Larry McGee Sponsors REBC Denver 2nd Annual Event

Larry McGee is a big supporter of education in real estate, he teaches associates in his own brokerage and authors a real estate brokerage oriented blog called Brokerisms.  Larry not only sponsored this year’s Real Estate Bar Camp but he also encouraged the agents at The Berkshire Group to attending by covering half of their expenses!  Now that’s putting your faith in REBC!

Let’s welcome Larry McGee to the REBC Blog…

How long have you been in the real estate industry?  What did you do before?

I am an (almost) lifelong resident of the Denver area, and a REALTOR® since 1978. I have owned or managed brokerages since 1985, and currently own The Berkshire Group, REALTORS® in Denver.

What is your favorite tech tool for business?  Why is it your favorite?
My favorite Tech Tool is my iPhone.  I use it to keep with my business and communicate in all of the ways necessary in today’s world.  I even use it for a phone.

What would you like to learn more about at REBC-Denver?
I want to learn more about WordPress, FaceBook for business, and meet and interact with excited and curious people.

Do you plan to present a topic?  If so what would you like to talk about?
I will be presenting a topic “ Quality Service Certified and how REALTORS® can Raise the Bar”. I will use a Power Point presentation to outline the subject and to elicit commentary from the attendees to lead the group into a discussion of measuring quality service and marketing the positive results.QSC (Quality Service Certified) is the REALTORS® best answer to service ratings.  Instead of allowing our service to be publicly rated in a random, usually unflattering way.

The fact is , REALTORS® and their services are being rated, everyday, by many rating systems and consumers. The fact is you are being rated, you just do not have any voice in the results.

QSC trains the REALTOR® to present service standards in a formal way, and independently surveys the client after closing to provide positive accountability for the REALTOR®.  By telling the consumer what to expect at the beginning of the transaction, the consumer is almost always positively impressed with the results.

Come learn the facts about the industries service standards, how you can “raise the bar”, and increase your referral and repeat business by 50%, while at the same time virtually eliminating client complaints.

Contact Information:

Larry McGee
The Berkshire Group,REALTORS®
303-513-1436

Tucker Wannamaker is No Stranger to Social Media and Teaching Tech Topics

I would like to introduce you to the readers of the REBarCamp Blog.  Would you please tell us a little about yourself?

I am one of those mostly natives to Colorado; I’ve lived in Colorado Springs since I was 6. I live downtown, work downtown, love downtown, drive a 1980 P200e Vespa and say “Ciao” everywhere I go on the Vespa. Have a lovely wife, Julie and 2 super cool kids, daughter Addison age 3 and son Thomas the 6th age 1.5.

How long have you been in the real estate industry?  What did you do before?

I marketed myself as a Real Estate Agent for 3 years, then I worked helping others market themselves, I am now on the title side to combine it all.  Before all of my real estate experience, I worked as a “coffee master” at a coffee shop for 5 years!

Tell us about your company.

I am part of Legacy Title Group in Colorado Springs and I work in business development as well as teach and train on technology for real estate agents and loan officers. We are a local business, we are committed to local businesses and our owners are the primary closers for your real estate transactions.

What services does you company offer in the real estate industry?

Title Insurance, Escrow, superb closings, on and offline marketing assistance and free rides on the Vespa.

Are you involved in social media?

I am very involved in Social Media and am continuing to learn a whole lot every day about it. I try daily to remember the whole reason Social Media exists…people.

How do you use social media to leverage your business?
I have primarily used Twitter as an educational and listening tool.  I must say I have learned more from the articles and people I have found on Twitter than any other platform. I use Facebook for “hanging out” and interacting with Real Estate Agents and Lenders, because most local agents and LO’s are there. I am currently working with Linked-In for all of Legacy’s employees and incorporating it into our everyday systems as a title company.

Also, I am working on and with a network of experts to provide quality content to professionals in real estate and consumers in Colorado Springs for the bettering of the real estate market here.

How can your product/service benefit those in the real estate industry?
We help by keeping the transactions smooth and the closings efficiently fun.

Are you coming to REBC Denver and would you like to present a topic? Which topic?
I am most definitely coming and I love engaging with people on Cloud Computing and how to get all of your technology to play nice.

I hope to learn more about some heavy duty techy stuff like css3 and html5.

How can we contact you? Google me… I’m there.

Mark Afman Will Be Available to Dispense FHA Wisdom at REBC Denver

Mark Afman is a fixture in Denver Real Estate.  He is visible at the board, online and a constant volunteer.  As a subscriber to Mark’s newsletter, I often find valuable information in it for my consumers.  Mark is always willing to let me pass his words of mortgage wisdom along to my readers. For that I’m very appreciative.

Please join me in welcoming Mark Afman to Real Estate Bar Camp Denver…

Tell us a little about yourself, are you a Denver native, if not where did you come from?

I am a Denver Native as is my father. I grew up on the southest side of Denver near University Hills. I attended Denver Christian High School and Graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan. I have two college age daughters who are also attending Calvin College. My Dad has been a Realtor in Denver since the early 70′s. He says I went to the dark side when I became a mortgage lender…

What company do you work for?  What services do you offer the real estate industry?

I work for Universal Lending Corporation. We are a Denver based, Residential Mortgage Banker that has been in business since 1981. I started here in 2006. I have been in the mortgage business since 2003. Although I have a wealth of experience on all loan programs, I tend to specialize in FHA and first time buyer programs like CHFA. I also offer training to Realtors in these kind of programs as updates or to teach them the basics.

What do you feel is our biggest challenge right now in real estate?

The pendulum for loan qualification has swung too far the other way towards tighter guidelines and oversight regulations. With the new regulations on disclosures and the much tighter underwriting guidelines, it is harder to get good buyers qualified. The new regulations cause turn times to be extended and that increases the costs to get a loan done. These costs will be passed on to consumers. I’m not advocating the “if you’re breathing, you get a loan” approach but it would seem that we have gone a little too far.

How can we overcome this challenge?

As the industry moves forward, I hope that we will see a more common sense approach to oversight and underwriting. The National Association Of Realtors has a very powerful lobby and I would like to see that as an issue that they look at.

How are you using social media in your business?

I have a personal Facebook account and a Facebook page that is titled Afman Home Loans where I share specific information about the Real Estate and Mortgage world. I also have an account on LinkedIn and Plaxo. I have a twitter account but I need help in understanding how to use this tool better. I also have my own blog at www.markafman.com that I use to post thoughts and updates on the Real Estate and Mortgage industry.

Would you like to present a topic?  If so topic do you think is the most compelling for us to discuss at Real Estate Bar Camp?

As I mentioned, I provide training to help keep Realtors up to date on all things in the mortgage industry but I tend to focus on FHA and related issues. That world is changing daily and I would be happy to do a presentation to keep people up to date.

Mark Afman

Senior Residential Mortgage Specialist

Universal Lending Corporation

I want to earn your respect first and your business after that.

Colorado Mortgage Brokers License #100017352

Direct: 303-759-7392

Cell: 303-905-2488

Fax: 866-896-9240

REBARCamp welcomes Mary Steinmeyer of Mountain Crest Mortgage

A few years ago, Mary Steinmeyer contacted me to meet for coffee.  We discovered we both like teaching even though our topics are so different.  This year when I told Mary about REBARCamp, she immediately volunteered to help.  Mary’s eagerness to step forth has earned her the privilege of being this year’s first “l’ll Be There Interviews.”

Let’s get to know Mary Steinmeyer…

Tell us a little bit about yourself, are you a Colorado native or what brought you to Colorado?

I was actually born in Denver (St. Lukes Hospital) and have very close ties to my community.  In 2005, I bought the home next to the house where I grew up.  I’m now raising my family next door to their grandma and around some of the same neighbors I have known for years.  It has been wonderful for my children and gives them a real sense of connectedness in their neighborhood.  I’m a graduate of Columbine High School and am still very much involved in Jefferson County schools, where my children are currently enrolled.  I love Colorado and the outdoors (both for projects and recreation).

Who do you work for and why do you enjoy your job?

I’m a residential mortgage lender.  I love my job because of the satisfaction I get from helping people become home owners.  Home ownership is truly the American dream, and helping a family move into a new home or a single mom buy her first townhouse is very rewarding.  There’s a special satisfaction from helping people with what is usually their single largest investment/asset as well as their home.

What is your favorite tech tool for business?  Why is it your favorite?

I love my iPhone because it allows me to stay connected and be responsive to my client and agent needs 24/7.  Today, service is more important than ever.  I can’t tell you how many times I hear from prospects that they contacted X number of lenders but I was either the only one to respond or the only one to stay in contact.  My iPhone helps me do that…even when I’m busy being mom.

What would you like to learn more about at REBC-Denver?

How to better utilize social media to build my network and referral database.  Specifically LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.

Do you plan to present a topic?  If so what would you like to talk about?
When I speak, it’s usually on the subject of print marketing and marketing strategies.  By having systems in place, its easy to stand out in the market place.  I’m a big proponent of cards and letters to both prospects and clients to build repeat business and life-long relationships.

Mary Steinmeyer Contact Info:

720-339-0526

Mary’s Mountain Crest Morgtage

Photos from the First REBarCamp Denver 2009

Kristen Veraldi of Kinetic Knowledge Presents Beyond SEO

The professionals will be in attendance at REBARCamp Denver this week.  When the sessions start the hardest part will be how to decide on who to hear first.  Kristen of Kinetic Knowledge is a great resource, both friendly and knowledgeable when it comes to all things Internet.  Be sure to come early and grab a front row seat.  This is a session will be yet another “do not miss!”

I would like to introduce you to the readers of the REBarCamp Blog.  Would you please tell us a little about yourself?

Certainly – most people just know me as ‘Kristen’ at Kinetic Knowledge.  I am one of the company founders and happily a tech geek, but also the face of customer service, education and tech support here at Kinetic.  If something is broken or someone needs help, I’m the “go-to” gal.  I like to think that I can fix any problem online if just given a few minutes with Google   Although I tend to be “behind the scenes” and completely virtual, I’ve been involved in blogging and social networking for real estate and business professionals for about five years.  I’ve lived in the Vail Valley for over 13 years and currently work from my home office here – I love summer in the mountains!  In the earlier stages of our company’s growth some may have seen me as a technology panelist at NAR, FAR, AEI or Real Living.

How long have you been in the real estate industry?  What did you do before?
Although my background is in Physics, I have been involved with real estate marketing for my whole working life.  I moved to Vail immediately after college and never intended to stay – I bet lots of us living here can say that and smile   I started out as a Marketing Director for a boutique real estate firm here in the valley and worked there for many years.  It’s here that I was first introduced to the idea of business blogging and here that my entrepreneurial spirit was born.  This is something most people probably don’t know about me, it’s unique that I truly understand the challenges Realtors face and am familiar with every part of the transaction.

Tell us about your company.  How long have you been working there?  What services does you company offer in the real estate industry?
Kinetic Knowledge actually has an interesting history.  We hit the scenes about four years ago as Real Estate Blogsites – our sole focus was bringing business blogging technology to real estate agents.  As the business landscape changed so did our company.  Kinetic Knowledge was born from a need to bring less expensive technologies to a wider range of businesses.  Today we think of ourselves as not just business blog providers, but as a modern day online marketing services company.  We build, host and manage custom branded business blog solutions, we provide content creation services, we educate about social networking connectivity, and most importantly, we guide our clients to be effective and efficient users of the medium.  These days we talk about a “Return on Time” versus the traditional Return on Investment.

Are you involved in social media?
Sure, you’ll find me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as well as sporadically on our company blogs at www.kineticknowledge.com and www.realestateblogsites.com.  You can also find Kinetic Knowledge in Facebook company pages.  As many of you know, sometimes it’s hard to practice what you preach because there is always a business to run.  Although I’m not yet as active as I’d like to be, you can bet that you’ll soon see me following a social media marketing plan each week!

How do you use social media to leverage your business?
All of our marketing efforts are done through business blogging content creation and the dissemination of free educational PDFs.  In fact outside the other free social networks, this is the only marketing we do.  Aside from a trade show or an event such as this here and there, we are completely virtual.  It provides us with a three-tiered approach – search engine optimization (SEO), branding, and direct marketing via a growing permission-based email list.  Direct marketing via your business blog is often understated for the headliner, SEO.  However using your blog’s RSS feeds to send out automated emails of new blog posts to your subscribers is an invaluable way to stay connected to your existing sphere of influence and the newbies reading your blog.  If this is a foreign concept, you’ll want to vote to learn more about this subject and come to the session on Beyond SEO.  Twitter is also gaining ground in importance for us, but I could go on and on about that so I’ll leave it to a session educator!

How can your product/service benefit those in the real estate industry?
I have such passion about business blogging because it is the biggest bang for the marketing buck anybody can achieve and it is so attainable.  As there are many free blogging and social networking products out there you may be wondering how Kinetic Knowledge provides value.  Unless you are a bit of a tech geek yourself, you can always expect to get what you pay for with free blogging platforms.  In this tech landscape it’s imperative to retain the control of your brand, your online reputation and your domain.  As a company our main value proposition is service and management.  We are your online marketing success partner – we remove headaches and manage all aspects of the process.  We are constantly educating.  We provide exemplary customer service and most importantly guide our clients to maximize their Return on Time.  You can easily spin your wheels blogging – as good business bloggers know, you need a bit of discipline and some simple yet specialized knowledge to really get the most marketing value out of these tools.  We help to ensure your success.

Are you coming to REBC Denver and would you like to present a topic? Which topic?
Yes!  As I briefly mentioned earlier I’ll be presenting on a topic titled, Beyond SEO: Using Business Blogs for Automated Direct Email Marketing.  The direct marketing value of blogs is incredible yet often takes a lesser seat to search engine optimization.  In the session you’ll learn that blogs can prove their marketing value even if you threw SEO right out the window (Gasp!  No, but seriously it’s not the end all be all – it’s only one tier).  We’ll talk about RSS feeds and setting up services such as FeedBlitz or FeedBurner to create an automated, subscription based push of your blog articles via email.  We’ll discuss the use of unique content categories and simple forms or links to promote subscription.  Permission-based marketing is ideal because people have actually given you license to contact them freely and at will.  They want your knowledge and will listen to your message!   Have no idea what I’m talking about?  Subscribe to our blogs to get educated and see what it’s all about!  It’s so easy; you just enter your email and choose your news 

How can we contact you?
Via email: Kristen@kineticknowledge.com or any of the social networks listed above.  And directly by office phone: 970.372.5255.