In order to highlight exceptional implementations of the tools available through the REW Affiliate program, NIW is creating a "REW Affiliates in Action" category for our blog. This week, we look at Megan Barber, a recent REW™ certificant.

Through minimal effort, Megan successfully integrated the tools available via the REW Affiliate program to advertise REW on both her personal business website, Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions, as well as her ActiveRain blog account. Using the custom HTML code provided, she added click-thru logos and banners linked to both Webographers.com for additional information, her personal landing page seen here, and directly to the REW sign-up page using her affiliate 15% discount coupon code.

Even with the cut and paste ease-of-use, the new additions jive perfectly with each site's look and feel. Megan understands the key to creating a seamless partnership is choosing visibly appealing and relevant locations for the custom affiliate tools; Megan's implementation is near picture perfect!

For more information about the REW Affiliate program or to sign-up and begin making 25% commission through the sales of the REW cert, please click here.

To see a shining example REW Affiliate tools in action, or for additional information on the Virtual Assistant services her company offers, please visit Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions, or visit her on ActiveRain.com.

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!

—

Thanks Lindsay and all the Best!

Holiday Special

For the month of December, as a Holiday Special, the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER certification is being offered at 25% OFF - a savings of $50! Give the profitable gift of a lasting education in RE technologies to improve your sales, or the sales of a family, friend, or relative! Use the coupon code REW0115 and gain access to the complete certification for only $149!

REW^TM Certification

The REW^TM Certification teaches Agents, Brokers and Assistants how to best utilize today’s most popular web-based technologies - the solutions for an all inclusive, consumer-centric web presence. Available online 24/7/365, REW^TM course materials allow working professionals to learn at their own pace while building the skill sets necessary to exceed the expectations of their web-savvy consumers.

But hurry, this offer is only good until January 15^th (2008) so sign-up now!

The National Institute of Webographers has expanded partnership and affiliate opportunites. Two programs have been launched to best broaden our partnership offerings. To view the press release, please click here.

1. TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS
The training experience for the REW certification not only discusses emerging technologies such as mobile technologies, agent websites, online tours, etc. but also highlights technology companies, who are best-of breed and compliment the technology awareness curriculum.

Partners of NIW enjoy benefits such as (1) an interactive, multi-media presentation of their technology, (2) showcase of their technology in real world scenarios through demonstration accounts reserved for REW students, (3) an optional guided activity to fully experience the bells and whistles of their technology, and (4) where applicable, mention of their technology in REW™ core course materials.

2. REW™ AFFILIATES
Real estate schools, brokers, educational providers, trainers, coaches and other affiliates who share the vision of educating RE professionals in emerging technologies, can join the REW Affiliate Program.  Becoming an REW™ Affiliate costs nothing and can be accomplished by simply signing up through NIW’s online affiliate system.

 

Registered affiliates are provided with access to REW™ marketing, print and web materials, and generous commission opportunities all accessible via the REW™ Affiliate dashboard.

PARTNER WITH US
For more information about the opportunites, please click here for Technology Sponsors or here for Affiliates.

Extremely proud day at the National Institute of Webographers.

ZipForm®, the real estate industry's leading brand of forms software, today announced that its solutions, along side the RELAY™ Transaction System, have been selected as official sponsors of competencies within the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification. While ZipForm® has been named the official sponsor of the electronic forms competency, RELAY™ has been designated sponsor of the online transaction management category.   

     

View Press Release here.

Truths about Electronic Forms

Electronic Forms technology is commonly provided as "inclusive" of Realtor® member dues.  As with ZipForm, accessibility is made available via desktop, online, or from a mobile device.  ZipForm is currently used by 400,000+ Realtors and RE professionals, and is available to 1.4 million Realtors.

Electronic Forms applications include form libraries (standardization in the “look” of all forms), error-handling in form input, and the ability to minimize redundant data entry. Additional components for conducive paperless activity includes digital signatures applied to electronic forms, integration of forms software with the MLS, CRM and online transaction management (OTM) systems.

Transaction Management :: Consumer-facing Interface to Electronic Forms

If consumers engage online banking, they are ready (and expect) online transaction mgmt solutions. 

Besides streamlining transactional paperwork for brokers, agents, assistants, and peer professionals such as Title/Escrow, transaction mgmt (online) is the "consumer-facing" technology that highlights procedures that were commonly overlooked, undervalued, or under-appreciated by consumers...executing the volumes of transactional paperwork. 

Given the array of technologies on the market, transaction management solutions have the highest potential for growth in adoption-rates by real estate professionals. Online transaction management solutions, when adopted, remain the strongest differentiating factor between brokers/agents who provide such all-inclusive, online services to clients compared to those who do not.

ZipForm / WINForms & RELAY
RELAY™ allows the tracking and management of all information related to a real estate transaction from listing through closing; allows users to enable assistants, other agents or transaction facilitators to participate in the process; and features one-click integration with ZipForm® and WINForms Online®, the electronic forms software used by nearly 400,000 REALTORS® nationwide.

National Institute of Webographers is extremely proud to showcase these two products to candidates of the REW certification, providing every candidate demo accounts to these applications to experience their functionality and native integration; to further comprehension and hands-on understanding to today's Electronic Forms and Online Transaction Mgmt solutions.

As a result of valuable feedback from both our trusted certificant holders and students as well as our many site visitors, this week, the National Institute of Webographers has announced our release of Webographers.com 2.0. To read the entire press release, please click here.

The entire effort was two fold (1) to upgrade our "external look, feel and navigation" and (2) to continue to push the envelope in delivering the most powerful and effective real estate training availabe online today.

Enhanced Learning Experience

Here at Webographers.com, we are always looking to remain on the cutting edge of online technology training. Our enhancements in 2.0 have helped us deliver an even greater "self paced, self directed" technology experience that our certificants have available to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The Big 3

Every business enterprise has a target audience - a group they feel can really benefit from the services they are offering. In 2007, NIW has placed great emphasis on more clearly defining and speaking to this audience - that is of our "Big 3" - AGENTS, BROKERS, and ASSISTANTS. In doing so, our first major step was to build a site navigation system customized to their wants and needs, and we believe we have succeeded. The look and feel of the site is greatly improved as well as our clear message of the necessity to partake in Online Real Esate Technology Training through REW.

"REW is not just a certification to mention in an email signature block, but a real estate technology experience in consumer-facing RE Technologies," said Marc Grayson, president and founder of NIW.

Although we have a new look, our long standing message remains strong: Are you ready to embrace real estate technologies?

 

In the current world, where emails have replaced phone calls and web-meetings have replaced face-to-face meetings, Virtual Assistants (VAs) are rapidly becoming a more practical answer to the many gaps a small OR large business may have in pure muscle.

Virtual Staffing Agencies (and independent, freelance VAs) are constantly touting the myriad of reasons why VAs have become a profitable solution - they possess many skills already, they "work" online to facilitate support across state lines, eager and motivated to acquire just about any knowledge they don't already have. In addition, they only bill the hours they work, as they are not employees on salary...and the list goes on.

With regards to technical tasks, the list is virtually limitless to the number and types of things a VA can tackle. In this article, we are going to bring to light a few ideas that any RE firm can implement directly or hopefully spark more ideas to more completely and successfully utilize a VA.

1.) VAs can provide valuable advice and guidance for your website(s)

Whether it is customizing a current agent website you already possess and run on your own, or maybe it's creating a brand new site, a VA possesses the skills to design a custom template or adapt a template, and can maintain it on a regular basis, adding/removing listings or information as needed.

This expertise would be invaluable for any RE professional interested in keeping a listing of properties on their agent site. This would also be an excellent asset when creating and or maintaining single property websites, 1 website (URL) dedicated to 1 property. Its often said that many agents/brokers purchase technology, but never use it, as finding time during your day can be a limiting factor.

2.) Make your virtual storefront visible

Once you have a web storefront, how do you attract site-visitors? The answer is something known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is a process of improving the ranking of your site amongst various web crawlers (or search engines). Generally, the higher the ranking, the earlier a site will appear in search results, which yields more site visitors. A VA can customize your site to utilize key words which can be submitted, along with your site name, on a weekly (or even daily) basis to increase your rankings as well as your site volume. They can also solicit other websites to reference (link to) the agent website...activities you simply may not have time for but are critical in SEO.

3.) Take your site to the next level

Your VA can take your agent website or single property site an additional step further with the creation of virtual tours. You've heard of them, you've seen them on other's sites, but you just don't have the time to learn how to create or execute one? Assign it to your VA! After you have sent the photographs, your VA can utilize their computer to create, finalize and publish virtual tours for each of your properties.

4.) Manage your important documentation

Your VA can even manage your paperwork for you, all virtually! For example, you have routine paperwork that must be executed through the life-span of a transaction. Simply fax your hand-written information to your VA. The VA enters the info into your standard form and faxes to the proper location OR they can even utilize online transaction management as a central repository for all your documentation needs. Your VA can maintain this repository for you, facilitating document execution of clients and peer real estate professionals throughout the lifespan of the transaction.

With the technology available today, VAs are definitely a viable resource for your business entity. The examples above are only a fraction of the types of activities VAs can accomplish that easilly puts them to work as more than just an assistant. Rather, they become your partner.

The National Institute of Webographers has awarded iseemedia, Inc. corporate sponsorship of the Mobile Technology competency within the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certification.

View Press Release here.

Mobile capability is arguably the fastest growing technology requirement for a real estate professional today. Over the course of a typical day, RE professionals are constantly on the go; from visiting various new potential sellers, to showing current homes on the market to prospective buyers. Due to an agent's constant "on-the-go" workday, it is of paramount importance that an agent always be available for rapid response to today's internet-savvy consumer.

iseemedia understands this demand for mobility, and has answered the call by offering breakthrough products specifically designed for the "on-the-go" professional. iseemedia, along with North American distribution partner, RealBiz360, provides solutions for the mobile agent to complement sales, marketing, communications and customer management tools to make the mobile device as effective as their desktop computer at the office or home.

“Mobility is the new business requirement amongst top-producing real estate professionals; more than just email and managing a calendar while on-the-go. The REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification is a must-have for the 'Mobile Agent', highlighting mobile activities like MLS access, electronic document access, and virtual tour creation with in-camera photo-stitching capability from mobile, digital cameras."

- Anthony DeCristofaro, Chief Executive Officer, iseemedia.

For the up-and-coming RE professional, this means their real estate needs, such as access to MLS data, real estate applications, mobile Virtual Tour access and / or to online documents have now become portable.

REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ Certification Activity

Candidates engage a "story" of a mobile agent utilizing mobile devices and applications to complete objectives while "on-the-go". This snapshot includes a 1-week perspective of the tasks performed & executed while being mobile; allowing the candidate to better understand the value proposition behind mobile technology.  An in-depth view of iseemedia mobile technology is presented for immersive learning into today's latest mobile apps for the real estate professional.

In the May issue of the Michigan Association of Realtors® Magazine, Marc Grayson, president and founder of the REW™ certification, was featured commenting on the vast benefits of virtual tours in an article entitled "360 Tours", written by Buck Wargo. The Virtual Tours module is one of the 11 technology competencies included in our REW™ certification.

The article sheds light on the pros and cons of creating and utilizing Virtual Tours for marketability purposes, both by an agent themselves, or through a hired third party. There are a multitude of services available, from digital cameras that create the "tours on the fly", such as the Kodak V 705 featured by Virtual Tour giant Realbiz360 (www.realbiz360.com), that contains stitching software for photos all contained inside the camera. RealBiz360 also provides downloadable software that allows an RE Professional to create tours in the comfort of their own home, using their existing camera, to showcase published virtual tours.

Marc Grayson was featured commenting on the ease of creating a Virtual Tour. As is any technology, once you master the basic steps to utilize the benefits, it is simply a matter of repetition. “ If you have successfully taken photos and have e-mailed photos and put photos with your listings, you can do this,” Grayson says.

Other noted contributions were made by Marsha Sharf, the marketing Manager of Realbiz360, as well as Saul Klein, co-founder of the NAR's e-PRO professional designation.

Webographers.com and the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification (REW™) is relentless in its mission to expand the marketability techniques of RE Professionals. In any sales driven market, especially the Real Estate market, the individuals utilizing the most forward-thinking and information-packed technologies will always have the edge. Incorporating Virtual Tours in your own RE website, listing websites, etc., is an extremely simple approach that will provide clients with a much clearer picture of a property, creating a consumer-facing web presence, all-the-while enticing out-of-state clients by allowing them to tour an open house without having to plan a vacation to do so.

View the full article from the Michigan Association of REALTORS® Magazine here. 

Full May issue of the MAR magazine can be found here.

This week, president and founder of the National Institute of Webographers, Marc Grayson, was featured on The Real Estate Tomato discussing the evolution towards a single user account for real estate professionals to access the array of RE technologies on the market. In his submission, Marc speaks about the importance of a web-term known as Single Sign-On, or SSO. The concept behind SSO is that an individual need only maintain a single username and password to access a multitude of interconnected web tools they need to be successful.

No more maintaining five or six or even ten login credentials for various web-centric tools. In addition, there could be the potential for RE technology providers to align, maybe bundle services, for discounted rates to the RE professional. To read his article in its entirety, please click here.

The Real Estate Tomato is a destination for real estate news, emarketing, internet insight, services and products. Their mission is to provide Realtors with the news, knowledge, service and technology to make them more successful.

This is Marc’s 4^th submission to The Real Estate Tomato. His other submissions include:

• Is This the Most Powerful Listing Tool (Single Listings Websites)
• Going Paperless: Bringing Value to an Undervalued Process (Paperless Transactions)
• What’s my Home Worth (CMAs vs AVMs)

Marc Grayson, the president and founder of our REW™ certification was interviewed for "Tools of the Trade" article in the March issue of the Michigan Association of REALTORS® Magazine. The article speaks to how REALTORS® look to technology to remain competitive, technologies they should consider within their arsenal. 

Other noted interviewees include John Tuccillo, former chief economist for the NAR, Saul Klein, co-founder of the NAR’s e-PRO professional designation, and Stephen Canale of Ann Arbor, a REALTOR® and technology trainer and also who chaired a NAR Business Technology and Information Systems Forum.

Marc Grayson gave candid perspectives on agent websites acting as the start to a REALTOR's storefront to all-inclusive, web-centric services to buyers and sellers.  Secondly, he discusses the "paperless transaction" and technology adoption towards being paperless as imperative.  This is true especially for providing all-inclusive services to clients online.

Going Paperless: Bringing Value to an Undervalued Process was a contribution to the Real Estate Tomato blog that took an aggresive look at paperless transactions.  Given the voluminous amount of paperwork and coordination of involved parties, paperless transactions brings value to what is underlooked or undervalued by clients. 

Webographers.com and REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification is relentless in its mission to educate agents that Electronic Forms and Online Transaction Management are at the heart of today's paperless transaction. From the listing/marketing perspective, the article further cites Grayson's perspective on Virtual Tours and the innovative use of Single-Property Websites which expand an agent website to a full agent web presence.

View the full article from the Michigan Association of REALTORS® Magazine here.

The National Institute of Webographers will be an exhibitor at this month's “National Real Estate On-Line Convention & Expositon", between February 18-24. The online conference brings in more then an estimated 40,000 attendees consisting predominantly of agents and broker / office managers. Attendence by real estate professionals is free - no travel costs required. Our booth is under the title "REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER(tm)". Attendees will have LIVE access to our career counselors for Q&A on the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER(tm) certification, as well as a SPECIAL chance to win a FREE Kodak EasyShare, Virtual Tour Digital Camera ($349 value) that stitches photos inside the camera for virtual tours!!  Other special attendee discounts will also be made available to all booth visitors.

Many thanks to Drew Meyers of Zillow, for his interview with our Marc Grayson, President &  Founder of the National Institute of Webographers, as detailed on the Zillow Blog on Feb 3, 2007.  The post reiterates our goal to "ensure real estate professionals are up-to-date on the latest web-based technologies, processes and best practices in technology usage."

This interview marks Webographers grand announcement as the first in the industry to implement single sign-on technology, across many real estate applications and many service providers to create a sandbox for candidates to "play" in; to best understand available RE technologies on the market, their value-proposition, and how they work. 

Marc Grayson gives a candid summary on the inspiration behind Webographers.com and the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER(tm) certification, the business model of Webographers.com, and where this innovative real estate technology certification is headed.

See full details of the interview here.