BAS adds new functionality

New Listing Menu Option

To make it easier and faster to access information about a listing (such as the calendar, reports, feedback, etc) BAS has added a new menu option for listings. Next to each listing you will see a new house icon that is the link to the new menu. To make room for the new menu option, BAS has condensed a few of the options from the listings page into the new menu. We hope you'll find this new menu helpful!



New House Icon:

Sample Listing Menu (for your own listing):


For listings of other agents, you'll still see a menu but with limited options such as add appointment and get directions.

Text messages

From BookAShowing.com's website:

"The text message alerts that are sent to agents when a showing appointment is setup or confirmed now includes the showing instructions as well (due to an agent's request). Since this will often make the text message longer than 120 characters, you may receive 2 or 3 text messages to include all of the showing instructions."

Awesome stuff from this company. If any of you have directly talked with the people at BAS, you'll know that they do everything they can to make this program fit our needs. Want to see something new on BAS or not happy with how something works? Just call BAS at 800.826.7155

Questions From The BAS Session

I would like to thank those who have come out for the BAS demonstration this past week. A couple of questions came up during the sessions that I would like to address.

Who compared BAS and Showing Desk? The Broker Support Unit (BSU). All brokers are invited to the BSU meetings. All brokers have input. If your broker was not involved, it’s up to you to ask why. The BSU reviewed both programs. BAS has more to offer, per the BSU.

The BSU looked for a showing product to meet the needs of a desk agent, mobile agent, broker and most important, the client.

Did everyone involved know the product was just over a year old? Of course we did. Just because a product is new doesn’t mean it won’t work... or last. If you think about it, weren’t we all new at some point? Just because something is old doesn’t mean it is the best. Do you use a rotary dial telephone?

BAS is a live program. Not an off line database. The information is current within two hours. Safety is the main goal for me and my clients. An off line database cannot provide that. Simply taking a license number by the telephone and verifying on the Michigan Licensing web site is not enough. I had to show people in a demonstration how to look up licenses. This is not safe for you or your client.

Have you ever been attacked by a vagrant in a vacant home? I have. Once that happens, you look for any way to make our industry safer. Only members of FAAR have access to the codes in the BAS. I guess that’s another reason why I am so passionate about the program.

Please remember, I don’t work for BAS. I am a peer that is attempting to make our MLS System a little better. I do the demonstration on my own time.

What is the reward? If most the MLS users use BAS, my cell phone bill will decrease, my office will be better organized and my clients will be pleased.

Sincerely
Angie Ridley
Complete Realty, LLC

Client access to BAS

Can the seller see the showing agents email address when confirming a showing?

The answer is no.

The seller only clicks a button that takes them to the BAS website for confirmation or disapproval.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Angie Ridley for the question/answer that occurred during today's FREE BookAShowing.com training class! Stay tuned for more dates!

One agent commented:

"I do not feel this program will work for me. I prefer to speak with the agent scheduling a showing on my listings. I check my e-mails as often a possible but I can't check them as often as I check my cell phone messages. I prefer to receive a call and check the ID of the agent."

Thank you for your constructive criticism. Here are a few points that may serve as a constructive rebuttal.

You do have a point- with BAS, there is less personal communication. But email is the direction that almost everything is headed. Emailing appointments will not only save time, but help agents work more efficiently.

Yes, agents aren't always attached to their computer to check their emails. But since agents carry their phones everywhere - why not tell BAS to send a text message notifying you that there is a pending request.

The only agents who have access to BAS are ones that are full, active members of our association. Rest assured knowing that if someone's license or membership is not active, they will lose their access to BAS immediately. This should eliminate the need to check agent IDs.

Everyone has their preference. Of course there will be some that still want to receive calls - and that's their choice. But I hope some of the great features in BAS will help to convince you that phone calls aren't the only way to go.

Thanks for your comments!

The Ease of BAS -- From a Broker's View

FAAR Director Angie Ridley, Broker/Owner of Complete Realty LLC, expresses the ease of BookAShowing.com and how to start using it...

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 Showing: 1-800-826-7155, 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 desktop. I don’t have to login, the system remembers me. I have KX open and BAS at the same time.

If anyone wants a quick demo, give me a call!!

If I help you, I am actually helping my sellers, buyers and myself!!

Sincerely,
Angie Ridley
Broker/Owner
Complete Realty, LLC

2007 FAAR Director

Angie@AngieRidley.com

A New Training Class Date Announced!

FAAR is pleased to report that an additional Book-A-Showing training class has been scheduled!

If you were unable to attend the first rounds of training in July, do not hesitate to reserve your seat in this FREE session!

Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 23rd from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at FAAR... and reserve your seat by CLICKING HERE!

This is a great opportunity to have your questions answered by someone who is very enthusiastic about the use of this online showing software!

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.

Private client information

Is your client's information really private? OF COURSE!

If you set your client's information to private, no one but you and your office administrator account can see the information.

It's a very safe and secure way to protect your clients.

More questions about client privacy? Leave a comment!

Welcome!

This is a new sort of function we're introducing at FAAR. We'd like to start a feedback blog about the new service BookAShowing.com. What are your concerns? Do you have problems with any of the functions?

Now is the time to voice your opinion! Let us know what you think...ESPECIALLY during the trial period. The folks at BAS are GREAT with modifying the system to fit the needs of our members.