Everyone agrees that increasing consumer protection is a desirable goal. Nevertheless, the unforeseen ripple effects from these changes could seriously disrupt how the closing process is conducted.

The most serious issues that will result from the new changes handed down by the CFPB: The new rules will require a new three-day waiting period when there are any changes in the TRID forms. The recommendation is to allow an extra 15 days to close your transactions. In other words, 30-day contracts will now require 45 days, and 60-day contracts will require 75 days.

A change of this magnitude is going to create unexpected ripple effects across the industry, not only for agents and clients, but for mortgage and title professionals, too. What can you do to be prepared?

First, make sure you attend a TRID training as soon as possible.

Second, if you’re a broker-owner, own a Mortgage Company, or Title Company, take steps to change your documentation to the new system as soon as it becomes available.

Third, associations and other companies that provide contracts to the industry must have the new forms ready to go well before Aug. 1, 2015. This also means that agents and brokers will have to be trained on these new forms, over and above what is required by TRID.

It could be a tough transition at first. What will be particularly thorny are transactions closing in late July. If they fail to close by Aug. 1, 2015, how will they be handled? Does entirely new documentation have to be drawn? How long will the delays be?

As we move closer to the August 1st date change, advise your clients that there will be unexpected delays in obtaining loan approval, potential changes in the documentation during the transaction, and a host of problems we probably can’t even begin to imagine. Start preparing now.

Call REVStaffing today at 855-738-7821 or visit our website at www.revstaffing.com.

If you would like to discuss any possibly need you may have and would like REVStaffing’s assistance, click here to schedule an appointment.

**Courtesy of inman.com and Bernice Ross

You will likely spend several hours together reviewing the background information for each client, where you are in the process, and what the next steps are. You will need to communicate directly with each client and answer his or her questions and concerns. You will have to write notes and add them to the files in case questions arise while you are away.

Wow, this seems like a bit of a headache…. Right?

Or, you could call REVStaffing. While you are resting and relaxing, we will be busy working behind the scenes on your behalf. Tending to the details of your business while you are worry free. Our team will burst into action, providing you with immediate support giving you peace of mind assistance for every project.  
 
Our REVStaffing Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistants (PREVAs) are highly skilled in transaction coordination, blogging and advanced social media.  We utilize all of the top tools to process your required tasks, efficiently and effectively.  We are a Top Producer 8i certified company and in addition, we work with the tools our clients subscribe to including e-Edge, Max Avenue, Point2 Agent, Active Rain, MyRedTools, Leadstreet, LinkedIn, LoopNet, Postlets, PowerSites, RainMaker, Real Estate Tomato, WiseAgent, Basecamp, Highrise, Ixact Contact, and many others.
 

For more detailed information, click on the link “How Virtual Can Be Vital To My Business” which explains virtual assistance; the advantages and disadvantages of both Virtual Assistants and in office assistants. So you can take that much needed break, and leave the worrying to REVStaffing. We are even available at a moments notice if there is a one time or multiple tasks.

Real estate agents who use the Point2 Agent marketing system are able to enhance their web presence in numerous ways utilizing the impressive websites, broad listing combinations, and brilliant lead management results.

Aside from creating a platform for the modern real estate agent. Point2 also provides up to minute data information essential for the consumer, property managers and the investor alike. Giving the homebuyer and real estate professional’s knowledge and a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Point2 Agent system is mobile friendly and is easily accessible for anyone to use, they have tech support and is available to use Monday thru Friday from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm CST.

The Point2 Agent is a marketing tool for those in the real estate industry who want to expand their business into the ever growing social media market. For more information about Point2 Agent, please call customer support at 1-866-977-1777 or go to  http://www.point2.com.
 
Need help staying in contact with all the leads that will soon be coming your way? REVStaffing can gladly assist you with those tasks! Let REVStaffing help you to achieve your goals and increase your potential! Complete a complimentary needs analysis survey, send us an email, or call 855.REVS.VA1 today!

Since the company launched at the end of 2011, the CRM systems Contactually provides have continued to make upgrades, many of which are perfect for those in the real estate industry — from agents, to teams, to brokerage firms.

Contactually brings together databases from numerous sources. This includes integrating with Gmail, Google contacts, Google calendar, Yahoo, AOL, Facebook, Twitter,  LinkedIn, Skype, Foursquare, Tumblr, Flickr, Quora, Klout, Placester, and Zapier, as well as certain other CRM programs like Highrise, Salesforce, BombBomb, MailChimp, SugarCRM, CapsuleCRM, and Producteev.

The idea behind Contactually is to organize all of the users’ many networks and to help keep the users themselves more organized and focused on their relations with contacts.

Relationships can be tracked easily via Contactually’s dashboard. This is where the user will receive daily reminders on actions that need to be taken with certain contacts. Pipelines can show exactly what stage active contacts are in.

Individual emails can be created from within Contactually, as can mass emails to contact databases. Email templates and article sharing plugins are made available to all users. Contacts can be selected to be enrolled in various email programs and campaigns.

For those who need help on understanding all that this system provides, the company offers the Contactually Academy, which consists of a library of “how to” videos, along with daytime live training and support.

Using software that was introduced last year, companies and brokers who sign up their realty offices and agents to Contactually will have a broker dashboard, allowing them to see how often and how well their agents are using the CRM programs.

More information on what Contactually can do for Realtors can be found at Contactually.com.

Be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn for up-to-date information on tools to help you grow your business.

Here are a few highlights of the new Facebook page Timeline, and how you can create a personal experience for your visitors. You can also seamlessly integrate your current online branding.

1. Cover Photo: On your personal profile, you may be using the Cover Photo to display photos of beautiful cityscapes, beach scenes or your family. The Cover Photo on your business page is now your opportunity to majorly promote your brand and personality. See how the Coca Cola page below has utilized the Cover Page to promote the familiar brand and related the emotions of refreshment, relaxation and enjoyment.

You now have the opportunity to easily enhance your brand identity and personal style through this 850 x 315 pixel image. Think of the personal touch that you want to exhibit for your business and make the most of the Cover Photo.

2. Profile Picture: Tucked inside the Cover Photo is a smaller Profile Picture area where you can put a photo of yourself. Its close proximity to the Cover Photo on the page will allow visitors to associate you with your brand. It is a simple, yet powerful, marketing strategy. Since it is a small photo, it will be easiest to see a tight headshot in portrait orientation.

3. About Box: The same information is available in the About Box that there was before, but there is more space dedicated to it now, and it noticeably appears directly under the Profile Picture. Unlike it does in the current page format, the About Box will not drop down the page below pictures and multiple tabs. It is a great permanent area to display a call to action to your visitors. Utilize this area wisely, filling in the information that you want to show, and put a tag line and website links for your business.

4. Visual Tabs: The tabs that now show up on the left navigation area of your page will now be more clearly displayed as visual tabs right under the Cover Photo. Up to twelve of the applications and links that you currently have on your page will be accessible here, with the first four visible. There is a great branding opportunity in this area, as you can easily create an image as the cover for each of the image tabs. Calls to action such as “5 Tips to a Quick Home Sale” can be made into a cover image for your tabs. These Visual Tabs are also a permanent display at the top of your page, and can be a super marketing tool.

5. Pinning a Post: You will now be able to choose a favorite photo, video or other post to “pin” to the top of your page for up to seven days, and you can change it at any time. Any post that you choose to pin will be moved to the top left-hand side of your Timeline and will be the first item showing in your feed. You can choose to pin a picture of your “Client of the Week”, a weekly poll question, an informative video, a call to action and link to your website, or a custom graphic further displaying your brand. The possibilities are endless!

6. Highlight Star: Another option to emphasize important information is the Highlight Star. Each post has an edit tab that appears when you hover over it. Clicking the star will span your post across the two-column layout, and any photos or videos will expand to fit the area. This is a great way to bring more color and visual excitement to your page! Unlike with pinning a post, a highlighted item will stay in the same place on your Timeline. However, highlighted area will expand to as much as a whopping 850 x 400 pixels, even larger than the Cover Photo! High quality images, especially in the landscape format, look spectacular when highlighted across your page. Keep your eyes out for photo opportunities during your day that can be highlighted on your Facebook page!

7. Message Button: The current page format does not allow visitors to send you private messages. Their only options are to comment on a current post, or create a public post of their own to communicate with you as the page administrator. The new Timeline format offers a Message Button right under the Cover Photo, so visitors can now send you a private message. This is helpful for lead generation, because visitors who may not feel comfortable announcing their needs in public can now send you a private request for more information about you and your business.

8. Enhanced Administrative Tools: The Timeline now offers a much easier way to manage your page with an easily maneuverable dashboard format. A quick view of Notifications, Messages, Recent Likes and Insights is visible to you as the administrator when you access your page. It will be easier to monitor recent activity, view the effectiveness of your posts and communicate with your fans.

This overview should get you started on your journey to new marketing heights with your Facebook page. If you are interested in getting started now with your new Facebook Timeline, visit your page and follow the prompts at the top to preview the new format. You will have the option to publish your new Timeline now, before the March 30 changeover takes place for all pages.

Our REVStaffing virtual assistants dramatically boost our clients’ productivity. Take your next step towards better organization of your residential or commercial business by sending us an email, or give us a call  for a  free needs analysis. We’ll be happy to discuss ALL of your unique 2012 business needs; ask how we can give your business a LIFT! Be sure to visit our website, and “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RevstaffingVAs.

Here at REVStaffing, we focus a lot of time and energy on helping our clients create and maintain the best possible websites and Facebook pages. We’ve blogged in the past – and will continue in the future – about Facebook, because it’s one of the very best free marketing tools available in the world.

Did you know that it’s possible to customize your Facebook page? There are certainly limits to the page design available to you, but your ability to create a unique page within those parameters – one that lets you stand out as THE local expert – is really limited to your own imagination (and branding guidelines).

One of the smartest things you can do is to create a custom Welcome page for your visitors. This page should grab their attention, and make them automatically click “Like” at the top of the page. The Welcome page is the “front door” to your Facebook site (we encourage our clients to think of Facebook as a website unto itself); once a visitor clicks that “Like” button, they’re able to see the rest of your content. Your Welcome page can be set up in two ways. One way allows fans and non-fans to see the same content; the second way allows you to set both “non-fan” and “fan” content.

Keep in mind the fact that once someone “Likes” you, everything you post will show up in the feed on their page. REVStaffing makes it easy; we structure our client’s Facebook pages so that the Welcome page is the first page visitors land on when they come to your page. We even customize the page to match the branding on your website for consistency!

Your Facebook page should be professional, and easy for future clients to find (and share!). REVStaffing will help you to create an effective vanity URL for your business page by incorporating your company name. The only restriction on vanity URLs is Facebook’s requirement that you have 25 fans prior to creating the custom address.

In upcoming blogs, we’ll share some fun, creative and easy ways to substantially increase your fans’ and visitors’ interactivity on your Facebook business page. REVStaffing’s virtual assistants are professionals, dedicated to helping you to create and maintain the absolute best Facebook page. We encourage you to give us a call for a free needs analysis; we’ll be happy to discuss ALL of your unique business needs! And be sure to visit our website, and “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RevstaffingVAs

You can bookmark this page to return for updates. If you need assistance in the meantime, please contact us by email at info@revstaffing.com or phone at 855-738-7821, extension 703.

©REVStaffing, 2011