Bits & Bytes – Look4Homes now available for your mobile device.

Connect with your clients and customers through Look4Homes, a new app for the STARRS associations. Learn how to set up client accounts and communicate with your buyers by logging in with your regular login credentials and using the detailed instructions found in the application’s comprehensive Help/Support system.

  • Read more about Look4Homes here.
  • Download Look4Homes for your Apple iPad or iPhone from the iTunes AppStore.
  • Download Look4Homes for your Google Android from Google Play.

Blackberry and other devices can access Look4Homes by visiting any of the following URLs in their browser:
http://look4homes.starrs.ca
http://m.starrs.ca
http://mobile.starrs.ca

Bits & Bites

New App for REALTORS® and homebuyers in Southern Ontario

Look4Homes, a new app designed for iPhones and Androids, will soon be available to the members of the four STARRS associations – RAHB, Niagara, Brantford and Simcoe – and their clients.

This new product has great features for REALTORS® and their homebuyers:

  • Interactive map searching using GPS location-based technology in the iPhone and Android platforms
  • View property on maps, including satellite view
  • Search using all the criteria you are used to, including price range, number of beds and baths
  • Easily see all property details including multiple photos, price, property details and descriptions
  • Find your way to the front door using the turn-by-turn directions provided
  • Save properties for easy review later, or share them via text, email, Facebook or Twitter

Watch for the release of Look4Homes before the end of June.

 

SmartLinks and pop-up blockers

It is recommended that you add Fusion (URL: http://fusion.starrs.ca) to your browser’s list of allowed sites (‘exceptions’) for pop-ups – failing to do so may prevent Smartlinks (GeoWarehouse®, SIM, Connect, etc.) from opening.

Shown below are the steps to create an exception for Fusion in each of the major browsers.  There may be slight differences due to browser versions and settings, but the instructions should provide a basic overview of how to create a pop-up exception.

INTERNET EXPLORER
(Ver. 10 used as example; other versions are similar)

  1. Go to “Tools “Internet Options “Privacy
  2. Click on the “Settings” button, located under the “Pop-up Blocker” header.
  3. Add Fusion to the list of exceptions by typing the URL into the field and clicking “Add”.

GOOGLE CHROME

  1. Click on “Customize and Control Google Chrome
  2. Click on “Settings
  3. Click on “Content Settings” (located under the “Privacy” header)
  4. Click on the “Manage Exceptions” button located under the “Pop-Ups” header.
  5. Add “fusion.starrs.ca” to the list, and make sure that “Behaviour” is set to “Allow

MOZILLA FIREFOX

  1. Go to “Tools “Options “Content
  2. Click on “Exceptions” (DO NOT uncheck “Block Pop-Up Windows” as this will allow pop-ups for all sites.
    This is an important security feature!)
  3. Enter the Fusion URL in the “Address of Website” field
  4. Click “Allow

SAFARI
Safari does not allow for exceptions to the pop-up blocker.  To allow pop-ups in Safari, you must disable the
pop-up blocker:

  1. Go to “Safari”  “Preferences”  Security
  2. Uncheck “Block Pop-Up Windows.”

 

Bits & Bytes

Explorer 10 problems
If you are using Internet Explorer 10, you must have ‘Display all websites in compatibility view’ checked under Compatibility View Settings in order for all of our websites to function properly for Fusion and CONNECT.

Open Houses – Reminders
•  Agent open houses are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only.
•  Public open houses (Saturday and/or Sunday and evenings) are to be booked in openhouses.ca  – not in Fusion.

Bits & Bytes

Zoocasa removed as third party destination in RAHB listing syndication

In May, Zoocasa became a licensed brokerage in the province of Ontario.  This new business model introduced a new website which does not display listings in accordance with RAHB’s guidelines and as a result their third party feed has been disabled.

Zoocasa has also been removed from CREA’s DDF™ console as a third party destination.  As per the terms of the DDF™ third party agreement which prohibits third parties from being involved in providing real estate services, Zoocasa is no longer eligible to participate in CREA’s DDF™ as a third party.


Point2 Dashboard – Reminde
r

All MLS® listings are automatically uploaded to Point2 for distribution to third party destinations – that is, to real estate advertising websites.  All members have the ability to manage the destinations for their listings or to opt out of Point2 syndication if their Broker of Record allows.

Members control the syndication destinations for their active listings by choosing the destination for each of their listings via the Point2 dashboard.  Each listing is, by default, set to “on” for all syndication destinations chosen by the Broker of Record as “allowed destinations”.  (If the Broker of Record has not set up preferences for his/her company listings using the Point2 dashboard, all listings are by default uploaded to all Point2 destination websites.)

Salespeople, Brokers  and Brokers of Record who have not yet logged into their dashboards to manage their preference settings are urged to do so.   Every member with a listing when Point2 was launched would have received information about how to access their dashboard; members who have not logged in at all may have had their dashboards deactivated.  Members who don’t know how to access or use their dashboards or who haven’t used their dashboards should contact Point2’s customer service to have their dashboards (re-)activated.  Contact Point2 customer service at 1.866.977.1777 or customercare@point2.com.

Current Point 2 Destination Websites:

Point2 Homes
Trovit S.L. (Canada)
Axessrealestate.com
Kijiji Real Estate
Land Cloud
OpenHouse.ca
Mitula Homes (Canada)
Homes and Land Affiliates LLC
Real Estate Channel
RentCompass.com
Homefinder.ca
Condo.com
Equator
RealEstateRelated.com
HotPads.com
eLookyLoo.com

Remember:  your active listings are automatically uploaded to Point2 destinations unless you and/or your Broker of Record have opted out of the upload.  Use your Point2 dashboard to manage the destination websites for your listings.

Bits & Bytes

Don’t send REALTOR® Reports to your clients!
Real estate professionals handle sensitive information every day – and some may not understand how sensitive it is and the special care required.  Specifically, there are some MLS® listing reports – often referred to as “REALTOR®” reports – that contain information such as REALTOR® remarks, commission, and other information – all of which is highly confidential.  Sometimes reports contain showing instructions that no one wants to fall into the wrong hands – “Child home alone between 3 and 5, don’t show”, “Guard dog is really a pussycat”, “Owner on vacation until May – show at will”. Sometimes there is other sensitive information in the report – even descriptions of certain valuables and alarm codes, even though it is generally discouraged to put that kind of information on MLS®.


What does this mean to you?  If you handle these kinds of reports, you need to keep them confidential – be careful not to forward them via email, do not provide those reports to clients, and erase them from your computer when done using them.  Also, when you’re done with a printout you should use a cross-cut shredder to destroy it rather than putting it right in the trash or recycle bin.  You don’t have to read every report and decide if it has sensitive information on it – just make it a habit to use that shredder.

Reprinted and adapted with permission from Matt’s Real Estate Technology Blog by Matt Cohen

 

 

Fusion Update!
A new update to Fusion Experience (Beta) for the Android device is now available on Google Play.  This updates the Android version to the same code base as the iOS version.  Please note:  Because the smaller screen size does not provide an optimal experience, the Android version will continue to carry the Beta label.

 

BITS & BYTES

Obtaining Statistical Information In Fusion

RAHB members currently obtain their statistical information through SIM (Statistical Information Management) – available through MLXchange and Fusion or at sim.rahb.ca  – or by doing a search in MLXchange or Fusion. (more…)