REALTORS®, as much as any other mobile work force, need to be able to access their e-mail messages from any terminal using any ISP anywhere. That is why e-mail that is POP-based (Post Office Protocol) can be a disadvantage.
Web-based e-mail can be accessed anytime, anywhere regardless of which ISP you have. Bill Mitchell, owner of Infinite Access, was among the first people in the industry to recognize the importance of Web-based e-mail. In 1995, his company developed the first Web-based e-mail system, a boon to multiple office brokerage firms. Soon the company was doing proprietary transaction/communication software for Coldwell Banker and ERA, among others.
The free e-mail service, EasyMail(tm) is offered through the Realty Expo Communications Network, the communications arm of Infinite Access. Now the same technologies that are available to the large franschisors are open to the industry - for free. Whether you are a small office or a middle-sized broker, you can put your associates into an e-mail and communications system under one domain name, your own.
Explains Mitchell, "Your normal e-mail is set up on the browser. The problem is the browser is configured for one person and you can't have multiple people share a browser, a computer or a ISP connection. That has a negative effect on your overall marketing strategies."
"Here the broker is trying to build name recognition and brand identity and all the agents have e-mail addresses all over the place, including their own domain names. Wouldn't it be better if they offered a solid, consistent image to the public through a communications service that leads people back to the broker and the agent?"
Cautions Mitchell, "There are other Web-based e-mail services out there but ours is the only one that allows the user to keep their domain name. In fact, we encourage it."
"The one thing we are constantly asked is how brokers can get more traffic to their sites - this is a quick, easy way to do it," says Mitchell. "And you can't beat the price. The e-mail service is free."
With Web based e-mail, now anyone in your office can share one machine, one ISP conncection and manage multiple e-mail accounts. For those that wish to hold on to their POP-based accounts, the EasyMail(tm) system will shortly be able to retrieve mail from the agent's existing POP account. "For those who already have e-mail, the advantage is that they can get their e-mail from any location - they don't have to be at their own computer," suggests Mitchell, who says the new system will be in place within a couple of weeks. The site will also feature communication networking with discussion groups in residential sales, marketing, technology and commercial real estate. Online seminars are planned, along with industry trade shows on the Realty Expo Communications Network.
So if you are considering a communications solution for your agents, Web-based e-mail can reduce costs, improve brand identification, and expand possibilities as a marketing tool.
Published: September 7, 1998
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