Agents weigh in

Robert Henderson

IT’S SO SIMPLE TO USE.  This the first website that I have ever had, and then to make it work related on top of that,  I was concerned that it would be too much for me to do myself.  I was thinking I would have to hire someone to develop it for me, but I just decided to give it a try and see what happens. 

The steps were so easy to follow, I did get lost a few times and when I did, I started to think oh my gosh, I have to call support and talk to someone from another country that reads everything from a book and you just can not understand them, that was not the case at all, your support team just talked to me 1 on 1 and when they knew what the problem was, then they went to the books and we followed the steps to fix the problem and it became fun with the support team.  Also, when I did call support which I did about 6 or 7 times, my hold time was less then 5 minutes each and every time.  To me that is a BIG WOW. 

Now for the program itself, there [are] so many things I can do with it, I am now learning how to make my website stronger, when I first started it, my web score was less then 220, after using the teaching tools and watching a movie you all had for me to watch, I have in the past 48 hour raised my score to the mid to high 400 and its going to get stronger as I learn.  This is a great program, what else can I say.

This program makes me feel I know what I am doing, instead of making me feel as if I am out of my thinking class. (I hate that about a program) I am over 55 and this has really got me thinking a lot, and has me being creative in something.  I have watched several people enter the website to look around, and when I see that little single tell me someone is looking, well I get excited that I have done something that one might like.

Now for the price, I found that there are a lot of other programs out that are about the same in price, BUT, they do not come close to what this program offers and the support from the others are lacking.

Bob Johnson

I specialize in new construction, and most of your competitor's products do not offer the flexibility I need. Your product does, so I now have 3 of your websites currently online.

I like to do most of my design work, and the backend of your product is relatively straightforward and easy to learn and use. When I need some help, your tech support has always been awesome.

The ability to update my websites essentially in real time is also important to me—don't have to wait days or weeks for some tech to get around to the changes I need.

I'm just now realizing how powerful the XSellerate addition can be, so I'm using it frequently too.

John Verdi

CLR Choice, Inc.
Visit site: www.clrchoicerealty.com
 

“The fact that we went out of house to use the a la mode products for our traditional bricks and mortar brokerage operation, speaks volumes.  Our core business is real estate technology.  Our flagship site, CLRSearch.com, is a Real Estate Search Engine that provides a data rich environment to explore listings, foreclosures, school information, community demographics, and other data relevant to one of the most important decisions of your life.  We created the website by leveraging the feedback from our own real estate customers over the years and consider the bricks and mortar brokerage and our involvement in that community a key to understanding what the typical consumer expects while searching for a home using the web.

With our own programmers and developers constantly innovating our own offerings, it became necessary to find an easy to use platform to support our brokerage arm. We evaluated a host of products to support the agents and your product offerings came out on top.  The key strengths of your product are:

• An easy to use administrative interface which ties all the features together.
• Multi-channel lead capture and notification modes.
• Seamless integration of the XSellerate contact management interface with the website.
• An extensive library of creative [ideas] within XSellerate to provide fresh content for each campaign.
• An excellent campaign management interface for scheduling and coordinating mailings.
• Excellent customer service.

Thanks for helping us balance the demands of our multi-faceted business by creating a set of products that exceeded our expectations.”

Sonja Kiczula

"My co-worker has a webpage through you and I really liked it. I showed it to my husband and he also used you before and he mentioned that it is really easy and free to set up. So I did.

I really like it because it is very easy and user friendly. There is so much content to choose from and I like the option that I even can change the content. I was able to design a webpage in a day and it did not cost me anything. My website that I had before was designed by a friend and every time I wanted to change something I had to call him up. Of course it cost me also a lot of money.

I think the biggest thing for me was: Free & so much content to choose from & I was able to modify it all to make it as I like it."

Travis Lipscomb

"I had tried multiple website companies and none compare to the tools, ease of use and allout superiority of Agent XSites.  Our company has 60 agents and soon our whole company will be on board with [an] Agent XSite.  There simply is no comparison."

Pamela Valdes

VIP realty Group
Visit site: www.viprealtygrp.com
 

"I selected a la mode for two reasons.  One, it came highly recommended to me.  Two, after researching and viewing your product, I could see why it was recommended.  I liked it better than most that I have seen and we all know there are a ton of hosting, web design sites out there.  Yours stood out above the rest."

Maureen Dunn

Vanguard/GMAC
Visit site: www.realestatedunn.com

"Your site is great.  I am new to the business so I chose it right out of the gate.  My friend, Joe Gufford, showed me how easy it is to use.  He is really happy with his.  I love being able to get instant messages!"

Teresa Berry

Waterfront Properties inc. GMAC Real Estate
Visit site: www.seattlesoldsigns.com
 

"What do I love about XSites?  I could count the ways: the professional look, ready-made content, ease of editing, adding/changing and previewing, up to date information…the list goes on and on, but [the] search engine submission may top that list of value by providing great business site exposure!  FANTASTIC!"

Michelle Sheehan

Gaston & Sheehan Realty
Visit site: www.flipitaustin.com
 

"I picked it because of the quick response to every question I asked.  Eric and Jeff were awesome, but not pushy.  This approach attracted me as I loved the 24/7 support.  I am a realtor broker and work some really crazy hours.  When I first looked at a la mode for my website, it was quite awhile back, and you followed up with a hard copy that was very professional and I thought that I wanted to have that look as well.  The website I purchased is one that is targeted to only investors…

I found myself smiling as I built my website…

All in all you must be doing something right, I am kind of a hard sell…and I became a buyer."

Wandaliz Gates

Abbitt Realty Co., LLC.
Visit site: www.homesbywandaliz.com
 

"I chose XSites because I felt it was user friendly, for both me and the client.  I like that you can add lead capture forms to various links and that it is simple to use dynamic contents and add external links in a new pane as opposed to directing flow out of your site."

Kirk Simmon

RE/MAX Main Line
Visit site: www.kirksimmon.com

"Customer service is excellent.  It is easy to get the help needed."

Kenneth Mazur

Ken Mazur
Visit site: www.kennethmazur.com

"a la mode has a product, developed with a hybrid of Flash, .NET, Javascript, etc.  All [of] the latest and greatest technologies.  The layout and customization capabilities are great.  The fact that all changes and upgrades were included in the subscription was a selling feature to me.  I perceived a la mode to be able to rapidly change and upgrade their software.  I think applications of the future will be similar to your products.  So why work with the old stuff.

I once received one of the a la mode sales catalogs.  In it was pictured your development environment.  It was a central person seated at a computer surrounded by at least 6 other people at their computers.  I thought to myself, they’ve got it.  A total team approach to development.  In the back of my head, I also thought, that’s the type of company I’d like to go to work for."

Butch Calkins

House Hunter Realty
Visit site: www.augustahousehunters.com

"I chose XSites for its convenience and content.  It is easy to set up and to negotiate.  I actually have two sites.  One is branded and one [is] unbranded.  I enjoy the ease that I experience when using the sites.  When business gets better, I plan on upgrading to the advanced."

Pam Piotrowski

Cyber Real Estate EZ
Visit site: www.nationwiderealestatefinders.com

"I chose a la mode because it’s free and after checking it out I was really impressed.  I found it to be the most user friendly of all the web building sites on the net.  It has features I haven’t seen on any site.  It’s so easy!  In one day I had my site up and running.  Not to mention, the added benefit of a free domain name and tech support 24/7.  I will definitely recommend a la mode to all my colleagues."

Donne Deese-Dumpman

Deese Management & Real Estate
Visit site: www.deesemgmtandrealestate.com

"I think the main reason I chose XSites is the simplicity of using it.  It’s easy to change and modify the different formats.  In comparing pricing, your service is far superior to the rest!  Keep up the good work…"

Germaine LeBourveau-Smith

Guardian Settlement Services
Visit site: www.getguardian.com

"I have been an XSite customer since 2005 and I LOVE my site.  I [find] it extremely easy to use, set up, and manage.  I have [had] no training [for] HTML, website design, formatting, etc.

Additionally, and this may be more information than you were looking for, I would like you to know that the staff at a la mode played a huge role in my decision.  With a few rare exceptions, I can honestly say that your staff is highly trained, extremely polite, and willing to go the extra mile to get things done for the client.  I am a professional and appreciate being treated as such when calling for support."

Aicha Paramore

"XSite [was] my very first website.  I chose XSites because it’s user friendly, you really don’t need any experience or knowledge on how to set up a website.  Also because of all of the templates for print/e-mail ads, they are great [and] easy to set up.  Finally, a la mode offers free tech support, and so far, they have been great and very helpful."

Barrett Proctor

"I was referred to this site by a business partner who is a mortgage broker and I’m so glad he did.  I think this concept is awesome and I’m having so much fun building my site on the back end.  It’s great to have a website that’s industry specific and built by people who have experienced and understand the business.  Thanks!"

Luis Cordero

"I chose a la mode because over the years I have tried other companies, [some] were good, but they were very limited on their quality and how they let you edit the content.  I find that with a la mode, I have the freedom to do any change I like and not lose the quality.  I love the desktop feature as well."

John Pollman

New Horizon Appraisals
Visit site: www.Newhorizonappraisals.net

"I have been with a la mode from the start of my appraisal activities (over three years).  I believe in one-stop shopping; and since my experience with a la mode had been a good one, why change?  Prior to becoming an appraiser, I was an electrical engineer for over thirty years, with experience in both hardware and software, and I could easily have developed my own website, but your web generation tools were so easy to use, it was a no-brainer to me."

Michael J Martell, II

"I continue to use a la mode for several reasons. One is the ease in creating your own content. The back end is user friendly and when you hit a bump in the road, the 24/7 tech support is always helpful and solves the problem. Another reason is the ability to have all the necessary tools in one place like the email campaign and the electronic signatures. These are great tools and when used properly, will save both the agent and clients time as well as keep me in front of each and every person who is in my email campaigns. The campaigns do work and I have gotten several calls from past clients calling because they had an email I sent with my contact info in them. Who knows who they would have called without these in place. The last reason, is really not much of a reason due to the professional tools offered, is the price.

a la mode was better priced than anything else I could find comparing apples to apples. Sure, I may be able to get a website elsewhere but to add in all the tools and features and I would be spending much more somewhere else. I like the way these sites have a professional appearance as well. All around, I think a la mode has the most to offer for the most reasonable prices."

Cary M Engelhardt

1. Cost
2. Ease of use
3. Many templates to choose from
4. Tech support is amazing: fast, knowledgeable about the products and very courteous
5. Speediness - from the time you start you can literally have your site up and running within minutes

Sealy Hargrove

"I started with a 90 day trial on Success Website and it was just horrible, so before the 90 days were up I switched to Advanced Access. But I was never happy with it. I found out that I was paying a lot for things on a website that other agents could get in a FREE website. In addition, their program is difficult/complicated to manage and listing photos take FOREVER to load.

Their customer service is good..... unless you have a real problem. I expressed exasperation with the product one time, and they became most difficult to work with from that point on.

I looked at ihouse, a la mode and z57, among others. a la mode seems to be the most user friendly, has great templates and I can experiment with it for free as long as I want, before upgrading. The listing photos load in a snap and the pages are very easy to manage. I also like the ability to share listings with other a la mode agents."

Joslyn Panka

"A lender that I work with frequently wanted to show me this great way to start a website. I have used point2, and I LOVE sharing listings with other agents, and the free web hosting, but have had a lot of trouble with my point2 website. 

Once I got in and started playing around, I found your sites a LOT easier to use, and had some nice extras above and beyond point2. Once again, my point2 website isn’t working, and my clients (as any clients would!) complain frequently that it isn’t accessible. 

Thanks so much!"

Katie Murdock

"I was creating my own website from scratch for the past few months, but it has consumed so much of my time and it wasn't working with my schedule. I really like the way your company has all of the templates ready to go, and we can put our own twist on it. The lead capturing is probably my favorite thing on the site. Well maybe not my favorite, there are many things I like.

• Ease of use
• Lead Capturing
• Office area-tasks calendar
• Calculators - rent vs. buy
• It looks very professional

I want to thank you guys for creating something that is so easy."

Karen Smith

“I bought your product as an agent in my office had arranged for a demo, I was tired of waiting for my web master to update my site and of course paying every time. I think you have an awesome business and love your whole ethic, when I talk to people in your company they seem really happy and sold on your product and company. I would like to build something like that myself. I love your product and tell other agents about it all the time."

Chris Montague

"The reason I go with XSites is because it’s very easy to use and navigate through the admin control panel. Some websites don't offer email with your domain which is HUGE for me because its much more professional to have chris@chrismontague.com Vs. Chris@yahoo.com.

I really like the plethora of templates you have to choose from. When a holiday rolls around, it only takes me 5 minutes to change my page to a Valentines theme, or Christmas theme etc... And switching it up is important when trying to keep clients coming back to my site. The content is all very well written and informative. When people surf the web they are looking for information, if they don't get it, they go somewhere else. I believe that the information pages your company provides are enough to keep my clients coming back to my site and passing it on to their friends and family.

Thank you!"

Don McDonald

"Simply put, no other product available delivers the full customizable features and content as Agent XSites. Nothing compares! With point click design functions, the latest technologies and the right balance between fancy add-ons make Agent XSites the optimum choice. Ask the consumer to "Dare to Compare" any other web product. From blogging, creating one page property websites, lead capturing tools, unlimited listing capabilities, the right balance between flash and static presentations, 100's of pages of customizable content, direct link access to other sites and the most compelling templates in the industry.

Again Nothing Compares! I am your biggest fan!"

Victor Plitt

"Several years ago industry insiders said "The number of active agents would drop by half." Agents would need to be tech savvy. Business expectation of our clients would demand different marketing. I took that prediction to heart and I researched what tech companies had to offer. I kept going back to a la mode for the high level of the technology they offered and for the affordable price they offered it for. It was the best deal then and that still holds true today. Plus with 24/7 support, a novice can be online in no time at all. That was me 4 years ago, a novice.

Today I help others achieve a professional internet
presence. Thanks a la mode”.

Kathy Casarin

"It's free and I had it up in 20 minutes. I had eyes popping! I can choose and change templates and layouts as often as I wish. I can focus on new construction, families, the seasons whatever the market dictates. I even got to pick my own domain! Awesome product."

Maria Valencia

"When my husband showed me the fast and easy way of having a WEB PAGE with all my listings in less than 45 minutes I said, "Yes this is what are want to use".  Your products are one step ahead the competition and always trying to be up to date and synchronized with market changes and real estate professionals’ needs."

Nancy Elia

"I’m setting up the site and find it very user friendly. I also want to compliment you on the customer service, it has been great."

Milford Josephs

"I have used the product from a leading competitor and hands down this is the best product as far as customization, functionality, tracking your traffic and price."

Wesley M. LeFebvre

"I am very pleased with the tools available, such as ability to edit meta tags, title tag, html, and the ability to create my own pages easily. Out of all the remote hosted agent website/templates/tools I have played with, I definitely think your tools are the most useable and address all of the necessary techniques a tech savvy agent would want to be able to do. Nice work. "

Larry Tims

"Easy, agents in my office recommended it to me.  I like the look and the ease of setting up.  Great product."

Dave McDaniel

"I choose XSites because you guys don’t “sell it and forget it”. I like the continually updated features, the professional presentation and the ease of implementation."

Barry Epstein

"I was referred to your company by a fellow Realtor and went for it. It's amazing how easy and quick it was to set up, and how flexible it is. Thanks!"

John & Richard Lester

"The basics were very easy to initiate and see your results immediately. It provides a level of control that is absent when contracting with a web master to accomplish your personal look and feel. Agent XSites are better.  Thank you."

Terri L. Fuller

"It is the service and kind people you have working there as well as your site setup and EASE of use. I love the entire program and staff."

Kathie Nielsen

"I've been very pleased with the support that your company has provided us. The staff in that support dept. has been outstanding. The cost associated with your websites remains low in comparison to the others available and I feel that this is a great value. The constant efforts by your company to aid the agent through updates etc, is of a great value to me as well. I would comfortably say that the site and the updates over the last few years have helped to make it very user friendly."

Miranda Zhang

By the way, I really appreciated this type of personalized conversation - conversations between humans, not me and an info@----.com.

1. Your site has very professional / appealing look
2. Your site has all important features that a real estate professional wants. With these features, it makes the agent look good in front of their clients
3. It is easy to maintain
4. It seems like you have a pretty good introductory and training package - extremely important because you let me know what they are paying for.