Event Coverage
REALTOR® Tech Fair Trilogy Begins in Los Altos
Oregano's Wood-Fired Pizza in Los Altos was filled to capacity this morning as over 130 SILVAR members attended the much-awaited REALTOR® Tech Fair Trilogy. This first of a series of meetings focused on "Smartphones: The Best Phones and Apps for Real Estate." Nathan Merlin (Coldwell Banker - Los Altos) gave a presentation on Verizon's new Droid phone and its applications for real estate, and Chris Alston (Keller Williams - Cupertino) did the same for the Apple iPhone.
Merlin first traced the development of computers and mobile phones from the 1990s when they were bigger, slower and bulky, to 2000, when they became smaller, more compact, faster, and "cooler" with music and digital photos. In 2010, there are even more developments. All of the "toys" with higher capabilities are being squeezed into one super gadget - the mobile phone. Expect more innovations to come quickly. Also, expect a big battle among the top companies to capture the lion's share of the mobile phone operating system, Merlin said.
According to Merlin, the Android platform is now the most popular smartphone software in the country. He showed members how applications like Google Voice, GPS, Google Earth, PDA Net can help REALTORS® become more efficient and provide even better, faster and quality service to clients.
Alston introduced members to the different social media applications for the Apple iPhone, including free applications like Facebook, LinkedIn, Four Square, Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillow, Locality Finder (Walk Score), and those that are important to have, but charge a fee – ForeclosureRadar, AVM (Realquest) and Word Docs (Documents to go). Title companies also have their own applications, he said.
REALTORS® need to be social media savvy and engage with clients, he stressed. They need to know what their customers are looking at on the Internet. These applications will provide REALTORS® with this information and provide better customer service.
"We are not the keepers of information; we are the keepers of customer service," Alston said.
REALTORS® need a smartphone, both Merlin and Alston emphasized to REALTORS®. It's a "must" if you want to provide faster and top service to clients, they said.
Which is the best phone? They said it doesn't matter; just get a smartphone right away. "The best phone to get is one you will use," Alston said.
representatives from both Verizon and AT&T were on hand to showcase the latest AppleiPhone and Droid phones and offered them at special discounts to members.
The REALTOR® Tech Fair Trilogy is being offered August through October by SILVAR REALTORS® from the districts of Los Altos/Mountain View, Palo Alto and Menlo Park/Atherton. SILVAR REALTOR® members who attend all three meetings will have a chance to win an Apple iPad Tablet, generously sponsored by Opes Advisors, Inc. The winner must also be present at the Apple iPad drawing at the October 1 Palo Alto meeting. Business cards for the drawing will be collected at the beginning of each meeting until 8:30 a.m. In addition, there will be a drawing for $100 at each meeting.
The next meeting is on September 21, 8 – 9:30 a.m., hosted by the Menlo Park/Atherton District at Left Bank, 635 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park. The topic will be "Emerging Technology for Real Estate."
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The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.