How to F-A-C-E-B-O-O-K

Written by Nicole Boynton | 20 August 2012

MCE Trainer | Social Media Manager | The Go-to Geek

Friend Lists - Put your friends in “lists” to post status updates to the appropriate group. Posts can be restricted for viewing by specific friends.

Account Settings - Review Account Settings & Privacy Settings. Your minimum privacy default should be “friends” but “custom” is better.

Conversation - Facebook is only effective if you are having a conversation with someone else. Talking to yourself or “selling at” someone is not.

Engagement - Think of Facebook like a cocktail party. You want to have discussions with other people in the room. Ask about them!

Be Authentic - Even over the internet people can tell when you aren’t being authentic. Be yourself. Don’t try to be a perfect version of you.

Over Sharing - Don’t post about every workout, pictures of every meal, political, religious, or controversial opinions! Keep it to yourself!

Operate in a Vacuum - Don’t operate in a vacuum.  People like to talk about themselves. Make it more about them! What value can you add for them?

Kaleidoscope - Like a Kaleidoscope, Facebook is a dynamic environment. Be willing to share, change, grow, connect, and you will reap rewards.

Outlook Tip - Video Tutorial

Written by Nicole Boynton | 18 June 2012

In this edition of the Gracy Title Tech Talk Blog you will learn how to create a calendar event or a task in Microsoft Outlook using an email.

Staying Safe in a Digital World

Written by Nicole Boynton | 16 April 2012

With so much information traveling through computers, the internet, and our cell phones, we have to take steps to keep ourselves and our data safe. Here are 5 ways you can stay safe in a digital world.

1. Free Virus Scan Software - Comodo Antivirus
   a. This is a full version of anti virus software
   b. Do not download if you are already running antivirus on your pc like Norton, Mcafee, AVG, etc..


2. Use strong passwords or a password keeper program
   a. Mixing letters, numbers, and symbols is a good idea
   b. Use minimum of 8 characters when possible
   c. Use a program like KeePass which requires you to only remember the master password


3. Backup all of the files on your pc
   a. If your computer is lost or stolen you can recover your files
   b. Online solutions like Carbonite.com allow you to access your files via the web once they have been backedup (Use code TAR1 to get a 20% discount!)


4. Subscribe to identity theft programs
   a. NAR recommends Identity Secure
   b. Another option – LifeLock
   c. A free option is AllClear ID


5. Use common sense. The best protection is prevention.
   a. Don’t open suspicious looking emails. Delete them!
   b. Don’t click on links that claim you have won a jackpot
   c. Don’t provide your bank info, social security, or personal information via email

Don't forget to sign up for our MCE Classes at $10/credit hour.

Must Have Real Estate Tools from Google: Voice and Picture Searches, Reputation Management, and Photo Editing

Written by Nicole Boynton | 20 March 2012

MCE Trainer | Social Media Manager | Your Go-to Geek

1. Search using your voice or by taking a picture. Using Google Chrome as your web browser and a computer with a built in or attached microphone you can speak a search rather than type it. Or if you are on a mobile device you can go to m.google.com using the web browser on your phone. Google also offers a mobile search apps for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Nokia S60 V3 phones. This can be a handy tool when you are out with clients and need to find a Starbucks. Simply by speaking “Starbucks in Cedar Park” you would get a list of all the Starbucks locations in Cedar Park as if you had typed those same words in the Google search box.

Alternatively you can take a picture to do a Google search. On your mobile device you would go to http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles and then take a picture of something to Google it. This works best with landmarks, artwork, wine, logos, and books. Someday you will be able to use Google Goggles to take pictures of your blind date to do a Google search on them. Creepy!

2. Google alerts – Stay up to date as new things are posted to the web about areas you work. You can create an alert for any words or phrases but this is a great way to keep up with an area that you farm or to monitor your own online reputation. Each time something new posts to the internet with the keywords that you specify, you will receive an email. Don’t misunderstand; you don’t get an email every time your word or phrase is Googled but rather when something new posts online with those words. For instance I have an alert set up for “Nicole Boynton” and if someone posted a blog or wrote an article online and my name was included, I would get a Google Alert telling me there was a new Google search result for that term. This is a great way to monitor whether people are saying good or bad things about you online. If you concentrate on selling in a certain part of town or neighborhood you should set up an alert for that area so you are always informed of events and happenings. One last idea is to create Google Alerts for the address or MLS# of your listings in case they are fraudulently posted to Craigslist or another site without your knowledge.  You definitely want to know before your seller does!
http://www.google.com/alerts

3. Picasa photo editor – In real estate you deal with a lot of photos. There are a million different editing software programs with varying levels of difficulty to learn and various price points to purchase. Picasa is a free photo editing software from Google that is very straightforward to use. You can crop, straighten, remove red eye, and retouch. Make sure you never alter a photo in a way that violates TREC Online Rules of Advertising or NAR Code of Ethics.
http://picasa.google.com/

Don't forget to sign up for our MCE Classes at $10/credit hour and for one on one agent training at $40/hour.

What Google tools do you use? Tell us in the comments below or share with us on Facebook!