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By Posted on Posted in Share My Listings (SMyL) Widget, Social Media No Comments

As you may have noticed, the NorthstarMLS "Share My Listings Widget" is no longer able to post your listings to your Facebook business page because of recent changes made by Facebook. The Widget is an older program given to us years ago by another MLS and is no longer supported. It will continue to work for sharing your listings to other social media (such as Twitter). Until we can find an alternative, we have other ways available for you to share your listings on Facebook.

  1. Matrix has a "Share" button that you can click to retrieve a link to your listing to post on Facebook. Here is a link to a demo of these steps: 
    • Click the "My Matrix" tab and select "My Listings."
    • From the display drop-down, select "All Active and Coming Soon Listings."
    • Click the checkbox next to the listing you want to share.
    • Click the "Share" button. Copy the link from the pop-up window.
    • Paste the link into your Facebook business page.
  2. Homesnap mobile app: Tap the "Me" icon on the bottom right, then select "My Listings." Tap the listing you want to share, then select "Share This Listing." Select "Facebook" and follow the prompts.
  3. Homespotter mobile app: Select "My Listings" from the main menu. Tap to open the listing you want to share. Tap the Share icon on the bottom left of the screen. Select "Facebook" and follow the prompts.

 

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By Posted on Posted in Social Media, Tip of the Week No Comments
NorthstarMLS Blog/Archive & Social Media
Looking for a Matrix News announcement that isn’t active on Matrix anymore? No worries! Check out the NorthstarMLS Blog and Archive on your computer or mobile device. Most of our announcements are active for about 2-3 weeks on the NorthstarMLS Matrix News Screen before they’re removed. Should you ever need to find a past announcement to refer back to, visit the NorthstarMLS Blog and News Archive. This is where you’ll find categorized and archived NorthstarMLS News content that is no longer up on the Matrix News Screen. Search the Blog/Archive by Keyword You can quickly find any article from the past by using the Search Box at the top right of the Blog/Archive, as seen in the screen shot below. Just type the keyword or phrase, such as “Tip of the Week,” “MLS Rules,” “ShowingTime” or “NorthstarMLS Matrix” for example. Then click or tap the Go button to run the search and find the article you need.
Bookmark the NorthstarMLS Blog & News Archive for easy access on your web browser and/or mobile devices. You can also access it through links on the Matrix Home screen — in the External Links widget, or by hovering over the ‘Home’ tab and clicking ‘News Archive’.
Check out the NorthstarMLS Blog & News Archive now!
NorthstarMLS Social Media  If you Like or Follow us on social media, you’ll find the latest NorthstarMLS news, announcements, videos, pictures, humor, links to articles and other relevant material related to the real estate industry that you might not find here on the Matrix news screen. When you Like and Follow us on social media, you’ll gain access to exclusive Facebook and Twitter contests with chances to win gift cards, an interactive way to stay connected with other NorthstarMLS users and much more!
Click here to Like us on Facebook Click here to Follow us on Twitter Click here to Follow us on Instagram Click here to Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Submit Your Own Tip! Do you have a question that you would like to see featured a Tip of the Week? Or maybe you have your own tip you would like to share with other NorthstarMLS users. Send your question or idea to tips@northstarmls.com. We will use one submission each month and the winner will receive a $30 Caribou Coffee gift card!
Tips On Demand Want to check out older Tip of the Week topics? Click here to view an archive of previous Tip of the Week entries.
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By Posted on Posted in Did You Know, Down Payment Resource, Social Media No Comments

On Facebook? Become a Down Payment Insider! 

Are you working with first-time homebuyers? Do you want to? Join Down Payment Resource’s new Down Payment Insiders Facebook Group for real estate pros interested in marketing ideas for reaching first-time homebuyers and understanding the ins and outs of down payment programs.

This past May, we announced that NorthstarMLS subscribers now have access to a new lead-gen tool from Down Payment Resource called Down Payment Connect. It’s a new way to quickly match clients and prospects to down payment programs they may be eligible for.

Click here to request to join the DPR Facebook community group today and start reaching first-time buyers!

Did You Know Archive Want to check out older Did You Know articles? Click here to view the archive of previous Did You Know articles on the NorthstarMLS Blog & Archive.

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By Posted on Posted in Homesnap, Social Media No Comments

Do you use social media to capture leads in your market? Homesnap just launched a valuable new marketing tool for agents: automated Facebook video ads. These personalized dynamic ads target specific zip codes so you can effectively engage potential clients in your farm area.

Top features include:
• Automatically updated weekly
• One-click monthly budgeting
• Instagram add-on
• Optimized lead page included
• Instant lead routing
• 24/7 reporting

Facebook Video Ads are not a core service — prices start at $3 per day with a minimum of $90 per month needed to be spent. The more money spent, the more the ZIP Code will be saturated. When building the video ad, you’ll be able to toggle back and forth the spend amount to see the increase or decrease of clicks and views for the video ad.

It takes less than 5 minutes to customize and set up a campaign, and then Homesnap takes care of the rest from there! Click here to browse the ads they created for you.

Homesnap Archive Want to check out older Homesnap content? Click here to view the archive of previous Homesnap news, articles and other content on the NorthstarMLS Blog & Archive.

To compare the features of the Homesnap Pro, HomeSpotter (formerly the NorthstarMLS app) and Matrix Mobile to see which one might be more beneficial to your real estate business, check out our handy NorthstarMLS Mobile Comparison Chart.

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By Posted on Posted in NorthstarMLS Matrix, Share My Listings (SMyL) Widget, Social Media 2 Comments

We have just released a new version of the social media marketing toolkit Share My Listings (SMyL) Widget. If you have never used it, give it a try. It helps you to easily share your listings on nine different social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, and Reddit. Other features include:

  • Template for posting to Craigslist
  • HTML email flyer tool, including analytics
  • iFrame tool for posting your listings on your blog or website
  • A custom URL and QR code for each of your Active listings
  • Click a button to find if your listing is on the major public portal websites
  • Upload your agent photo and select a theme

Here is a link to the documentation. Enhancements include an improved interface and a new three-column layout for your listings. You will find the Share My Listings Widget here on the Matrix Home page in the “External Links” box (about a third of the way down).

If you have questions, contact us at help@northstarmls.com or 651-251-5456 (1-877-251-5455 toll-free outside the metro). We are available M-F, 8:00 to 5:00.

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By Posted on Posted in NorthstarMLS Matrix, Social Media, Tip of the Week

Tip of the Week
Where to Find NorthstarMLS News

When breaking NorthstarMLS news happens, or products and new features are added to your service. Do you feel like you’re the last person to know? It doesn’t have to be that way. There are many ways you can get information about news, changes and additions to your MLS service.

We realize your time is valuable so we try to keep our announcements easily readable and as brief as possible, but some require more content and links to other documents or media than others. Keeping up with NorthstarMLS news and product update information will help you stay on top of your game as a broker, agent or appraiser and be trusted as the “expert” by your clients.

Here are the best ways to stay in the loop with NorthstarMLS and our core services:

Matrix Home Screen
Always read (or at least browse) any News that pops up on your screen when you login to NorthstarMLS Matrix. The Matrix News section (upper left of Home Screen) is the primary communication channel for any news related to NorthstarMLS, including updates and changes to core services, new products, webinar dates, MLS rules, system maintenance or downtime, etc.

NorthstarMLS Blog & Archive
Do you ever need to refer back to a piece of NorthstarMLS news that isn’t on the Matrix news screen anymore? Most of our announcements stay up and are accessible for 2-3 weeks on the Matrix News Screen before we take them off. If you ever need to find a past announcement to refer back to, visit the NorthstarMLS Blog and News Archive. This is where you’ll find categorized and archived NorthstarMLS Matrix News content from the past few years (2012-present).

Use the ‘Categories’ and ‘Tag Cloud’ to easily find the topic you’re looking for, such as ‘Tip of the Week’ or ‘NorthstarMLS Matrix’. Bookmark the NorthstarMLS Blog & News Archive for easy access. You can also access it through links on the Matrix Home screen — in the External Links widget, or by hovering over the ‘Home’ tab and clicking ‘News Archive’. Check out the NorthstarMLS Blog and News Archive now!

Social Media
If you Like or Follow us on social media, you’ll find the latest NorthstarMLS news, announcements, videos, pictures, humor, links to articles and other relevant material related to the real estate industry that you might not find here on the Matrix news screen. When you Like and Follow us on social media, you’ll gain access to exclusive Facebook and Twitter contests with chances to win gift cards, an interactive way to stay connected with other NorthstarMLS users and much more!

Click here to Like us on Facebook
Click here to Follow us on Twitter
Click here to Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Lights, Camera, Action – NorthstarMLS Videos
Need a little extra guidance on the NorthstarMLS system? Check out our online video library! With just minutes of your time, you can now go online to quickly learn how to use Instanet, Realist, Infosparks and other NorthstarMLS® core services. Watch one of our previous webinars, view a brief video tip and more. View them on your own time, anytime, anywhere – with an internet connection, of course. Check out our Video library on the NorthstarMLS YouTube Channel. Be the first to know when we’ve posted a new video by subscribing to our channel.

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By Posted on Posted in Rules Roundup, Social Media No Comments


Looking for a simple way to share your listings via social media? We recommend using the Share My Listings (SMyL) widget, NorthstarMLS’s very own social networking listings delivery tool! NorthstarMLS users can share their active residential listings through Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, LinkedIn, blog or company website in just a few clicks. Here are a couple common questions/scenarios to keep in mind when using the SMyL widget:

Can I advertise another agent’s listing?
No. As a NorthstarMLS participant, you are able to share MLS listing information with customers, but you may not advertise or “share” another agent’s listing without explicit permission from the listing broker. If it’s not your listing, you cannot post it to social media or Craigslist, or include it in a flyer, newsletter, email or any other advertising avenue without permission.

Remember that another broker has a contract that provides exclusive right to sell that property, and your participation in the MLS does not entitle you to infringe on that contract by advertising the property.

What about Broker Reciprocity?
Broker Reciprocity (BR) is a system where brokers give each other permission to advertise active listings on each other’s websites. The website must be registered with NorthstarMLS and comply with explicit display rules. The BR listing database may be displayed only on the approved broker or agent website complying with display rules. The listings may not be displayed on social media or other third party websites.

You may post your own listings on social media or advertising sites as long as you comply with advertising law, your broker’s advertising policy, and customer preferences (including their preferences regarding allowing consumer comments and auto-valuations).

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By Posted on Posted in Social Media, Uncategorized No Comments

Regional Multiple Listing Service of Minnesota celebrates 25 years in 2012. Throughout the remainder of the year we will post 25th anniversary content on our website, give away prizes, run social media contests and other celebratory events.
As a service-based organization, our success is shared with our Subscribers, Board of Governors and Shareholder Associations. RMLS began operations in March of 1987 and signed its first official contract with Moore Data for RealTrieve MLS on November 6, 1987. Now 25 years later, RMLS provides a variety of core services, training, Helpdesk support and technology solutions.
We have some fun things planned, so stay tuned from now through November for chances to win prizes, including discounted 2013 MLS fees. “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter to stay connected.
Want to win a $25 gift card from Target? Our first contest starts NOW and you’re just one click away! Simply “Like” us on Facebook or “Follow” us on Twitter if you’re not already. A winner will randomly be selected on Monday, July 16.
  
Follow us on Twitter click here. 

By Posted on Posted in NorthstarMLS Matrix, Social Media, Tip of the Week No Comments


Quickly and easily post your listings to Craisglist using the Share My Listings widget. Open Share My Listings – it’s in the External Links area on the Matrix home screen. From there, click on the Craigslist link at the top (circled in red). Select on of your active listings from Step 1. Follow the instructions, and you will create a pre-formatted Craigslist ad, complete with photos, public remarks and your contact information.

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By Posted on Posted in Social Media No Comments

The Share Your Listings Widget has been enhanced:

  • Includes your listings from all property types, including Multi-Family, Land and Commercial.
  • Button added to main window to allow you to post your listings on craigslist.
  • Facebook posting instructions are revised to reflect changes made by Facebook.

Share Your Listings Widget, available directly through NorthstarMLS at no additional cost, allows you to quickly and easily share your NorthstarMLS listings through social media and monitor hits.  To get started, click the “Share your Listings Widget” link in the External Links box of the home page (just below WEBForms and Infosparks).

For more information, read the original announcement from last September or the Help Guide.

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