REINCheck

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VO [00:00:06] You're listening to REINCheck with Andrea Rice, Contracts and Industry Specialist at REIN, where you get the latest member news and information delivered straight from the source, REIN MLS.

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Andrea Rice [00:00:20] Hello and welcome to REINCheck, I am your host, Andrea Rice, and today we are checking in with Amber Mitchell REIN's Social Media and Video Coordinator to talk about all things REIN.com related. Amber plays a huge role in getting the REINCheck podcast ready for release every two weeks, so today I'm happy that she's not just going to be behind the scenes, but here today as a guest as well. So Amber, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here today.

Amber Mitchell [00:00:51] Super excited to step from behind the scenes and get to talk to you today, so thanks for having me.

Andrea Rice [00:00:56] Yes, thanks. So let's go ahead and jump right in and talk a little bit about REIN.com, and REIN.com launched just over two years ago, and a lot really has happened in those two years. So what can you tell us about how REIN.com is impacting members and consumers?

Amber Mitchell [00:01:15] Yes, so we're very excited about all that's going on with REIN.com right now. You're actually catching us coming off of a high of celebrating REIN.com's second anniversary on October 22nd. We just launched the new REIN.com app at the end of September, and we are headed toward wrapping up a record-breaking year all around. Year to date, we've seen over 9,000,000 page views on REIN.com over 1,000,000 sessions on the site. And we have people browsing on the site for an average of six minutes. So we're getting lots of eyes on listings and we're keeping them engaged for a good amount of time, which is exactly what we want. So right now, engagement is up by 73% year-over-year. And when I say engagement, that's any time someone shares a listing by email or social media or click to get directions. Now, connections are up 305%. Yes, you heard that right, 305%. So that's calls and emails directly to agents and brokers.

Andrea Rice [00:02:12] That's amazing. Those numbers, those are really impressive. This is such a great tool for agents and consumers. And additionally, REIN recently launched the REIN.com mobile app. So what can you tell us about the app?

Amber Mitchell [00:02:29] Yeah. So the app is our most recent pride and joy, but it's not the only feature enhancement that we've launched this year. But yeah, let's dig into the app first. The app is available right now in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you haven't downloaded it yet, go check it out. It's easy to use, and it displays listings beautifully. The app allows consumers to take everything they love about REIN.com and put it in the palm of their hand. So they can walk around with that same fresh and accurate listing data in their pocket while they're on the go. Now, within the app, they can search based on commute time for work to school, for example. They can use the home scan feature, which uses augmented reality where you can just point in the direction of a neighborhood you like to see what's available in that area. You also have access to in-app messaging inside the app. So a consumer can send messages to family and friends about their favorite listings. But this is also a great way for agents to stay connected to their clients about listings they see that may fit their client's needs. Again, if you haven't downloaded it yet, go check it out for free as soon as you can. It's a great way for you to stay connected to what consumers are using. Now, earlier in the year, we also introduced just listed properties. Now, as you all know, the market can move very, very fast. So to help consumers keep up with the flow of the market, we increased search capabilities so they would be able to see what listings were posted within 24 hours, what had been listed within seven days, and what have been listed within 14 days. We also added notification banners of Just Listed and New to help highlight the freshest listings for the consumers. Now another edition we made was the multiple listing service pages on the site. We've used this as an opportunity to educate consumers on what an MLS is and what it does for the agent, the seller or buyer, and the overall home shopping journey. We've also updated a few search functionalities to streamline navigation and overall ease of use while browsing. You will see price change indicators now on properties. Surry has been added to our list of regional communities. We've added additional filters like subdivision and year built. It's really all about making it easier for the home shopper to get to your listing and the information about your listing and the quickest way possible.

Andrea Rice [00:04:50] Wow, that is great. So many great enhancements, you know, in just a short period of time. And going back to the app for a minute, I just wanted to mention that I recently downloaded the app and I absolutely loved it. So if you're listening and you have not have the chance to download the app yet, I highly recommend it. It is so easy to use and navigate, and I love that messaging feature that you mentioned earlier. So, yeah, so many great enhancements and go get that app. And we have one more update to discuss today, and that is the newly revamped REINMLS.com website that recently launched. What can you share with us about this updated version of REINMLS.com?

Amber Mitchell [00:05:36] Yes. So the new REINMLS.com is all for you guys, our members. The app and the things with REIN.com is kind of shared between consumers, but the REINMLS.com site is just for you. First, you can now log into your REIN MLS member account right from REI.com, so one sign in gives you easy access to all REIN tools. Now, if you're just jumping on your computer to pay your bill, you can even a bypass log in to do only that and go about your day if you'd like. So once you sign in through REIN.com, you'll land on the new REINMLS.com. The site has been redesigned to provide you with an updated look and feel and an improved user experience. We've put product training and membership information right at your fingertips. The new home page has shortcuts linking you to frequently access information. There's a new Ask REIN knowledge base with better navigation and more help topic, and there's a new learning center to help you all access training schedules, on-demand video training, and just so much more.

Andrea Rice [00:06:35] Yeah, Amber, that's a lot of great information, and I really love the new REINMLS.com. It's so fresh and clean and easy to navigate. So before we sign off today though, is there anything else that you would like to add?

Amber Mitchell [00:06:49] Yes, so I can't I can't stress it enough. I'm going to circle back around to it the REIN.com app. Download the app today. Staying connected to home shoppers and meeting them where they are is so, so important. But we also want to stay connected with you guys. So make sure you're following us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. We even have an Ask REIN Facebook group that you can join. And it's an open, safe space for you all to ask questions and get feedback, which is what we want. We want to hear from you guys and collaborate with you all on how we can help you continue to be successful and grow your business with our tools and services.

Andrea Rice [00:07:25] Yes. Yes, indeed. Thank you, Amber. Ton of great information there. So again, if you have not done so already, check out REIN.com, the REIN app, and the new REINMLS.com website. I want to thank you all for listening. I hope you enjoyed this episode of REINCheck, and if you missed any of the previous episodes, I do invite you to go to REINMLS.com/podcast to take a listen. And if you have not done so already, please make sure you subscribe to REINCheck so you can get new episodes delivered directly to you when they are released. Again, thank you, Amber and everyone thank you. Have a great rest of your day.

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VO [00:08:04] You've been listening to REINCheck with Andrea Rice. Stay in the know from those who know delivered straight from the source, REIN MLS.

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