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April 16, 2008
Why Read Blogs When You Can Listen To Them?
Listen to blogs on web, iPhone or Blackberry. Or add our widget for podcasting your blog. Blogbard creates automatic podcast for blogs.
Turn Web Page Into PDF file
It's as simple as putting pasting the url into the page and clicking "convert."
February 04, 2008
InBoxFX - Brand Your Emails
inboxFX, a Canadian company, has designed their technology to wrap their custom email stationery around your plain text email message after it’s been sent, but before it arrives in the recipients inbox. The inboxFX solution works in two ways. Click here for the rest of the article.
July 29, 2007
Why Trulia? Why Google?
It blows my mind that Trulia and Google home search are getting so much attention. In my (blown) mind, the value proposition to each are as follows:
Google: You're on our site anyway, so you might as well stay here and look for homes for sale.
Trula: We're cooler because we have this sexy interface with maps and Web 2.0 feel.
Now here's the value proposition for REALTOR.com: we have the most thorough assemblage of listings available on the internet. Why search anywhere else?
I find my value proposition for REALTOR.com far and away the most persuasive reason for a consumer to use the site.
So why are Google and Trulia home searches getting so much attention? That's because the real estate bloggers are discussing them with great frequency. Why is that?
- Real estate bloggers have to have fodder for their posts and this is easy fodder;
- Real estate bloggers, if they're REALTORS(R), feel threatened by the new technology.
- Real estate bloggers, if they're consumers, are just dying for a way to do away with REALTORS(R), just like Expedia did to travel agents.
- Google and Trulia are "sexy," and to discuss them with any degree of professionalism makes the blogger look "sexy."
I can't wait to read a post by the real estate blogging community that actually compares these sites. Perhaps I've just drawn first blood.
REALOGY to reduce print spending - what does this mean?
According to published reports, REALOGY (parent company to ERA, Century 21, Coldwell Banker) intends to reduce its newspaper advertising by as much as two-thirds.
This philosophy may be founded on the idea that more consumers are utilizing the Internet to conduct their home searches. It's interesting that REALOGY finally decided to act on information that everyone has known for years.
It is quite important to note that this decision comes on the heals of several market forces that are detrimental to REALOGY:
- the real estate market is taking a beating in many parts of the country and REALOGY's exposure is national;
- REALOGY firms average commissions are less than 2.5% per transaction side (a new low).
- Internet advertising is far cheaper than print advertising.
- REALOGY owns a mortgage company - and if highly respected - Countrywide is having major problems with its "prime" products, you can place a safe bet that REALOGY's mortgage arm is suffering as well.
REALOGY indicates that it will be spending more on posting its listings to Google and Trulia. Note, that the article doesn't say, "there will be a dollar-for-dollar" spending shift. That's because Internet advertising costs much less. So what happens to the savings?
One thing that you're NOT hearing is, "we're passing the savings created by this shift in ad spend back to our agents. Effective immediately, everyone gets a 5% commission split increase."
By the way, ANYONE can place their listing on Trulia and Google. My firm does it and it doesn't cost us a penny.
The value of the conglomerate to the agent just decreased a little bit. Did anyone notice?
July 01, 2007
June 30, 2007
June 25, 2007
Fascinating Statistics
Here's the web site from one of our competitors from April, 2004.
There are 57 names on the list.
9 of the names are owners or employees.
The remaining 48 are agents with no strings attached to the company.
Of those 48, only 16 remain.
That's right, 2 out of 3 agents (66 2/3 %) left the company between then and now.
I can't wait to try this experiment with other competitors.
June 04, 2007
Online photo editing made fun
With Picnik you can quickly edit all your online photos from one place. It's the easiest way on the Web to fix underexposed photos, remove red-eye, or apply effects to your photos.
June 03, 2007
Check Out Floorplanner
Are you buying a new home, doing a room make-over, or moving into a new office? Then an easy way to map out your floor plan and your ideas might come in handy.
Floorplanner is the easiest way to create and share interactive floor plans. Using a simple set of drawing tools you can make a floor plan withing minutes and arrange your furniture anyway you want. You can save your designs and print or share them with your family, friends or co-workers.
Floorplanner is easy to use and works just in your browser with no extra software or plugins that you need to install.
May 22, 2007
May 10, 2007
May 09, 2007
May 01, 2007
The Search For 100 Best
How do you market your properties for sale?
Here's some ideas.
April 07, 2007
Hook Up Your Phone and PC
By helping your phone and PC buddy up (like iPod® and iTunes®), our services help you do amazing things. Like screen calls on your PC, get faxes by email, save voicemails for as long as you want and more. And usually for free (or pretty cheap)! See why the buddy system isn't just for kids.
March 24, 2007
March 18, 2007
What is the "ActiveRain Real Estate Network"?
The "ActiveRain Real Estate Network" is a free online community for real estate professionals run on behalf of its members. We are building this community in order to help members promote and grow their real estate business on the Internet.
Joining the network is free, and takes only a few minutes...
March 16, 2007
March 15, 2007
Snap Design Marketing Solutions
Snap Design is a web-based marketing agency specializing in internet technology marketing solutions for real estate agents.
Snap Design analyzes client websites in order to determine where they lack user functionality; with the goal of increased sales and leads for our clients. The company offers high-tech solutions to Search Engine Marketing (SEM) as well as various other aspects of a website including but not limited to: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns, usability, analytics, design, web copy, and customized turn-key services. These customized services include mailers, blog management, postcards, logos, email campaigns, consumer literature, and various other customized marketing materials a client may desire.
February 27, 2007
Inman Wiki
Inman Wiki is the world's largest real estate encyclopedia. Achieve Realty has an entry, so check it out!
February 21, 2007
February 07, 2007
February 05, 2007
February 04, 2007
Required Reading
http://www.inman.com/default.aspx You can't afford not to subscribe.
Football Pools, Contests and RESPA
I was recently asked whether it was legal to create a football pool to generate referrals. The short answer is “no.” The long answer is “read this article.” Download wells_fargo_contest.pdf The bottom line: even creating the opportunity to win a prize in exchange for referral business is illegal.
If you’re participating in a pool (voluntarily or involuntarily) and you win and you accept the prize, you have committed a RESPA violation. HUD has made it clear that they will prosecute the prize recipients. If you’ve already accepted the prize, please return it (and get a receipt proving you’ve returned it).
My strong recommendation: opt-out of all contests immediately. The mortgage business is incredibly cut-throat right now because the refinance and purchase business is down. Mortgage lenders are going to report each others’ RESPA violations because the folks following the rules are not going to tolerate those not following the rules.
