Property ManagementOrange County Takes the Lead in Teaching Internet Marketing
Internet. E-mail. Internet marketing. You cringe at the phrases. Ready? Set?
Fingers-in-ears. Go away go away go away go away. Gone? No. Sorry. These words
are here to stay.
At the corporate level, large realty firms, such as Century21, Coldwell Ba
nker, and others, discovered as early as 1996, that putting their agents’
profiles and listings on the Internet was only partially effective. Until their
agents would become more educated about the Internet, the importance of e-mail
communications, and how to use the Internet and e-mail effectively, the
negative effects of unanswered e-mail would outweigh some of the Internet
visibility benefits. So how do brokers, office managers, and agents obtain such
education?
REALTOR® associations such as the Orange County Association of REALTORS® distinguish themselves in the eyes of members by how efficiently they provide
their routine services, and also by the unique and timely services that they
offer.
In my opinion, Orange County leads the way in the caliber of its
Internet/e-mail training courses (and many other technology classes) for
members. Why?
The main reason is because this cost-effective training is conducted
internally, by objective, qualified Association staff, and not by salespeople.
Another reason, according to REALTORS® who have taken these courses, is the
teaching acumen of Barbara Cox., Ph.D., the Association’s Technology Director.
Graduates of the association’s Tech Center technology classes, who now
number 1200+, say that the Association courses far out-value others they have
taken. Some REALTORS® belonging to other associations have driven long
distances and paid double-course fees in order to participate.
There are a couple of reasons why I believe in-house training is better for
agents that outside vendor training even if it is a free service to the
association.
Despite the increasing demand of REALTORS® to have their training coming
from within their local professional association, some associations naively
think having outside vendors come in and teach technical courses for free will
meet the need. But there are disadvantages.
After all, courses from Internet vendors, even those for CE credit, may be
perceived as (and sometimes rightly so) as infomercials. In substance they
provide less education and more sales pitch for the presenter’s
Internet-related services. Minimal course time is spent on objective
comparisons of options or on teaching in-depth "how to" stuff.
The second factor is that outside vendors aren"t usually as well equipped to
handle "computer illiteracy" of many agents. What is second nature to the
vendor teacher is a foreign language to an agent who has never laid hands on a
computer before.
Erma Jewett, First Team - Warner, Huntington Beach, took an Internet course
from an industry affiliated company. She said, "Nothing against the great job
that company does, but their instructor was a ‘techie’ who ‘talked down’ to
students. We felt terrified that we might ask him a "dumb’ question."
Undaunted, Erma subsequently signed up for a course from her Association,
driving with fellow REALTOR®, Ruth Censi, from her Huntington Beach office to
Laguna Hills. "What a difference!" says Jewett. "The Association’s class was
superb. I’ll be back for more."
Leslie Hall, Prudential - Mission Viejo, was a self-proclaimed computer
illiterate. "I’d take outside courses, but I was lost. Even my own son, a
computer expert, went too fast for me. But in Barbara’s course, I could
understand everything."
Leslie is now confident enough to be completing elements to put into her
future web site.
"The Association identified technology training as an important member
need," says Cox, "at a time (1996) when such an idea was revolutionary. The T
ech Center works to enhance members’ professional skills, to help them be
successful at what they do."
The strategy has paid off.
One Realtor, Frank Neimroozi, Tarbell, Fountain Valley, says he’s actually
switching membership from his current local board to the Orange County
Association because of its superior technology training. Frank had taken other
courses, but "the outside instructors were too involved in impressing people
with their expertise."
He views the Association’s classes differently, and says. "You really learn
from Barbara’s patient way of teaching no matter if you’re web-savvy (he is),
or not (most people)."
Ed Stice, First Team - Laguna Hills, is a Ph.D. who’s had plenty of
instructors. "After taking Tech Center courses, I can see that professional
associations will be making a major mistake if they don’t have or if they cut
back on in-house technical training."
"Any that do, just don’t have their ear to the rail as to what REALTORS®
need today," says Stice.