1	Who Am I? Joan Prout Broker Sales Associate RE/MAX Villa REALTORS 306 Grove Street Jersey City, NJ 07302 Phone: 201-946-2700 x310 www.JoanProut.com JoanProut@remax.net
2	Joan Prout 12 years in the industry Broker's license, ABR and e-pro designations 8th anniversary with RE/MAX this week BA in Sociology MBA in Management
3	My Market Urban and diverse Jersey City is a mature community of just under 250,000 people living in about 14 square miles
4	My Market Lowest sales price $70,000 Highest sales price $675,000 Average sales price $225,000
5	Challenges No lockboxes No direct owner contact No broker open houses Antiquated, stripped down mls that is not internet based. - Can't download to TP - Can't self load listings - Listings are hand-written and mailed - Cannot be searched by public - Can't email or fax listings directly to prospects, or set up automatic SOAR searches
6	What is a VA?
7	What Can a VA Do? Prepare and send CMAs, listing packages, presentations, and closing gifts. Listing Coordination: - Input listings into Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and handle Multiple Listing Service changes - Draft advertising copy and promotional materials - Create and order flyers, and postcards - Place advertising - Create Virtual Tours - Maintain company and personal websites - Just Listed/Sold cards - Input listing into Top Producer database
8	What Can a VA Do? Client care services - Reviewing and keeping track of website hits, showing appointments, and other activity - Creating, maintaining and sending activity reports to sellers Schedule showings, closings, and inspections. Maintain mailing lists and email databases. Address and mail open-house invitations and thank you notes to open-house attendees.
9	What Can a VA Do? Mail expired and for sale by owner (FSBO) and expired listing letters. Assist with organization of agent tours. Perform other administrative, clerical, and personal activities for which a license is not required. Coordinate closings.
10	How Do I Find A VA? MSVSP Military Spouse Virtual Assistance Program IVAA.org International Virtual Assistants Association REALTOR.com REVA Network Real Estate Professionals and Virtual Assistants RealSupport Inc. Carrie Gable - my assistant
11	Why shouldn't I just hire a local assistant for half as much? You Fill In The Blanks...
12	How Do You Pay a VA Purchase time and when the time is used up you recharge it...
13	Listing Task Breakdown
14	My Story With a VA May 2002: - Michael Russer aka Mr. Internet speaks at RE/MAX of NJ Spring 2002 Sales Rally August 15, 2002: - Russer.com to IVAA.org to review services August 22, 2002: - Hired Carrie Gable, RealSupport Inc.
15	Tools of the Trade - Broadband Broadband - High Speed Data Connection - Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) - Cable Modem - Wireless Internet - Satellite
16	Tools of the Trade - GoToMyPc.com 1-PC Monthly Plan $19.95 per month 2-PC Monthly Plan $29.95 per month 3-20 PCs Additional PCs are $14.98 per month
17	Tools of the Trade - Airborne Express Pre-list Packages Custom Music CDs Other gifts/documents Cheaper than local delivery!
18	Tools of the Trade - eFax.com Your VA can send faxes from your "fax machine". eFax costs $12.95 per month, with a one-time $12.95 fee to activate your account.
19	Tools of the Trade - Mangomind.com $29.95/month: One Internet drive for 5 users with 50 MB of managed Internet storage. $59.95/month: One Internet drive for 10 users with 100 MB of managed Internet storage.
20	Tools of the Trade - Scanner Automatic Document Feeder!! Adobe Acrobat Paperport Paperless office
21	How It Works... (just 1 email and...) Updates our Current deals spreadsheet and adds new listing to Top Producer – these are updates w/ info as we proceed Input listing into 2 Multiple Listing Services, verify accuracy, add photos Joanprout.com - add new listing to Home Sale page and featured listing page, photos and tour link.
22	How It Works Continued... Email Blast - 2 MLSs and my personal database (450+) Logging on to my computer Carrie creating rules for emails that come in for the particular property and create Email Signature for outlook (HTML version) Create Visual Tour - Tourfactory.com Remax-nj.net - Enhance with photos and copy (HTML) Create Flyer for approval, then order flyers to be delivered to property
23	How It Works Continued... Fax Blast - 200+ Real Estate Offices (using flyer) Send flyer to SWEDEN OFFICE Realtor.com - enhance Listing w/ photos, caption, scroll, etc (3 accounts) MLS updates (any last updates, changes, etc) Places Newspaper Ads Status Report listing all marketing activity to the happy seller!!
24	Our Internal Check Lists
25	Our Internal Check Lists
26	How it Was vs. How it is Now Websites Then: Template websites Now: Custom website Co-broke showings Then: I scheduled all showing appts Now: Carrie schedules Seller feedback Then: I gave sellers feed back occasionally Now: They get comprehensive weekly reports (example next screen)
27	Sample Weekly Status Report
28	How it Was vs. How it is Now Pre-list packages Then: I sometimes sent them (printed each as needed) and certainly didn't keep records of who got them Now: Carrie sends them via Airborne. Listing data input into 2 MLS Then: I did it Now: Carrie does it Price adjustments Then: I called a few realtors and prospects Now: Carrie does email blasts, and makes calls to realtors.
29	Other Information on VAs Mr. Internet - ePower New (epowernews.com) - Book - "Transform Your Business Using a Virtual Assistant" (for Real Estate Professionals) - http://www.russer.com/