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How to Use the new samcar.org
Welcome to your new Association web site! We've been long overdue for an upgrade and are very happy to unveil the new site – with all its great familiar and brand new functionality – to our members. The new interface for samcar.org is part of the overall visual branding update that we've been rolling out throughout 2014. You've no doubt seen the new Association logo pop up on your screen, class and event flyers, and more. The new website takes the same principles of contemporary, user-friendly design to the web where you'll find much of the information you need to practice real estate in San Mateo County and all the resources and networking opportunities to get the most value out of your SAMCAR membership. Let me explain some of the broadest changes we've made here and how to use the most important features. Then we really suggest taking a look around and, if you need, giving SAMCAR staff a call to help you find what you're looking for.
It's responsive!
The new samcar.org is a responsive web site. You may have heard the term "responsive" thrown around, and what it means is that no matter what device you're viewing samcar.org from, the text, images and layouts will adapt to best fit your screen. Maybe you're already viewing this post on your mobile phone or tablet. If so, you're already experiencing the responsive design. No more squinting and zooming to read something on the web site; all the content will be the right size for your browser so you can interact with samcar.org on the go or at your desk with the same ease and enjoyment.
Stay Up-to-Date with New Content Posts
While the site is organized by department and category pages, most new content will appear in the form of individual posts (or stories, articles, etc. – however you like to refer to them). These posts are easily searchable with the site search, related tags or simply by the department they fall under. You can learn more about a post's content by contacting the author shown at the bottom of the text, and you can share interesting or important posts with your social networks on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter too. New posts will often be important legislative updates from SAMCAR Government Affairs, upcoming events and classes, and other updates from SAMCAR. You'll still receive a weekly e-mail digest of important SAMCAR updates – the Relay – every Wednesday, but now you'll be able to find the content you're looking for more easily right at the source.
Now You Can Sign Up for Classes and Events Online
Welcome SAMCAR to the 21st century! We are now equipped to take class and event registrations directly at samcar.org Of course you can still call and sign up for or ask questions about upcoming programs with any of the helpful SAMCAR staff, but now you can also sign up easily online, which means you can get registered for that upcoming MLS or YPN class over the weekend or after hours, or buy your tickets to the next special event while waiting for clients at an open house. It's all about making it easier for you—our members—to do what you need to do to make the most of your membership with SAMCAR. Classes provide valuable training opportunities for low cost, sometimes even free, and events give you a chance not only to help fundraise for our charitable Foundation, but also to meet your colleagues in a more fun setting and network.
Government Affairs & City Information
A big part of the work that your Associations do for you at the local, state and national level is represent your interests and advocate for REALTORS® and homeowners in the legislative arena. You'll be able to stay up-to-date with federal legislative issues, what your elected officials are doing to help your profession (and your clients), where you can help when a "CALL FOR ACTION" comes about, and what local ordinances, point of sale requirements and other regulations you need to know about that affect your business (like sign ordinances for your open house signs in every city in San Mateo County). The Government Affairs department page is your portal for these legislative updates as well as profiles for each city in San Mateo County. Whenever a pressing issue comes up in a city council, SAMCAR Government Affairs will keep you apprised. And when you're wondering how to set up your business in a Peninsula community, what disclosures you need to know about for in a particular city, or simply where you can place your open house and directional signs on Tour days, check out your city's profile for those details and contact information for the city directly.
Find Each Other with Online Member Directories
It's always been there, but we'll admit it hasn't always been the easiest to navigate. But now, the online member directories—Find a REALTOR® and Find an Affiliate—are bigger, cleaner, easier to read, with more detailed results. Looking for that lender's phone number? Navigate to "Find an Affiliate", search by their name, office or even just the category and you'll see all relevant members' profiles. Want to connect with a REALTOR® you met at a Tour Meeting? Use "Find a REALTOR®" to find that member and write a message directly from samcar.org or click on their phone number from your mobile phone and call them in one click.
We know this is a lot of information for one sitting so, seriously take a minute and explore samcar.org when you have a chance. We know you'll find it easier to use and a great resource for San Mateo County REALTORS®, SAMCAR Affiliates, and home buyers and sellers in your communities. And while this new web site has made every effort to take into account the metrics, ongoing wishlists and feedback from members and staff, we look at it like a living work in progress, so if you have trouble finding something, run into an error page, or just want to give us some feedback, we will definitely take your concerns into consideration. You can send us feedback via the "Contact Us" link in the footer below or just write me at dalen@samcar.org with your feedback.
