Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questions Support and Technology Staff Questions: Page 1 Domain Name Questions: Page 2 Zip Code marketing and Leads Questions: Page 3 Team Websites Questions: Page 6 General Website Questions: Page 7 Design Center Questions: Page 9 Help Movies Page 10 Support and Technology Staff Questions Back to the Top 1. What is the or phone number for the Technology Program support person? Answer: We have a website: which will let you place in a trouble ticket and thus track that ticket all the way to providing you a resolution. Or you can call: Toll FREE. Check your Agent Intranet area under HELP tab and maybe the answer can be found in one of our online movies. The support staff hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. central time, Monday thru Friday. 2. I am having computer problems do I call you? Answer: No, please contact your local service person for your computer needs. 3. What does the Technology Support Team provide me as a RE/MAX Professional and as part of the new Technology Program? Answer: The Technology Support Team is responsible for any items pertaining to the Technology Program as in: Website problems and questions, IMPREV support and questions, School and community data integrity issues. We will be providing online training and evaluating new products in 2006 for all associates. We do not handle any personal issues, RE/MAX Mainstreet, external programs purchased by sales associates, voice mail or your office services, computer problems, cell phone problems or internet service provider problems. 4. What do I do if my domain name is not connecting to my new region website? Answer: It takes a domain name approximately 48 hours to propagate the internet world. If after this time your website domain name is not working double check to make sure your name servers are set properly. You can view these under the USER manager tab and under Domain button and click Register link to see the Name Servers. If the name servers are set properly please contact your office administrator immediately to notify your support team of the problem. 5. What are the days and hours the website support staff is available? Answer: The website support staff is available during standard business hours Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central standard time. 6. What is the timeline of getting a phone call or in response to my needing help? Answer: is normally a quicker way of communication and the staff will respond. The response or solution will of course depend on the severity of your need and if we need to get a programmer involved. If you call after hours we will do our best to return your call as early as possible depending on the volume. But we will return your call (normally within 8 hours). If you call is on the weekends we will of course call the next business day. Always provide your Office name, your name, and phone number along with your detailed message of your needs. Most important if it is about your listing then you MUST provide us with the MLS number and MLS provider s name. 7. What types of training will be provided for the Technology Program? Answer: There will be some live training done either local or in office depending on scheduling and Metro area size. Office administrators will be trained and we will be doing online Webex Training in the coming months. Currently online you have some Self help movies under the Help Tab in your agent intranet area. So please review these in the meantime... Page 1

2 Domain Name Questions Back to the Top 1. Once my domain name is active and connected to my new website can I use my domain name on yard signs so consumers can come to my website? Answer: yes, if they type in your domain name then they should be delivered to your website. As for promoting a domain name by all means your domain name is your internet yard sign. Promote the domain name on yard signs, newspaper ads, business cards etc. also remember every home has its own domain name combined with the agent s domain name. This is a perfect listing tool. Ask us how! 2. Why shouldn t RE/MAX buy my domain name for me as a benefit? Answer: Being part of our professional team RE/MAX International provides an address for every sales associate. But neither RE/MAX International, the Region nor your office is responsible for your individual domain name. A domain name is your personal marketing avenue and it would not be to your best interest or your business goals for your branding or your domain name to be owned by RE/MAX International. 3. Why can t the website support staff purchase and manage my domain name for me? Answer: The Website Support manager and staff are here to assist and provide informative answers to website questions. It is not the responsibility of the website manager or support staff to manually setup or purchase an individual agent domain name. However we do try to provide help documents and setup items to assist you in this very easy process. 4. I d rather use the free domain name provided to me by the region. Why do I have to buy a domain name? Answer: You do not have to purchase a domain name. You can utilize the free domain name that the region provides. However we know that by taking your business to the next level will incorporate the use of a unique and specific domain name that is you re branding for your business. Getting your own domain name will help increase your business goals. 5. My current website provider purchased or provided me with my domain name. How do I find out if I own my domain name. Answer: First call you current website provider and ask them if you own it or do they. If they own it then simply ask them if you can have it or transfer it to another domain name hosting company. If your provider will not provide the answer for you or you are concerned to contacting them then you can visit: and select whois link at the bottom of the page. Put in your domain name and hit submit. If you are not the registrant and your name is not showing then you do not own the domain name. 6. My old web developer will not give me a user name and password to my domain name. They said it s because it s under a corporate or business account. What do I do? Answer: Purchase a new domain name, any domain name at Doing this will setup an account for you. Once you have an account then you can utilize the transfer function on godaddy and your old web developer will have to transfer your domain name to you. Once that transfer has happened you finally own your own domain name. 7. When I pointed my domain name from my old website to this new website my has stopped coming to me. I contacted my hosting company and they said you have to setup an MX record on your servers. What do I need to since you do not host MX records? Answer: If you are using an in association with your domain name then you will need to re-park your domain name back on the default name servers of your hosting company. Then you will need to utilize the CName function for your to work. Instructions are provided in the Agent Intranet area in the Beginning Help Documents and download CName Alternative to MX record hosting. This document will walk thru the steps of getting your in association with your domain name to work again. 8. I am using the CName for my solution using my domain name address. However when I try to use my domain name with the MLS number (unique sellers domain name or every homes has its own domain name) this feature does not work. Why? Answer: The Unique domain name will not work if you are using the CName solution for your . You will need to use the domain names for unique listings provided by the system. These are located under Listings Manager and then select a home. Page 2

3 Zip Code Market, Leads and how they are assigned Questions Back to the Top 1. How do leads come to me and what do they look like? Answer: Most Important is that you will receive an notifying you of a lead from one of the following areas: RE/MAX International, The state website, the office or your individual agent website. From a registration to see more photos of a home the notification subject line reads: Prospect Alert - # has been assigned to you. We recommend that you get to know your website and test it yourself and login using fake s and names so as to get the different notices. The more you know about your website and how it works the more techno you look and sound to your clients as you guide them through your website yourself. 2. How often should I check for leads? Answer: All your leads will come via your . Make checking your three times a day a standard business goal daily. But to make life easier, if you re handheld or cell phone can receive and send s then you need to setup your Instant Acceptance feature under your USER manager tab in the agent intranet so you can get leads with your wireless device. That is the best way! 3. Why do other agents get more leads then I do and how can I get more leads? Answer: It comes down to marketing and delivering new and current clients to their website. Buying a domain name and promoting that domain name. Reading and responding to quickly. Using their website and the products provided with the website as a part of their listing presentations. Remember that the website is just another tool in your arsenal and it only works if you use it. 4. What if I have more leads than I am comfortable with, can I place a limit on the number of leads I get? Answer: No. The system is built and setup to provide you with the utmost in business opportunities. However you do have a Drip Marketing program that will keep in touch with prospects until you get the time to contact them. 5. Can I purchase two websites so I can get more zip codes and more leads? Answer: No 6. Can I buy more zip codes to get more leads? Answer: No, The whole program is built with it being referral free. Purchasing more zip codes makes the program a referral based system and that is not what we built the system for. 7. How does the referral Free leads program work? Answer: The advanced lead management system is built upon the six zip codes you entered into your market area. Your zip codes are your place in line or queue to receive these referral free leads. a. State/Region i. Hot Leads (forms, request appointment, request more information, in general the consumer is wanting something): Agents have 4 hours to accept leads. The 4-hour time clock stops between the black-out hours of 6 PM and 9 AM. ii. Activity Leads (registrations, My home finder, school information, etc.): Activity Leads will be reassigned at midnight of the night following the day in which the lead originates. Subsequent offers will expire at 24 hours latter. b. Office Sites: i. Same as for the State/Regional Sites c. Agent Sites: i. Leads offers generated on agent sites never expire 8. Why do I need to add my Zip Codes for my market area to get the referral free leads from RE/MAX International, my state website and my office? Answer: The Zip Codes marketing area is a fair way of placing you into a queue line so as to get referral free leads. You have six (6) zip codes where you choose your market area. You can use the same zip code 6 times or split the zip codes up. You make the choice. When someone searching for a home in that zip code registers to see more of the home, you are offered the lead based on the zip code at the time you are first in the queue line. You have 4 business hours to accept this lead. The business hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. If a consumer registers at 5:00 p.m. then the clock stops at 6:00 p.m. and Page 3

4 resumes at 8:00 a.m. for you to accept the lead. If you do not accept the lead then you go to the bottom of the queue line and the next agent gets the lead offer. 9. Can I change my Zip Code market area anytime I want or do I have to contact you? Answer: Yes you have full control over your market area choices and you do not need the office manager, the website support manager or anyone to access this and make changes. To change your zip code market area simply access your agent intranet area, select the User Manager tab located on the top of the page and then under User Profile scroll down the page until you see Personal market area and this is where you place in your zip codes for your market area. 10. Are leads from the RE/MAX dotcom, State and office websites given to agents based on special designations or privileges (i.e., teams, office size, and years in the business, yearly sales or other items)? Answer: No. The leads are offered simply on the zip codes of your market area. 11. Is the Region taking my leads from me if I do not accept the leads? Answer: No. The region does not reassign or get between our sales associates and leads being offered out from our lead management system. The system is setup to automate the offerings out to our sales associates based on the zip codes the sales associates enter into the system for your market area. If the lead was generated from your website from your marketing then that lead remains with you and has not time table attached to it. 12. Why am I getting leads for listings outside of my zip code? Answer: If the lead comes to you from outside your zip code marketing area then that area is not being serviced by our agents. They Lead Management system will try to find the closest office based on county and then offer out to the agents in that Office(s). Please know that we are trying to service the consumer so if this consumer is out of your market please refer this lead to another associate who is closer. The system provides you with a tool to transfer leads to other agents in your market area. It is located in your client s manager area. 13. I do not like to get leads that are in a certain price range can I make them stop? Answer: No. The program is setup to increase our brand awareness with consumers and to service support their needs. However you can easily take unwanted leads and provide them to agents as referrals who are happy to provide the service no matter the price range and make the client one for life. 14. What do I do if I don t want the lead & I just leave it there? Answer: If the lead was offered to you by International, State or your office then after a period of several hours we will offer the lead to another associate. If the lead was generated from YOUR agent website then the consumer will not benefit from the services you, a RE/MAX professionals have to offer. So think of leaving a lead unaccepted on your agent website as someone sitting in the lobby with no receptionist or putting them on hold for eternity. Will they want to use RE/MAX again? Accept the lead but then offer it to another professional who will provide the top level of service our clients expect from a RE/MAX associate. 15. How do I refer a lead I don t want & can I get money for that? Answer: Your Website Business platform provides the tool to transfer any lead to another associate within your area using our system. This is called a referral and all negotiations are between you and a fellow professional. It s all about servicing the consumer. 16. Is there a way to track leads that are administered to different agents Answer: The system let s you see where your leads are coming from next to the lead in the clients manager area. Also you can view this for the individual client in the Contact List area under the client s profile. Normally the terms used are: Agent Site, Corporate or Office. 17. Is there a way to track leads that have come to you, but agent directed those leads to someone else due to vacation or other event Answer: Currently the system does not track leads offered to other agents from your system. You are working on the honor system when you transfer leads while on vacation or provide a referral. 18. Is there a way to tell who sent or forwarded a lead to you? Answer: No. Again it is the honor system. Page 4

5 19. Is there a way to determine how many times a lead has been passed around? Answer: No. Always accept the lead and know it was never passed. 20. Why do I only get 6 zip codes for my market area? Answer: The number of zip codes provided has been proven to work best for all associates. This is based on 3 years of use and testing. This works for large metro areas as well as rural. It offers the best for all associates and it works very well to servicing our clients. 21. Can you tell me where I am in the queue line to get leads? Answer: No. The system is designed so as not to allow human interaction or interference. 22. Do leads STOP being offered on weekends or holidays? Answer: No. The consumers are looking 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and that includes holidays. We do not restrict your potentials clients from registering or gathering information about a home. In turn they want information from our professional RE/MAX associates so please accept the leads and respond to the consumers. Page 5

6 Team Website Questions Back to the Top 1. How do Team Websites work? Answer: A team must be a fully active and known team. Each team member that wants to utilize their MLS agent ID will get and individual agent website as all the other agents. However we provide a fully active team with a unique Team Website whereas we combine the individual agent websites into a mini office for the team. The team website does not come with extra zip codes but does provide for a much bigger area for team photo as well as a special roster page. The Team website is no extra charge but the individual websites for each team member are the normal monthly technology program fee. If you have specific questions about team websites please us. 2. Why do I have to pay for my individual team members websites? Answer: If your team members are not using their MLS agent IDS to input listings into your MLS then they do not need to have a website. Your team members would use the team leaders MLS agent ID. Without the MLS agent ID the agents will not have individual websites but they will not have zip codes or the design center either. The agent MLS ID is what is crucial for agent s listings to be joined to a team website. You can add these assistants or agents onto your individual website manually and we will help. As you can see you can have a team website using a standard website as long as the agents in your team do not need or use their MLS id s. 3. Do we have to pay for a Team Website? Answer: No, the region provides to true teams a unique website that provides for a team a mini-office type product. This team website does not come with zip codes. A team website is only activated by each team member having individual websites as part of the technology program and the office administrator or website support manager can activate a true team website. 4. We have a team website Do we both have to pay for our individual sites? Answer: Yes, IF each team member lists their homes via their individual agent MLS id. Please know that since a team is different we do provide a team with a Team website which reflects a small office. Please contact your broker or the Technology Team at the Region for more details. 5. Why is the team site free and the agent site not Answer: A team website is made up of many agents. The listing inventory for a team is normally larger then an individual agent inventory. We support the team with this type of website. However a team is paying the same for each individual member as an individual agent. The team website just allows a team to combine their overall inventory into one area for the consumer. Page 6

7 General Website Questions Back to the Top 1. I do not use some of the features on my website; do I still have to pay for the website? Answer: Yes. The technology program is not made up of individual tools and programs that can be turned on or off. This is an internet business platform and all items are included and exclusive for all sales associates of RE/MAX Mid-States and Dixie Regions. 2. If I leave RE/MAX can I still use the Website? Answer: No. The Technology Program provided to you by the Region is Exclusively for RE/MAX Sales Associates only. 3. Is there any setup fees or additional hidden costs? Answer: No. Your Regional Director has absorbed the entire setup and signup fees. 4. Will you provide more templates for us to choose from, colors and layout differences? Answer: Yes. 5. How do I report an error or missing listing or photo on my website? Answer: Go online at: and select the ticket area for Listing issues. Or call the toll free line My Virtual Tours are not showing up on my website for my seller? Answer: Make your seller happy first. Get the virtual tour link provided to you by your vendor. Access the Agent intranet and select the LISTING manager tab. Select your sellers home on the listing manager page and then select Photos and Tours tab. Place the virtual tour link into the text box provided and select submit to make the virtual tour active. Then Contact your office broker or administrator for the website so they can contact our support team. Provide us with your State, Office name, your full name and contact information and the MLS number of the missing Virtual Tour. If your office does not have a website administrator then go online at or call the toll free line We will get the problem resolved but first and foremost let s make your seller happy first. 7. If my listings are not online or the photos are missing for my website what do I need to provide your staff? Answer: Please provide us with your state, office name, your first and last name, contact information, the MLS number and a brief description of the issues or problems. The more information as best you can provide the quicker we can solve the issue. If the photos are missing please upload the photos to your listings prior to a solution. The object is to make your seller happy. 8. My listings are not on REALTOR dotcom? Answer: Please contact REALTOR dotcom or your local MLS provider. 9. If any agent is getting more internet leads then me shouldn t they have to pay more? Answer: The Technology Program does not single out any one sales associate or office over another. Each agents business model is different then the next. We do not charge for referral free leads we only require that each associate who receives the leads based on their zip code marketing area simply accept the lead within the required 4 hours. 10. How often is our MLS listings updated to our websites? Answer: The daily pick up of listings and photos is determined by your MLS. But the norm is daily. There is no pre-determined time but we pick up the listings text first then a couple hours later we go back and pickup the photos. Normally the photos will show 24 hours later depending on when you get the photos uploaded into your MLS. If after 2 days your photos are not showing from the date you uploaded them into the MLS you need to contact your office administrator or the website support manager. 11. How to a client a MLS details sheet Answer: You will need to contact your MLS provider for questions about your MLS. 12. Why isn t my website more like the MLS I use? Page 7

8 Answer: The Websites are designed to be a hassle free consumer product so as to generate leads and growth to you. It is not a listing service and was not created to be one. 13. Do s come into my website and do I get my personal s thru this website Answer: No. All your s will be delivered to the address you provided under the USER Manager tab as your primary and secondary addresses. 14. Can I send s from my website? Answer: Yes you can send simple text from your website. You can easily create common letters uses in your daily business and those to prospects and current clients. You have your own letter library. 15. Can I send s from my website? Answer: Yes you can send simple text from your website. You can easily create common letters uses in your daily business and those to prospects and current clients. You have your own letter library. Page 8

9 Design Center Questions Back to the Top 1. When I use IMPREV or my Design Center and I select to Preview a brochure why does it come up in Spanish? Answer: When previewing the many colorful products in your Design Center/IMPREV the text showing in the preview screens is not Spanish. This is text typesetters and designers use to show representation of the text position and how it would look. 2. Design Center how long is this included in my fee, is it under trial period Answer: The Design Center is part of the Website Business Platform and you have unlimited usage of this product. As long as you are part of the RE/MAX Mid-States and Dixie Regions all the tools are yours to use to increase your business. Remember this is exclusive for RE/MAX associates in our regions. There are no additional charges. 3. Can I change the fonts and colors to the designs? Answer: No. The templates are designed to provide photos, text, your contact information and then print. The purpose is to save you time and money using pre-designed marketing materials. 4. Is there some online help when I log into the Design Center? Answer: Yes, there is a very extensive library of help movies provide for you once you login. Select Guided Tour button/link. 5. If I decide not to participate in the Technology program can I still use the Design Center? Answer: No. The design Center is part of the overall technology program. Page 9

10 Movies to Help Back to the Top You must have Flash player installed on your machine to view these movies. Also a sound card and speakers. Some of the screens do not resemble the actual screens do to upgrades but the process is the same. These movies are also located under the Help button top row right hand side of your agent intranet. Section Topic Description Level View Movie User User Photo Upload your Agent Photo with just a few simple steps. Beginner No Site Builder Site Builder Site Builder Site Builder Listings Site Design Customize the look and feel of your website using the Site Design tools. Beginner No Site Content Control the content of your site by creating new pages, adding links, and changing the settings of preset pages. Beginner No Page Objects Choose the content and color scheme of the sidebar items found on each navigation page. Beginner No Search Engines Listing Manager Main Learn how to correctly use the Search Engine Optimization tools to improve your website's exposure to various search engines. The Listings section contains some of the most important agent tools. Learn your way around the primary listing manager screen. Advanced No Beginner No Listings Listing Data The listing manager can be used to customize any of your listings. Beginner No Listings Photos & Tours Add or replace photos, floor plan images, and virtual tours. Beginner No Listings Reports Review/send the online activity for a given property. Beginner No Listings Flyers Learn how to easily print or any of the available flyer formats. Beginner No Listings Manual Listings Manual listings have a number of different applications. Learn about each of the manual listing types and the basic steps for creating a manual listing. Advanced No Listings Featured Properties Set the criteria for the featured properties shown on your agent website. Advanced No Listings Buyers Tour Use this tool to provide a comparison of select properties to your clients. Beginner No Clients Contact List, Groups The Contact Upload Wizard will allow you to easily import large lists of customers into your online client center. Beginner No Page 10