Web 2.0 - Breakdown for Beginners

When I talk about web 2.0, most of you look at me blankly with that all too familiar, "what is she talking about now"? I think web 2.0 is difficult to explain because it's really a concept and not a thing ... but it does get easier to understand with examples.

When I am teaching on web 2.0, I often will pull a nice little illustration that I found on wikipedia forever ago explaining that if this was web 1.0 >>> here is the next generation site or web 2.0. For example ...

web 1.0 >>>>>> web 2.0

websites >>>>>>> blogging

brittanica online >>>>>>> wikipedia

evite >>>>>>> upcoming

Now, if you are not familiar with these sites, then the above means nothing to you, except that everyone knows what a "website" is and hopefully, since you are reading this, you know what a "blog" is by now. For me, web 2.0 is about meaningful interaction with you. You can look at my website and get some cool links, read some articles, and see my photo, but here, on my blog, I get to talk to you whenever I have something to say. Luckily, you only have to read it when you want to interact with me :)

It's not enough anymore for companies just to have a website - your consumers want you to be plugged in - via blogging, social networking, social bookmarking, etc.

Don't panic - I'll get you there. :)

The presentation below is from Lola McIntrye, she created this to help explain web 2.0 marketing strategies to other real estate agents. Thanks Lola!!!

The presentation below is from my new Twitter friend, Lola McIntrye:

Web 2.0 Marketing Strategies For The Rest Of Us

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: emerging technologies)

100 Million Users Can't Be Wrong

Rumor has it that Facebook now has 100 million users ... not bad for a social app started in the dorm room of a Harvard dropout. I love their start-up story, hackers gone good - see wikipedia for more.

I love social networking, but I am willing to admit that it is not for everyone. You have to want to be in front of your computer for more than just "work". More and more that line between work and everything else is getting a little blurry for me. My work friends are on Facebook with the rest of my friends ... I post my latest blog entry on my Facebook page, along with pictures from my last vacation. My twitter pals are mostly work, but not all of my updates are work related anymore ... and I have outbound referrals coming in from my sorority social networking site. The line no longer exists and you have to adapt if you are using social media.

That said, real estate agents can greatly increase their sphere of influence with social networking, blogs, twitter and other social media outlets. Plus - you are connecting with the consumer in a more meaningful way (think back to that blurry line).

Over the next few months, I am going to be teaching more and more on social media and how our agents can use these sites effectively, safely and in a way that is meaningful to them.

Want to set up a profile on Facebook? Get started here with this how-to vid from VideoJug.

Cool Tool - Photosynth

You have got to check this out - cool new tool from Microsoft (yes, I said it - Microsoft) called Photosynth. Finally out of development and released to the public ... this is one tool that every tech savvy Realtor should have in their back pocket.

Photosynth is an application that lets you stitch together your standard photos into a 3-D/panoramic style - great for showing off your listings!

Before you start, there are few things I want to point out ... first, anything you upload will be public - meaning that yes, anyone can see it. Usually, this is what we want as Realtors, so not a big deal. You will need to be running XP or Vista to use the app, plus there is a browser plug-in that you will need to download for viewing purposes.

Get more info here.

Take your listing photos to the next level!

Quadrennial Ethics Renewal Period

Get your Quadrennial Ethics renewal requirement taken care of before December 31st, 2008 in several ways ... live classroom with your Association, CE with a local school or ONLINE :)

Between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2008, every REALTOR® is required to complete 2 1/2 hours of Code of Ethics training. REALTORS® who have completed this training as a requirement of membership in another association are not required to complete additional ethics training until the next four year cycle. - NAR website

Associations/Local Boards
Bucks County
Berks County
Lehigh County
Montgomery County
Philadelphia County
Pennsylvania
Suburban West
Tri-State Commercial


Real Estate Schools
Berks Real Estate Institute
Polley Associates
Real Estate Academy of Bucks County
Schlicher-Kratz
Temple - The Real Estate Institute

NAR Online Training - click here!

Diamond to Hearthside

Hello All & Happy Monday!
I find myself answering one question over and over since the merger ... and even though the question comes in several different formats, the answer is still basically the same.

Why does my Coldwell Banker profile page still say Diamond? Or, In Trend, everything still says Diamond, Realtors - what can I do? You get the idea.

The answer is that while our name change has been filed with the PA Real Estate Commission, we are still not "processed". So Trend, Coldwell Banker and a few other places will still consider the 6 Diamond offices to be CB Diamond.

Once we are official, I promise you will know! Hang in there until then :)

OT08 Wrap Up and CB Works

Happy Friday All :) My Office Tour 2008 finished yesterday with my last manager meeting. What a trip - it was so great to meet all of the managers and spend some face time with each one.

Working on the class schedule for the rest of the year today (almost ready to publish) and writing out some new classes over the next two weeks or so ... also scheduling my regular office visits (usually two each week) for the rest of 2008.

I popped in CB Works this morning as I normally do and thought, what the heck can I blog about today ... then of course - Getting Into CB Works!

I just had a 3 year + agent say to me yesterday, "I never go into CB Works, how do I get in again"? Don't worry Steve Lecco of the Philadelphia Office, it will be our little secret ;) OR NOT! How do you get into CB Works as a new agent or get in again as a not-so-new agent? It's not as scary or hard as you might think.




For the first-time users:
> Click "first time users, click here for access" under Log In
> Enter your email address on the next screen and follow the prompts
> You will be in and ready to go in minutes!

For the not-so-new users:
> Click on, "Forgot your login information?" in small print under Password
> Enter your email address on the next screen and follow the prompts

TRICKY PART - if you don't remember which email address you used to set up your CB Works account originally, you will have to call the Help Desk. Luckily, their # is also right here for us when we try to login, under where it says, Need Help? Yes. Get it here.

For the Diamond folks, since we have not been changed over to Hearthside yet in the Coldwell Banker systems, you will need to enter your @diamondrealtors.com email address.

Good luck and as always ... email me if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend!

Moving on OT08

It's pretty sad when I have to look at my calendar to remember where I was this week :) On Wednesday, I visited our Southampton Office and met with Jim Smyth. It seems like every time I meet with another manager I have an "aha" moment and think of something else we can add to our Education Program. Jim did not disappoint - I was scribbling down ideas the second I was finished. Jim and his Admin - Janet - happened to have lunch next door where I was lunching with a few Willlow Grove friends, so we couldn't seem to get away from one another.

On Thursday, I met with Andy Decker out in our Hellertown Office. Andy is the manager for our new (and not yet open) Allentown Office. Andy has been with Coldwell Banker franchises for the last 9 years and really knows her work. Her excitement was infectious and I can't wait to see what she does up there.

OT 08 will come to a close this coming week with visits to Doylestown, New Hope and Rockledge.

We have so many things to discuss! More soon :0

More OT08 - Buckingham and Willow Grove

Okay ... just a few more left, I promise. On Monday, I was in Buckingham. The manager here is Nancy Bremble. Nancy is also has ownership interests in a handful of the Hearthside Offices. This is a small boutique office up Route 611 in Bucks County.

The agents in the Buckingham Office were great - a few pics below ... that's Nancy below - middle pic on left side. Thanks for a great office visit!!!


Today, I was in Willow Grove. This is where my office is located and where I started my real estate career, so I am right at home in the Willow Grove Office. I attended their Sales Meeting this morning along with a few other special guests. We discussed eShowings, Toolkit CMA and RealFast 2 Go. Then I met with the manager - Pam Sheehan to go over my Education Plan. Pam was my boss over at CB Diamond, and the whole reason I am here at all, so this was a day that I was looking forward to for awhile.

I didn't take any pics today, but this is an older photo from February of this year ... from the Coldwell Banker International Business Conference - that's Pam and me with Thing 1 and Thing 2 in Orlando.


Up next ... Southampton, Doylestown, New Hope, Rockledge. See you then!