REsearch Update: More Information is Better!

We’re keeping the momentum going with another set of updates to REsearch as we head into a new month! Open Houses will get more exposure, vacation rental and condo properties will get more information, and other small improvements are now live!

More Visibility for Open Houses

You have always been able to view and enter Open House information in REsearch, but to help you make the most of these important sales opportunities, we’re also making Open House information more available beyond the MLS.

Firstly, Open House information is again available on AlohaLiving.com, both on property detail pages as well as on a brand new Open Houses page.

Secondly, Open House information will now be made available to websites and apps, including the Hawaii REsearch MLS app for iOS and Android devices. This will soon include our IDX offerings as well as our RETS data feeds. For more information on these platforms, please get in touch!

More Information for Rental & Condo Properties

In order to make the best and most complete information available to everyone, there are new required fields on the REsearch listing input form for certain property types.

For Residential and Condo listings, under “Vacation Rental Information,” the primary field has been renamed to “Short Term/Vacation Rentals Allowed?” The “Yes”/”No” answer to this question — qualified under state, county, HOA or house rules — is now required.

And for Condo listings, the fields “Management Company” and “Management Company Phone” are also now required.

Work With Multiple Listings on the Dashboard

The REsearch dashboard includes a “Today” section that shows the latest listing activity across the system. Now we’ve made it possible to select multiple listings on the dashboard and perform the same actions that you have available when viewing search results.

Bonus: Did you know you can customize the “Today” section to show only specific islands, property types, or listings that match other criteria? Learn how!

Link to County Sketches

For Honolulu properties, in addition to the new ability to download building sketches rendered in REsearch, you can now click “Open County Site” to be taken to the county sketch.

Other Square Footage

We’ve added additional square footage fields to the popular MLS Mid format: “Other SqFt (Total),” “Garage Area (Total)” and “Carport Area (Total).”

Setting to Open Street View in New Window

If you’d rather have our new Street View links open Google’s interactive panoramas in a new browser tab or window, we’ve added a new ‘Street View’ option to the ‘Settings’ menu. Just select ‘Show street view in a new window/tab’!

Ability to Sort Contacts in Email Compose Window

Now that you can import your contacts into REsearch, you may have many more contacts to scroll through. We’ve added quick alphabetical sort buttons to help you find contacts faster.

Featured Video: Customize Your Search

You can put your most used and favorite fields on top, hide fields that you don’t use, and optimize REsearch to get you the specific information you need faster!

See all of our Quick Tip videos!

REsearch Enhancements for April

We are proud to announce another set of improvements to REsearch. From adding helpful links to external resources to testing a new tool to estimate the status of a mortgage, these enhancements are designed to help you get the most out of your MLS!

Links to County Sites

REsearch offers the most comprehensive statewide database of public records and other property information, fully integrated into the MLS. While we strive to provide everything you need inside the system, we know many users regularly reference information available from the different county websites as well.

We’ve now made it easier than ever to look up a given property on these county websites by including “Open County Site” links in REsearch. These links appear for county tax department website records as well as county building permit office records, when direct links are supported.

Of course, we are continuously updating the tax and building permit information inside of REsearch, as well as working with other data sources. But we hope this enhancement makes it easier to cross-reference county information and saves you valuable time!

Link to the Flood Hazard Assessment Tool

When researching the flood zone of a property, the Flood Hazard Assessment Tool (FHAT), provided by the state, is another commonly used reference. So we’ve added a link to “Check FHAT” on the listing input form, right next to the Flood Zone field!

Self-Service REsearch Password Resets

If you’ve forgotten your REsearch password, or would like to set a new password before logging in, use our new ‘Forgot My Password’ tool. All you need is your username and the email address associated with your REsearch account!

Learn More!

Mortgage Estimates Now in Beta

We have introduced a beta feature in REsearch that works with loan information from TMK public records to provide rough estimates of the current state of a given mortgage.

Learn More!

Download Sketches

Appraisers often incorporate the building sketches in REsearch into their own drawing applications. So we’ve added a link to easily download sketch outlines as simple graphic files for easier importing.

External Maps Format

Formerly called the “Property Report” format, we’ve renamed this option to better explain what it provides: links to map providers Google Maps and Bing Maps based on the address and coordinates of a property.

ICYMI:

In Case You Missed It: The above enhancements are on top of many improvements that we made to REsearch in the last month:

• Google Street View
• Search History in REsearch
• Exclude Areas in Map Searches
• Import Contacts into REsearch
• Combine Offices in Market IQ
• New Fannie Mae Form 1004MC Tool for Appraisers
• More Permits, More Searchable Fields
• Improvements to Market REsearch
• More Loan Information in REsearch

Many of the new features and improvements added to REsearch come from suggestions and feedback from members like you. As Hawaii’s only local MLS provider, we’re proud to be able to offer a system that’s designed to meet the specific needs of local real estate professionals! Have a suggestion? Please drop us a line!

Featured Video:

Multiple Email Addresses

You can send information from REsearch to more than one email address, and include more than one email address for any contact. Find out how!

See all of our Quick Tip videos!

Hawaii Information Service: Your Hawaii MLS!

Proud to again be recognized as a ‘Best Place to Work’ by Hawaii Business magazine!

May 2017 Training Schedule

Below is the schedule of upcoming online training classes for the month of May. Even if you’ve participated in a session before, it’s often a good idea to get a refresher. Our live trainers can answer your questions and help you get the most out of REsearch. Descriptions of each HIS webinar can be found here. To sign up immediately, simply click on the links below. If you are going to attend online classes as a group, only one person needs to sign up.

May 8-12, 2017

• Farming & Labels
  May 10, 2017 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2160412087859510530
• Prospects & Contacts
  May 10, 2017 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8400301104185990658
• Searching
  May 12, 2017 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4854558623538910977
• Advanced Searching
  May 12, 2017 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/900722506637823489

May 15-19, 2017

• Orientation
  May 16, 2017 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1046312139806305793
• Getting Started
  May 16, 2017 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4048270254216192257
• Formats
  May 17, 2017 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7458218650786607618
• Enter & Manage Listings
  May 17, 2017 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9011895651043400706
• “Listing Update” & CMA (Part I)
  May 19, 2017 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8927214564007279105
• Cloud CMA (Part II)
  May 19, 2017 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8088983182874583297

May 22-26, 2017

• Prospects & Contacts
  May 23, 2017 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8219719513463567873
• Open House
  May 23, 2017 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6168172653033547777
• Maps I
  May 24, 2017 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7222975939000699138
• Maps II
  May 24, 2017 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2615419686247247106
• Customizing
  May 26, 2017 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6434285253281008385
• zipForms, Roster Download & Downloading
  May 26, 2017 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/508378274940417793

May 29-31, 2017

• Getting Started
  May 30, 2017 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5157335538526074113
• Formats
  May 30, 2017 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
  Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6813429847886947073

Instructions on how to register for online classes:

• To register, please click on the applicable link located below the class. This will take you to the Citrix GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar registration site.
• Please complete all the required fields marked with a red asterisk (First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Phone, and Organization or office name).
• Click “Register Now” to complete the registration process. Once registered a confirmation email will be sent to your email address to confirm your registration along with a unique web ID number and instructions on how to login to the session on that day.
• If you need login assistance, please feel free to contact our Customer/Technical Support team at 800-628-3121, press # and then 457.

Remember, after you have participated, please make sure to fill out the survey or e-mail us your feedback so we can continue to improve upon our training efforts!

System requirements for online classes:

• PC-based attendees – Required: Microsoft Windows® XP or newer
• Macintosh®-based attendees – Required: Mac OS® X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or newer
• Mobile attendees – Required: Apple iOS 8 or newer, Google Android 4.0 or newer System requirements apply only to the GoToMeeting webinar service, not to the REsearch system.

Questions? Comments? Please feel free to contact us via support@hiinfo.com or call (808) 599-4224 or (800) 628-3121.

FHAT Link Added to Listing Input Form

Another small enhancement to save you time! We’ve added a link to the Flood Hazard Assessment Tool (FHAT), provided by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, to the listing input form in REsearch! Now when you’re entering property details, you can quickly check the FHAT for the Flood Zone for a parcel (if available).

REsearch is designed to serve the specific needs of Hawaii real estate professionals. This addition comes from member feedback, and we’re always happy to hear your suggestions!

New Form 1004MC Tool in REsearch

Our First Appraiser Tool in REsearch!

Appraisers are an important part of our real estate community, and many of them are also members of our MLS. Over the past few months, we have been working with local appraisers (see below!) to build a special tool to help save them time in preparing a standard appraisal report.

The Fannie Mae 1004MC

REsearch can now help appraisers complete a Form 1004MC (Market Conditions) Addendum, which is required under Fannie Mae appraisal policy.

Form 1004MC is intended to provide lenders with a clear and accurate understanding of the market trends and conditions prevalent in the subject neighborhood, and provides appraisers with a structured format to report data and to more easily identify current market trends and conditions. (Click here for more information on the form.)

How To Use the Appraiser Tool

There are two ways to select listings to include in the Form 1004MC statistical market analysis. First, you can conduct a search for listings using the standard MLS 1-Line format, select the listings to include, then select ‘Appraisal Report’ from the ‘More’ menu.

Or secondly, you can just click the new ‘Appraiser‘ item in the main REsearch menu, then enter the MLS numbers to include in the analysis.

This appraisal tool is a work in progress, and is being released as a “beta,” meaning that we are still adjusting and improving it. But we were eager to get it into the hands of all of our member appraisers, and now look forward to receiving more valuable feedback on how it can be improved.

Mahalo & More to Come!

We’d like to especially thank local appraisers Rob Olchin, Molly Hart, and Moj Scheidler for their help in designing and testing this tool. It’s just the first dedicated tool for appraisers that we’re introducing in REsearch, and we plan to add more! If you are an appraiser and have suggestions on how to improve this or other aspects of our system, please drop us a line!

The enhancements featured in this series were developed in response to feedback from members; the best ideas on how to improve REsearch often comes from people like you! If you have a suggestion on how REsearch can be even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know!

Combine Offices in REsearch Market IQ

Market IQ Enhanced for Brokers!

Market IQ in REsearch is a powerful statistics tool that provides information on agent, broker, and board-level activity. As part of our goal to better support our member brokers, we’ve enhanced Office ID searches in Market IQ!

How to Combine Offices in Market IQ

You have always been able to find information on more than one office in Market IQ by entering multiple Office ID numbers separated by a comma. Now you can combine numbers for multiple offices into a single row by grouping them between parentheses. This is especially useful when researching brokerages with several offices.

Examples Office ID Searches:

• 2519, 2259, 4041, 4131 – Show Market IQ data for these four offices.
• (2519, 2259), 4041, 4131 – Show Market IQ for Office IDs 2519 and 2259 together, and 4041 and 4131 separately.

And by selecting “Show All Offices” in the Office ID search box, you can see how the offices you’ve selected or combined together compare to other offices in REsearch!

More to Come!

Statistics and market reports are a valuable tools for real estate professionals, and we are constantly looking for ways to provide more information and insights in REsearch. (We recently updated our Market Statistics, for example!) From small changes to all-new features, if there’s something that you’d like to see in REsearch, please drop us a line!

This enhancement was developed in response to feedback from members; the best ideas on how to improve REsearch often comes from people like you! If you have a suggestion on how REsearch can be even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know!

Exclude Areas in REsearch Map Searches

Even More Flexible REsearch Map Searches!

Map searches in REsearch allow you to go beyond search fields and filters and draw areas on a map to define where you’d like to look for properties. Now, you can take these drawing tools to the next level with the ability to exclude areas as well!

How to Exclude Areas in a Map Search

When searching for listings, you can show (and hide) the map on which you can both see search results as well as use drawing tools to measure distances and areas and add map-based criteria to your search. REsearch supports rectangle, circle, polygon, and freehand area searches, and you can already define more than one area on your map.

Now, you can select one or more of your map search areas, and with a click, turn them into exclusion zones. Just switch from the “Include” option to the “Exclude” option to change the search area setting.

This simple but useful enhancement allows you to create even more powerful searches, combining MLS and TMK fields with both inclusive and exclusive search areas on the map to find exactly the properties you’re looking for.

For example, you can run a map search covering an entire neighborhood, but use exclusion zones to omit properties near a busy intersection or shopping center. Or you could exclude areas along a busy highway, while including listings with a minimum number of bedrooms below a maximum price.

See it in action!

More to Come!

We are constantly looking for ways to make REsearch maps more useful, including updating and adding layers from multiple sources. If there’s a map feature or map set that you’d like to see, please drop us a line!

This new feature was developed in response to feedback from members; the best ideas on how to improve REsearch comes from people like you! If you have a suggestion on how REsearch can be even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know!

Import Contacts into REsearch

Have Your Contacts Ready to Go!

We know that REsearch is just one of many important tools you use to serve your clients and run your business. Now, you can save both time and effort by importing your address book into REsearch, so your contacts are easy to find and easy to set up as Prospects!

How to Import Contacts into REsearch

Our new “Import Contacts” feature works with two popular email clients: Microsoft Outlook and Google’s Gmail. In fact, it works with any contact management system that can export data in the standard Outlook CSV format. You can find instructions on how to export your contacts into an Outlook CSV format here in our Knowledge Base.

Once you have your export file, you can click the “Import Contacts” button in the REsearch Contacts screen.

On the “Import Contacts” screen, you’ll be able to select your export file, and then choose how you’d like REsearch to handle any duplicate contacts. Any pair of contacts with the same name and email address are considered duplicates. You can:

• Keep Old, Skip New (Recommended): Add all contacts that don’t already exist in REsearch.
• Replace Old with New: Add all contacts and replace information for contacts in REsearch with the information being imported.
• Keep Old, Create New: Add all contacts, even if there are already duplicate contacts in REsearch.

Note that some contact export files can contain hundreds of entries, so you might want to review yours before importing it into REsearch. Google, for example, helpfully provides a “My Contacts” export (separate from an “All Contacts” export) that only includes addresses for people you’ve contacted regularly.

More to Come!

We plan to support contact imports for other systems, and if you’d like to recommend the one you use, please drop us a line! And this enhancement is only the first in a series of improvements that we are working on right now to make Prospects in REsearch easier to use and more useful.

This new feature was developed in response to feedback from members; the best ideas on how to improve REsearch comes from people like you! If you have a suggestion on how REsearch can be even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know!