Lannie Hall: Marketing Power
MLS on a Mac.
A little over a year ago, the local online Multiple Listing Service (MLS) was changed so that it was only compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0. “I thought I was going to have to get a PC just to access the MLS,” Lannie said, “but I visited my friends at the Apple Store at Northpoint in Alpharetta, and they told me about a service called Northstar that would let me use Windows applications on a Mac. I called Northstar, set it up and it works great. I get full functionality with the Multiple Listing Service. I don’t have to buy a PC or deal with all the PC viruses and hassles.” Northstar service is available at the online Apple Store for just $99 a year, and includes Internet Explorer 6.0 for free.
Lannie Hall’s listing and sales have increased every year, and this year “they have really taken off,” he says. “Real estate is a referral business. I feel that I have to exceed my client’s expectations for them to feel comfortable recommending my services to their family, friends, and neighbors. I do. And they do”
“I started by just creating compelling iPhoto Books with pictures and descriptions of client properties. Then I added brochures and flyers that I create with Pages and websites that I put together with iWeb. They all use the same basic materials — photos and text — that I apply to the different media.” Lannie uses the templates in Pages to create high-quality brochures and flyers. “My assistant and I create them. And we upload them to Office Depot or Kinkos to get them printed. By creating them ourselves, we save at least 50 percent of the time and cost of farming them out.”
