Topic:  Newsletter Articles

The demand for technology built for the "mobile workforce" - those businesses with employees who spend as much time away from the home office as they do in it - is growing at a staggering pace. From Blackberries to Bluetooth, technology had made it possible for businesses to get out of the office and into homes, cars, airports, even the local Starbucks.   Read more...

The Aurora generation of WinTOTAL, our form filling and business management software, is shipping to our appraiser customers right now. By the end of November, every appraiser on the XSites Network will have it.   Read more...

The domain name of your Appraiser XSite website, or other business website, is a vital component in your marketing. Your website address should be on everything that reaches potential clients or customers. That includes yellow pages ads, business cards, e-mail signatures and all client correspondence. Doing this helps brand your website as the public face of your business.   Read more...

As lenders start requiring the new Fannie Mae appraisal forms November 1, many of your customers, especially brokers not directly affiliated with a lender, are going to rely on you as their appraisal expert to tell them what they need to know about the new forms. Even if they don't look to you, you should take the opportunity to market yourself as their local subject matter expert. Beyond marketing value, taking this opportunity to tell the story of the new forms accomplishes some good substantive things, too.   Read more...

You pay $25 a year to fund Appraisal Foundation grants, federal oversight of state appraisal boards, and the Appraisal Subcommittee national appraiser registry. You should make sure your investment is working for you by checking the registry - click on the previous link - periodically to be sure your license information is correct. Your clients do.   Read more...

As you know, many of us are licensed, working REALTORS® as well as employees of a la mode, which has proved to be invaluable when it comes to designing and creating products that fit into a REALTOR'S® lifestyle. In fact, input from our in-house REALTORS® has been critical over the past few weeks as we redesigned the Agent XSite websites' Admin area (the My Office area of your XSite) to make it easier to use the features that matter most to your business.   Read more...

Sixty-seven percent of REALTORS® find the Internet extremely or very important in the marketing and promotion of their business, according to the California Association of REALTORS® "2005 Use of Technology Survey." With more than half of consumers using the Internet to find their new home, it's easy to see why it's become such an important venue for REALTORS®. The CAR Survey reported that more than one third of REALTORS'® business is generated from the web and 61 percent post listings to their own website.   Read more...

We have a very informative page up at our website detailing the top ten things that WinTOTAL form filling software couldn't do until now. Whether you're waiting for your Aurora CD or are in the process of getting to know the new program, this is a great resource for learning what's new. One top new feature is SmartMerge, which does report cloning one - or two - better.   Read more...

Fannie Mae will require use of the new versions of their appraisal forms beginning November 1. With plenty of time to spare you'll have access to Appraisal XSite website content, XSellerate automated marketing campaigns and other ways to help you get on the same page with your lender clients. You'll both be comfortable you know which forms are necessary when, and how an assignment might differ now with the new forms. For example, there will no longer be any such thing as a "2055 with interior."   Read more...

As you know, many of us are licensed, working REALTORS® as well as employees of a la mode, which has proved to be invaluable when it comes to designing and creating products that fit into a REALTOR'S® lifestyle. In fact, input from our in-house REALTORS® has been critical over the past few weeks as we redesigned the Agent XSite Websites' Admin area (the My Office area of your XSite) to make it easier to use the features that matter most to your business.   Read more...