St Augustine & St Johns County Board of Realtors BOR Forward March 2015 Newsletter

S T . A U G U S T I N E & S T . J O H N S C O U N T Y B O A R D O F R E A L T O R S ®

M A R C H 2 0 1 5

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3

B O R F O R W A R D

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Officers & Directors 2

Board Calendar 3

Mediation Training 11CE 4

New Members 5

St Augustine March Events 6-7

Builder Council News 8

Go Green 9

Tech Tip

10 –11

1st Annual Golf Tournament 12-13

Have a Heart Auction Photos

14-19

Completing an Effective Sales Contract 4CE

20

NAR News 21

April Preview Staff Contact Information

22

BOR PUBLIC WEBSITE: http://staugustinestjohnsbor.com

Page 2 B O R F O R W A R D

2015 ST. AUGUSTINE & ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF REALTORS®

AND MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC.BOARD OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

BOARDOFREALTORS®AndrewBirchall‐PRESIDENTSt.AugustineRealty(O)824‐3331(F)825‐2685(C)392‐[email protected],PRESIDENT‐ELECTOldeCarriageRealty(O)824‐4500(F)824‐6866(C)377‐[email protected](2)‐SECRETARYColdwellBankerPremierProperties(O)471‐5000(F)471‐4216(C)471‐[email protected]–TREASURERStAugustineTeamRealty(O)825‐0099(F)513‐9264(C)669‐[email protected]

DIRECTORSRickMcChesney(2)ColdwellBankerPremierProperties(O)471‐5000(F)471‐4216(C)347‐[email protected](2)AwesomeRealEstate,Inc.(O)429‐0600(F)429‐0601(C)669‐[email protected](1)Century21‐St.AugustineProperties(O)797‐6000(F)797‐7963(C)501‐[email protected]‐(2)Re/Max100Realty(O)461‐9500(F)461‐9501(C)466‐[email protected](1)WatsonRealty(A1A)(O)461‐9066(F)461‐9925(C)335‐[email protected](2)WatsonRealty(US1)(O)797‐8600(F)794‐7002(C)495‐[email protected]

RoyBarnesJr.,PAST‐PRESIDENTSt.AugustineRealty(O)824‐3331(F)825‐2685/(C)669‐[email protected],Ex‐OfficioWatsonRealty(US1)(O)797‐8600(F)794‐7002(C)669‐[email protected],Ex‐officio(O)829‐8738(F)823‐9512(C)505‐220‐[email protected]

MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC. KatherineDelaney,PRESIDENTWatsonRealty(US1)(O)797‐8600(F)794‐7002(C)669‐[email protected],P.A.,PRESIDENT‐ELECTEdmonson&AssociatesRealEstate,Inc.(O)827‐0722(F)638‐4746(C)315‐[email protected]‐SECRETARYSunshineRealty&AppraisalServices(O)471‐9259(F)461‐3178(C)501‐[email protected]‐TREASURERColdwellBankerPremierProperties(O)471‐5000(F)471‐4216(C)814‐[email protected]

DIRECTORS

Charles“Sonny”Shanks(2)SouthernExposureRealEstateServices(O)808‐1345(F)808‐1346(C)808‐[email protected]

DeborahLink(2)DeltonaRealty(O)940‐1551(F)940‐1561(C)806‐5464

[email protected]

GailJones(1)St.AugustineRealty(O)824‐3331(F)825‐2685(C)501‐[email protected]

JanetMasters(1)MatanzasProperties

(O)471‐3900(F)471‐1525(C)669‐[email protected]

AnnKing(1)BerkshireHathawayHomeServicesFloridaNetworkRealty

(O)471‐6906(F)471‐6907(C)806‐[email protected]

DirkSchroeder,PASTPRESIDENTCentury21St.AugustineProperties(O)797‐6000(F)797‐7963(C)540‐[email protected]

AndrewBirchall‐Ex‐OfficioSt.AugustineRealty(O)824‐3331(F)825‐2685(C)392‐[email protected],Ex‐officio(O)829‐8738(F)823‐9512(C)505‐220‐8683

[email protected]/16/2015

Page 3 V O L U M E 8 , I S S U E 3

S C H E D U L E O F E V E N T S

2nd—Education Committee 9am, YPN 11am

4th—Realtor Days Bus Trip 6:30am

5th—RPAC Committee 12pm 6th—After the Contract

9am 11th-12th—Paragon Training

9am—5pm Commercial Committee 8:30am Technology Committee 9:30am

13th—Paragon Training 9am 17th— Finance Committee

12pm Paragon Training 1pm

18th-—MLS Board 12pm 19th—Association Board

12pm 20th—Board Orientation 9am 24th—Paragon Client

Connect 1:30pm

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5

Full Moon

6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13

14

15 16 17 18

19 20

21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31

March 2015

Birthstone: Aquamarine, Bloodstone

Flower: Jonquil

Astrological Signs: Pisces: February 19 - March 20, Aries: March 21 - April 19


R E A L T O R ® S P O T L I G H T –

A F F I L I A T E S P O T L I G H T –

"Success belongs

to those who believe in

the power of

their ideas."


F E B R U A R Y N E W M E M B E R S

Hugh Franklin NEW Coldwell Banker Premier Properties Join Date 02/05/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) Lisa Martineau Endless Summer Realty Join Date 02/05/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) Marcia Jacalone NEW Watson Realty Corp (US1 South) Join Date 02/06/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) Nancy Turbyfill Bosshardt Realty Join Date 02/09/15 (MLS ONLY) Gene Anne McKay Bosshardt Realty Join Date 02/09/15 (MLS ONLY) Christopher G. Roberts NEW Watson Realty Corp(A1A) Join Date 02/13/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) David Petkovsek Realty Exchange Join Date 02/17/15 (Secondary BOR/Secondary MLS) Julie Sabine Realty Exchange Join Date 02/17/15 (Secondary BOR/Secondary MLS) Laura Freeman Re/Max Unlimited(Ponte Vedra) Join Date 02/18/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) James E. Linkenauger First Coast Realty Associates Join Date 02/23/15 (Secondary BOR/Secondary MLS) Kelly Seketa NEW First Coast Realty Associates Join Date 02/23/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) Aristeed Harrison NEW Signature Realty & Management Join Date 02/23/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) David Pilvinsky Realty Exchange Join Date 02/23/15 (MLS ONLY) Leslie Riser Coldwell Banker Vanguard Join Date 02/25/15 (Secondary BOR/Secondary MLS) Lana "Vonnie" Carlett NEW Berkshire Hathaway(112 Sea Grove) Join Date 02/25/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) Thomas James Franza Ancient City Real Estate Join Date 02/25/15 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)

M A R C H E V E N T S I N S T . A U G U S T I N E


March 2015

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Fridays, Saturdays,

& Sundays Historic Weapons Demonstra-

tions Tour The St. Augustine Lighthouse

Spanish El Galeón Back In St. Augustine

30th Annual

Cathedral FestivalHumpback Whales 3D

At IMAX Focus : The IMAX Experience

Dark Of The Moon Tours At The Light-

house The Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St. Augustine

1

Flagler College

Tours Tour The St. Augustine Light-

house Honoring The Legacy: A Trib-ute To African-

Americans In GolfHumpback Whales

3D At IMAX Lost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Light-

house Focus : The IMAX Experience

2

Wooden Boatbuild-ing At The Lighthouse

Archaeological Dig At Ximenez-Fatio House

Humpback Whales

3D At IMAX Focus : The IMAX Experience

The Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St. Augustine

3

The Wednesday

Market Flagler Col-

lege Tours Tour The St. Augustine Light-

house Wooden Boatbuilding At The

Lighthouse Curator's Tour At The Lightner

Museum Honoring The Legacy: A Tribute To African-Americans In

Golf Archaeological Dig At Ximenez-Fatio

House Humpback

Whales 3D At IMAXLost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Light-

house Focus : The IMAX Experience

4


Archaeological Dig At Ximenez-Fatio House

Humpback Whales

3D At IMAX Focus : The IMAX Experience

Sunset/Moonrise At St. Augustine Light-

house Boys Next Door At Limelight Thea-

tre The Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St. Augustine

History, Mystery, Mayhem & Murder Evening Historic Walk-ing Tour

5

Flagler Beach Farmer's

Market Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays Historic Weapons

Demonstrations Flagler

College Tours Archaeologi-cal Dig At Ximenez-Fatio

House Author Nancy

Pellicer Dyer Book SigningHumpback Whales 3D At

IMAX Lost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Lighthouse

34th St Augustine Lions

Seafood Festival Author Nancy Pellicer Dyer Book Signing At First Friday Art

Walk First Friday Art Walk

In St. Augustine Boys Next

Door At Limelight TheatreDark Of The Moon Tours At

The Lighthouse Keyhole

After Dark History, Mys-tery, Mayhem & Murder Evening Historic Walking Tour

Friday And Saturday: Paranormal Investigations At The Old Jail

6

Friday And Saturday: Paranormal

Investigations At The Old Jail Flagler

Beach Farmer's Market Old City Farm-

ers' Market Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays Historic Weapons Demonstra-

tions 34th St Augustine Lions Seafood

Festival Searle's Sack Of St. Augustine

Living History Day At Fort Matanzas

National Monument Archaeological Dig

At Ximenez-Fatio House Author Nancy

Pellicer Dyer Book Signing First Satur-

days At Fountain Of Youth Humpback

Whales 3D At IMAX Saturdays Musket Firing Demonstrations At Fort Matanzas

National Monument Through The

Keyhole Vilano Beach Sunset Celebra-

tion Boys Next Door At Limelight Thea-

tre Dark Of The Moon Tours At The

Lighthouse EMMA Concert: Moscow

City Ballet – Don Quixote The Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St.

Augustine History, Mystery, Mayhem &

Murder Evening Historic Walking TourFriday And Saturday: Paranormal Investi-gations At The Old Jail

7

Friday And Satur-

day: Paranormal Investigations At The

Old Jail Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays Historic Weapons

DemonstrationsFlagler College Tours

Tour The St. Augustine Lighthouse

34th St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival

Humpback Whales

3D At IMAX Lost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Lighthouse

Boys Next Door At

Limelight TheatreDark Of The Moon Tours At The Light-


8

Tour The St. Augustine Light-

house Honoring The Legacy: A Trib-ute To African-Americans In Golf

Chappie At IMAX

Humpback Whales 3D At IMAX

9

Flagler College

Tours Wooden Boatbuilding At The

Lighthouse Archaeo-logical Dig At Ximenez-

Fatio House Chappie

At IMAX Humpback

Whales 3D At IMAXLost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Light-


10

The Wednesday

Market Tour The St. Augustine Lighthouse


Honoring The Leg-acy: A Tribute To African

-Americans In GolfArchaeological Dig At Ximenez-Fatio House

Chappie At IMAXHumpback Whales 3D At IMAX

11

Flagler College


Lighthouse Archaeo-logical Dig At Ximenez-

Fatio House Chappie

At IMAX Lost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Lighthouse

Boys Next Door At

Limelight TheatreThe Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of

St. Augustine His-tory, Mystery, Mayhem & Murder Evening Historic Walking Tour

12


Market The Celtic Festival

Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays Historic Weapons

Demonstrations Plein Air

Painting With Randy PittsArchaeological Dig At Ximenez

-Fatio House Boys Next

Door At Limelight TheatreDark Of The Moon Tours At

The Lighthouse Keyhole

After Dark History, Mys-tery, Mayhem & Murder Evening Historic Walking Tour

Friday And Saturday: Paranormal Investigations At The Old Jail

13

Friday And Saturday: Paranormal

Investigations At The Old Jail Flagler

Beach Farmer's Market The Celtic

Festival Old City Farmers' Market

Second Saturday Trail Hike At GTM Fri-days, Saturdays, & Sundays Historic

Weapons Demonstrations Flagler

College Tours Plein Air Painting With

Randy Pitts Second Saturday Plant

Sales At The Park St. Patrick's Day

Parade Archaeological Dig At Ximenez-

Fatio House Lost Ships Tour At The St.

Augustine Lighthouse Saturdays Mus-ket Firing Demonstrations At Fort Matan-

zas National Monument Through The

Keyhole The Downtown Bazaar

Boys Next Door At Limelight TheatreDark Of The Moon Tours At The Light-

house EMMA Concert: Tallahassee

Symphony Orchestra The Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St.

Augustine History, Mystery, Mayhem &

Murder Evening Historic Walking TourFriday And Saturday: Paranormal Investi-gations At The Old Jail

14


Friday And Saturday: Paranormal Investigations At The Old

Jail The Celtic Festival

Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays Historic Weap-

ons DemonstrationsTour The St. Augustine

Lighthouse Plein Air Painting With Randy Pitts

Music In The Gardens-

Palm Coast Boys Next Door At Limelight Theatre

Dark Of The Moon Tours At The Lighthouse


15

Flagler College

Tours Tour The St. Augustine Lighthouse

Honoring The Legacy: A Tribute To African-Americans In

Golf Lost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Lighthouse

16


Archaeological Dig At

Ximenez-Fatio HouseThe Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St. Augustine

17

The Wednesday

Market Flagler

College ToursTour The St. Augustine Lighthouse

Wooden Boat-building At The Light-

house Honoring The Legacy: A Tribute To African-Americans

In Golf Archaeo-logical Dig At Xi-menez-Fatio House

Lost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Lighthouse

18

Wooden Boat-building At The Light-

house Archaeo-logical Dig At Xi-menez-Fatio House

Boys Next Door At

Limelight TheatreThe Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of

St. Augustine His-tory, Mystery, May-hem & Murder Eve-ning Historic Walking Tour

19


Market Fridays, Satur-days, & Sundays Historic Weapons Demonstrations

Flagler College ToursArchaeological Dig At Xi-

menez-Fatio House Lost Ships Tour At The St.

Augustine LighthouseBoys Next Door At Limelight

Theatre Dark Of The Moon Tours At The Light-

house Keyhole After

Dark History, Mystery, Mayhem & Murder Evening

Historic Walking Tour Fri-day And Saturday: Paranor-mal Investigations At The Old Jail

20

Friday And Saturday: Paranormal Investiga-

tions At The Old Jail Flagler Beach Farmer's

Market Third Saturday Photo Challenge

Guided Beach Exploration Old City Farmers'

Market Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays

Historic Weapons Demonstrations 2nd Annual Commemoration Of The Founding Of

Fort Mose Living History Garden Walk-

Palm Coast Third Saturday Nocatee

Farmer's Market Archaeological Dig At

Ximenez-Fatio House Third Saturdays At

Fountain Of Youth Tolomato Cemetery

Tours Saturdays Musket Firing Demonstra-

tions At Fort Matanzas National Monument

Through The Keyhole 3rd Annual Falcon

Regiment Sheepshead Derby Boys Next

Door At Limelight Theatre Dark Of The

Moon Tours At The Lighthouse The Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St. Augustine

History, Mystery, Mayhem & Murder Eve-

ning Historic Walking Tour Friday And Satur-day: Paranormal Investigations At The Old Jail

21

Friday And Saturday:

Paranormal Investigations

At The Old Jail Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays Historic Weapons Demon-

strations Flagler Col-

lege Tours Tour The St.

Augustine LighthouseLost Ships Tour At The St.

Augustine LighthouseSt. Augustine Record Fair

(Vinyl Records) Boys Next Door At Limelight

Theatre EMMA Con-cert: Stanislav Khristenko,

Pianist Dark Of The Moon Tours At The Light-


22

Tour The St. Augustine Lighthouse

Honoring The Legacy: A Tribute To African-Americans In Golf

23

Flagler College Tours



Ximenez-Fatio HouseLost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Lighthouse


24

The Wednesday

Market Tour The St. Augustine Light-

house Wooden Boatbuilding At The

Lighthouse Honor-ing The Legacy: A Tribute To African-

Americans In GolfArchaeological Dig At Ximenez-Fatio House

25

Flagler College


Lighthouse Ar-chaeological Dig At Ximenez-Fatio House

Lost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine

Lighthouse Boys Next Door At Lime-

light Theatre The Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of

St. Augustine His-tory, Mystery, May-hem & Murder Eve-ning Historic Walking Tour

26


Market Fridays, Satur-days, & Sundays Historic Weapons Demonstrations


Ximenez-Fatio HouseBoys Next Door At Limelight

Theatre Dark Of The Moon Tours At The Light-

house Keyhole After

Dark History, Mystery, Mayhem & Murder Evening

Historic Walking Tour Fri-day And Saturday: Paranor-mal Investigations At The Old Jail

27

Friday And Saturday: Paranormal Investiga-

tions At The Old Jail Flagler Beach Farmer's

Market 4th Saturday-Family Seining At The

GTM Research Reserve Old City Farmers'

Market Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays

Historic Weapons Demonstrations Flagler

College Tours Archaeological Dig At Xi-

menez-Fatio House Lost Ships Tour At The

St. Augustine Lighthouse Saturdays Musket Firing Demonstrations At Fort Matanzas Na-

tional Monument Through The Keyhole

Uptown Saturday Night Boys Next Door At

Limelight Theatre Dark Of The Moon Tours

At The Lighthouse The Original “Ghostly

Experience” Tours Of St. Augustine History, Mystery, Mayhem & Murder Evening Historic

Walking Tour Friday And Saturday: Paranor-mal Investigations At The Old Jail

28

Friday And Saturday:

Paranormal Investigations

At The Old Jail Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays Historic Weapons Demon-

strations Tour The St.

Augustine LighthouseBoys Next Door At Lime-

light Theatre Dark Of The Moon Tours At The

Lighthouse The Origi-nal “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St. Augustine

29

Flagler College

Tours Tour The St. Augustine Lighthouse

Honoring The Legacy: A Tribute To African-Americans In

Golf Lost Ships Tour At The St. Augustine Lighthouse

30



Ximenez-Fatio HouseThe Original “Ghostly Experience” Tours Of St. Augustine

31

April 2015

S T . J O H N S B U I L D E R S C O U N C I L


www.stjohnsbuilderscouncil.com

7th Annual

Fishing Tournament

Northeast Florida Marlin Assoc.

Camachee Cove

Family of Anglers are invited to join in on the excite-

ment as Captains bring their “catch” to the dock in

hopes of having the winning fish!

Music by “The Coconuts”

Dinner at 6:00pm

Winners announced

Prizes

Raffle for a Yeti 65 cooler

Awards F I S H C A T E G O R I E S ( A N G L E R C O M P E T I T I O N )

Redfish, Sea Trout & Flounder

$750 Each 1st Place

$300 Each 2nd Place

$200 Each 3rd Place

T R I P L E C H A L L E N G E ( B O A T C O M P E T I T I O N ) H E A V I E S T T O T A L W E I G H T O F O N E O F E A C H F I S H I N A B O V E C A T E G O R I E S W I N S

1st Place - $1,250

2nd Place - $600

3rd Place - $400

ALL AWARDS ARE BASED ON ENTRIES AND SPONSORSHIP PARTICIPATION

YOUTH DIVISION (under 15) – opportunities to win prizes

(If captain is under 18, Parent must sign release/waiver)

Schedule of Events C A P T A I N S M E E T I N G A T K I N G F I S H

G R I L L C A M A C H E E C O V E

FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH, 2015 6-8 P.M.

Captain’s can launch their boat from anywhere but fish to be weighed in

must be brought to the NEFMA clubhouse by boat.

W E I G H - I N ( A W A R D S A N D D I N N E R T O F O L L O W A T N O R T H E A S T F L O R -

I D A M A R L I N ’ S C L U B H O U S E A T C A M A C H E E C O V E )

APRIL 25TH, 2015 2-5 P.M.

Benefiting

For more information please contact Leona Brown at SJBC

[email protected].

To download boat registration form

Visit www.stjohnsbuilderscouncil.com

Entry Fee: $250 per boat

Every Child Has the Right to an Education

ASSIST helps the “homeless” children continue

their education.

St. Johns County has over 800 homeless children in

their school system who have been abandoned, living

in foster care, cars, parks, public spaces,

abandoned buildings, etc.


Green Your Spring Cleaning

"Green Tips " are simple steps you can take today to green your clothing, your home, your transportation and more! We encourage you to choose one step to get started and return for additional tips over time. Buy green cleaners at your local natural foods store or via mail order or the Internet.

Make your own cleaners. To avoid toxic chemicals, consider making your own cleaners. Household items like baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar, and club soda, can be combined to clean everything from carpets to toilet bowls.

Use old clothing and sheets for dusting and cleaning rags, rather than paper towels.

Install a clothesline in your backyard or basement, and let your clothes dry naturally.

Avoid cleaners that contain phosphates as a water softener. Phosphates appear in a number of cleaners such as some dishwashing liquids and promote rapid algae growth which pollutes the water supply.

If you use mothballs, consider replacing them with a more natural alternative. Try cheesecloth-wrapped cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, or whole cloves.

Eliminate the need for chemical fabric softeners by adding ¼ cup of vinegar to your washing machine’s rinse cycle.

Let your houseplants do the cleaning! Some houseplants—such as Boston ferns, English ivy, rubber plants, and peace lilies—can help clean your indoor air by absorbing toxic chemicals.

“ T E C H T I P ”

6 S I M P L E S T E P S T O S K Y R O C K E T Y O U R W E B S I T E


It used to be that the “calling card” we left behind in any social situation

was exactly that: a piece of paper. Most of the time, this generic card was

stuffed in some pocket, never to be looked at again. Today, we’ve moved

past the business card and put our calling cards online. But just because real estate professionals have gone

digital doesn’t mean they’re making the right impression.

First, let’s think about how you connect with the people you meet. Do you tell them to visit your website? Search

for your name online? Connect with you on Facebook? If you’ve tried any of these methods, you know the odds

of follow-through are slim. And even if they do end up on your site or profile, will they be inspired by what they

see, or excited to learn more?

Your website is your best opportunity to quickly make a lasting impression online, provided that you follow a few

simple steps.

1. Build a Better Real Estate Website

Cost and technical expertise are no longer reasonable excuses for a poor web presence. It’s never been easier

or more affordable to plan, design, and create a real estate website. Service providers like Placester,

Squarespace, and Wix have made it possible to launch a beautiful website in less than an hour, even with lim-

ited web experience. Simply select a template and design theme, then integrate your IDX listings, images, copy,

and social media accounts. Once your basic framework is set up, you can easily customize your site according

to your target demographic, geographic focus, property type specialty, and more.

2. Own It

How many times have you visited an awful website and come away with negative thoughts about the person or

business? Like the clothes you wear and the “clean” car you tour clients in, your website is an extension of your

overall brand presentation. It’s a window for showcasing your marketing skills and making a connection with

your target audience. By creating an engaging website that promotes your skill set and unique characteristics

as a real estate professional, you can establish credibility with potential buyers and sellers before you ever

speak to them.


3. Don’t Just Show Your Listings; Tie Them Up With a Bow

Of course, many real estate websites are about showcasing one of your greatest assets: listings. Yet many

agents don’t use listings to their full potential. Instead of simply making listings available to browse on your

website, try building content around them. Pre-launch a property with its own landing page. Showcase sold

listings in your monthly e-mail newsletter. Use your blog to highlight the best listings your community has to

offer. Give your visitors more than just a search page, and you’ll make a lasting impression.

4. Give Away Your Secrets

We all rely on the web to help us make our buying decisions. In fact, today 70 to 90 percent of the buyer’s

journey is complete prior to contacting a vendor. Nevertheless, you can still influence consumers early on by

offering them a way to answer their own questions online — and your real estate website is the perfect

venue. As a local agent, you’re an expert in the processes and challenges of buying and selling a home and

the ins and outs of the communities you serve. Your website is the ideal platform for sharing the “special

sauce” that makes you worth working with.

5. Focus on Local Search

More than ever, your ranking in Google search results depends on location-specific keywords and signals. To

optimize your website for local search, start by setting up profiles with your physical address (also called

citations) on all the major local search websites and directories: Google+ Local, Bing, Yahoo Local, Yelp, and

the major real estate portals. Connect these profiles to the customer reviews your past clients have left you,

then link everything to your personal real estate website so prospects and clients can find you.

6. Invest in Mobile

If you have a smartphone, you know first hand that the mobile web is increasingly the norm. What you might

not know is that local searches performed on mobile devices generate 47 percent more same-day store

visits than their desktop counterparts. According to one comScore report, 79 percent of mobile phone

owners use their devices to conduct local searches, while 78 percent of all local searches turn into offline

purchases. This is great news for locally focused real estate professionals. To take advantage these

numbers, you need to build a website that mobile users can not only find but also use. You can start by mak-

ing sure your website is responsive and works on all devices, from smartphones and “phablets” to tablets

and laptop computers.

Not long ago, creating a real estate website was a complicated, expensive, and frustrating experience.

Today, the best vendors are making things simpler by breaking down the technical barriers, enabling any

real estate professional to quickly build a great website. The flip side, of course, is that there’s no longer any

excuse for not having an effective website. So don’t wait: Start building and marketing your online brand



Page 14 N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E

H A V E A H E A R T A U C T I O N

Auction Committee: from left

Carol Alford Ron Barry, Joan Scop, Alison Barlow, Diane Vespucci, Penny James, Beth Ruggeri, Ted Smith,

Maria Gelinas, Russell Benes & Elizabeth Michaels


Auction

committee

getting

ready to

start the

auction

Russell Benes

selling 50/50

tickets

Right:

Russell Benes &

Maia Gelinas

Ron Barry,

Steve Gay,

Verna Bacon

& Victor J

Raymos

Bill Thew,

Penny James

& Tom Clarke



Victor J Raymos & Steve Gay

Marlene Lagasse makes a bid Auctioneer- Diane Vespucci and Beth Ruggeri as Vanna White

Bill Thew won the bid


Ted Smith & Diane Vespucci Berta Odom, Victor J Raymos & Don Pires

Cory Billingsley & Rob West He & Michael Delorenzo

Pat Kane, Don Pires & Jay Kane George & Shirley Spohrer



Sonny Shanks, Marlene Lagasse & Deb Link

Melissa Wissel, Beth Ruggeri & Tamara Martin

Tony Bosco, Tanya Liebal, Diane Leonardi & Ron Barry




N A R ’ S S E C O N D C E N T U R Y V E N T U R E S S E L E C T S P R O . C O M A S F I R S T M E M B E R O F 2 0 1 5 R E A C H ® A C C E L E R A T O R C L A S S

REach® launches companies into trillion dollar industries; provides access to thousands of potential customers

CHICAGO (March 17, 2015) – The National Association of Realtors®’ strategic investment arm, Second Century Ventures, has selected Pro.com as the first company accepted into the 2015 class of REach®, its growth technology accelerator program. Pro.com is a new home services marketplace that enables real estate agents to help home owners successfully price out home projects by matching them with a certified “Pro” in their area to get the job done.

The REach® program provides a catalyst for innovative technology companies, such as Pro.com, to launch into trillion-dollar industries including real estate, insurance, mortgage and financial services. It differs from other accelerator programs in that participants are more established than the aver-age start-up. Led by founder and CEO Matt Williams and his team of former Amazon executives, Pro.com has already helped over 100,000 customers with home projects, spanning 25 percent of U.S. zip codes across the country, representing a total value of $250 million in home services.

Williams is an experienced entrepreneur, most recently spending time as Entrepreneur in Residence at Andreessen Horowitz. Prior to that, Williams led the complete overhaul of social news aggregator Digg as its CEO. He sold his first startup, Livebid, to Amazon and later spent over a decade at the company leading various e-commerce divisions. Pro.com has raised a total of $17.5 million from investors including Maveron, Madrona Venture Group, Redpoint Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.

“Real Estate agents and homeowners alike use Pro.com to price home projects and quickly find the best pro to get the job done,” said Williams. “It’s an honor to be accepted into this year’s REach® accelerator program – the knowledge, resources and support will be invaluable to us as we grow.”

This year marks the third class of the REach® program, which annually offers six to 10 organizations the opportunity to connect with NAR’s 1 million members, including some of the most highly regarded executives, digital entrepreneurs and practitioners in the industry.

“Pro.com is ideally poised to take full advantage of the REach® program, as they and all participants will benefit significantly from access to real es-tate leaders - from education to mentorship to market exposure,” said NAR President Chris Polychron, executive broker with 1st Choice Realty in Hot Springs, Ark. “While Pro.com is applicable to so many individuals, it hits on a sweet spot in the real estate space, as in this day and age, Realtors® are going well beyond the transaction and often times act as an advisor to homebuyers and sellers, who turn to Realtors® when making improvements to their homes.”

REach® has a very successful track record – past participants have on average doubled their customer bases during the program and have gone on to raise more than $34 million in financing. Participants have been funded by well-known venture funds including SoftBank Capital, Intel Capital, Jave-lin and 500 Startups. Graduates of the program include Updater, BombBomb, SmartZip, WeVideo and SendHub (also a Y-Combinator graduate).

The accelerator will continue to accept applications on its web site through March 19, 2015. REach® seeks primarily SaaS-based companies with applicability in real estate, financial services, banking, home services and/or insurance markets. Learn more at www.narreach.com.

About Second Century Ventures

Second Century Ventures (SCV) is an early-stage technology fund, backed by the National Association of Realtors®, that leverages the association’s 1 million members and an unparalleled network of executives within real estate and adjacent industries. SCV systematically launches its portfolio com-panies into the world’s largest industries including real estate, financial services, banking, home services, and insurance. SCV seeks to define and deliver the future of the world’s largest industries by being a catalyst for new technologies, new opportunities, and new talent.

About National Association of Realtors®

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

About Pro.com

Pro.com is a nationwide marketplace for pricing home projects and finding a pro. Through its large database of home services and its Pro matching algorithms, anyone can immediately get instant price estimates, find trusted professionals and schedule appointments. Pro.com customers have ac-cess to vetted home service professionals in their marketplace. Customers are matched to the most trusted and experienced local professionals that best fits their needs and budget. Based in Seattle, Pro.com was founded by Matt Williams and his team of former Amazon executives and has raised $17.5M in Series A and seed funding from Maveron, Madrona Venture Group, Andreessen Horowitz, Redpoint, Two Sigma Ventures, Bezos Expedi-tions, and Sherpa Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.pro.com.

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Documents

St Augustine & St Johns County Board of Realtors BOR Forward March 2015 Newsletter