New Feed Sticker for iDashboard Products

followit.com.au

New Feed Sticker for iDashboard ProductsiProperty welcomes followit.com.au to our family of portal sites that we upload properties too.

followit Features:

  • Build a following

    You will have your own live and dynamic profile page. You can update your page with your own content and media. Users will have the opportunity to find you and follow you. Your page will also self-populate with content the more you use followit.

  • Push Technology

    Push updates to followers with one of our easy-to-use templates. Users opt in to receive your notifications. Prepare your updates in less than a minute and contribute to the live stream. Talk to an entire market in real time.

  • Live Feeds

    Everything on followit is updated in real time. followit creates urgency by updating to reflect the market accurately. Changes to your CRM will automatically update your followit stream. Users are notified about information relevant to their search criteria.

  • Self-managed Pools

    These pools consist of qualified leads. Equal access to followers for agencies and agents. Followers agree to be contacted by agents. Pools are self-managed by followers who opt in or out.

Click on the link to find out more about followit.com.au.

Image of a customer looking through profiles

6 Important Things Vendors Look For on Your Agent Profile

Image of a customer looking through profilesProfiles allow you to build your brand and display your experience, skills, and qualifications to potential sellers and landlords.

If you’re wondering how useful agent profiles really are or whether they’re worth your time, we’ve compiled some tips based on a recent consumer study.

In this study, 84% of property owners confirmed they use the internet to research potential real estate agents and to learn more about their success and experience.

When it comes to your agent profile, you need to include more than just the basic information, which is often automatically set up when you list a property for sale on a site. The basic profile typically includes your name, contact details, and the agency you work for. It’s important to spruce your profile up a little, so vendors can get to know you. Upload a picture and videos, add your degree or awards—make it personal and appealing.

So, with all of that said, what are vendors really looking for on your profile? Here’s six important pieces of information they want to see

1. Vendors Want to See Your Information on Other Sites

In the study, 62% of respondents indicated that they trust the information presented about an agent more when it’s on a website other than their own agency’s site. Having your information on your agency website is one thing, but vendors want to see it elsewhere, too.
When you have your agent profile featured on other sites, it reinforces your legitimacy and your presence within the industry.

2. Vendors Want to Know You’ve Sold Properties Like Theirs

88% of property owners want to see that you’ve sold similar properties. Before they trust you, they want to see your track record.
In the study, 48% of respondents indicated that the quality of an agent’s listings trump the quantity of them, so make sure you’re displaying high quality work. Did you hire a professional photographer for photos? Are your listings error-free?

3. Vendors Want to Know You Have Local, Market Expertise

Potential sellers want to know that you’re knowledgeable about the local area. In fact, 79% of these property owners are interested in learning about just that. Are you showcasing the average sales price of homes in your area? Are you showcasing what you, as a successful agent, are getting for homes in the area? If you’re achieving sales prices above the current average, highlight it, and let it do the talking for you.
Showcase your community involvement. If your community held a block party or festival and you attended, upload a picture of your participation.

4. They Want to See You

Vendors want to see you, and they want to get to know who you are as an agent and as a person. 41% of property owners looking to sell said they considered an agent’s professional appearance when choosing who to hire.
Again, upload a professional photo. Add some videos to your profile. Let potential clients see you and get to know you.

5. Social Media is a Must Have

13% of respondents looking to sell looked at an agent’s social media profiles and 24% intended to look.
Include links to your Facebook Page, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and any other social media site on your agent profile.

6. Choosing an Agent Needs to be as Stress-Free as Possible

In 2013, 67% of respondents said that choosing an agent was the most stressful part of the process. Make it easier on them through your agent profile. Have all of your information and expertise laid out, and give them everything they could possibly want. Help them choose you before they even make the phone call to set up an appointment.

Image of a thief reaching through a computer to a mans pocket

Tips for Staying Safe Online

Image of a thief reaching through a computer to a mans pocketOur world is now, more than ever, digitally connected. We have digital identities, digital passwords—we leave digital footprints. This online interconnectedness creates new opportunities for thieves, hackers, and online attacks. It’s important to minimise your exposure to risk, which is why we’ve created these easy-to-remember tips to help you successfully and safely navigate the online world.

Tips to Protect Your Passwords

Use a different password for each platform or service. You’re tempted to choose one password for all of your log-ins and platforms, because it’s easy to remember. In fact, some of you probably do this very thing, so you don’t have to keep track of a handful of passwords. However, if someone obtains your password for one site, they have your password for all of your online accounts.

Secure your password like you secure your debit or credit card information. Don’t share your passwords, and don’t write them on a sticky note attached to your desk. If you’ve shared them in the past or lost the notebook they are written in, change them.

Consider how you create and store your passwords. Longer passwords, using a combination of letters, symbols, numbers, and uppercase, are more secure than shorter passwords. Store your passwords in an encrypted file or download specialised software to help you remember and protect them.

When available, use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). Two-Factor Authentication means that your account security depends on something you have as well as something you know. For example, it could depend on your password and a security code sent to you via sms. It’s much harder for individuals to gain access to something you have.

Follow your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, err on the side of caution. If you get a questionable email or the site you’re visiting doesn’t seem right, pause. Check things out before you proceed; if something looks and feels dodgy, don’t move forward with it.

Tips to Recognise Phishing Emails

A phishing email usually contains some aspect of the following:

  • It claims to be from an organization you are a part of or have a relationship with; or an organisation you’ve never heard of.
  • A strange “from” address or one that doesn’t match the organisation it’s claiming to be from.
  • An emergency or sense of urgency is portrayed. It might suggest you need to take immediate action to confirm your account or it will be closed; or that a service will be cut off if you don’t make a payment immediately.
  • The text, company header, format, or conversational style is not consistent with the individual or organisation it claims to be from.
  • The email directs you to an outside website or attempts to get you to click on a link.
  • The address of the web link is dodgy or different than what it says in the email.

Tips to Recognise Phishing Websites

A phishing website usually contains one or more of the following:

  • The webpage and layout is slightly different than what you remember or looks a bit off.
  • The URL is completely different than the claimed organization
  • The URL may begin with “http” as opposed to “https.”
  • A login page is asking for additional details you don’t normally have to provide.
  • The “padlock,” indicating the website is secure, is missing

Be vigilant when it comes to your online security, apply these tips, and you’ll enjoy a safer, more secure online experience.