March 19, 2013

Real Estate Excellence Member Update - April 2013

Member Update - April 2013 - Contents page

Webinar training calendar April to June 2013

Nominated staff details

Inquest into death of children in a rental property

Empowering property managers – Property management training

Member forms online at sugar sync

Landlord newsletter this month

Member invoices – new system

Pool forms changing

Community management statement update

QCAT form update

JP’s to hear QCAT matters

PME users update – new feature (regular column)

Licensee/Administration Best Practice article

Upcoming superannuation changes

Sales Best Practice article

Want to be the top agent in your patch? Ten tips of what not to do

Property Management Best Practice article

Emailing notices – the law, reality and best practice

Property Management Excellence Convention 2013 has been withdrawn – apologies for any inconvenience

Landlord newsletter topic – April 2013 – Notice periods and the law (attached to the update)

The update will be emailed to all Members in early April 2013 plus uploaded to the member site to view online.

www.realestateexcellence.com.au

How confident are you with the "Act"?

This half an hour will change your career, guaranteed!

The lecture style webinar presented by Stacey Holt will focus on showing practical tips for managers on how to read and use the RTRA Act in daily property property management.

I have found in my privileged 11 year career of training and education to date that most property managers have not been taught how to use the Act. I myself in my 10 year 'real world career' had very little knowledge until the end of my practicising career. Why is this? The legislation is the foundation of property management. How can systems and best practice be built upon when the law in not clearly known or understood. Hope to be online with you on Friday morning for this great practical session!

QLD webinar Friday 22nd March 9am to 9.30am

For more information and or to register, please visit http://rtraactwebinar-eorg.eventbrite.com.au/#

March 18, 2013

Property Management webinars - April to June 2013

To register simply visit http://realestateexcellenceacademy.eventbrite.com.au/

April to June 2013 Calendar (Qld only)

Investment per office registration

PME users – FREE

Platinum members $44 inc GST

Diamond and Gold Members $55 inc GST

Bronze members and individual $66 inc gst

Non-Member $99 inc GST

3rd April	Maintenance – the law and best practice	9am to 9.30am
12^th April	Landlord obligations including disclosure	9am to 9.30am
12^th April	QCAT Form 2 completion	10.30am to 11am
18^th April	Tips on how to be an excellent property manager	11am to 11.30am
19^th April	Property Managers – did you know? Questions that all PM’s should know	9am to 9.30am
23^rd April	Property Management Excellence Career Development	10.30am to 11am
2^nd May	Understanding the management agreement	10.30am to 11am
9^th May	Explaining the management agreement to the owner	10.30am to 11am
16^th May	Showing, advertising property plus owner feedback	10.30am to 11am
23^rd May	Processing applications – best practice, law and managing risk	10.30am to 11am
6^th June	Entry condition report – law, best practice and risk management	10.30am to 11am
13^th June	Understanding tenancy agreements	10.30am to 11am
20^th June	Rent arrears management	10.30am to 11am

To register simply visit http://realestateexcellenceacademy.eventbrite.com.au/

March 17, 2013

Current training videos online for PME users

Current Training Videos online (QCAT training CD on the disk provided) .wmv file format

Webinar services are also FREE to PME users as scheduled and then uploaded to PME online. For more information about PME and Real Estate Excellence visit www.realestateexcellence.com.au or https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/6410863423344188160
(7 min video)

Chapter 1	Property Management Overview
Chapter 3	PAMD Form 20a quick tips
Chapter 3.1.2	Termination of management agreements
Chapter 3.3.1	Rental appraisals and the law
Chapter 5	Tenancy application forms processing
Chapter 5.8	Binding the tenant lawfully
Chapter 6.4	Entry condition reports
Chapter 12	How to complete breach notices
Chapter 19.1	Exit condition reports – time management, risk management and the law
Using PME	Tips for use

Plus the following webinars – half an hour to 45 minutes in length

PM Development – Do you know the answer to these questions (two part webinar) half an hour each webinar ( x 2)

Rental properties for sale

5 reasons a notice to leave can be issued

PAMD Code of Conduct – What does it mean for property managers

Tips on how to be an excellent property manager

What is the role of a property manager?

7 ways to legally end a tenancy in Queensland

QCAT training webinar

Tips on growing the rent roll

Tips on how to complete routine inspections

More webinars are added to the list as produced

Webinar services are also FREE to PME users as scheduled and then uploaded to PME online

March 7, 2013

How many properties can one property manager manage?

There are many structures set up in modern property management businesses which range from the traditional portfolio method, the POD method or task based management. Real Estate Excellence has always been a great fan of Portfolio due to the accountability and also the lessor peace of mind of 'who is managing their investment' but has in recent times seen a handful of business who has mastered the task based management. Those witnessed who have succeeded in task based management have very clear job descriptions, visions and goals. The model does not work in most cases unless there is also a clear head of the department; the face, the driver and leader. It generally is beneficial if this position is held by the licensee.

Due to massive legislative change, and greater risk of litigation due to increased client expectations and making agents accountable, today's licensee has to seriously review the tasks required to be carried out in property management. The days of one property manager managing 200 properties successfully without administrative support are over for most businesses.

Today, property managers need to be across a vast range of matters in relation to property, these matters of course include (the list is far from exhaustive);

*             tenancy and agency law
*             smoke alarms
*             safety switches
*             pool safety
*             Tribunal representation

How many properties can one property manager manage depends largely upon these factors;

· The systems in the office

· The support and training provided

· The people and their abilities

· The property type and location to the office

· The commitment of the licensee to drive the business and to be involved in the business.

The true answer to this question is that it cannot be answered outright; it depends on so many variable such as what is mentioned above.

Real Estate Excellence business focus and speciality are;

· What is the law?

· What is the reality ? (best practice)

· What are we doing?

· What could/should we be doing business to ensure compliance, best practice and creating efficiencies?

· How are we managing risk?

o In a nutshell risk management, best practice and compliance

www.realestateexcellence.com.u

March 6, 2013

75% of businesses don’t have a formal policy in place on the use of social media

Why Employers Need a Social Media Policy - source article www.turnbullhill.com.au (referenced fully at end of the article)

75% of businesses don’t have a formal policy in place on the use of social media ¹

...Do you?

In a recent report Sensis and AIMIA it was found that 62% of online Australians use social media, 27% of small businesses have a social media presence and 34% of medium-sized businesses engage customers using social media ⁴. Every year social media usage increases and this trend will continue for years to come as social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube become a part of our everyday life. As of August 2012, there are close to 11 million Australians on Facebook alone!

So why do so many businesses not have a social media policy in place? Some Employers believe they don't need a social media policy because they are not actively using social media as a business. They fail to see the importance of managing the internal and external usage of social media by their employees; usage that could have an impact on the business. Other reasons include social media being perceived as a low priority in the business because management has not identified the risks involved and social media being ignored because management simply doesn’t understand the technology.

It's not uncommon for a business to take the easy way out and simply say "NO" to any use of social media, which in some cases means they believe they don't need a social media policy. In fact, recent research by PayScale has shown that 42% of Employers around the globe have said "NO" ², while another study by the Online Marketing Institute reveals that 25% of Employers don’t have a social media policy in place because they simply don't know what to include in it ³. This is where our experience and expertise in social media law can benefit Employers in determining what is and isn’t included in their social media policy.

In some industries and companies it may be suitable to completely ban the use of social media in the workplace. For example, 71% of energy companies have banned social media ². In these cases a social media policy would still required outlining the consequences of not adhering to the ban.

The decision to ban social media might seem like an easy way of dealing with the issue, however most employees (particularly Generation Y) have access to social media on their Smartphones and banning it could encourage them to turn to their mobile instead of using their desktop at work, which represents an even bigger distraction.

Here's why it's important for Employers to have a Social Media Policy...

1. Risk Management

Social media policies are designed to protect Employers from a number of risks

Over the last few years there have been countless stories in the media about employees losing their jobs because they posted inappropriate content on Facebook. In most of these cases the employee had no idea that the content they were posting would be deemed inappropriate by their Employer, because the guidelines were never clearly stated in a policy. There have even been reported cases of Employers asking job seekers to log on to their Facebook account during a job interview.

Not having a social media policy will expose Employers to the following risks:

a. Employees posting inappropriate material (the employee acting inappropriately)
b. Employers demanding access to employee social media accounts (the employer acting inappropriately)
c. The lost or disclosure of confidential information and/or trade secrets
d. Unfair dismissal claims stemming from social media use
e. Reputation threats relating to inappropriate material that has been posted
f. Defamation and discrimination claims

2. The Impact on Productivity

It is essential that social media usage in the work environment is closely monitored, so that personal and non-approved usage is able to be managed by the employer. This is because once the social media floodgates have been open, usage can get out of control which (in some cases) could potentially result in a loss of productivity. However, some studies have shown that the use of social media in the workplace can actually increase productivity by facilitating access to business networks while enabling usage to be monitored and managed ⁷.

In any case, a social media policy should clearly state what social networks are accessible and when it is acceptable to access those sites. For example, it's very common for a business to allow access to social networks at lunch time. The policy will also state the actions management will take if usage occurs outside these allocated times.

3. Social Media is a Perk - Employees Want It

2 out of 5 Generation Y workers rate social media access at work above receiving a higher salary
1 in 3 of today's job seekers would prioritise social media freedom at work over salary in accepting a job offer
56% of University students would not accept a job offer if they found out the company banned social media
Over 50% of workers aged 55+ use social media at work everyday

A business can leverage social media by using it to attract, retain and motivate employees. In some cases, the cost of doing so might be less than providing a pay increase. A social media policy gives Employers the flexibility to use it as part of the recruitment process and performance review process. For example, where employees breach the policy, consideration might be given to suspending their access to social media at work for a specified period. However, as with other breaches of workplace policies where dismissal is not an outcome, strategies such as counselling and warnings could be more appropriate than withdrawing access to a facility that may have become integral to the employee’s work.

4. Social Media encourages Collaboration, Creativity & Communication

Microsoft acquired Yammer for $1.2 Billion ⁶

Social networks can foster and facilitate collaboration, creativity and communication within a business. For example, Yammer provides businesses with enterprise social networks that are internally controlled. These types of networks are designed to encourage employees to collaborate, create and communicate with each other, while at the same time reducing email.

Collaboration can also occur externally by allowing employees to communicate with the rest of the world. If an employee runs into a problem or is stuck on an idea, he or she can utilise social networks like Twitter and LinkedIn to seek support, help, answers and inspiration. In a sense they are using their social network as a free consultant.

5. Reputation Management

Social media is out there and it's here to stay. Increasingly customers will head online to research a business before they engage with it. This also applies to job seekers who do research before going to an interview and accepting the role. A business cannot stop people talking negatively about their brand and products on social media. Criticism, varying opinions, malicious brand-bashing, dissatisfied customers and opposition are not new challenges in business, and they can be managed using a social media policy.

A social media policy may outline how your business deals with customer feedback (positive and negative) on social media. The policy may also put in place processes that direct customer service employees on how to deal with these situations. These processes may involve everything from timing to tone. Generally, every negative post should be seen as an opportunity for a business to improve.

Recommendation

Every Australian business, small or large, should consider a social media policy

Whether your business employs 50,000 or 1, a social media policy is recommended, even if the policy is only there to state that social media is completely banned.

A social media policy is not 'one-size-fits-all'. Every business is different and operates under a unique set of values that will impact how the social media policy is constructed. In formulating social media policies there are a number of factors that need to be considered including the consequences of not adhering to it.

Sourced from http://www.turnbullhill.com.au/articles/why-employers-need-a-social-media-policy.html#page=1