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Tag Archive: flexmls feature friday

Savable Map Shapes – Flexmls Feature Friday

Today feels like a good day to pick on subdivisions.  If I’m searching for a home in a particular subdivision, trusting the subdivision field can be scary. I usually get more results when I draw a shape on the map outlining the subdivision than I do when using the subdivision field.  The only problem is that until last week, it has taken too much time to always be drawing exact shapes whenever I want to do a subdivision search.  That has changed with last week’s map overlay upgrade.

Is the mapping 100% accurate, no.  Do I trust mapping more than I trust the subdivision field, yes.  Here’s one example why I trust map shapes more than subdivision names.

Active Search Results for:

Subdivision Field: westwing mountain = 49

Subdivision Field: *westwing* = 53

Map Shape: Outline of Westwing Mountain subdivision = 58

This shows me the map shape is more accurate than human entered subdivisions.  The problem?  It took too long to always be drawing exact shapes around particular subdivisions…    Until Now!

Time to get to the flexmls feature part of this flexmls feature friday – savable map overlays.  Now I can draw an exact shape around Westwing Mountain, save it, and use it over and over again.

To create a shape, go to Preferences – > My Map Overlays.  Follow the prompts.

If you like video tutorials, here’s a good one.

Happy f-cubed!

Private Documents – Flexmls Feature Friday

Today’s mission: Explain how to share listing documents with ARMLS members and NOT the public.  It’s simple to do and simple to do wrong.

First thing first, you need to become familiar with the Documents feature in flexmls.  I’m pretty confident most of you know about this since there are around 9,000 listings with Documents attached to them. Most of the docs are intended for the public; floor plans, feature sheets, etc.

Some of the documents however are not public.  I’ve mainly seen bank addenda and offer instructions set as private.

To accomplish this, all you really need to know is that you need the drop down menu next to “Description”.

Once you’ve picked the file you want to upload and selected “Private REALTOR Docn” you’re good to go.  Don’t change the description. If you change the description it changes the document to be public.

Quick and dirty F-cubed today.  Thanks for reading!

Listing Flyers – Flexmls Feature Friday

Another awareness day here at F³.  I know there are a plethora of tools out there on the “internets” that help you build flyers to showcase the homes you have listed for sale.  But did you know you have listing flyers in flexmls?  Here’s why they are cool and how to find them.

It’s really handy to have flyers within the flexmls system because they auto-populate the details from the listing.  No need to type the address, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, price, etc.  Simply click one of the templates and BAM! the flyer is generated for you.

If you’re not happy with the default templates you can change them.  From Preferences -> My Reports, you can edit or build your own flyer templates.  (Although in my opinion, this editor is one of the weaknesses of flexmls – it’s hard to use.) Hopefully you’ll find one of the 5 default templates will fit your needs.  Here’s a less than 3 minute video showing the how, what, where stuff.  Beware: it’s our Valentine’s Day edition of flexmls feature friday.

NEW Dashboard! – Flexmls Feature Friday

Have you seen the blinking Flexmls Update Notice on the dashboard this week?

It’s there informing us change is ahead.  Here’s a less than 5 minute video showing you the new dashboard that is scheduled to go live next week.  If you can’t tell by the video, I like.

Improving Accuracy of Mapped Listings – Flexmls Feature Friday

It’s not too often we get guest authors around here.  And we have never had a guest author help with a “How To”, such as the f³ series.  Like most abnormally large announcements on our blog I start with a capitalized HOWEVER, that changes today.  The President of FBS helps out with a good one!

Improving Accuracy of Mapped Listings by Michael Wurzer

Inside the system, there are several places where the agent community can help improve the accuracy of where the listings are mapped.

Unmapped Listings. There are two functions to help increase the number of listings that are unmapped. First, each user with permission to add/change listings has a menu item called “My Unmapped Listings” that allows them to map them.

Second, whenever listings are plotted, there’s a message in the lower right corner of the map telling the user how many listings are unmapped, and users can then report them, which sends a message to the listing agent.

Mis-mapped Listings. If a user notices a specific listing that is in the wrong location, they can click on the listing on the map and “move” the listing (the link is just below the Assessor Number in the top part of the bubble). If the listing is owned by that user, the location will be changed. Otherwise, the system will send a message to the listing agent recommending they change the location and all the agent needs to do is click to accept or reject the recommended location.

With help from the agent population, we should be able to achieve the goal of 100% accuracy of listing locations.

Mike

Supra Lockbox Management – Flexmls Feature Friday

Welcome to this “awareness” f-cubed.  Thanks to a conversation with Sharon Glick over on the John Hall & Associates facebook page, we’ve been made aware some agents may not know Supra lockbox functions are available from within flexmls.

Happy F³.

Listing Activity Report – Flexmls Feature Friday

Update: Listing Activity Reports now has viewing data from other IDX providers – read more here.

Alright!  F’cubed has made it to 2010.  The first flexmls feature friday of the decade – time to uncover a massive gemstone – Listing Activity Reports.  Whoa, there it is again, I can hear your thoughts, weird.  They sound like – What kind of listing activity?  What kind of reports?  Why would I want to use them?  Where are they?  Are these something I can easily share with my sellers?  Continue for answers.

What kind of listing activity? What kind of reports?

I think the report speaks for itself. Check out this report John Hall & Associates REALTOR® Joan Levinson gave us permission to share.

Why would I want to use them?

I think reports that we can share with our sellers that are professional, informative, and simple to implement into our current procedures are valuable. Sellers can see for themselves what’s happening with their listing.

Where are they?

The report is available from two places that I know.  If you are in the list view click that little grey dropdown arrow next to your listing and select Listing Activity.

If you are in the Edit Listing Screen simply click on Activity.

Are these something I can easily share with my sellers?

Yes!  That’s another reason they are so awesome, easily sharable.  At the top of the report you’ll find print and email buttons.

I recommend you meander over to flexmls and take a look at the activity of your listings.  Maybe it’s something you’ll want to email your seller.  Who knows, maybe it’ll make their day.

Happy New Flexmls Feature Friday Decade!

Printing Listing Details Reports and Listing Input Forms – Flexmls Feature Friday

I’ve heard about it quite a bit lately, greater Phoenix real estate agents are wasting paper printing practically blank pages from flexmls.  Nothing erks me more than chopping down innocent trees to fuel our wasteful printing – what did the trees do to deserve this!?!? [regaining composure] The two print jobs I’ve received the most feedback about are the Listing Input Forms and the Listing Detail Report.  I’m on a flexmls feature friday mission: To Teach You How To Use Your Internet Browser Print Options.  (For some crazy reason I’ve accepted this mission.)

Here’s the hitch in my get along – you and I use different internet browsers and different printers which has the potential of creating different results.  But if your take away from this article is learning how to adjust your settings, you will be empowered to curb wasteful printing.  Since I use both Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3ish, I can at least share the settings in both of those that work for me.

Are you a firefox user? Check out this tutorial (with pictures!) on how to access and change your settings right from the print preview screen.  The reason I like working from the print preview screen is because as soon as you make the changes and click OK you can see the results.  This is important because the forms you are trying to print are dynamic – meaning the length of them depends on the information in the listing.  Is there one setting that will work every time?  Probably not, but here’s what I find works for most.

  • Listing Detail Report & Listing Input Forms
    • Scale = 90%
    • Top, Bottom, Right, and Left Margins = .1
    • Header & Footers = –blank–

Are you an Internet Explorer user? Check out this tutorial (sans pictures) on how to access and change your page settings.  Again, I like accessing Page Setup from the Print Preview screen because you can see your changes immediately.  As mentioned above, the forms’ length will vary depending on the information entered, but I find these settings to work most of the time.

  • Property Details Page & Listing Input Forms
    • Top, Bottom, Right, and Left Margins = .25
    • Header and Footer = -Empty-

Researching this post has enlightened me.  It’s rare that I prefer the work of Internet Explorer, but it happened today.  When I printed the Listing Input Forms using Internet Explorer – they were much easier to read.  The check boxes in the dual column boxes didn’t overlap like they do when using Firefox.  IE8 win.

I wish you good luck with becoming familiar with your Page Setup options.  It’s a handy one to know since we’re printing from the web more and more.

Happy Flexmls Feature Friday!

Accessibility Features – Flexmls Feature Friday

Welcome to today’s episode of F³.

Today we’re talking about the Accessibility Features section that was added to ARMLS/Flexmls this week. It’s awesome that it’s so easy for ARMLS to add new stuff like this to the Flexmls system.  I’ll tell you what’s not awesome – that it takes a while to get the Zipform Listing Input Forms up to date.  But, if you’re an F-cubed follower, you already know I like the the Flexmls Listing Input Forms mo’ better.  Guess which ones already show the changes??? More on the listing input forms next week, that’s not what this post it about!  It’s about the new accessibility features, so I’ve got a couple of screen shots to share, the new features’ definitions and what goes through my head when ARMLS adds a new listing feature.

Adding Accessibility Features

The image above is from the ADD/CHANGE Listing screen.  Yes, if you click the red ?’s you get the definition of that specific feature.  I had no idea what Hard/Low Nap Floors were until I clicked the red ?.  This definition popped up…

Hard Low Nap Floors

You want a list of all the definitions? Okay good…

Zero-Grade Entry: entrance to home does not have a step, sill or elevation change greater than 1/2 inch
Door/Access 3′+ Wide: minimum 32” wide clearance – clear width (not frame to frame)
Hallways 36in+ Wide: minimum 36” wide clearance – clear width (not frame to frame)
Hard/Low Nap Floors: hard surfaces such as woods, linoleum, tile, stone, with minimal carpeting, beveled transitions, no sills, ledges, or sunken rooms or showers
Bath Roll-In Shower: shower floor at the same level as the bathroom floor, with no ledge, sill, or runner
Bath Raised Toilet: toilet or commode that is either 17” or 19” from the floor to facilitate transfer, and/or is adjustable up to 30” to accommodate various height requirements
Bath Grab Bars: steel or aluminum bars at/in shower and toilet areas to steady or brace user for support or balance
Bath Roll-Under Sink: space for knees (wheelchair user) that is at least 24” in height and approximately 30” in width
Bath Lever Faucets: lever-style handles replacing ball or knob style for ease of use
Ktch Apps Low/Secure: microwave and oven installed so that they are approximately 31” from the floor, and have side-hinge doors
Ktch Low Counters: work surface no lower than 28” and no higher than 34”, and no more than 24” in depth
Ktch Roll-Under Sink: space for knees (wheelchair user) that is at least 24” in height and approximately 30” in width
Ktch Modified Range: burners are single row or staggered to eliminate reach-across
Ktch Low Cabinetry: cabinets installed lower to permit opening and access at or near 34” and not exceeding 48” from the floor
Lever Handles: single bar type lever on doors, spigots, appliances absence of knobs and circular pulls on cabinetry; loop handles shaped like the letter D, permitting hand to insert into handle
Tactile/Visual Mrkrs: multi-sensory identifications, with light, sound, or touch markers to communicate status of appliances, thermostats, alarms, doorbells, etc.
Closet Bars 15-48in: installed to allow seated access; installed at heights of 15” to 48” above floor level
Ramps: secured, non-slip ramps to allow navigation of elevation changes with grade no greater than 1:20 or 5%
Stair Lifts: mechanical, motor driven assists to permit wheelchair occupant access to multi-floor homes
Remote Devices: remote controls for lights, fans, appliances (kitchen and other), thermostats, alarms, and automated door touch pads.
Exterior Curb Cuts: external to home – neighborhood has ramped sidewalk areas at crosswalks and intersections to permit wheelchair users to cross streets, access mailboxes, etc.

(Definitions credit goes to the official PDF that ARMLS published earlier this week.)

Last but not least, what I (the internet marketing dude) think whenever I see ARMLS come out with a new section like this is that I can add pages specific to this niche to my real estate website.  Let’s say my geographic marketing area is the Town of Paradise Valley.  Chances are I have 1 click search results that return the active listings only for Paradise Valley.  Maybe I have some 1 click search results for homes with Green features in Paradise Valley too.  Now I can also have 1 click search results for homes specific to buyers with Accessibility needs.  Nothing like making it a little easier for your website visitors to find what they want!

That’s all for this episode – Happy Flexmls Feature Friday!

System Updates – Flexmls Feature Friday

flexmls featureToday’s F-cubed is brought to you by your friends at FBS Data and the Arizona Regional MLS.  By “brought to you by”, I mean they did the work by creating the explanatory pdf’s.  You already know I don’t like to duplicate the effort of someone else.  If what I need to explain is already explained – I’ll just point you to it.

ARMLS Explanation of System Updates

There are differences between the two – I recommend read-browsing them both, then going and playing with the system. Read. Use. Read. Use. Use. Use. Use.

The best improvement for greater Phoenix REALTORS® is probably the auto-save feature.  Every 2 minutes the system saves your work when inputting or editing a listing.  Although I do have to say I really like the design improvements.  It’s probably because I’ve helped REALTORS® use the Flex IDX product on their websites.  It’s really nice that the system is now easier for first-time users to understand how to use.

Which leads me to biggest difference between the FBS docs and the ARMLS docs – the size font used when mentioning the IDX product.  Of course FBS is going to use the largest font possible to bring attention to the IDX product they have available for agents and brokers to purchase.  They want to get the word out that they are another option for agents to use when building a website.  Personally I like their product.  It’s a good value and it integrates with flexmls.  You do have to build a site first though.  It’s not an out-of-the-box product like some of it’s competitors.  (Which is a good thing!)

Anyway, check out the helpful docs linked to above.

Happy flexmls feature friday!