Thursday, August 9, 2007

Participation

One blogger commented:

"I do not think enough companies are trying to use this product. Only 1 or 2 out of 10 times I have tried to set up showings with this have I received confirmation through it. I still have to call the offices. Great idea, but without boardwide support i don't think this is here to stay"

It's very true! A booking system won't work effectively if only a handful of agents are using it. While it's still early in the trial period, it's possible that agents aren't aware of the service, are waiting to get trained, etc. FAAR hopes that, in time, the fever will spread and BookAShowing.com will be a successful tool for our REALTORS®.

So next time your BAS appointment results in calling an agent, tell that agent about the benefits of BookAShowing.com! Let's try to get as many agents as possible to actively participate.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

To NOT take advantage of this system-wide program is short sighted and impossible to understand. I hear there are several large franchise companies that are "opting out" since they already have suscribed to another program that isn't tied into the MLS. I have tried to set up showings on their listings, which went un-confirmed. I now use that as part of my listing presentation...it already cost one company 3 showings by me personally. I wonder how their sellers would feel if they knew that....

Anonymous said...

I think there should be some indication on each listing to show if the agent participates in BAS or not. Such as in the "To Show" field put BAS instead of a phone number. It's extra steps try it through BAS only to learn half of the showings won't be confirmed through that system, then you have to basically start over calling the agents.

Angie said...

I ask agents if they are using Book A Showing, the response is no, I don't like it. Of course this response is from people who did not attend the FREE classes offered by FAAR. Then I show them the ins and outs, the whole attitude changes. I am asked to teach at different offices.
Quick run down, Book A Showing will save you money on your cell phone bill if used properly. To be economically sound in this business we have to work more efficiently and reduce cost.
This is how easy the program is to use:
1. Call Casey at Book A Showing1-800-826-7155, get a login name you can remember. They will change the login for you! You can change the password yourself.
2. KX automatically loads your listings to BAS. Let’s say you have a vacant home, you edit the listing information to auto approve and put the lock box code in the notes. When a showing agents request to see the home through BAS, they enter in the day time and more, then the system auto approves them. Just like that. The listing agent will receive an email and text that their home is being shown. No calls, no interruptions. Just working efficiently.
3. If your seller has times they do not want to be disturbed you can enter the days and time, the showing agents sees that information, then schedules around your sellers personal time.
4. Saftey. In my office we caught 2 people posing as agents calling to show homes. We first get the license #, check the State of Michigan License verification then call the office of the agent. We have caught 2 people in the past year using 6 digit numbers to set up appointments and view homes. To use Book A Showing, the agent must be licensed and a member of FAAR.
5. You can set the program up to send auto emails to the showing agent and seller for feedback.
6. You can program BAS to send all showing request to you, your assistant and the seller. If it’s the weekend or after hours, an agent can still set appointments. The agent receives the request by text to phone and email, the assistant receives request by email and the seller receives the request by email. If the seller or assistant sees the request before you, the seller or assistant can approve the request. You get notified of the showing and the approval.
7. All showings, buyer or seller, can be imported to your Outlook with a click of the button! The appointments from Book A Showing go to my Outlook which from there load to my assistants system and my cell phone. I almost always know what’s going on.
8. Have you been in the field without your listing or buyers contact info? Go to any title company, real estate brokerage or lender, they will usually let you use their system, log on to BAS, wella, all the information you need!!!!
Please try it. It’s an awesome tool designed to assist the seller, buyer and agent.
Personally I like the BAS icon on my desk top. I don’t have to login, the system remembers me. I have KX open and BAS at the same time.

Okay I’m done. If anyone wants a quick demo, give me a call!! If I help you, I am actually helping my sellers, buyers and myself!! Angie@AngieRidley.com .

ezasabt said...

Ok, so let me get this straight. We as real estate professionals have at our disposal (free for now, but at worst case, only $2.00 per month) a software application that will..1) make scheduling showings easier, faster and smoother. 2) make getting feedback from otherwise unresponsive agents POSSIBLE! 3) make getting seller showing authorization faster, and more efficient. 4) allow the seller (if desired) to receive instant feedback or allow them to obtain current activity reports WITHOUT THEM CALLING YOU!.....4) allow brokers/managers to monitor agent activity and production based on showings and listing inventory activity…THE LIST GOES ON….I am having a hard time understanding why so few of our “professional” (term used loosely) colleagues have decided to ignore it. I have a few ideas…LAZINESS- agents are too lazy to input data or too lazy to learn how; IGNORANCE- agents didn’t attend the FREE and short training, and therefore don’t understand it; RESISTANCE TO CHANGE- a few agents or brokers have a different in-house showing platform and are shortsighted enough to fail to see how a board-wide system will benefit them? Effective immediately, I will only provide showing feedback on Book A Showing, unless a short-notice showing is requested, then a call is necessary. Since it wouldn’t benefit my buyer clients to ONLY show the showings approved through BAS, I will still have to play the old-school game of voicemail tag for the majority of showings. However, in the case of a buyer that wants me to choose the homes to look at, those that don’t reply to my BAS showing requests will go unshown. When I am done showing the homes and you want feedback, you know where it is. I agree with “Anonymous” that said in his/her post that they wondered how the sellers of the “non-participating” agents would feel if they knew this service was available and that it wasn’t being utilized. I, too, am now using my participation in this service as part of my listing presentation. I commend those of you using this incredibly valuable application, and I sincerely hope that those of you NOT participating will seriously reconsider.

Angie said...

I sent a letter to my clients explainging the benefits. I asked them if they would to participate to please send me their email. Well, the letters came back with email addresses on them. Thoses sellers told me what they wanted!!!