Weekly Tech Tip: Set up Google Alerts

Check out this great tip from the CENTURY 21 sponsored Xplode Conference. It will take you less than 3 minutes and will provide tons of value.

To quote Jim Marks, "If you don't do this today, you're crazy!"

1. Go to http://www.google.com/alerts

2. Fill out the form, making sure to put your query in quotes.

You can sign up for as many alerts as you like, and you absolutely should sign up for the following:

• "[Your Name]" and any variations.
  For example, I would use "Natassia Bezdeka" and "Tassia Bezdeka"
• "Century 21 Award"
• "[Your City] Real Estate"
  For example, "La Jolla Real Estate" or "Irvine Real Estate"
• "[Specific community or neighborhood you service]"
  For example, "Dove Canyon" or "Hidden Meadows"

Other good ideas:

• Your phone number, email address, address, etc. (Same for your kids or spouse)
• Contact information for your business
• Any key words or topics you would like to keep tabs on
• Addresses of properties you've listed

3. Receive emails with search results matching your queries.

Why do this?

• Know when something new is posted about you online
• Know what's happening at CENTURY 21 Award
• Know when pertinent real estate information is posted for the area(s) you service
• Know what's happening in general in the specific areas or neighborhoods you service
• Use this information on your social media sites, newsletters and in face-to-face conversations
• Be more knowledgable, inspire more trust, do more business!

Questions? Email techsupport@century21award.com

C21 Social Xchange: Videolicious

Video marketing is increasingly important for your business. To help you enhance your online presence, CENTURY 21 has partnered with Videolicious, a best-in-class video creation tool.

The Videolicious app (available on iOS and coming soon to Android) empowers all CENTURY 21 System members to create sophisticated video productions, automatically, in seconds.

Simply follow the directions below to sign up, then follow the in-app instructions to create your first video. Check out our demo!

How To:

1. Log into 21Online.

Click on C21 Social Xchange in the Tool Library. Need your username/password? Ask your branch staff!

2. Click Sign Up for Videolicious. 

You can also view Videolicious FAQ.

3. Enter your account information. 

You will need check your inbox for a confirmation email.

4. Download the app to your device.

Launch the app and sign in to your account.

Helpful Tips:

• Take video of yourself using your device's camera or create voice-over narration only.
• Horizontal photos and videos work best.
• Licensed theme music is available from the Theme Music Library (this is recommended so that you do not violate copyright).

View the full Videolicious FAQ.

Need more assistance? Contact support@videolicious.com

Weekly Tech Tip: Adjust Your View

Chances are, you spend a good chunk of your time at a computer. To avoid back, neck and shoulder pain as well as eyestrain and other overuse injuries, take some time to make sure your desk is as ergonomic as possible. Your body will thank you!

Tips & Tricks:

• The top of your monitor(s) should be at or just below eye level. Invest in a riser to put yours at the proper height. If you are using a laptop, you will also need to invest in a keyboard/mouse set as your keyboard will also be raised. Money-saving tip: A cabinet shelf makes a great, cheap alternative.
• Make sure you're sitting pretty. Your chair should be comfortable, include lower back support and have arms to support your elbows and forearms.
• Your forearms should be parallel to the floor, so make sure your chair is at the proper height.
• Your feet should rest flat on the floor. If you are short like I am, a foot rest can make sitting much more comfortable.

It's also important to take breaks!

• Close your eyes or focus on something 20+ feet away periodically to avoid eyestrain.
• Stand up and stretch/take short breaks at least once an hour.

Check out these websites from Apple, Microsoft and OSHA for more tips, tricks and diagrams.

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Weekly Tech Tip: If This Then That

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IFTTT (IF This Then That) is a service that allows you to connect certain web applications together to automate the web and eliminate busy work for you. For instance: IF you are tagged in a photo on Facebook THEN have that photo saved to your Google Drive.This is just one of many possible connections that you can create. One helpful connection or recipe, as they're called on IFTTT, is being sent an email when a new Craigslist ad is posted that fits a specific search critera. This is useful as a real estate agent because it will help you be notified of fraudulent postings, for example: a scammer posting your listing as a rental.

Step 1:

Create your account on IFTTT.

Step 2:

Once you have signed up, you will be directed to the main menu or Dashboard. At the top of your tool bar select "Create".

Step 3:

Select "this" for a list of applications or Channels to drop down. Then select the Craigslist icon:

Step 4:

Click on the "New post search" box and a space to enter the URL of the search results on Craigslist will drop down (see next step).

Step 5:

To get the URL, search for your listing's in Craigslist, IE: 123 Main. For best results, do not use terms like Street or Avenue as they can be abbreviated and may not show up in your search. Once the search results appear, highlight and copy the URL of the results page.

Step 6: 

Paste the URL into the search results bar and then select "Create Trigger"

Step 7:

Select "that" for another list of Channels to drop down. Then select the email icon.

Step 8:

Click on the "Send me an email" box and a draft of future email notifications will appear. You can change up the Subject to show the property title if you wish. Once you are done customizing the email notification select "Create Action".

Step 9:

Select "Create Recipe" for final completion of your recipe.

Step 10:

You'll then be brought back to the dashboard where you'll select "My Recipe" at the top of the tool bar.

Voilà! You have just created your own recipe on IFTTT.

When an ad is posted that matches your search criteria, you will receive a notification email:

IFTTT has many recipes pre-created to help you automate your digital life. Click on Browse to see what's already available, as well as for inspiration on other ways to use IFTTT/

Learn More: https://ifttt.com/dashboard

Use IFTTT on the web or download for iOS:

Weekly Tech Tip: Learn Helpful Features

Chances are, the computer or device you are using has a series of helpful features that you aren't aware of. Commit to picking up a new trick once a week and you'll be more efficient in no time!

WINDOWS 7: Snap

Capitalize on your screen size by using the Snap feature, which automatically fits a window to half of your screen. This is especially useful when comparing documents, moving files, or working in multiple windows.

TO DO: Drag the title bar of a window to the left or right side of the screen until an outline of the expanded window appears, then release the mouse. Repeat on the opposite side of the screen with another window to arrange them side by side.

TIP: Dragging a window to the top of the screen will maximize it. To Snap a window using your keyboard, hit the Windows logo key and the left or right arrow.

iOS/Windows: Cycle Through Open Applications

Both Windows and iOS will let you quickly cycle through your open applications and windows.

TO DO: Hit the ALT+TAB keys (Windows) or CMD+TAB keys (iOS) to bring up the Cycle Window (Windows version pictured above). Keep hitting these keys or hold them and use the arrow keys to view your open windows, and release to bring your selected window to the forefront.



iPhone/iPad/Android: Drag/Drop to Create Folders

You can group apps on your iDevice or Android to declutter and streamline your experience.

TO DO: Press and hold an app until it is selected. On iDevices, the icons will start to wiggle and on Android it will "lift". Drag the app icon on top of another app icon and release. On iDevices, you will need to hit the home key one final time so save your changes. You can also rename these folders.




Get more tips here:
Apple (iOS/iPhone/iPad): http://osxdaily.com/
Windows: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/windowstricks.aspx
Android: http://www.droid-life.com/category/tips/

Weekly Tech Tip: Clear up your Inbox

Welcome to 2014! 

Start the year off on the right foot by clearing your inbox of emails you don't read, BEFORE they arrive, by making use of the Unsubscribe option!

Image via Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Emails you should unsubscribe from:

• Emails that you receive on a regular basis and NEVER read
• Vendors or services that you don't use (did you attend a conference or convention in the last year or two
• Anything that you don't remember signing up or opting in for

HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE:

Option 1: 

If you use Gmail or Yahoo, check out UnRoll.Me (Chris Smith  from InmanNext wrote a great article on it). This service will scan your inbox and create a list of your subscriptions. You can then unsubscribe en masse. My favorite part is the RollUp feature, which automatically moves all of my subscriptions to a Label/Folder and out of my inbox, as well as sends me a daily digest of what I've received. This way, I don't necessarily have to unsubscribe, but it keeps my inbox clean.

Option 2:
Whatever email service you use (Gmail, Outlook, etc.), you can manually unsubscribe from emails as they come in. Simply find and click on the Unsubscribe link (this is usually at the bottom). Depending on the service, you may need to click a few more times to confirm.

Weekly Tech Tip: Trouble Shooting Realist in Internet Explorer - Compatibility View

You may find that you occasionally run into issues on Internet Explorer, especially after a Windows Update. This should be your first step in fixing this issue, and it’s quite easy!

Our example is based on using Realist Classic from Sandicor MLS, but can be applied any time you have an issue with Internet Explorer as a first step.

After a Windows Update, we see this error when attempting to access Realist Classic. The big hint is that it doesn’t say you are using IE, even though you are:

To fix, press your ALT key, which will bring up a menu:

Click on TOOLS and then select Compatibility View Settings:

Then click ADD and CLOSE:

The page should refresh and then it will work:

For a faster and safer internet experience, use Firefox and Google Chrome whenever possible.

Weekly Tech Tip: Lookout Mobile Security

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Lookout is a mobile security app for your cell phone. It is a must have for any smartphone user as it provides security, backup, and location services. It is a FREE app that includes a Premium upgrade with more features that costs $3/month. It is available for both iPhone and Android devices.

There are 5 categories in Lookout: Security, Backup, Missing Device, which are free, and Safe Browsing and Privacy Advisor which come with the premium upgrade.

For Security, Lookout scans your device to provide advanced protection from threats. It scans every app in your device and updates its information on the latest digital threats.

Backup offers all your contacts in your phone to be saved to the cloud in case anything happens to your phone. Your photos and call history can also be saved to the cloud if you purchase the premium app.

Missing Device is perhaps the most advanced part of the app with several different features that help you find your lost phone. First is Scream that helps find your device by emitting a loud siren alarm and causes your screen to flash red and blue for 60 seconds. Second, there is Locate which speaks for itself. From Lookout.com you can locate your phone on a map using it’s GPS. When your phone is running low on battery, Signal Flare will automatically save your device’s location before it runs out of juice. Lock Cam is a feature that will take a picture of anyone who incorrectly enters your PIN, password, or pattern 3 times. Lookout will then email you the picture and your phone’s location.

With Premium you can also get Lock which keeps your personal info safe by locking your device remotely and allows you to create a lost message that will assist anyone who finds your phone in getting it back to you. And finally there is Wipe which will clear all texts, photos, contacts, logins, other data from your phone if it is feared to be truly lost.

Safe Browsing, which one of two categories available only for premium, scans all links you visit in real time to protect your device from phishing and other malicious sites and software.

The final category and other premium offer is Privacy Advisor, which scans all apps and gives you privacy alerts for anything that could make your private information at risk.

Learn More: https://www.lookout.com/

Download: 

Post your listings to Craigslist in seconds with Unique Property Sites

Did you know... besides providing easy and powerful individual property websites, the Unique Property Sites tool in 21Online will allow you to create Craigslist ads in SECONDS and for FREE!

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How To:

1. Log Into 21Online.

Click on the Unique Property Sites (Edit) in the Tool Library Box.

2.  Click Edit Site for the property you would like to advertise (this will open PropertiesOnline in a new tab or window).

3. Click eFlyer (Craigslist) to access the HTML code for your Craigslist flyer.

You may also make any edit to your Unique Property Site by clicking on the Control Panel Options.

4. Click Select Snippet then press CTRL+C to copy the HTML code.

You may also click Preview to see what the ad looks like.

5. Go to Craigslist and log in, then select your posting city and click Go.

Logging in allows you to easily repost your ads once they expire. Follow the post category prompts until you get to the actual posting screen.

6. Place your cursor in the Posting Description box, then press CTRL+V to paste the HTML code.

Also fill in the posting title and any further information you wish to include according to the input boxes. Click Continue to proceed. You may optionally upload additional photos on the next page.

7. Preview your ad and click Publish.

If Craigslist requires any further action, follow the instructions provided. Otherwise, your post is now public!

Need more assistance?

Live training is available by clicking on Century 21 Learning System CLS in the Tool Library and searching for Unique Property Sites.
Click here for the full Post to Craigslist tutorial.
Click here for the Unique Property Sites FAQ.

Watch the Unique Property Sites video:

Create custom CENTURY 21 videos with Ad Maker

Did you know... The Ad Maker Tool in 21Online will allow you to customize popular CENTURY 21 advertisements, including videos, in SECONDS and for FREE!

Check out one of our agent's videos! It's the same video that was played during the 2013 Superbowl, but with the agent's contact information at the end!

How To:

1. Log in to 21Online.

Click on the Ad Maker System in the Tool Library Box (Ad Maker will open in a new tab or window).

2. Click on My Account and verify that your information is correct.

This is what will display at the end of the video. You can only edit the Personal Information. If there is an error or change needed in the Company Information, please email hr@century21award.com.

3. Click on Ad Library, then Videos.

Select the video of your choosing. 

• Click the magnifying glass icon to preview (it will take several moments to render) and the shopping cart icon to order your custom video
• You do not need to preview first if you would like to skip this step.

Select Send to Self in the Trafficking Options pop-up.

Click Continue Shopping to order more ads or Checkout to complete your order. Your custom video will be ready for download in a few minutes!

4. Download your video and Share!

Click on Finished Ads, then Order Number, followed by Click Here to View the Final Ad to start the download.

Once your .MP4 file has downloaded, upload it to YouTube, email it to your SOI, share on social networks, use it in your online marketing and display it on your website!

Need more assistance?

Full training is available in Ad Maker by clicking on Ad Maker Training:

Click here for the Ad Maker Overview PDF.

Click here to view the Ad Maker Walkthrough Video focusing on Print ads.