I like Facebook!  And I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know all kinds of new people and friends of my friends. Connecting and networking is what this business is all about!  But some people forget that manners and first impressions are even more important when networking in cyberspace. 

Case in point…yesterday I got a “Mystery Facebook Friend Request” from a total stranger.  However, this person didn’t include a message with his request stating why we should be friends or how he might know me. 

Whenever I send out a “Friend Request” to someone that I don’t know, I always send a message along with it to explain we have multiple friends in common or I would like to get to know them better, or we share similar interests or someone recommended that I get to know them.  Something!

Here’s a good example of a message that someone sent me: “Would love to learn more about AnotherMe.com. Look forward to networking with you too! We have alot of the same business/personal friends. Take care!”  Pretty good!

Back to the Mystery Friend Request… I really dislike this kind of friend request, because I have to do all the work!  I have to click on his profile and try to figure out how I might know him, and decide if I even want to know him. I have no clue why he would want to ”Friend” me. 

So, I click on his profile, view his information and then click on his “Wall” to get a little more information about him and see what he’s all about.  What do I see?  Mafia Wars – He’s all about  Mafia Wars.  Every single update on his wall was a Mafia Wars update.   Seriously! 

It made me wonder, why would anyone want to friend this guy and get his Mafia Wars updates multiple times a day? (unless they do Mafia Wars)  He could be a nice guy, want to do business with me, or want to send me referrals.  But that first impression has turned me off.

Which leads to the next question….  Should I just click on the “Ignore” button or “Report him as Spam”? 

What do you think?

You know the drill. Just sign here, here, here …and initial here, here, here and here… and when your fingers are cramping and numb, we’ll have ourselves a legal document.

The paperwork in a real estate transaction – from listing to closing – can be a real time-drain for all involved.  On some deals, all those signatures and initials just might necessitate a physical therapy appointment.

DocuSign offers a legal, secure electronic signature service guaranteed to reduce the wear-and-tear on schedules and fine motor skills.  Did you know that an electronic signature is enforceable and legal. (even in California!)

Better yet, DocuSign Lite is a free service anyone can use right from DocuSign’s homepage! There’s no paper, no account to set up, no cost or credit card number to provide. Simply upload the document that requires a signature and enter the email address of the recipient. Your recipient gets an email message from DocuSign notifying them of a document to be signed and you receive an emailed receipt confirming that the process is complete.

For more information, here is a link to the DocuSign blog.  If you’re a Mortgage professional, an REO Professional or a Real Estate Professional, take a moment to read through the section dedicated to the real estate industry.

Learn how DocuSign can speed up the process for everyone on both sides of a transaction.  And if you’re headed to NAR – you can check out their booth.  Tell them AnotherME sent you!

So when you hear, “where do I sign?”… now you can tell your clients, just click here, here, here and here…

Over the summer months, I’ve been using my laptop in the evenings to update my Facebook and Twitter accounts. And let me tell you, a laptop is hot!

Did you know heat is the probable a cause of some those annoying performance issues, like ‘lockups’.  And it might even be the cause of permanent damage. Yikes! What I’ve learned is that with a laptop, heat issues can be even more of a concern. (now they tell us!) All those heat producing components are tightly arranged inside a small space…so there’s not much room for a cooling system. (think tiny exhaust fan)

Use your laptop for an extended period of time and feel the bottom of it. Or feel your legs!

Well, I found a “COOL” solution for the “HOT” laptop! It’s a laptop cooling pad! I had no clue there was a product like this.

One day browsing for a thumb drive at Office Depot, I ran across this little gem. It’s a lightweight, thin “platform” that houses 2 cooling fans. (It’s the same footprint as a laptop) It plugs into your laptop and doesn’t create a big drain on the battery life either! Bottom line – less heat makes for a more efficient computer.

In case you’re wondering, I purchased the Targus brand Chill Pad, but there are others on the market as well. After using this “Cool Tool” for the past few months – I am singing its praises. I’d recommend this $30 investment (average cost) for any real estate professional who uses a laptop.

It will improve your overall computer experience and extend the life of your laptop.  While keeping you from heating up!

I come from a corporate technology/telecommunications background… lo, many moons ago!   And outsourcing used to be the big buzz word!  Outsourcing was for management’s “pet projects”, for services we couldn’t offer and sometimes even outsourcing an entire department  to a company who could do it better for less!  It made sense… and cents.  Use the talents and resources of strategic partners; and save on staffing expenses and training.  It was a way for my company to stay focused on our core business.

Back then, I sold “services” for a video conferencing  manufacturer.  We offered everything from maintenance services, coordination of equipment installations – worldwide, bridging video calls ‘across the pond’ and around the country for international companies, build and design custom video rooms for distance learning and corporate boardrooms.

There’s no way we could have supported and managed all of those services – worldwide!  We outsourced all or a portion of every one of them.  No apologies!

What’s that got to do with AnotherME Virtual Assistants?  When you stop and think about it… that’s what the Virtual Assistant business is all about!

Do you have a “pet project” you need to get done?  Do you need a Marketing Department or a Bookkeeping Department.    If you are not focusing on your core business, then maybe it’s time to think about outsourcing!

AnotherME offers Real Estate outsourcing!  Real Estate support is our core business: listing coordination, closing coordination, marketing, database support, blogging, social media support, bookkeeping and expense management!  We also offer mailing services, general admin and graphic design.

How can you offer the best service to your clients when you’re the one doing it all?

As a real estate professional (and a small business owner), maybe it’s time to take a lesson from our friends in the corporate world and outsource.  It’s a business decision that makes sense …and cents!