How to Reduce Stress from Tech: 4 Time-Tested Tactics
Brokers and their agents are stressed out: long hours, a seismic shift in the market, a record jump in mortgage interest rates, not to mention a pandemic that turned so many lives upside down. And because of the pandemic, the entire real estate industry jumped on the tech bandwagon, catapulting the adoption of new technology by industry pros — we Zoom, Dropbox, eSign, Facebook, and Google more than ever. Screen time is soaring with the onslaught of new technology dominating a broker's workday. What can you do to reduce stress, especially from tech? Here are four time-tested tactics experts suggest can help brokers – or agents – reduce technology-induced or aided stress. Digital Detox: You need to take a complete break from technology, starting with your smartphone. Build this into at least a weekend vacation. A few days of near-zero screen time can do wonders to help you learn to relax. That means no social media scrolling or checking texts or emails. No video games playing or even watching the news. It's time to break away. Get help from a coworker or your significant other who can monitor urgent messages that may need your response because we all know real estate happens. Pro tip: Go to your happy place – your favorite vacation spot or getaway to chill out (unless, of course, your happy place is an internet café, but that's doubtful.) Divorcing yourself from all things tech will reduce stress, increase social interaction and give you more time control. In addition, you are likely to discover how much negativity digital devices may be contributing to your daily life. Change your tech tendencies: Most people are creatures of habit. The same is true when it comes to the technology we use. Is your phone by your bedside at night? Do you ever check your email in the middle of the night or pick up your phone immediately after waking up? Do you use your phone in the bathroom? How much total time do you spend looking at a screen each day? Your smartphone tracks that and can tell you. How do you feel after spending time on Instagram or Facebook? Happy or sad; frustrated or angry? Taking a full assessment of your tech habits and how you react when you use technology for different things can help you change your tendencies. Be proactive: create one if you don't already have family rules in place, such as no phones out at the dinner table. Understanding how you cumulatively spend your time and energy now with tech will help you correct or reduce bad habits and discover better, more positive ways to use your time. Increase face-to-face interaction: Are you Zoomed out? A lot of brokers find being in Zoom meetings all day can be exhausting. It's a great tool, but like everything, it requires use in moderation. Have you noticed increased pleasure when spending time face-to-face with other people? Humans hunger for interpersonal interaction, which seems particularly true for real estate professionals. There is no substitute for face-to-face communication as a stress reliever. Spend more time meeting with your agents and other professionals in person. You will likely find it less stressful but a lot more enjoyable, productive and fun! Set a curfew for your tech: Did you know that blue light emanating from your phone that you are looking at in bed can wreck a good night's sleep? According to health professionals, your mobile phone screen reduces the production of melatonin, a hormone controlling your sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm. As a result, using a mobile phone at night can make it difficult to fall asleep and wake up the following day. In addition, researchers note that the circadian rhythm appears extra sensitive to blue light, making your brain think it's daytime. The best advice: unplug at night. Turn your electronic devices off an hour before you go to sleep. Let's also acknowledge that while technology may contribute to your stress load, it can also relieve stress. You can enjoy silly videos or funny memes and listen to your favorite music on your phone. Meditation apps like Calm or Headspace can help you relax – and fast. Your Fitbit or Apple watch can help monitor your physical activity, which also reduces stress. You can even schedule a video session with a therapist to discover more ways and methods you can use to reduce stress. Even broker tech tools such as transaction management software like Form Simplicity can help reduce work-related stress. They help keep you compliant, streamlines your workflow, and help you stay connected to your agents. You can learn more about how Form Simplicity can help brokers at formsimplicity.com/brokers. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Residential Real Estate Council's Broker Solutions Is Latest Addition to NAR's REALTOR Benefits Program
The National Association of Realtors announced the launch of a new resource being made available to its members nationwide through the REALTOR Benefits Program. The offering, Residential Real Estate Council's Broker Solutions, was developed to ensure residential real estate brokerages with fewer than 150 agents are able to provide service and support to their agents comparable to what is typically offered by larger entities. Last week, NAR released its 2021 Profile of Real Estate Firms, which found that the vast majority of real estate brokerages in America are small, independent operations. Specifically, four out of five real estate firms operated from a single office, typically with three full-time real estate licensees, and 81% of all U.S. brokerages are residential. "Smaller, independent brokerages have limited resources to navigate the endless stream of disruptions in our market," said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. "But as the NAR report from last week showed, these are the brokerages which dominate the market and propel our industry forward. We're excited to announce this partnership with RRC, which will help to ensure small, independent firms have access to the same resources as those affiliated with major franchises and corporations." Through various educational and professional development programs and consulting services, RRC's Broker Solutions offers a number of tailored programs to help brokers equip agents with the tools needed to succeed in today's market. RRC Broker Solutions has agreed to provide all NAR members, non-member NAR staff, state/local association staff and family members with $50 off full-priced education programs provided by Broker Solutions. RRC was established in 1976 to provide real estate brokers and agents with shared knowledge and tools. Recognizing the need for advanced education, the Council developed training courses and established the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation.

How Tech Helpline Became Known for 'Friendly Tech Support'
When Tech Helpline began 20 years ago as a service for Florida Realtors® members, it quickly earned a reputation for providing "Friendly Tech Support." Tech Helpline's approach was unique, offering no-nonsense technical advice and warm, friendly customer service. It became the No. 1 tech service in real estate during a time when calling tech support was the last resort because a positive experience was rare and hardly ever "friendly." Unless, of course, you were contacting Apple. The Apple Genius Bar – its tech support center – was legendary for having well-trained, helpful, and remarkably friendly tech services staff. It's why Tech Helpline has been called the "Genius Bar for Real Estate." "Friendly" is not only one of Tech Helpline's most significant differentiators; it is also highly valued by the members it serves. Today, Tech Helpline supports more than 667,000 Realtor members throughout the U.S. and Canada. In all, 17 state Realtor associations, and 60 local associations, MLSs, and real estate brokerage firms rely on Tech Helpline as an essential benefit for their members and agents – one that is often rated at or near the top of all the benefits provided. Knowledge is power, but kindness is king Tech Helpline's call center is in the U.S. – based in Orlando, Florida, at the Florida Realtors headquarters. Comprehensive support, available in English and Spanish, is provided by a staff of professional tech analysts with 300+ years of combined IT experience by phone, chat, and email. While nearly every tech support service has a technically knowledgeable staff, few tech support services are known for being both helpful and incredibly friendly. Robert Calderon, the Director of Tech Helpline for more than 15 years, offers some insight as to why Tech Helpline is different. Calderon looks to hire people who not only have technical experience – or the applicable schooling – but also look for folks who are naturally customer service oriented. For more than a decade, he has helped assemble a team of technical analysts who are, well, not just intelligent and experienced; they are genuinely "supportive." "Everyone (on the team) knows that they have to answer a question or assist in finding an answer," Calderon explains. His team also knows to support one another. The approach they take, he says, is "Let us find the answer together." Phrases that you will never hear in the Tech Helpline call center: "That's not my job" or "I don't do that." You can't teach friendly Key to the ongoing success of Tech Helpline is the chemistry that the team shares. The environment reflects the same culture and chemistry as the Florida Realtors, which owns and operates Tech Helpline. These characteristics include, according to Calderon, "Ownership, responsibility, teamwork, calm under pressure, and a desire to learn." Like Florida Realtors, it all begins with an acute focus on giving members what they need for everything they do. And the analyst cares about each member who calls in to ask for help, no matter the request. "You got it, you own it," is the approach of the team. Calderon notes his team of analysts is encouraged to share their stories, especially when a technician "saves the day" for a member. This practice not only "allows those stories to be shared but also reinforces this behavior in others," he said. Whatever it takes Jessica Smith, who heads up sales for Tech Helpline, recently explained in a podcast with the Ohio Realtors that the tech support staff doesn't give cookie-cutter responses. "If you were to call up and ask, 'What technology is out there that might make my life a little bit easier?', a Tech Helpline analyst will legitimately talk with you to understand what it is you do, what your days are like, to help get to know you before giving you recommendations on what's out there that you might not even know about." Tech Helpline tech analyst Alex Barnett, also on the podcast, added, "I kid you not, I have spent many hours in someone's Amazon shopping cart when they ask, 'What should I get?', and I tell them, 'Let's go shop together.'" It's that "can do" attitude that permeates through the Tech Helpline staff and is core to its culture. For example, Barnett feels bad when an agent or broker wastes a couple of hours trying to fix a tech problem on their own – such as trying to set up a new webcam. "Call us first," he recommends. Longevity speaks volumes For 17 years, Linda King has flourished as part of the team at Tech Helpline. She is the embodiment of kindness and friendliness, having come to the Florida Realtors from Disney. She went from working for the creators of the happiest place on earth to the home of the friendliest tech support in real estate and has never looked back. Starting at Florida Realtors as a receptionist, King moved to communications and Tech Helpline. Labeling herself a "non-techie" – but noting she has picked up things over time – she is primarily responsible for resolving membership issues, such as signing on to access online services that Tech Helpline supports. Her golden rule: "We never want to hurt anyone's feelings," King said. She notes that everyone at Tech Helpline has a deep understanding of what an agent does every day, and that helps resolve member problems. "This is their livelihood. They don't make any money if they are not selling," so even if she can't help someone directly, she will find someone who will. You can find King's enthusiasm and helpful disposition the minute you call into Tech Helpline. She is literally the voice of Tech Helpline, having recorded the prompts you hear when you call. King and Calderon are not the only team veterans who have spent a decade or more with Tech Helpline, a testament to providing a great work environment and culture. "I've met some wonderful people and learned a lot," King said, adding. "A person is defined by their job, and I think it's been good for me to keep busy like this and to learn new skills. To me, that's been the best thing." Calderon, too, reinforces Tech Helpline's friendly culture by the way he leads his team. He has the "friendly" gene as well as an open-door policy. You most often can find him spending time on the call center floor, speaking with tech analysts in between calls. Along with Javian Melendez, a 14-year veteran of Tech Helpline and a manager, they are known for sharing the positive emails individual analysts receive with the entire team. Calderon summarizes the success of Tech Helpline with this straightforward observation: "When people are caring, it shows they are vested in the work they do." To learn more about Tech Helpline, go to techhelpline.com. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

RPR Launches New Shortcuts Menu for Guided Tours
RPR offers REALTORS exclusive access to property data, tools and reports. Being proficient in RPR can improve your productivity and efficiency, which can really impress your clients and help you stand out from your competitors. As the slogan goes, with RPR, you will "wow" your clients and close more deals. However, even though we continue to make RPR as user friendly and intuitive as possible, it is also very deep and quite detailed. And sometimes, even the most experienced users can get sidetracked. On the flip side, new users and beginners can also feel overwhelmed by all the data points and features available. RPR has heard this type of feedback from our users and we've come up with a smart way to help guide you along.

Why You Shouldn't Fear Calling Tech Support
It's not uncommon for many real estate brokers and agents to suffer from tech fatigue. After all, how many apps do you have on your cell phone? How many programs are on your laptop that you rarely, if ever, use? The onslaught of technology can be, well, exhausting. Adding to tech fatigue are the promises of new technology that is "easy to use" and will save you time, make you more money--or both! The truth is, for many real estate agents, a lot of technology isn't easy to use. And when something goes amiss, the faith agents may initially have in their technology quickly erodes.

Tech Helpline Tips: Is It Time to Update or Replace Your Computer?
What year did you buy the computer you use most for your work? When is the last time you upgraded its operating system? Are you using the most current version of your web browser? If you can't easily recall the answers to any of these questions, there's a strong possibility that it is time to update or replace your computer. Here's a brief checklist to help determine if updating your computer's software is enough or if it's time to replace this vital technology that helps you do your job.

How Much Money Can Tech Support Save Your Brokerage?
You don't think about how incredibly valuable insurance is until something goes terribly wrong. When you tap into your insurance policy, your immediate reaction is probably one of relief: thankfully, you had it in place and you are covered. But what if you are not covered? How painful is it – both financially and emotionally – when something terrible happens and you don't have insurance to cover it? It's hard even thinking about it, right? Tech support coverage in the real estate industry today is a lot like an insurance policy. You don't know how lucky you are to have it, unless you don't. Fully 60 percent of the real estate agents in North America – in the U.S. and Canada – can rest easy. Local, regional and state MLSs, along with some super-savvy brokerages, are providing them tech support coverage through Florida Realtors-owned Tech Helpline. But what about the other 40 percent?

How Can Brokers Meet Agents' Tech Needs?
What would you do if you lost access to your smartphone for a day? A week? What happens when you try to print out a copy of a CMA, and the printer stops and you can't find the problem? What recourse do you have if you accidentally went to the wrong website and your laptop got infected with malware and has been slowing down ever since? Or what if you just can't connect to wireless when you are on the move? Keeping agents connected and their basic technology working is one of the most important things a brokerage can do to support their agents' tech needs. Too often, it seems that brokers focus on solely their own technology solutions: how to get agents to adopt the various tech tools and software in which they've invested so much to provide. But providing basic tech support – making sure real estate agents have a lifeline if they get stuck using their go-to technology, that their smartphone is getting email properly, that their laptops are optimized and virus-free, that if their printer doesn't print there is someone to help fix it now, and not later – is of paramount importance as well. For more than 60 percent of real estate agents and brokers in North America (U.S. and Canada), we've got you covered, as the majority of real estate pros have access to technical support provided by the real estate industry's #1 tech support team. It's a service that is provided at no extra cost as a subscriber or member benefit from your local MLS, your state or local Realtor® association, or your brokerage. It's called Tech Helpline - has been dubbed "the Genius Bar for real estate" – and is created, owned and operated by the Florida Realtors®, the second largest state Realtor association in the U.S. Tech Helpline provides technical support services for a wide range of software and hardware, from smartphones and tablets to desktops, laptops, email problems, virus issues and more.

Looking for New Tools for Your Business? Do Not BUY ANYTHING Until You Check Your MLS!
I get calls all the time from brokers and agents looking for new technology solutions for their business. For example, I just spoke to a broker today who is looking to add several new agents to his business. He was looking for a more effective way to keep track of the increased number of transactions in his firm. He called me to ask for advice about how to handle his increased volume of transactions. He asked me what system should I choose? How much will they cost? He was worried he wouldn't be able to afford the new tools he may need to gear up for. I asked him one simple question: What MLS do you belong to? He answered, NTREIS in Dallas, Texas. When he told me the MLS he was a member of, I immediately went to their website and found out that NTREIS actually offers a transaction management solution as part of their core service offering. The broker will have to pay NOTHING in addition to his normal monthly dues and will get the tools he needs to manage his business more effectively. Most MLSs today offer TONS of technologies in their monthly subscriptions in addition to the core MLS system. What's the lesson here? ALWAYS check with your MLS BEFORE you purchase new technologies. You may already have a great tool available to you that you ALREADY paying for. MLSs work hard to provide tools that can be helpful to agents and brokerages of all sizes. It's really simple to check with your MLS. Just look for a tab that says something like Services, or Technologies or Member Benefits and they should provide a list of products that are available as part of your subscription.

The New Process for RFPs in Real Estate
The RFP process has been a practice of companies acquiring technology solutions forever. RFP stands for Request for Proposal. The RFP focuses on drawing out product features and functionality. Although RFPs have always asked questions about the company, that is perhaps the most important component of RFPs in 2016. Today, I would argue that an RFP really is a Request for Partnership. This change was caused by a quiet revolution. During the Y2K surge that transitioned software from mainframe to browser, there was recognition that the old process of software development was too bureaucratic, slow, and overly regimented. An alternative to traditional project management that emerged in the early 2000s is called Agile software development. They use terms like Scrum, Extreme Programing, Dynamic System Development Method, Feature-Drive Development and many others. The overarching focus of all of these methodologies is to deliver frequent, high quality working software, delivered in "sprints," which are measured in weeks, not months. The result is continuous improvement. You are experiencing this new methodology routinely on your mobile devices. If you have notices that your iPhone asks you to update your apps all of the time, that's it. DocuSign can illustrate an example in real estate. In the first two months of the year, they have done 18 new feature releases for their transaction management solution. The software that they offered in January has evolved in two short months. It's not just DocuSign; this is the way it's done for most software developers.

How to Set Your Default Programs Preferences
A recent round of Windows updates wiped out my default program preferences. Now my computer wants to open webpages in Edge, Microsoft's new browser, instead of Chrome, my preferred option. Image files no longer open in Photoshop, but in Windows Photo Viewer. Judging by the grumpy comments on PC users online, I'm far from alone. The inconvenience is only mild, to be sure, but if you have a set workflow, it's enough to derail your productivity. Fortunately, this is easy to fix, and there are a few ways to go about doing so. We'll run through a couple of them here. Set Default Programs from the Settings Menu If you were previously a Windows 7 user, the Settings Menu is new to you, but it offers an easy way to set your default program preferences. To do this: Click the Start menu and select Settings Next, choose System then Default Apps Finally, choose the default you want to change. The image below, for example, shows how to change your web browser default from Edge to Chrome

Ben Kinney’s Real Estate Team of the Future
Ben Kinney (IMSD founder) and his team closed over 500 transactions in 2011. To handle that kind of sales capacity, he has had to reinvent the traditional real estate team structure. Many real estate agents make as much money as a doctor, so why don't we run our businesses the same way? The doctor has a receptionist, nurses, records specialists, and other professionals who handle 90% of the interactions with her patients. If your doctor answered the call for appointments, helped you fill out forms, submitted insurance paperwork and managed billing, they wouldn't make any money. Here is how to model your business the same way.