by David B. Colmar, contributing editor – Real Trends Newsletter May 2011

It always depends on your perspective as to
whether or not changes that affect our business,
our home, lifestyle, health and all else that impacts
our lives is positive or negative. Attitude drives
nearly all of this. Do we embrace these changes?
Are they drivers for improvement or detractors? The
one thing we can be certain of is that change is
constant. It may be gradual or occur suddenly,
subtle or catastrophic, but it will occur.
Over the past five to six years, broker/owners have
seen rapid changes in the total real estate brokerage
business. Price declines, foreclosures, short sales, or a
lack of sales have all changed the landscape we call
our business. None within our control. We have
gone from placing page after page of print
advertising to little or none and from offices buzzing
with active agents to satellite stopping-off locations
or offices lying mostly empty.
We moved from printed MLS books being updated
weekly with new listings and sold properties to
computers, mobile devices, and the Internet
updating instantly. We moved from broker control
of the information to consumer control and access.
Good, bad, or indifferent our business model has
undergone change and there is more to come.
Remember when we actually walked into a bank to
cash a check or make a deposit? Then the bank
added drive-up windows so we did not have to get
out of the car. Today you don’t really have to go to
the bank. In fact, banking has become nearly
virtual. Any ATM will work for getting cash (for
those of us who still use the stuff) or making
deposits and BillPay means we don’t even need to
write a check. Rows of teller windows are gone and
your personal banker does business with you in your
office, at Starbucks, or some other public place.
Like banks, our offices have become repositories for
desks, chairs, and phones but with fewer and fewer
agents. We might as well advertise monthly public
storage units! What little control we may have had
over agents and their activities has dwindled even
more since their appearances in the offices have
become rare. The office has become a stopping off
point – a sort of docking station while repairs are
being made – or possibly a place to meet a client.
Agents today are learning how to operate from
anywhere, and since the advent of cell phones and
“smart” phones and iPads, they have become even
more mobile.
Now enter the era of “cloud” computing, paperless
document storage, and even greater remote access.
Brokers and their agents can and will have access to
all property files and other documents literally from
anywhere. When a listing is taken, in addition to
going into the MLS, a new file is started on the
Internet. As the property moves through offers,
contracts, and escrow through close, all documents
including agent notes and peripheral reports can be
scanned and entered into that specific file, completely
secure and able to be accessed by different levels of
security. The appraiser can have limited access, the
lender can have limited access, and others involved in
the transaction including, of course, the client.
In a recent study, authorized by LPS Real Estate
Group and conducted by Colmar & Associates and
REAL Trends Consulting, participating companies
were proud of being able to offer agents and
clients paperless transactions with secure access by
numerous parties involved in the transaction. Need
information at the end of the year for tax purposes
or can’t recall certain facts of a home purchase 4
years from now? As long as you have access to the
Unternet you can access your data. Racks of
Banker’s Boxes could disappear. Gone would be the
wait while some contracted service provider fulfilled
a search request. Received a call late one afternoon
to go list a property you sold 5 years ago but can’t
recall all the details? Get the data from your file on
the internet.
LPS found that certainly there was a cost savings
for companies on such obvious things as paper
usage, printing, ink cartridges as well as document
storage and even file cabinets. More importantly,
such cost savings in most cases would cover the
cost of their TransactionPoint or DocCentral
programs, yet participating companies found that
mobility, ease of access, and greater accountability,
all of which fit into each company’s vision, were
the true qualitative benefits.
Over the last two months Dell Computer has
announced partnerships with a number of
companies to create data centers to better enable
cloud computing for a number of businesses. As
Dell reported; “Cloud-Based Services will simplify
information access and sharing from the point of
care to the data center and business office for more
efficient healthcare.” In another press release; “Dell
and Microsoft to develop on-demand reporting and
analytics for community hospitals.” If the
independent doctor is actually a real estate agent
and the patient is the consumer, then this allsounds a lot like real estate brokerage.
So, are large offices a thing of the past? Brokerage
companies are looking to downsize in space not
service. They are adapting their business model
around the needs of the consumer and agent and it is
not with more paper, ink, or empty desks. With
electronic signatures and anytime, anywhere access to
the transaction, LPS has put the information squarely
at the fingertips of the consumer and their agent. As
a broker/owner, if I can rid my operation of vacant
space, have fewer cartons of paper delivered, and
fewer files to keep in boxes, all while satisfying my
customer’s needs as well as mitigating the potential
of some future challenge relative to risk management,
then this sure looks like doing more with less.

Dave Colmar is President of Colmar & Associates,
Inc.; a consulting firm serving the real estate
industry since 2000.

Upcoming Forms Release

The April 2011 Form release is underway.  Please note, the following forms will be changing/released in zipForm® 6 on April 29^th, 2011.

New Form

• Denial of Rental Application (DRA)

Revised Forms

• Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure (AVID)
• Cancellation of Listing (COL)***
• Notice of Change in Terms of Tenancy (CTT) ***
• 48-Hour Notice of Inspection Prior to Termination of Tenancy (FEHN) ***
• Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA)
• Lease Listing Agreement (LL)
• Residential Lease or Month-to-Month Rental Agreement (LR)
• Application to Rent/Screening Fee (LRA)
• Notice of Entry (NOE) ***
• Notice of Obligation to Pay Rental of Lease Payments in Cash, Money Order, Cashiers Check (NPC) ***
• Notice of Right to Inspection Prior to Termination of Tenancy (NRI) ***
• Notice of Sale and Entry (NSE) ***
• Purchase Agreement Addendum (PAA) ***
• Probate Advisory (PAK) ***
• Probate Advisory (PAL) ***
• Notice to Perform Covenant (Cure) or Quit (PCQ) ***
• Property Management Agreement (PMA) ***
• Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (PRQ) ***
• REO Advisory (REO)
• REO Advisory (Listing) (REOL)
• Trust Advisory (TA) ***
• Trust Advisory (Listing) (TAL) ***
• Tenant Estoppel Certificate (TEC) ***

***These forms will no longer be available in printed format and will only be available via zipForm® 6.  Printed versions for all other forms will be available from your local AOR on April 29^th, 2011.

How many of your friends on Facebook would really send business your way? The correct answer should be ‘all of them.’

To read more, visit:
http://www.realtor.org/rmotechnology/articles/2011/1103_socialnetworking_lessismore

20 Cloud Tools Presentation

TRANSACTION TIPS & TRAINING

Quickly sharing your documents online

Dear Real Innovate Agents Do you need an easier way of working with documents? You already know RELAY is the quick, easy way to store documents online, but there are a number of ways to share these documents. Here are some quick tips that might help your business. Join our live trainings to learn how to use today’s real estate technology to increase your communication and successfully cultivate buyer and sellertrust.

Tip of the Month: Speed up the Document Sharing

Whether you need a quick signature on a new purchase agreement, or are just looking to speed up document uploads, here are three tips to make it happen:1. Make a Folder. Find some space in your documents folder, or on your desktop, and make a folder called “For RELAY”. As you go through your day, put all documents, contracts, and emails that do not need immediate action into this folder. Set aside one hour at the end of the day to go through these documents and add them to RELAY. This really speeds up the time you spend on RELAY, and it also helps to remind you of tasks that may have been interrupted throughout the day. 2. Share documents without a username or password using the Public Documents If you want a quick and easy way to share disclosures or other RELAY documents online without having someone create a username and password, turn to the Public Documents. Click the Public Documents button (located in a property file under the Documents Tab), and click “Make Public” to get a link you can share with anyone. Add documents to this page from your transaction file by clicking the red X under the “Public” column and turning it into a clear eye. You can also make the documents private again at any time by clicking on the clear eye, turning it back into a red x. When they are ready, use the buyer and seller training at www.rebt.com/clients/demo to introduce your buyer or seller to online real estate. 3. E-Mail or fax documents without leaving RELAY Do you want to share a document with someone else? Check the empty box next to the file on your document list, and select “Send” from the drop-down “With Selected…” menu. Now you can send these documents as an attachment, as a fax, or as a link to users who are already part of your transaction. Tip: Click on the orange address book next to TO: or CC: in order to use your saved contacts to fill out the email address or fax number.

RELAY Recorded Trainings:

Available 24/7 for your convenience! View or review our recorded trainings at any time. BEGINNING RELAY TRAINING MOVIE ADVANCED RELAY TRAINING MOVIE BROKER RELAY TRAINING MOVIE BUYER & SELLER RELAY TRAINING MOVIE

Beginning RELAY Training

Highlights: Signing up for RELAY; start a transaction; add a property photo; use an electronic checklist; adding your client to RELAY. Best for: Agents, Transaction Coordinators, first time users. Available Classes: Tue, Jul 14, 2009 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PACIFIC TIME https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/874710857 Tue, Jul 28, 2009 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PACIFIC TIME https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/970336513 Tue, Aug 11, 2009 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PACIFIC TIME https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/779380993

Advanced RELAY Training

Highlights: Adding Service Providers, Public pages and marketing, Creating a transaction CD, Site Administration, Contacts and Checklist Templates. Best for: Site Administrators, Agents, Transaction Coordinators, Assistants Available Classes: Thu, Jul 23, 2009 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PACIFIC TIME https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/161994929 Thu, Aug 6, 2009 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PACIFIC TIME https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/189454193

RELAY BROKER TRAINING

Highlights: Setting up and managing your RELAY online office. Contains highlights from beginning and advanced training, and an overview of the 2 month broker implementation plan. Best for: Brokers, Transaction Coordinators, Office Managers. Available Classes: Wed, Jul 15, 2009 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM PACIFIC TIME https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/492963401

Highlights: Learn how to train others to use RELAY. New, interactive training and renewal format, only $149 Best for: Trainers, Agents, Service Providers, Office Managers, Transaction Coordinators Available Classes: Wed, Jul 29, 2009 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM PACIFIC TIME

Ensure that your team has all of the information that they need. Click to forward this message to a friend or colleague. For additional training opportunities please, visit our Training Schedule. Thank you, The RELAY® Team www.zipLogix.com/relay RELAY Support Site Share or Attend with a Friend or Colleague RELAY CERTIFIED TRAINING

DRE LICENSE NUMBER MUST BE ON SOLICITATION MATERIALS

The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) has recently adopted a new regulation clarifying the law that requires DRE license numbers on business cards and all other solicitation materials intended to be the first point of contact with consumers. The licensing law came into effect on July 1, 2009 as we previously reported.

Under the new section 2773 regulation adopted by the DRE, the solicitation materials that must contain the license identification number include the following items:

• Business cards;
• Stationery;
• Websites owned, controlled, and/or maintained by the soliciting real estate license; and
• Promotional and advertising flyers, brochures, email and regular mail, leaflets, and any other marketing or promotional materials designed to solicit the creation of a professional relationship between the licensee and a consumer, or intended to induce a consumer to contact the licensee about any licensed services.

DRE’s new regulation also states that the following items are not solicitation materials under the license number requirement:

• Advertisements in electronic media, including radio, cinema, and television ads, and the opening section of streaming video and audio;
• Print advertising in any newspaper or periodical; and
• “For Sale” signs placed on or around a property intended to alert the public the property is available for purchase or lease.

The eight-digit DRE license number must be in a type size no smaller than the smallest type size used in the solicitation material. If the name of more than one licensee appears in the solicitation, then each person’s license number must be disclosed. However, the license number of employing brokers or corporate brokers whose names, logos, or trademarks appear on solicitation materials along with the names and license numbers of licensed employees or broker-associates, need not appear on those materials.

In addition to solicitation materials, a licensee’s DRE license number must also be disclosed on real property purchase agreements when the licensee is acting as an agent in those transactions. C.A.R.’s standard form purchase agreements already conform to this new requirement.

Sources: California Business & Professions Code section 10140.6 (filed September 25, 2008); Section 2773 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulation (filing with the Secretary of State still pending).

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What is REbar Camp? Watch the video to find out and to see what took place.