We recently came across some cool tools we thought you might be interested in:

Samsung has announced the arrival of a new cell phone called the Blast. This “full on” text messaging device “lets you text like you talk.” In addition to its full QWERTY keyboard and slim design, this mobile device lets you check your email, take pictures and chat through the most popular instant messaging services. The Blast is available to T-Mobile users.

Dell has developed one of the first laptops to feature a solid state hard drive. This means it has no moving parts – similar to a memory stick! The M1330 is one of the slimmest laptops available today and it’s pretty powerful as well. If you’re in the market for a new laptop, you may want to research this model.

Many of us have heard of MySpace.com. But, did you know that there is an online social network just for real estate professionals? Actually, there may be several different real estate networks out there, but the one we’re highlighting this month is called ActiveRain (www.activerain.com). This site contains a tremendous amount of information, including Blog postings, Online Resources, Referral Exchange, Groups and a great Q&A section. Check it out. It’s free!

And, speaking of Blogs, check out WordPress.com (www.wordpress.com). If you have an email address and a name, you can establish your own Blog in just a few minutes. Their basic features will allow you to set up a Blog for free. Their add-on features will cost money. If you’ve been thinking about setting up a Blog, take a look at this site and see if WordPress has what you’re looking for.

Matthew Ferrara & Company’s Disclaimer: We do not endorse any products, services or vendors. Nor are we paid in any way to promote certain products, services or vendors. We simply report on new technologies and services for informational purposes only. We strongly encourage our readers to research all products, services, technologies, vendors, etc. before joining a network or acquiring any product or service, whether it is free or not.

Leads Management is always a hot industry topic. Real estate professionals world-wide often struggle with getting clear answers to important questions such as:

How do I attract and acquire good leads?
What incubation methods work best?
How can I turn leads into sales?
When is it ok to let a lead die?

Leads Management isn’t a new concept and certainly isn’t unique to the real estate industry. But understanding the processes associated with leads management and the skills that are needed during the various stages of the lead life-cycle can make the difference between losing the lead and turning the lead into a sale.

In Matthew's article entitled "Turning Leads into Gold" you'll learn about ways in which you can sharpen your leads management skills by developing a clear and simple strategy and by using basic technology to respond to and keep in contact with your leads.

Download Turning Leads into Gold

Support on Demand is changing the way REALTORS® are resolving their technology issues. For just $24.95 per incident, our Support on Demand service is priced very competitively. We provide fast, friendly and knowledgeable service AND if we can’t fix your technical issue, we won’t charge you!

Support on Demand provides technical support for:

• Desktop Computers
• Laptops
• PDAs and Cell Phones
• Blackberries
• Printers & Scanners
• Digital Cameras
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Outlook, Outlook Express and Web Email
• Antivirus and Spyware

We also can help you with optimizing your system for better performance. Our service includes remote access to your computer so you can sit back and watch us fix your problem (remote access is permission-based, of course).

Support on Demand is an easy, convenient and inexpensive way for you to get answers to your technical questions and have your technical problems solved.

Fast, friendly support when you need it. Click to find out more.

Informative Tips from us to you!

Tech Tip #7: Sort Your Programs by Name

You can easily organize the programs in your Start Menu alphabetically. To do this, follow the steps below…

• Click Start
• All Programs
• Right Click and select SORT BY NAME

Even though the summer months have been quite busy for all of us at Matthew Ferrara & Company, our fall schedule is shaping up to be even busier! Here is an overview of our some of our open events:

October 8:

The Maryland Association of REALTORS® will host the Ultimate Technology Certification Course with Matthew. This will be the third time this program has been offered in Maryland and we look forward to another great event!

October 9:

The Rhode Island Association of REALTORS® will host the Ultimate Technology Certification Course with Matthew. We’ll be introducing this program for the first time in Rhode Island. Attendees will receive 6 hours of Rhode Island Continuing Education Credit upon completion of this program.

October 23:

The Rhode Island Association of REALTORS® will host the Certified Home Marketing Specialist Course with Kathy Brady. Developed by Martha Webb, author of “Dress Your House for Success,” this program is one of the best home positioning course available today. Attendees will not only receive a one-time designation, but will also receive 9 hours of Rhode Island Continuing Education Credit upon completion of this program.

October 23:

The Worcester Regional Association of REALTORS® will host the second of an ongoing series of events under their ‘Tech Tuesdays’ series. This program, called Tech Tools, will explore laptop & PDA specs – what to look for when you’re ready to upgrade to the next level and what you don’t need. We’ll also explore tech tools that meet the needs of today's consumers, such as Instant Messaging, Text Messaging and Cell Phone marketing. And we’ll finish up with wireless networking and other online tools that can help maximize your productivity and put you miles ahead of your competitors.

October 25:

The Greater Boston Real Estate Board will host the Ultimate Technology Certification Course with Matthew. Although our UTC program is not new to the Boston area, this is the first time we’re offering this outstanding program through the GBREB. We’re excited to be working with this wonderful group once again!

These are just a few of the events we’ll be doing over the next couple of months. Please visit our Events & Seminars calendar for a complete list of dates, events and locations, and to register online for any of these programs.

Technology: Sales or Marketing?

A recurring theme I'm hearing lately from some clients is that they are in need of a "system" that they can use to "automatically" prospect their new and past clients.

You know, a database or something with some sort of "drip marketing" campaign tools. Isn't there something like that, where I can just put my clients into it and 'forget it' while it keeps sending stuff to them? 

» Read the full article

Microsoft Windows Series | Tutorial #6

Using the Quick Launch Bar gives you quick access to programs that you use on a regular basis.

» Click Here for complete Step-by-Step Instructions!