EstateVue Partnership Announcement

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The Ultimate Real Estate Marketing and Back Office Solution

EnviroMint is pleased to announce its new partnership with EstateVue – a leading marketing agency that combines technology, design, and an intimate knowledge of the real estate industry, to provide brokers, agent and banners with an ever-evolving marketing suite delivering proven results. EnviroMint is a real estate back office accounting and business management software system that centralizes each brokerage’s information, thus improving efficiency and drastically cutting down on paper waste.

This newly minted relationship will enable both companies to offer an entire collection of front and back office services under one roof, a rarity in the real estate industry. With this alliance in place, a total solution is now available for a more effective real estate marketing investment for brokers and agents alike. Combining EstateVue’s marketing expertise and supreme service with EnviroMint’s efficiency solutions and next-level business software is a dream team combination for any real estate professional looking to boost their marketing, reduce operational costs, and be more eco-friendly.

Both firms regularly update their tools, processes, and technology to ensure that they consistently evolve with new advancements, and apply these to their clients’ advantage. Their verified track record demonstrates that they are pillars in their designated industries; together, they form a winning combination with sought after tool sets in the real estate sector.

EnviroMint is located in Winnipeg, MB, Canada and provides real estate back office document, business and management software throughout Canada.

EstateVue is headquartered in Kelowna, BC, Canada and provides marketing, technology and IDX services to agents, brokerages and banners throughout Central and Western Canada, Western regions of the USA and the UK.

For more information on this partnership please contact:

Marc Labossiere – EnviroMint, CEO
[email protected]
1 (855) 534 8080
www.enviromint.co

 

Cory Alexander – EstateVue, Sales Director
[email protected]
1 (877) 762 9453
www.estatevue.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Olympics Going Green

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The Olympics are often a double-edged sword for the countries that host this prestigious international sporting event. Generally there is a lot of input, for an outcome that over doesn’t cover the costs invested in said countries or cities. In fact, most cities are left in debt after hosting the Olympics, and often don’t recover for a number of years if they do at all. However, the London Olympics tend to be shedding some different light on this situation, as they are turning to more sustainable resources and economically friendly and efficient means to execute the games this summer.

BMW is a major sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and rightfully so, as their eco-consciousness if most certainly (and literally) a breath of fresh air. The company will be providing a fleet of vehicles that consist of low-emissions vehicles, a large number of electric vehicles in all shapes and sizes, as well as a prototype electric bicycle by the name of the BMW Pedelec. This two-wheeled electric source of transportation will be making its public debut at the Olympic games, and will also explored for commercial distribution in the future.

And it doesn’t stop there. The Olympic basketball stadium constructed specifically for the games was in fact made out of a large amount of recyclable and re-usable materials, definitely demonstrating the truth in the London Olympics claims of sustainability being an important part of their MO. In this case, the grass most certainly is looking greener on the other side…well, on the other side of a very large body of water. With London’s clear efforts to have one of the “greenest” games yet, hopefully in the future we will see more and more countries follow their lead, using solar and electric energy, sustainable resources, and more,  as part of their plan of action.

 

photo courtesy of Jon Curnow

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Let’s Try This Again

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Okay, so a month ago canadian mortgage laws were announced to be changed in a very drastic way. We even wrote a post about it –> http://www.realestateaccountingsoftware.ca/industry-news/buyers-beware/. Read it. You know you want to. Anyhow…when we originally wrote this post we did so in the form of a warning, with even the title being Buyers Beware. However, our warning, nor any other warnings, seem to be reaching the public on a large enough scale, which is a concerning notion.

The impending changes were announced June 20th, and when a survey took place between June 29th and July 4th, it unveiled that only 45% of Canadians are aware of the changes taking place. Not even half the country’s aware, which is quite upsetting…maybe the government needs to give our marketing guys a call to help get the word out when things this important happen. You’d think that there would be bigger efforts put forth to see that these changes were broadly understood…but apparently not.

To give you guys a re-cap, on July 9th, the maximum amortization length has been shortened from a 30 year maximum, to a 25 year maximum, with lenders also being limited to only providing home equity loans that cover 80% of the home’s value, as opposed to 85%. These little increments of 5 are a lot scarier than you’d think, especially for new home buyers, who are (those who know about these changes anyways) in relative awe at how much these changes will affect them. Not only do new buyers have to come up with an extra 5% for their down payment – which, if you were looking at purchasing a $500,000 home, your down payment down payment amount just increased from $75,000 to $100,000., and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it – but they also need to pay back this amount 5 years faster than before. The whole situation’s frankly sticky, especially since the government’s reason for doing this is to attempt home ownerships from being drawn out and to aid citizens in achieving their long-term goals…which is seemingly ironic, considering that these new laws will inhibit people from even beginning to reach their long term goals.

Feel free to share this article with fellow Canadians to ensure that the word is out about these changes to that buyers can be prepared. If you have any other comments we’d love to hear them, so join the conversation with us on Twitter.

 

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Apple’s Leaving the Green Scene

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Apple has recently run into some complications with their claims to be one of the greenest computer manufacturers in the world. Despite their previous attempts to beat out Dell as the most eco-friendly computer company, Apple’s newest MacBook Pro has steered this angle the company once had into a completely different direction. This is quite a startling piece of news, as even Greenpeace at one point gave Apple a thumbs up for their “ever-greener” products; however now this portion of their MO has fallen off the wagon in a very drastic way.

The latest Apple release of the newest MacBook Pro with Retina Display has been dubbed one of the least repairable computers ever, while also boasting a non-replaceable glued-down battery, leaving consumers to be forced into Apple Support as the only way to repair their computers should something go wrong. Not only this, but they withdrew themselves from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), a certification program that requires participating companies to meet certain environmental standards. Now, we’re just thinking out loud, but wouldn’t it be important for a company who’s boasting “the world’s greenest lineup of notebooks” to be part of a certification program ensuring they’re legitimately meeting the set environmental standards?

After a bout of bad press, Apple decided to go back on their decision to remove itself from EPEAT, and all of their products are now back on the wagon and meeting standards. However, it makes us wonder what they’re up to that would make them want to remove themselves from something that presents immense value to their customers. Is this due to the changing of the guard since the death of Steve Jobs? Despite their EPEAT re-instatement, once thing is certain: Apple’s motives to “go green” are obviously compromised for one reason or another.

Apple’s clearly removed themselves from the running in being the greenest computer company…but why? For a while their eco-friendly marketing and policies were doing quite well for them, but now with this new move away from all things green, and then back again, we’re not really sure what to expect. What do you predict for the future of Apple? Will they return as a green Goliath, or turn the page and remain a distant ex-girlfriend of the eco-friendly computing world? Join the conversation with us on Twitter to share your thoughts.

photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/amazonsales/7181624907/

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Protect Your Passwords

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In this world of digital dependence we must put a lot of trust in the security of our online information. But as hackers become more sophisticated, it put a lot of our passwords at risk. That is, unless your password is 0123456789, in which case you have just opened the door to even the most amateur to access your account with very little guesswork involved.

This week, over 450,000 Yahoo passwords were stolen, coming not too long after LinkedIn, eHarmony and Last.fm passwords were compromised. According to reports, approximately 230 of the Yahoo passwords were ‘password,’ and understandably some of the easiest and quickest to crack.

This brings about a call for more common sense. Make your password difficult to crack, insert numbers and characters, and change your passwords every so often. What may seem like a pain now pales in comparison to having precious information accessed by the most ruthless hackers later. It takes small steps to protect yourself further, for example, try switching to Google Chrome, the most secure browser. And overall, practice common sense- be weary of what you post on your social media accounts, and update your security software as soon as updates are available. Nothing is ever fool proof, but your chances of being hacked are significantly reduced if you avoid just leaving the door open for anyone to waltz right into your digital accounts.

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The Road to Recovery

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Roaming around the internet today, we stumbled into a prominent theme: real estate recovery. A few articles we found were making statements about the market’s recovery, but only pertaining to North America, which, frankly isn’t a very broad spectrum. So we did some digging and Property Wire, a global real estate news website, had all the answers we needed. Donning nearly every section of the globe were headlines declaring the recovery of the real estate market, or at least alluded to contributing factors which could lead you to the same conclusion.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, real estate is seemingly recovering on a global scale, which is a very exciting notion. We’ve been waiting for this day for quite some time, and it’s looking like everything’s going to sort itself out soon. We can see signs of improvement in Dubai, Egypt, England, The US, and Canada all in the form of property price and sale increases, showing the increasing stability the global market’s encountered. We may just be alright after all…but only time will tell. What are your thoughts? Is the market’s recovery finally underway after nearly a decade, or do we have a bit more waiting to do? Join the conversation with us on Twitter.

photo courtesy of extranoise

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Optimum Efficiency

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We seem to talk a little bit on here about how to stay productive, especially in the office, which is a seemingly never-ending battle between employee and workplace. However, today we are going to look at a whole different type of efficiency: energy efficiency. Now, don’t worry, we aren’t preaching energy conservation again; today we’re going to show you how by simply sitting at your desk, whether you’re sending e-mails, taking part in a webinar, or doing absolutely nothing, you can still be efficient…energy efficient that is.

A Swedish designer by the name of Eddi Törnberg has designed what may possibly be the most efficient work station ever. The concept behind this work station is that it runs on energy created by the user while they’re working. For example, the seat of the chair is specially designed to convert body heat into electricity, which can in turn be re-distributed to the work station. Another portion of this sustainable work station is a pressure sensitive carpet, which, if subject to any movement (tapping feet, chair ruffling or rolling, etc.) can generate a charge as well. Lastly, a plant is placed beside the work station creating electricity through photosynthesis and acting very similarly to a potato battery.

Though this is more conceptual than functional, the idea of creating self-sustaining work stations that produce and consume its own electricity is a very strong step towards making sustainable energy achievable and realistic. By simply sitting down and working at a desk, hopefully, one day we’ll be able to entirely depend on the self-produced energy versus 3rd party supply.

photo courtesy of EDDI TÖRNBERG

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Ford May Navigate Us Out of a Jam

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Ford may have a way for us to navigate our cars through rush hour without lifting either arm from our cushy armrests. With many consumers raving about its Active Park Assist feature that can steer a car into a perfect parallel park, Ford is stepping up its game by toying with the idea of branching out into perpendicular parking and driving through heavy traffic jams.

“Active Park Assist can parallel park a car by using ultrasonic sensors to measure the length and width of a space. It then steers the car into the space with the car’s electric power steering, which is already controlled by a computer.” The company claims it already has the technology to extend this feature to other types of parking and driving. And who knows what else it might be able to do in the future?

Our interest in this technology goes a little deeper. If Ford is able to effectively steer through traffic, will it reduce idling and thus the tonnes and tonnes of wasted fuel Canadians burn through each year? It’s been well established that sitting in traffic is a big culprit of wasting gas, especially with constant breaking and accelerating. So if Ford can help to mitigate this, we’re all for it.

Via Digital Trends

Photo courtesy of Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious

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Confessions of a Calgarian Broker

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Interview with Corinne Lyall
Broker/Owner of Calgary’s Royal LePage Benchmark

Why did you decide to switch transaction management providers?

We had been dissatisfied for quite some time with our original document management provider. The system had difficulties integrating with our transaction management/accounting software and we had to almost check every deal to ensure it was imported correctly. When we were told that our transaction management provider was selling the business and that we were going to have to switch systems anyway, we really thought we should research what other options were available.

What were you looking for in a transaction and document management provider?

Our office administration staff and I had some lengthy discussions about what we were looking for from our accounting system, and really it came down to efficiency, a good document management program, and a simple conveyancing system.  We wanted something that we didn’t have to hire someone else to manage, a system easy for the agents and office staff to use… and we really didn’t want to have to import from other systems or perform duplicate entry.

What differences have you experienced since you’ve “Made the Switch” to Enviromint?

We certainly have received many less complaints with the new system – if any – and we were impressed at how Marc and the team tried to make the actual conversion process as smooth as possible. They did a great job converting us and they really took the time to make sure everything was running smoothly with our administration team before we officially launched it to the agents.

Since the transition, it has been much easier to manage our transactions and we feel secure knowing that at the end of the day we weren’t going to lose sight of missing documents or commissions.

The level of customer service we experienced from the team over at Enviromint from the first day we did a walk through demo of their solution was very detailed and thorough.  I think the first demo was over 2 hours long mainly because they patiently answered all of our questions!  Comparatively from our previous experience with our transaction management software, we are able to get a hold of someone almost immediately when there is a problem.  That is appreciated since our transactions have to be dealt with in a timely manner.

Did your agents have a good experience making the switch?

Everyone knows how hard it can be to change. It’s not something anyone likes because naturally we get comfortable with doing things a certain way. It was a big concern of mine that not only would we have a lot to learn on the administration side, but we would also have a lot of training to do with the agents. Again, we were pleasantly surprised. The amount of positive feedback we had coming in was reassuring. We heard everything from it’s easy to use, to the document storage – and conveyancing notes – have saved my butt.

What advice do you have for other broker/owners who are thinking about switching providers?

If you’re thinking about switching providers for any reason…customer service, product limitations, whatever, it’s not in your head.  You probably can do it more efficiently and there are better service providers out there. Specifically, I have enjoyed how responsive the Enviromint team has been in responding and molding the system to our needs – each brokerage and industry community manages their transactions differently and it is important to us that it fits our individual requirements.  It seems like such a time consuming and arduous process, but I am very happy we made the transition.  

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Back to the Basics

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Technology and industrialization have played a large role in the past century, carrying humanity to its current state. We have houses as big and creative as we want, with more power and air conditioning units than we could ever need, with fast cars in the driveway…you get the idea. But, every once in a while, amidst this grid of technological infrastructure, some choose to take things back a notch, and explore the concepts of construction through more natural and sustainable methods.

One example of these is a very unique village resort in the Himalayas built by dry-stacking wood and stone without the use of cement. Now, by the sounds of it, this place can’t possibly that magical without the basic constructive element of cement…prepare to be amazed: http://www.ecofriend.com/himalayan-resort-made-dry-stacking-stone-wood-cement.html Not only is the village resort functional, but aesthetically gorgeous, architecturally marvelous, and a truly appealing vacation spot.

The notion of construction through post-dated methods seems so foreign to us, but why? Humans inhabited the earth and built many astounding things without the modern technological advances we’ve made, meaning these methods were discarded through progressiveness; however it’s not to say that these methods shouldn’t be re-visited, as they are clearly applicable to modern construction when looking at the village mentioned above.

Just because something new comes along to replace the old doesn’t mean the old needs to be so rapidly discarded. We should be re-visiting previous methods more often for menial and advanced tasks, because these methods clearly worked before, definitely could do so again. If we can build playgrounds out of recycled potato peels and veggie oil, there shouldn’t be any reason for us to explore more eco-friendly construction methods as humanity advances.

photo courtesy of http://www.ecofriend.com/himalayan-resort-made-dry-stacking-stone-wood-cement.html

 

 

 

 

 

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