Hp Real Estate Marketing Assistant
Transcription
Hp Real Estate Marketing Assistant
Hp Real Estate Marketing Assistant Step-by-Step Training Guide HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Table of Contents SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS & RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................................3 INSTALLATION & REGISTRATION .............................................................................4 MAIN SCREEN OVERVIEW ..........................................................................................11 CREATING YOUR PERSONAL PROFILE & LOOK .................................................14 CREATE YOUR PERSONALIZED LOOK....................................................................22 CREATING A MAILING LIST IN REALIST................................................................30 CREATING A POSTCARD MAILING...........................................................................30 CREATING A MULTIPLE PAGE HOME MARKETING BROCHURE ..................30 MANAGING PROPERTIES.............................................................................................30 2 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant System Requirements & Recommendations To run the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant software, you will need the following hardware and software components: Hardware • Personal Computer with Microsoft Windows®, 2000, XP Home or XP Professional • 200 MHz or faster Intel Pentium processor • 600 MB free space on hard disk • 256 color display; 800x600 and above (640x480 not supported) • 32 MB memory (64 MB RAM needed for Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, 128 MB recommended.) • Mouse or other compatible pointing device • CD-ROM drive Software • Microsoft Office® WorksSuite 2000, 2002, Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003, Word XP, Word 2000, or Word 2003 required • Internet Explorer 5.0 or newer, or Netscape Navigator 4.7 or newer. NOTE: To confirm a program’s version, open the program and click Help on the program's top tool bar. From the drop-down menu, select About "program name". A window will open with information about the program, including its Version Number. Confirm that this number meets the above specifications. Additional Requirements • Internet connection and browser needed for installation. (Browser compatibility Internet Explorer 5.0 and above, Netscape Navigator 4.7 and above.) • Your FMLS key (available from FMLS) • HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant software CD 9/6/2005 FMLS 3 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Installation & Registration Installing your HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant software is as easy as inserting the CD-ROM and clicking your mouse. However, there are a few important requirements to remember as you load the software on to your system: • Be sure your computer is connected to the Internet at all times during installation. • Follow the installation instructions exactly as they are written. • Verify that your computer's Hardware and Software components meet the necessary requirements to successfully operate the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant. (Refer to System Requirements and Recommendations.) With these two items confirmed, you may begin installing your HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant software. 1. If you have any previous HP Real Estate Marking Assistant software on your computer, be sure to uninstall it first. 2. Insert the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant CD into your CD-ROM drive. The HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant MLS window will open. Note: If the program does not automatically start: a. Click the Start button on your Microsoft® Windows® toolbar. b. Select and click Run from the pop-up menu. c. Type D:\autorun.exe. (Replace D with the letter of your CD-ROM drive, if different. If you are not sure what the drive letter is, click the Browse button.) d. Click the OK button. 4 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. Click the Install HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant MLS button. Note: If you have a previous version of the HP Real Estate Marking Assistant software on your computer, your current software disk will detect it and ask if you would like it removed first, before installing your new version. Click Yes. The HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant - InstallShield Wizard will open, showing the progress of "Extracting Files", "Checking package integrity", and "Preparing Setup". This may take a few moments. 4. Once the InstallShield Wizard has completed all these steps, click Next. 9/6/2005 FMLS 5 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 5. Read the License Agreement. If you agree to the terms, click Yes to continue the install process. If you do not agree, click No to terminate the install process. 6. When the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Product Registration window opens, type in your email address and click Register Now. 6 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant As part of the registration, you will be asked to answer three questions that will help HP understand how the product is being used. This information is for research only, and will be held in strict confidence. 7. Fill in the requested information (use the scroll bar on the right to view the entire form), and at the bottom of this window, select your MLS and enter your MLS key (available from your MLS service provider). Then click Submit. 9/6/2005 FMLS 7 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant In the next window, you will be asked to participate in an HP Product Research Program. The HP Product Research Program will drive development and future revisions of the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant software. Your participation in this research program will help educate Hewlett-Packard on how Real Estate agents such as yourself use the software, and what can be done to improve the user experience. Again, this information is for research only, and will be held in strict confidence. 8. Click Next. 9. Click the Yes or No radio button, indicating whether or not you wish to participate, and then click Next. NOTE: Your participation in this research program is purely voluntary. Your answer either way, will not interrupt or affect the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant installation process. 8 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant If you click the Yes button, the Thank You for Choosing to Participate window will open. 10. Click Next. The HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant is now ready to install the program. This may take several minutes, depending on the speed of your computer. 11. Click Install to begin installation. 9/6/2005 FMLS 9 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 12. When the Setup window indicates that setup has been completed, click the Finish button. Congratulations! HP Real Estate Marking Assistant is now installed successfully on your computer. 13. To view more information about HP products, click the Get More Info on Website button. To view or print out step-by-step instruction on creating a stunning flyer for a client’s property, click the Getting Started Guide button. If you are ready to start the program, click the Exit CD button to close the window. Then remove the CD from your computer, place it back in the sleeve, and keep it in a safe place for future use. Now continue on to the next module in our training guide. 10 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Main Screen Overview Now that you have installed the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant software, you can begin creating stylish presentation materials, integrating the latest listing information from your MLS provider, and researching and presenting property comparisons. 1. On your computer desktop, double-click the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant icon to open the program. The HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant was designed with the help of real estate professionals like you to be very useful and intuitive. As you work with the program, you will notice how easy it is to quickly start and complete projects, as well as switch between projects and utilize information already entered during previous projects. 9/6/2005 FMLS 11 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Main Screen The main screen is divided into three sections: • The blue section on the left provides a list of the projects you last worked on, links to your profile, properties, preferences and mailing lists, as well as checklists useful in managing your accounts. • The center section is a detailed list of documents you will want to create. • The yellow Help bar on the right is dedicated to helping you with any questions you may have, no matter what window you are in. When you open the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant, the main screen appears on your desktop. Shown below is an overview of the different sections of the software with a brief description of the functions in each particular section. 12 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant The Help Bar The Help Bar on the right side of every task window provides helpful step-by-step instructions for each process you are working on, or document you are creating. Often, within the Help bar, there are buttons with tips, or further information. Click on these when offered. If you still have questions, click the Help drop-down menu and select a topic. This Help bar will be important to your success. 9/6/2005 FMLS 13 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Creating Your Personal Profile & Look With HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant, you’re on your way to creating professional marketing materials in minutes. Before generating these materials, you must first create a profile, and a personalized look. Your Profile puts your personalized touch on every marketing piece that you create. After entering the Profile information once, your personal and contact information is automatically added to all of the documents you create 14 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 1. Under the Create or Change field at the left of the opening screen, click My Profile. 2. The My Profile window provides an electronic form in which you'll enter your personal information. It includes tabs (similar to the tabs on file folders). The Personal Info tab is already pre-selected for you. Type in your personal information. 9/6/2005 FMLS 15 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. Click the Pictures tab in the My Profile window to open an Add Pictures area. This area contains buttons for adding images, logos, and a signature to your Profile. These are not required items, but do add a personal touch to your marketing documents. 4. To add an image, click the Set Portrait Picture button. 5. In the Get Portrait Image window, browse to and select the photo you want to include in your profile. For this exercise, if you do not already have a portrait image of your own, select an image from the Images folder located at: C:\Program Files\HP\HPMA\SampleImages\Images. 16 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Then click the Open button to add your picture to your profile. 6. Repeat these steps for the Set Logo Picture and Set Signature Picture buttons. Sample logos and signatures are located in the C:\ProgramFiles\HP\HPMA\SampleImages\Images folder. Your selected logo and signature images will appear in the Add Pictures window as well. Note: If you accidentally click Done instead of clicking the next tab, simply click the My Profile selection under the main screen’s Create or Change column. You can now finish or edit your information as needed. 7. Click the Disclaimers tab in the My Profile window to open an Add Disclaimer Text area. This window provides two boxes for entering the text for an Accuracy of Information Disclaimer as well as a Non-Solicitation Disclaimer. These fields are not required. 9/6/2005 FMLS 17 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 8. Click the Symbols tab in the My Profile window to open an area that enables you to add professional symbols and designations to your Profile. The Realtor and Equal Housing Opportunity symbols are displayed as default symbols, but they can easily be changed or removed. 9. To change to a different symbol or clear these symbols, click the Clear button next to Symbol 1. The symbol will disappear from the box. 18 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 10. Click the Set Symbol 1 button. 11. Symbols are located in the C:\ProgramFiles\HP\HPMA\SampleImages\Images folder. In the Select Symbol Image window, scroll through the available images and click on one to select it. Then click Open. The new symbol appears in the box. You can select up to three designations that will be appended to your name in the documents that you create. 9/6/2005 FMLS 19 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant To add a designation, do one of the following: 12. Click in a Designation box, and type in a designation up to four characters. 13. Click the arrow next to a Designation box, and select one of the designations in the drop-down menu. You can also select the ® or © symbols to add them to either a symbol you have typed in or selected from the list. 20 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 14. When you are finished, you can either click on of the previous tabs to go back and verify your profile information, or click Done to return to the main screen. Congratulations! Your Profile is complete. 9/6/2005 FMLS 21 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Create Your Personalized Look You can quickly set up a professional and consistent personalized look for all of your marketing materials. Once you create your personalized look, by default, your design will be used for every document that you create in the future. 1. At the right side of the main screen screen, click the Create My Look button. 2. Click each of the design names in the Available Designs list to view all of the design choices. When you find a design that you like, click Continue. 22 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. In the Select a Color Set area, choose a color scheme for your design. Click any of the names in the Available Color Sets list to view your design in the corresponding color combination. When you find a color scheme that you like, click Continue. 4. In the Select a Style area, choose a style of text for your document design. Click each of the style names in the Available Styles list to view the different options. When you find a style that you like, click Continue. 9/6/2005 FMLS 23 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 5. Confirm your look by verifying the choices that you made in each of the previous My Look screens. In the Options Selected area, you'll see a description of the options you selected, as well as an example of the look your documents will have. If you want to change the design, colors, or styles that you selected, click the Back button. Each time you click Back, you'll reach one of the designs, colors, or styles screens. You can repeat the steps above to change your look. When you are happy with your look, click Done. This returns you to the main menu screen. Remember that changing your look is as easy as clicking the Change My Look button. This button automatically changed from Create My Look, once you completed the Create My Look steps. After you make any changes, be sure to click Done. This returns you to the main menu screen. 24 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Creating a Flyer Now that you have entered your profile info and setup your personalized look for your documents, creating marketing materials is just a few easy clicks away. Choose the Flyer Layout 1. On the main screen, click the Flyer button. 2. In the Select a Layout window, you can choose the page orientation (portrait or landscape), the number of pages, and a folding option. For this exercise, click the 1-page Portrait layout, and click Continue. 9/6/2005 FMLS 25 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. The Select a Design window displays how your flyer will look using your default personalized look. Click Continue. When entering property information into your flyer, you can choose to enter the information manually by typing it into a Property Information Form, or you can import the information directly from your FMLS provider. For this exercise, we will type the information in. 1.In the Do you want to apply property information? window, click the Yes button. 26 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 1. The Add or Select a Property window gives you the choice to add a new property, or select a property already stored on your computer. Since we have not yet entered or retrieved properties from a database, the My Properties window is empty. 2. Click the Add a new property button. 3. In the How do you want to add Property Information? Window, click the Type it in button. 9/6/2005 FMLS 27 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant The Property Information Form window contains four tabs, which display windows where you will type in property information details and attach photos. 4. For this exercise, type the following information in the General tab: 5. Click the Features tab, and type in the following information: 28 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 6. Click the More Features tab, and type in up to five additional features of the property to include in your flyer. 7. Click the Pictures tab, and then click Add Picture under the (Panoramic) frame. 9/6/2005 FMLS 29 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 8. Browse to and click on the sample picture panoramic in the Images folder located at C:\Program Files\HP\HPMA\SampleImages\Images . Then click the Open button. 9. The picture you selected will appear in the (Panoramic) frame. Now add the picture bright kitchen to the (Kitchen) frame) and then click Continue. This returns you to the main menu screen, where a message is displayed indicating that a document is being created. Your profile information will be merged with your personalized look and the property information you entered, and it will all be displayed in your flyer that will open as a Microsoft Word document. 30 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Importing Property Information There are two ways to add properties to your property information database: You can either type in the information manually, or download listings from FMLS and import the information from a file. Since we have already worked with entering a property manually, we will now concentrate on importing information from a file. Before you begin downloading files from your MLS provider, you must make sure the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant program is closed. The download process will re-open the program at the correct Import MLS properties window, and autopopulate the Import Properties fields for you. 1. Go to www.fmls.com and log-in 2. Click on 1st Connection 9/6/2005 FMLS 31 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. Click on Quick Search 4.Enter the Property Address and Click Search 32 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 5. Select a Property and Click Download. 9/6/2005 FMLS 33 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 6. Select HP Marketing Assistant and Click Create Download 7. A Download In Progress box will appear if the download does not start click in the box 34 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 8. Open the Document 9. In the Will these properties be used for a CMA? window, click No. Now select the properties that you want to import. To select properties, make sure that the box next to the MLS # is checked. To de-select properties, uncheck the box. To de-select all at one time, click the Select None button. 10. For this exercise, check the appropriate button, and click Continue 9/6/2005 FMLS 35 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 11. When asked, type in your MLS Login Name and Password. This must match the Login Name and Password used in your profile. In the Select a description for imported photos (Property 1 of n) window, select descriptions for each of the retrieved photos. Under each photo is a drop-down menu of possible descriptions: front view, panoramic, garden, pool, living, kitchen, bedroom, bath, etc. For every photo that you want to download, select a description. For each photo that you do not want to add to your database, select the description. NOTE: You cannot use the same description twice. For instance, you cannot choose "Bath" for two separate pictures. Doing this will cause the second picture with the same description to default to <None> . 36 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 12. After you have selected a description for each desired photo, click Continue. If you are importing photos for more than one property, you must repeat the previous 3 steps for each individual property. After all the property photos have been labeled, click Continue. Your new properties are now displayed in the Manage Property Information window. 13. Click Done to finalize and save the changes. This returns you to the main menu screen. Now that you have imported your property information creating marketing materials is just a few easy clicks away 9/6/2005 FMLS 37 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Edit Pictures Using Photo Editor Once your flyer is opened, you have another opportunity to add, modify or delete pictures and text to achieve the look you are after. Follow these steps and learn how to use the Photo Editor to import and resize pictures for your flyer. 1. In the flyer, double-click the empty photo frame. NOTE: To add an additional photo right click on the picture and select copy. Then single click to move the picture or double click to change it. 38 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 2. In the Import Picture From ... window, click the icon above the Camera Memory or Hard Disk selection. 3. In the Open Image ... browse to and click on the bighouse picture in the Images folder located at C:\Program Files\HP\HPMA\SampleImages\Images. Then click the Open button. 9/6/2005 FMLS 39 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant The Photo Editor window opens, containing the bighouse photo. Photo Editor is a powerful tool designed to enhance photos of your properties. Click the tabs along the right-hand side of the Photo Editor to explore its features and familiarize yourself with its capabilities. 4. For this exercise, click the Enlarge to fit frame button in the Photo Editor. Then click the OK button. Your modified picture appears in your flyer. 5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 to replace the picture of the kitchen with the greatroom picture, which is also located in the Images folder. NOTE: When working with your own properties, you will select pictures of homes that you are working with. HP recommends always storing those photos in a consistent location on your hard drive, such as your My Pictures folder, to enable you to find them easily. 40 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Replace Flyer Text In this learning session, you will work in Microsoft Word to replace the title of the flyer with a more meaningful title. When replacing the title, you can either type directly into the document, or click on the Sales Headlines tab in the Assistance column for suggested phrases. 1. For this exercise, click and drag the mouse over Type Title Here to highlight and select the text. 2. Type Your Future Dream Home to replace the highlighted text, or use the Sales Headlines tab in the Assistance bar to select from a list of headings and subheadings. 9/6/2005 FMLS 41 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. You can also enter information into your flyer by typing directly into a text box. Just place your cursor on your flyer and click. Then type the desired information. You can apply any Word features to your text such as underline, bold, bullets, and numbering. Print and Save Your Flyer 1. On the Microsoft Word menu bar at the top of the window, click File and then click Print. 2. With Print Active Document selected, click the Print button, and then click OK in the Print window. 42 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. To save your flyer, click the File on the Microsoft Word menu bar, and then click Save. 4. Click the Close All button at the bottom of the Assistance bar to close your flyer, or simply close the window. TIP: Your created flyer is now listed on the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant’s main menu screen, in the Last Worked On section. To reopen the flyer, simply click on the document name. 9/6/2005 FMLS 43 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Creating a Mailing List in Realist 1. Go to 1st Connection and click on Tax 2. Click on Realist.com 44 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant For this example we will use a General Query Search. A General Query Search is used to find properties that meet diverse search criteria. This search is used to search by subdivision. 3. From the Realist home page click on General Query. 9/6/2005 FMLS 45 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 4. Enter the State, County, and Subdivision. Click Search. 5. From the Property List (search results), select the Export button 46 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant From the Export Builder page you have several options. 6. From the Labels Column select Excel. For this example under Property Address we will select Show current owner for your labels. Select Export to continue to Export Manager. 9/6/2005 FMLS 47 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 7. Click on OK to continue to the Export Mgr link. 8. Click on the Export Mgr link 48 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Note- If a property is on the Georgia No Call list, it will not be exported. 9. Click the Refresh button to move the file from the “Pending status” to the “Ready to Pick Up” status. Click on the file to export 9/6/2005 FMLS 49 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 10. Click Open to access file. 11. After the Excel file is open click on column “E” or the column letter above the Zip+4 Fiield. 50 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 12. Click Edit and select Delete. 13. File and Save your mailing list for easy recall. 9/6/2005 FMLS 51 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Creating a Postcard Mailing A postcard mailing is an effective way to advertise to potential buyers, let other real estate professionals know that you have just listed a new and desirable property, or that you've just sold a property. Postcards are also handy for following up on showings or announcing open house showings. With your Profile and Personalized Look already defined, your postcards will be consistent with your image. To create a postcard mailing, select Postcard from the What do you want to create? list on the main menu screen. Many of the steps will be similar to the ones used to create a flyer. • Select a postcard type • Select a layout (For this exercise, in the Select a Layout window, be sure to click on 4 per sheet.) • Confirm your design • Add a property (For this exercise, select the property that you used for the flyer.) • Select a mailing list (After adding property information, click Continue in the Add or Select a Property window, and then continue with Selecting a Mailing List.below. Select a Mailing List 1. When asked, Do you want to select a Mailing List? click Yes. 52 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 2. In the How would you like to select your mailing list? window, click Create a new mailing list. The next decision is, What type of mailing list would you like to create? The window provides three choices, shown below: • Sphere mailing lists are for networking contacts. • Farm mailing lists are designed for cold call contacts. • Other mailing lists allow you to create your own category of contacts. All three options provide you with information fields. Similar to a Property Information Form, you can click inside the information fields and type in the List Name and Description. 3. For this learning session, click Farm. 9/6/2005 FMLS 53 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 4. For this exercise, type in the Information shown below, then click Continue. The How do you want to enter Contact Information? window provides several methods for entering contact information for your new mailing list. 54 • Clicking Type it in opens a Contact Information Form. As in the other forms you've used, click in the information fields and type in the information. • To select ACT!, the ACT! Program must be installed on your computer. • Clicking Import from a file provides you with an information field to fill in the name of the CSV file where you have contact information stored. • Clicking Palm allows you to import contact information from a Palm handheld. Again, you can click Select File if you need to search for the Palm file. • Clicking Microsoft Outlook Express opens a screen to View Imported Contacts. Checkmarks in boxes at the left of the screen indicate that contacts are already selected. (The checkmarks indicate that you want to import those contacts.) If you want to omit certain contacts from your postcard mailing, click to remove the checkmarks for those contacts. • Clicking Microsoft Outlook opens a screen to View Imported Contacts. Checkmarks in boxes at the left of the screen indicate that contacts are already selected. (The checkmarks indicate that you want to import those contacts.) If you want to omit certain contacts from your postcard mailing, click to remove the checkmarks for those contacts. • Clicking Realist provides you with an information field to fill in the name of the Realist file where you have contact information stored. FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant For this learning session, we will use a file installed by the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant installation program. 5. Click the Import from a file button. 6. Browse to the My_Address_list.csv file, located at C:\ProgramFiles\HP\HPMA\SampleImages\Downloads\My_Address_list.cs v. Then click Continue. 9/6/2005 FMLS 55 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant NOTE: In the Field Mapping screen, the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant has already assigned field values to the columns. If the assigned value does not describe the data in the column, you can click on the value name and select a more appropriate name from the drop down menu. 7. If you are satisfied with the field mapping values, click Continue. 8. Leave all the boxes checked, and click Continue. 56 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 9. When asked if you want to Add more Contacts? Click No. 10. For this exercise, leave all the names checked, and click Continue. If you did not want to include all the names, you could click on the Select None button, and then check the names you wanted. The HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant now opens a Microsoft Word window containing a sample of your postcard. The first page of the Word document shows the side of the postcard that includes your Profile information and postage notation. The second page of the Word document shows the side of the postcard that provides the property information (or other information) that you have chosen for you postcard mailing. You can edit any of the information on either side of the postcard just as you were able to edit your flyer. 9/6/2005 FMLS 57 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 11. When you are satisfied with the information on both sides of the master postcard, you are ready to create copies for everyone on your mailing list. Near the top of the Assistance panel, click the Copy and Merge button. The HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant merges the address information from the mailing list you created, with your postcard and creates additional postcards with mailing information auto-populated. You can now print your two-sided postcards, cut them apart, and they are ready to be mailed. 58 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Creating a Multiple Page Home Marketing Brochure Home marketing brochures consist of a cover page followed by other pages that describe various aspects of the property in detail, such as the rooms, back yard, neighborhood, etc. Again, you’ll use the same basic steps as you have for previous documents, with a few exceptions. When choosing what type of Home Marketing Brochure to create, consider how much information you have on the property, and how much of the material will add to its marketability. For a smaller property with fewer features, you might want to choose a Basic brochure. Property with more features might demand a Mid Range brochure, while your High End properties could quite nicely fill a High End Home Marketing Brochure. 1. After selecting the Home Marketing Brochure button from the main menu screen, click the Basic Home Marketing Brochure button. 2. In the Select a Design window, stay with your original design scheme. Click Continue. The Select Pages window displays a list of property features that you may or may not want to create pages for. (For more detailed descriptions of each page name, click the More button in the Assistance bar to the right.) Pages with checkmarks next to their name will be created. To clear all checked boxes at one time, click the Select None button at the bottom. 9/6/2005 FMLS 59 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. For this exercise, uncheck the Blank Sheet box, and click Continue. 4. When asked, Do you want to apply property information? click Yes. 5. Select the Maple Ct. property, and click Continue. 60 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Your Basic Home Marketing Brochure will open in the Microsoft Word window. Unlike the previous postcard and flyer documents we created, in the home brochure, every page is its own document. For instance, the cover page is Basic Cover Page.doc, while the kitchen page is the Kitchen.doc. Take a minute to view all six pages of our home brochure by first clicking the Selected Pages tab on the Assistance bar, and then browsing to the various rooms by double clicking each one. 9/6/2005 FMLS 61 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Saving Multiple Page Documents To save your brochure, you must click the Save All button in the Assistance bar. Clicking File/Save in the Microsoft Word window will only save the document currently displayed. 6. Under Selected Pages on the Assistance bar, click Save All, and when prompted to verify this action, click OK. Your home brochure has now been saved, and will be listed in the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant main screen, under the Last Worked On section. 7. To print your home marketing brochure, select File and Print from the Microsoft Word help bar. 8. When asked if you want to print only the active document (the document currently visible,) or all documents, click the Print All Documents button. 62 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Creating a Newsletter Newsletters are a powerful marketing tool. They help keep you in touch with your customer base, while promoting your current properties. A well-written newsletter can inform your contacts of new properties while highlighting your sales achievements, and keep you at the forefront of their mind. Click the Newsletter button in the main window. The Select a Layout window allows you to choose between a Self Mailer (addresses will be printed directly on the newsletter,) or In-Envelope (newsletters will be folded and inserted into envelopes. 1. For this exercise, click Self Mailer, and then click Continue. 2. In the Select a Design window, stay with your personalized design, and click Continue. Because we selected Self-Mailer, we have the option of having the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant print our mailing addresses directly on to the flyer for us. 9/6/2005 FMLS 63 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. In the Do you want to select a Mailing List? window, click Yes. 4. Click the Use an existing mailing list button. 5. Click the Current Buyers mailing list we created previously, and click Continue. 6. Leave all the boxes checked for our contacts, and click Continue. 64 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Your completed newsletter will open in Microsoft Word. By now, you are familiar with how to change text in text boxes, add photos, and utilize the Assistance area to the right of your document. Make sure to save your document after making any changes, and you are well on your way to completing your first newsletter! Now that the newsletter has been created, you can save time and have the HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant address the newsletters with mail merge. 7. Click the Merge button in the Assistance bar. All addresses from your Current Buyers mailing list have now been merged with your newsletter. Notice that the name of your newsletter has changed from Newsletter1.doc to Merged Newsletter 2.doc, and that the number of pages has increased. Your newsletters are now ready to print and mail. 9/6/2005 FMLS 65 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Managing Properties The HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant is designed so you can conveniently and easily manage your properties from one location. The Manage Property Information window displays both properties you have downloaded from your MLS as well as properties you have entered. You can also view basic information about your properties, such as MLS number, status, address, square feet, as well as sort by these property factors. The My Properties Window 1. Click the My Properties button under the Create or Change field on the main menu screen. 66 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant The Manage Property Information window opens. Within the Manage Property Information window, you can add new properties, edit existing property information, or delete properties. You may sort your properties in ascending or descending order based on data within a column. For instance, if you want to order your properties based on their MLS #, simply click on the MLS # heading in the blue heading row. The properties will sort in ascending order. To sort in descending order, simply click on MLS # again. You may sort by every column in the Manage Properties Information window, but you may not sort by more than one column at a time. 9/6/2005 FMLS 67 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Editing or Deleting A Property Now that you have entered properties both manually and imported them from a file, you may wish to make changes. 1. Click My Properties on the main menu screen. Properties can be modified or deleted within the Manage Property Information window by clicking on the property to highlight, and clicking the corresponding Edit or Delete button below. 2. Highlight the Maple Ct. property in the Manage Property Information window, and click the Edit button. . 68 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 3. In the General Tab information fields, change the Listing Status from Active to Sold and click Continue. Your changes will now be reflected in the Manage Property Information window. Deleting A Property At times you may want to remove a property from the My Properties database. Properties can easily be removed by highlighting the property in the Manage Property Information window, and clicking the Delete button. 1. Click the NE Ilex St. property to highlight it, and click the 9/6/2005 FMLS 69 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant 2. When the pop-up window asks, "Are you sure you want to delete this profile?" Confirm by clicking Yes to delete. NOTE: If you click Yes, the property will be deleted from your database and may not be retrieved without repeating the manual reentry or import process. 3. When you are finished making change to your list of properties, click Done to save all changes. You will now be returned to your Home Page. 70 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Additional Notes 9/6/2005 FMLS 71 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Helpful Information FMLS Technical Support 404-255-4219 FMLS Administrative Support 404-255-8660 Any “how to” or technical questions regarding the functions in 1st Connection, 1st Forms, 1st Search, or Realist (Tax) should be addressed to the FMLS Help Desk staff. Questions regarding listing changes, fees, computer user forms and other administrative questions should be directed to Administrative Support. Business Hours Monday through Friday 9:00am – 5 pm. Business Hours Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm. NOTE: Use the “FMLS Computer User Form” to obtain a User Name & Password for a new agent, change a User Name to a different company, delete a User Name, change name or address information, change user access level, etc. This form can be located on the FMLS homepage under Administrative Support/Forms. Fax Computer User forms to FMLS at 678-904-0444 After Hours Support Saturday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Email: [email protected] (technical & how to questions) Email: [email protected] (general questions) Email: [email protected] (suggestions) FMLS Hotline (770) 734-5252 (Confidential voice mail where possible rule violators can be reported) Please leave name, broker code and a phone number where you can be reached. Without this information, we can not follow through with the complaint Class Registration Steps: 1. Visit the FMLS website at www.fmls.com 2. Enter your User Name and Password. 3. Click on Training to register for a class. 4. Select Instructor Led Courses. 5. Select Location and Class Topic. FMLS Store Locations FMLS Main (Sandy Springs) 404-257-1447 FMLS NE (Duluth) Store 678-475-0544 FMLS NW (Marietta) Store 678-290-9493 FMLS Southside (Fayetteville) 770-4600525 Purchase FMLS maps, map books, pagers, decals, clothing, software, closing gifts, display stands, measuring devices, calculators, accessories, jewelry, brochure boxes, measuring devices, signs, supplies, and much more. Visit one of our 3 locations or shop online at www.fmls.com and click on FMLS Store. To check on internet orders and shipments: Email us at: [email protected] Email: [email protected] 72 FMLS 9/6/2005 HP Real Estate Marketing Assistant Photo Issues 404-255-8660 Call FMLS for questions concerning photos in 1st Connection Supra Key/Lockbox Issues 404-843-3672 Call Supra for any issues concerning lockboxes or lockbox keys. *Supra stops issuing boxes at 4 PM. FMLS has 4 convenient locations to serve your real estate needs. Each of our 4 centers offers training, real estate supplies and Supra keys and lockboxes. FMLS Northwest FMLS Northeast Center Southside Center FMLS Main Office 5457 Roswell Rd 2250 Satellite Blvd., Suite 220 Banks Crossing Center Colonial Square 215 Fayetteville, GA 30214 166 Barrett Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30342 Satellite Court 770-460-0525 Suite D 404-255-8660 Duluth, GA 30097 Home Center Village 404-255-8602(fax) 678-475-0544 Marietta, GA 30066 678-475-0594(fax) 678-290-9493 678-290-9251(fax) HP Real Estate Market Assistant www.hprealestate.com 9/6/2005 HP Technical Support Mon-Fri 6am-6pm Mountain Time 888-523-1101 FMLS 73