so myself and peers look to stay progressive on the real estate technology front. Personal attributes including honesty, dedication and determination have also sustained my 25-year Membership at The Chicago Board of Trade.

Those same qualities enable me to provide the personal and professional services that make the home search for my clients enjoyable, efficient and an altogether successful experience. With a prowess in interior design, I look to develop a comprehensive, well-designed web presence for myself and my clients.

2) Why did you undertake the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification?

The Internet is changing the way consumer's look for homes and there is a need for REALTORS® to expand their web presence with Single-Property Websites and Online Transaction Management. It is a full time job, keeping up with technology, and I think there might be REALTORS® in my office that could use my help! I looked to broaden my knowledge of online, consumer-oriented, real estate technologies. Given my passion of home design, I know my expanded online presence will be an effort of great "design", creating a destination for my clients and curious site-visitors.

3) What are your impressions of the online experience?

It was extremely informative and fun. Simply stated, the curriculum was extremely current and talked about RE technology within "scenarios", putting a real life spin to technology I've been considering acquiring. I had the option to "play" with real products on the market, to compliment the lessons. I felt like I was in the driver's seat, engaging materials, and taking additional time to do what I wanted within the training experience.

4) How long did it take you to complete the certification?

Given the time-frame of 90 days alloted to complete the certification, I completed the course in about 10 weeks. I enjoyed the fact that I was able to set my own pace and do the training when I could focus and enjoy learning! All-in-all, the training being self-paced and online, allowed me to complete the certification on my schedule.

5) What would you tell those who are considering this certification?

Quite frankly, the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER certification is not just another designation. The experience was immersive. Going into my next meeting to "win the listing", this certification will be a hot topic of discussion because it's about what consumers are concerned about these days, real estate technology.

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Thanks Judy and all the Best!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Jayne Goldman, a recent REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certificant and Virtual Assistant (VA). Jayne is an independent contractor via Team Double-Click, an official Technology Partner of The National Institute of Webographers and sponsor of the Virtual Assistant competency module. Given real estate technology, Team Double-Click provides virtual assistants to support technology adoption and administration on behalf of top-producing real estate agents and brokers. 

Jayne recently completed the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification and we asked a few simple interview questions.

1) What is your background?

I was a Systems Programmer/Analyst for a worldwide insurance company for 15 years. During the last four years of my career there, I was allowed to telecommute. In 2005, during a company merger, my job was eliminated along with many others from my department.

2) Why did you undertake the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification?

After I was laid off, I decided to use this as an opportunity to pursue something that I was really interested in. I have always had a love of real estate but I could not devote the time necessary to be a good agent so I have been looking for a way to provide support to the real estate industry.

Since I am also looking for something that will allow me to work from home, I signed up with the virtual staffing agency Team Double-Click. It was through this agency that I learned about the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification. I decided to take the courses to expand my knowledge and to make myself more marketable as a potential employee.

3) What are your impressions of the online experience?

I love to take classes online. It allows me to take the classes at my own convenience, whenever I have a little bit of time. Being a mother of three, I do not have the time to travel to a classroom to take courses so this allowed me to obtain a certification that I would never have had the time to pursue otherwise. These classes were very easy to understand. The hands-on exercises helped reinforce what I learned in each class.

4) How long did it take you to complete the certification?

It took me about 6 weeks. I would work on it for about an hour a night during the week after my children went to bed.

5) What real estate technologies are you considering implementing (for yourself or your clients)?

My father runs his own computer consulting business and he has a client who has expressed an interest in having a single-property website for a rental building that is currently under construction. Now I have the knowledge to assist my father, if this website becomes a reality.

6) What would you tell those who are considering this certification?

I would tell them to take the classes! There is a lot to learn, it is fun and it does not take that much time.

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Thanks Jayne and all the Best!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Russ Loop, a recent REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certificant and REALTOR® currently with Lyon Real Estate in the Sacramento, CA area. He services many areas including Lincoln, Rocklin, and Roseville as well as other surrounding Sacramento areas. For more information please visit his website, www.RussLoop.com.

Russ recently completed the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification and we asked him a few simple interview questions. As an added bonus to completing the certification, each certificant is provided with a sample press release they can tailor to their liking, as well as several Press Release outlet sites to submit it to. To see Russ Loop’s certificant press release, please click here.

1) What is your background?

I’m a licensed REALTOR® with Lyon Real Estate and live in the Springfield Active 55+ Community of Whitney Oaks in Rocklin, California. My previous job (34 years) involved working in the Medical Imaging marketplace. I was involved with the Sales, Service, and Manufacturing processes involving digital imaging equipment used throughout the world in hospitals and clinics. My start in retirement did not set well as I had a need to be more involved on a daily basis. I was used to dealing with over 900 computer systems per month.

2) Why did you undertake the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER certification?

With my previous involvement in planning and building homes on the East coast, I chose to enter Real Estate in 2002 when I retired. I learned to use the skills provided by HTML and Webographers.com to develop a seamless transition to the marketplace for my web site. As a REALTOR®, it’s critical to stay engaged and promote your business in this very crowded field. Webographers.com appeared to be a great starting point and will continue to be an ongoing resource for me as well as in my new found career.

3) What are your impressions of the online experience?

So many online courses in the web world tend to tell you what you know and sell you more of it. The Webographer system teaches one in a way where you are always advancing in an area of new expertise. They are superb in giving one little bits of knowledge and then letting it be applied in a real time exercise. By the time one takes each short course examination, one cannot help but feel that they have definitely learned something new that will serve them well.

4) How long did it take you to complete the certification?

I completed the 11 course training during a two week period. This included the study material, practice assignments and hands-on activities. I had 90 days to complete all of the courses but I found myself doing it in 14 days. It was intensive but satisfying to be able to see “real” results as each session was completed. Happily, I finished with an average of 95+ on all of the course material.

5) What would you tell those who are considering this certification?

Why wait to learn something today that will help you throughout your career? I was looking for a certification that featured a variety of technology. As one of my country sayings laments – Go for It and get’er done!

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Thanks Russ and all the Best!