By Brenda Marshall, KWU Course Writer, Keller Williams Realty International Support Center

Have you taken your business mobile? If not, it’s time to get on the train! Attendees of Mega Technology Camp were treated to a smorgasbord of tips and tricks for leveraging the latest trends in technology meet the demands of the highly mobile consumer population, and ultimately to generate more business.

Clad in a “Geeky Girl” t-shirt, Dianna Kokoszka, President of KW MAPS Coaching, kicked off this session and insisted that attendees leave with at least three ideas to incorporate into their businesses. Among the presenters were three of Inman’s 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders in 2011—Cary Sylvester, Executive Director of Technology, KWRI, Ben Kinney, CEO and President of Home4Investment, Chris Smith of Inman Next and Sue Adler, CEO of the Sue Adler Team.

Cary and Ben revealed that today’s consumers browse on their mobile devices at home as much as “on the go.” More and more, we are using our smartphones in place of our desktops. We use our phones and tablets to watch TV, browse the web, play games, read books, listen to music, send emails and texts, pay bills, so it’s only logical that consumers would expect to conduct real estate business the same way.

So, what does it mean to take one’s business mobile? Largely, it’s about responsive design—ensuring your website is designed to adapt to the user’s mobile device in terms of screen size, platform, and orientation.

A parade of the savviest of the tech-savvy proceeded to educate and amaze attendees with best practices in leveraging technology in real estate. Some highlights include:

• Matt Fetick, Mega Agent and KWU International Master Faculty, decided six years ago that on weekends, his deals would be conducted from the beach, and today, he has truly taken his business mobile. Some of Matt’s favorite resources: virtual assistants, VoIP,  Dropbox, Shoebox, and Dragon Dictation.
• Chris Smith, Chief Evangelist, Inman News, delivered his presentation on his iPad and highly recommended Sliderocket for presentations and Roambi for interactive graphs. Get his entire presentation here: http://bit.ly/mobile-tools-inman-next
• Seychelle Van Poole, Team Leader of Van Poole Properties, shared 5 Tips to Rock Referrals. Among these were using LinkedIn to build relationships with companies and joining national referral groups on Facebook, such as the KW Referral Group.
• Continue reading ‘Taking your Business Mobile – Mega Technology Camp @ Family Reunion’

Monday’s Annual State of the Company Speech electrified a crowd of more than 9,000 as Keller Williams CEO Mark Willis shared several key indicators of the company’s continued upward trajectory as well as the long-awaited announcement of the first Keller Williams Realty franchise overseas – KW Vietnam.

Chris Heller, president of KW Worldwide, the company’s global division, announced the launch.

“As we began looking for opportunities to expand outside the U.S. and Canada, our primary goal was always to find the right leadership first. We know that Paul Mason [the new president of KW Vietnam] along with the other leaders we are partnering with, share our belief system and our commitment to grow the Keller Williams culture,” said Heller.

He also announced that the company was in varying stages with potential franchisees in several other countries, including:  South Africa, New Zealand, Indonesia, Egypt and several Middle Eastern countries.

Keller Williams Realty’s co-founder and chairman delivers his most timely speech yet; declares home affordability the most important indicator in today’s economy.

Setting the tone for his annual Vision Speech, Gary Keller, co-founder and chairman of Keller Williams Realty stated candidly, “the next two hours is information that you need to know to be the expert in your local market. You need to be the professional delivering the perspective and the projections so that your clients make informed decisions.”

He then launched right into the numbers that drive real estate paying close attention to  home affordability in the United States which consumed 12.9 percent of family household income in 2011. “Affordability in the United States is the lowest it’s been ever in the history of time.” In addition to unprecedented interest rates and low mortgage rates, lower home prices aided by a downward push from distressed properties continue to contribute to improving affordability conditions, he said.

All 12 markets in Canada, on the other hand, saw an increase in home prices, mostly fueled by lower interest rate and a stable market. However, Keller warned against counting too much on conditions remaining high. “The golden days won’t last. That’s the vision, know it and use it.”

Keller then turned his attention to the luxury and investor markets, noting that today’s world population of high net worth individuals has grown by 27 percent since 2008, as did their wealth. “The Luxury market is finding its footing through investors and move up buyers – it’s huge opportunities”

In his closing remarks, Keller counseled agents to keep in touch. “72% of buyers would use their agent again or recommend him/her to others,” Keller announced, “but only 9% of you did! “What does that say to me? Keep in touch.”

On staying up-to-date  with current Internet consumer trends, his statements were welcomed with applause: “I am absolutely thrilled, however, that we have a trend line that says your website is quickly becoming more important than any other website. You should make that number go up.” Among the respondents, 56 percent said they used the Multiple Listing Syndication, 45 percent used REALTOR.com and 46 percent visited real estate agent websites.

Following a touching performance of the Canadian and U.S. national anthems by Keller Williams associate, Ryan Julian, the Florida host region got the Keller Williams Culture GLOWING, tossing neon lights while dancing to the beat of the music during their big entrance. Afterward, the lights went dark and Light Force took the stage with the ultimate in visual and rhythmic entertainment. The futuristic drum sticks, light up jackets and perfusion boxes got the audience’s energy even higher, setting the stage for Gary Keller’s 2012 Vision Speech and three more days of life-changing education, connections, fun, insights and inspiration. Post your pictures and videos to the Keller Williams Realty Facebook Page! http://www.facebook.com/KellerWilliamsRealty