Bulletins – Hawaii Information Service

The release of REsearch 4.2 took place as scheduled on Feb. 4. Hawaii Information Service has prepared a number of resources, from a video walkthrough to live webinars, to help users who want to learn more about the latest upgrade to the REsearch system.

The REsearch Releases blog provides an overview of what’s new in 4.2.

Watch this video for a quick overview of REsearch 4.2.

If you want more direct guidance, please RSVP for one of our live Q&A webinars:

• Wednesday, February 4, 2009 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM HST
• Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM HST
• Thursday, February 5th, 2009 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM HST
• Thursday, February 5th, 2009 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM HST
• Friday, February 6th, 2009 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM HST
• Friday, February 6th, 2009 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM HST

If you want to see some of the common questions and other known issues identified during the development and testing of REsearch 4.2, check out the REsearch Beta Blog, which includes a Frequently Asked Questions section.

Finally, if you need help with REsearch 4.2, or have feedback on the new version, please contact Technical Support:

Phone: (808) 599-4224 or (800) 628-3121
Fax: (808) 536-6499 or (888) 628-3121

E-mail: service@hawaiiinformation.com

Technical/Customer Support Hours are Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm.

Happy Tuesday

If you haven’t had a chance to see REsearch 4.2 in action yet, I encourage you to learn more about it before it is released tomorrow, February 4th.  There are just four easy steps that will get you prepared to use all of the great new features and functions that 4.2 has to offer. 

1.  What I would do first is watch this pre-recorded webinar that we put together walking you through the new features and functions of REsearch.  You can access the webinar here: http://www.alohalivingmedia.com/research/.  Also, please note that the play button for the webinar is in the bottom left hand corner of the screen (screen shot attached).  It is pretty small and easy to miss.
 
2.  When you are done with that, you might have questions, so feel free to email me erin@alohaliving.com or visit our FAQ blog at http://blogs.alohaliving.com/beta where you can see what questions our users have been asking about 4.2 so far as well as our answers and a few examples.
 
3.  Lastly, here is the link to our Beta site which is live and available for you to use now before it goes live tomorrow.  Feel free to go in, conduct searches etc. and take a look at the new features etc. http://webre2.hawaiiinformation.com/REsearchBeta/HIS/

4.  Got questions?  Please reigster to attend one of our live Q&A sessions being held in the morning and afternoon tomorrow, Thursday and Friday of this week.  Our Product Manager will answer all of your questions while showing you how to do things via the webinar.  Space is limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible.

• Wednesday, February 4, 2009 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM HST
• Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM HST
• Thursday, February 5th, 2009 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM HST
• Thursday, February 5th, 2009 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM HST
• Friday, February 6th, 2009 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM HST
• Friday, February 6th, 2009 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM HST

Mahalo to everyone who has taken part in our 4.2 Beta testing period; your feedback and questions have been greatly appreciated and because of you, REsearch 4.2 continues to improve.  REsearch 4.2 will replace the current version starting Wednesday, February 4th, 2009.  To get you prepared, we have put together a detailed walk through of 4.2 that you can watch online, at your own pace, as needed.
 
To access the “How-To” webinar, click on the link below.  This webinar will be available to you up until the 4.2 release and will then be archived in the 4.2 Version blog located within REsearch.  After you are done, please visit our 4.2 Beta site HERE to try out the new features. 
 
WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE: http://www.alohalivingmedia.com/research/
 

Having trouble playing the webinar?  The Play button is in the bottom left hand corner of the 4.2 screen.

Have you checked out the REsearch 4.2 Beta site?  After watching the webinar above, please take some time to visit the Beta site at http://webre2.hawaiiinformation.com/REsearchBeta/HIS/ and let us know if you encounter any bugs or have general feedback and or questions.  Please remember that the Beta site is LIVE, so any information you enter will also show up on the existing version of REsearch. Also, please be sure to check out our 4.2 Beta blog at http://blogs.alohaliving.com/beta which has all of the feedback and answers to the questions we have received from our users thus far.

What, you may ask, is REVO?  REVO stands for REsearch Virtual Organizer and is the homepage that comes up after you have logged into REsearch.  In version 4.2 we have streamlined the home page giving you a cleaner, more efficient space where you can keep track of everything from Open Houses to your Market IQ.   Short on time?  The Quick Search functions we have added allow you to get the information you need without any hassle.  And the best part is you are able to personalize it, giving you the information and tools you need to get your job done.

View and Update Your Profile
 
View and update your personal profile, located in the top left corner of your REVO.

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Your Market IQ Up Front

Get detailed information about what is going on in the market with the click of a button.  Search for active listings or past sales, by board, agent or office on any of the islands, as well as by form type, tax key and much more. 

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Easy Access to Our News Blog Bulletins
 
Updated almost daily, Bulletins is the place to go for all HIS updates, announcements, questions answered, marketing tips and much more.  Now in an expanded view box you can quickly see what has been posted most recently.  Want to read more?  Just click the link below the box to access the full blog site.

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More Quick Searches
 
In REsearch 4.2 you can now do 90% of your searches without ever leaving your homepage.  Along the top of your screen you will find Property Quick Search (using an MLS#, TMK or Street Address), Owner Search, Agent Roster Search, and a shortcut to Create Owner Labels.

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View Latest Listing Activity
 
Not only can you view the latest active listing activity, no you can also restrict it to area and type so you only see what is pertinent to you.  Also, click on the drop down categories to sort the data by Time, MLS # and Location for instance so you can find what you are looking for more easily.

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View Appointments and Open Houses
 
Quickly view all of your Appointments and Open Houses for today or up to 7 days ahead.  You can also restrict the Open Houses to a specific area of interest, and quickly add them to your calendar as well.  REsearch now pushes this Open House information to AlohaLiving.com and Hawaiiinformation.com making it easy for colleagues and clients alike to find what they are looking for.

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Manage YOUR Listings
 
At the bottom of your REVO screen you can see your active listings, any listings that are about to expire, listings you’ve sold in the past year, as well as any listings of yours that are currently pending.

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We have improved the search functions in 4.2 across the board to give you even more functionality in a fraction of the space.  Not only are things easier to find, we have given you the ability to personalize your searches by just dragging and dropping search fields- something no other MLS company in the nation has.  Keep reading to see the full range of new and improved search features in REsearch 4.2.
 
Step 1 and 2
 
Steps 1 and 2 that used to be located on the left hand side bar of REsearch 4.1 are now located along the top navigation bar in 4.2 for easy access.  The options in each are now in a nice, clean drop down so as not to take up so much space on your screen.

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Maps Integrate Better
 
View maps as a whole screen or partial while you are searching – whichever way works best for you!

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All Searches on Just ONE Page
 
We have condensed the various search categories on to one page to make it easier to enter search parameters across categories.  All of the searches expand so you can view and hide categories with just the click of a button – eliminating the need to scroll up and down so often.

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Edit Your Searches More Easily
 
Instead of having to go back to the original search screen to modify your search parameters, you can now edit them right along the bottom of the screen where they are listed.  Use the “Add Fields” buttom on the bottom left hand corner of the screen if you forgot something.

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New “All Fields” Area 
We have added an additional way to access the “All Fields” category in REsearch 4.2.  Now you can simply click on the “Add Fields” button on the bottom, left hand corner of your screen, and add or delete fields from your searches quickly and easily.  Not only can you choose them, you can also change/enter the specific parameters you are searching for.

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Drag-and-Drop Customization
 
Do you only ever use the TMK search, or like to have additional categories on your default search screen?  REsearch 4.2 allows you to personalize and save your various search preferences by simply dragging and dropping the categories you want to add, move or delete.  Just hit “Customize Search” in the top, right hand corner of the particular search screen you want to edit, and then choose items from the menu that appears on the left hand side of the screen.  Lastly, save your search for easy access in the future.

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