Blue60.com Blog for Real Estate Professionals

Supra -vs-Sentrilock - the madness continues!!

2008-07-24T23:51:00.004-05:00

If you're selling real estate in Chicago's western suburbs - I feel your pain. The Supra/Sentrilock fiasco continues making life difficult for the average REALTOR. A few months ago -a majority of the Chicago area Realtor Associations switched to the new REALTOR owned Sentrilock lockbox system. But a few associations, such as Aurora Tri-County and Fox Valley Association of Realtors re-upped their contract with Supra.
Towns like Aurora, Naperville & Oswego were caught in the middle. With Realtors from many different boards selling in those areas - it's a coin toss as to whether you'll find a Supra or Sentrilock lock box on a listing when you go to show it.
I was out showing houses yesterday and of the 5 listings I encountered - there were 2 sentrilocks, 1 supra and 2 combination keylocks. Hard to believe there can be so much difference in one market. So, to work effectively - REALTORS in this part of the Chicago burbs now have to license both a supra and a sentrilock system. Fork out the $$$$ boys and girls. Trying to decide which lockbox to put on that new listing is a crap shoot. Just to be safe - I put a combination on every listing in addition to a Supra keybox.
Neither system is perfect - but if I had to pick one I would pick the Supra System. Both systems require you to update your key on a daily basis (synchronizing over the inernet) - but what if you head out for showings and forget to update your key? Supra has an 800# you can call to update your key 24 hrs a day. Sentrilock has a phone number that is only available until 5pm. That doesn't help much. Supra allows you to download a showing history for your keyboxes via the internet. Sentrilock requires to to visit each keybox and punch in a series of codes to download the showing history for the keybox to your smart card. Carrying 20 listings? Have fun - it's a little cumbersome.

Social Networking on your TV - Comcast Acquires Plaxo!

2008-05-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

How would you like to do your social networking from the couch? See your blog posts on TV? Maybe even chat with your friends on that big screen in the living room? Although it won't happen tomorrow - it's one step closer.

Today, Plaxo announced they are being acquired by Comcast Interactive. Here's an excerpt from the press release:

"We are developing an exciting roadmap with Comcast that includes socially enabling the media experience in places such as Comcast's high traffic portal (Comcast.net),CIM's popular interactive entertainment properties (such as Fancast and Fandango), and the television." Plaxo Press Release "Comcast to Acquire Plaxo" May 14, 2008

I just joined Plaxo a few weeks ago. The layout reminded me a lot of Facebook. In my typical fashion of discovery for a new site like this - I like to run out and join, then come back later and play around. I have to admit - until today, I hadn't been back to Plaxo since signing up.

During the initial signup process, one of the tools I took advantage of was the "Share RSS Feeds". I put in all the info for my real estate blog and then left. I was a bit surprised today when I logged in and saw ALL MY BLOG POSTS. My first reaction was.....should I do this? Am I diluting my google juice by having duplicate information out there? Would Comcast now have rights to my blog content? Even though these are valid concerns - I like to live life on the edge. So I won't change anything for now. I did find a bit of comfort in the Plaxo "About Us" section:

"We are dedicated to the notion that your address book, your friends list, and your content belong to you, not to us."

I think this signals exciting things for social networking. Comcast already has channel 888 in most markets that allow viewers to see Real Estate Listings. Imagine feeding your listings or Real Estate Video to Plaxo - which automatically makes them available ON DEMAND for consumers to watch on TV. Makes me want to run out and start shooting videos of my listings!

Google Your Name - What Do You Find?

2008-05-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'm always searching on google for different keywords to see how I'm ranking. I like to google my name and see what comes up. Many of you may know - there is a popular soap opera character on One Life to Live named Bo Buchanan. Years ago, I couldn't compete with this virtual Bo - he was just too popular! But nowadays, I do pretty good.
It's important for people to be able to find you on google. When I look at the traffic stats for my website and my company website - agent names are always in the top 10 keywords used to find the site.

Here's a sample of my recent google search for my name:

Page 1, #4 - SpeedyGorilla.com -this is a go-daddy sub account I used to create my own domain store about 5 years ago. The reason it ranks so high? I have a google account, and I use the "igoogle" home page to customize my landing page. On that landing page I used the Google Bookmarks tool and I list all my websits there so I can easily click to them. Next to the search results it says "My Webs" which is the tag I gave that category of links in igoogle. Of course - google gives precedence to content on their own servers......imagine that!

Page 1, #6 - IllinoisHouseHunter.com - this is my main real estate website. This is what I want to see on page 1! Even though I own the domain BoBuchanan.com it isn't coming up on the top page because all I do is redirect it to my main IllinoisHouseHunter.com webpage. As a little experiment, I added BoBuchanan.com to the google bookmark tool I mentioned above. We'll see if it makes a difference.

Page 1, #9 - My Active Rain Blog! You can't beat that.

Page 2, #5 - Lyro.com They just changed their name to BusinessCard2.com. I mentioned Lyro in a post called Social Networking Where and Why about a month ago. All I did was fill out a profile back in Feb. of this year, which took 5 minutes. I was surprised to see it rank so high.

Page 2, #8 - Homes.com I don't have an account at Homes.com, but they must get a listing feed from somewhere, I'm not quite sure. But they have me listed in the wrong town with no photo! At least my office phone # and address are correct.

Page 3, #7 - a blog I wrote that was indexed within 30 minutes. I know because right next to the entry it said - 30 minutes ago.

Page 4, #6 - My IllinoisHouseHunter Blog Outisde Acvtive Rain.
I have to say I'm farily happy with the results -considering most of the other items returned are related to the soap opera character fan sites, etc. A few other interesting results I found in the top ten pages - a link to a comment I made on the AgentGenius.com blog, Lyro Again and a comment I made on an Inman Blog.

GO GOOGLE YOUR NAME!

Keywords + Blogging -vs- Domain Names

2008-05-17T23:43:00.000-05:00

The power of blogging still amazes me. A quick little exercise on google just confirms the obvious. About 2 years ago I purchased the domain name DowntownOswego.com, hoping to eventually develop more of an area about downtown Oswego, Illinois on my website. I have yet to do anything significant. The domain simply redirects to my website main page. I have a lot of domains that do this. The frustrating thing is that many web hosting companies want to charge you a monthly fee simply for "parking" your domain name on top of your website. So I simply redirect the name through my registrar for free.

Until now, I have not been able to se my website listed in google results when searching for the terms "downtown Oswego".

A little over a week ago I wrote a blog about the War Memorial in Dowtown Oswego. As of today, my website comes up on page 1 of the google results for downtown oswego. I also come up twice on page 3 (once for my website and once for localism).

Funny thing was, I wasn't even targeting downtown oswego as a keyword - it happened by accident! Blogging + Keywords Works!

Free - Make a tag cloud for your blog!

2008-05-16T01:12:00.001-05:00

If you have a blog at ActiveRain or many of the popular online blogs - you probably already have a tag cloud. It looks like this:

The larger the word appears - the more often you have used this tag on your blogs. It's a quick and easy way for readers to see what you write about. If you have a blog outside active rain - wordpress, blogger or the like - you may not have a tag cloud. Now you can create your own tag cloud at MakeCloud.com
It works on the same principle as syndicating your feed at FeedBurner or any other site. All you need is your RSS feed file address. Check out their tutorial on how to add a tag cloud to your site.

Commission Rebates - Good or Bad for Real Estate?

2008-05-15T00:11:00.001-05:00

It seems like I'm seeing more advertising for the various commission rebate programs vying for agent business. As far as I can tell, the idea was really born back in 2005 and received plenty of attention when it first started. I like to think I'm progressive and willing to consider new ideas - but I've never jumped aboard the rebate band wagon. Maybe because I feel like it puts the focus on the money I'm making rather than the house my client is looking for.

In a down market - everyone is looking for leads. That means more and more lead generation advertising. I really do believe different alternatives work for different agents. Regardless of what you and I think - THE US DEPARMENT OF JUSTICE IS ALL FOR REBATES. They even have a website Rebates Make Home Buying Less Expensive.

At first glance - the rebate issue seems like a simple for or against idea. Either you want to offer them to clients or you don't. But it's not just real estate agents that offer rebates. Builders offer them too. iNest.com (a subsidiary of Lending Tree) has been offering rebates to new construction home buyers for years. The Illinois Senate recently proposed legislation that would make Rebates by Illinois Real Estate Licensees illegal (Inman News). The Illinois Association of Realtors Came out against it saying it would put licensees at a disadvantage compared to non-licensees (builders & developers). According to an article at RedFin - that legislation was defeated back in March of this year.

That being said - here are some of the rebate programs I've found on the web. Plenty of agents will offer Rebates to their customers on their own. The list below contains referral networks you can join and be connected to customers looking for rebates or commission bids. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to see how many of these companies also had profiles on the various social network sites so I've included any of those links I could find.

ePerks.com (AR Profile) (MySpace Page) (LinkedIn - 1 of 7 profiles)
RebateReps.com (AR Profile) (LinkedIN)
PayingAgents.com (AR Profile)
HungryAgents.com
RealtyBaron.com (AR Profile) (LinkedIN)
SharpBuyers.com (AR Profile) (LinkedIN -previous co-founder, no longer with company)

Some states do not allow agents to offer commission rebates. For a complete list of states allowing agents to offer rebates, visit the Department of Justice Competition and Real Estate Rebate Page

Who owns those images? In your blog? Of your listings?

2008-05-12T23:29:00.002-05:00

I spend a lot of time reading real estate blogs - But I always wonder where those great images come from. Are people just grabbing images off a google image search? Snagging photos or comics from other websites? If you are - they are probably copyrighted images.

If you didn't personally take the photo - you don't have the right to use it.

That's right - if you didn't take it personally. That includes the photo of that new listing. It's an easy to remember rule of thumb. If you start from that premise - there is less of a chance you'll get in trouble. But it doesn't mean you can't use images on the internet. If you find an image you like on the web - you'll need to look for the copyright info attached to that image.

That being said -there are plenty of places you can find free images on the internet. Some sites will require you to pay a membership fee to use their photos. Others will require that you deposit money into an account - and then download photos that use up "points" that equal dollars

Rather than try to "Be The Expert" I always like to point people to an authority on the subject.
PhotoLaw.net - out of Boston, great Q&A tips for photographers, writers, etc.
Lenn Harley - her very first Active Rain post way back in 2006 was about - COPYRIGHT! Read her post to find out first hand how she collects royalties from people who have stolen her copyrighted images!
Larry Lohrman, Photography for Real Estate - Larry wrote an interesting article back in 2007 about who owns the photo of that house you are selling? Do you own it? Your Client? The Builder you took the photos for? Larry's take on the issue is worth a read.

Most STOCK or FREE photos on the web will give you the right to use the photos on your blog, website etc. But if you plan to reprint those images on brochures, tshirts, mugs or the like - a different license and fee is usually required. Here are a few great resources you can if you want images for your blog or website. Read the copyright section of each to determine how you can use the photos:

The Bubble, The Bottom and Media Literacy in Real Estate

2008-05-07T03:14:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard of the term "Media Literacy"? The concepts been around for a while - it's a way of teaching people that you have to question the media, not take things for granted. You need to do your own research - and consider the vantage point of the person presenting the story. I worked in Television for some time - and I'll tell you first hand - anyone can get on television. If you're good looking and you can hold a conversation - you're in! The more off the edge you are - the better.

Now, more than ever - it's important for people in the real estate profession to question the sources of information. Every day I hear another story on the radio or TV that we've hit the bottom. Or the market is rebounding. This sector or that sector is doing better. Then I read economical pundits telling us that we are in for an even deeper recession. Everyone can't be right. No wonder the consumer is hesitant to buy (at least that's my perspective -but who am I!).

Case in point - I was crusing the internet last night and I landed at Inman News. I came across a blog entitled "Take it from an agent - sell by owner". Of course, as a good title does - it caught my attention. In the article, Danielle Babb says that commissions are the reason why we aren't seeing a recovery in the market. She also goes on to tell consumers not to waste time or money with agents. I'm sure that comment alone will be enough to raise the ire of many in the real estate industry. But here's the kicker. Not only is she a real estate agent - but she has a website and a book entitled "Commissions-At-Risk.com" in which she counsels real estate professionals on how to use technology to survive the changing market.

After reading apparently conflicting statements I did a little research on the web and found this interview on YouTube with Peter Schiff & Danielle Babb at FOX News. I think the interview speaks for itself. Danielle Babbs has a list of credentials at the end of her name - MBA, DR, Investor, etc. On the other side is Peter Schiff - President of Euro Pacific Capital. Now, both pundits sell or work or companies that will obviously profit off their comments. Danielle Babb promotes HousePad.com - a flat fee listing company. I am unable to find out if she has some sort of affiliation with this brokerage - but I she mentions it Inman and Entrepreneur.com . She also promotes teaching online and seems to be heavily focusing on her foreclosure finding book. Peter Schiff is president of a Euro Pacific Capital - a company that promotes the sale of foreign stocks.

Whether you're watching TV, reading the newspaper or reading blogs - it's important you consider the motives of the source. What do they have to gain by promoting their particular opinion? What are their affiliations? What are their credentials? It doesn't mean you must distrust everyone in the media - just consider the source, ask questions and make up your own mind.

That's my two cents -but who am I?

Foreclosure Widget - Cool, Customizable - So What?

2008-05-06T00:44:00.002-05:00

Once again, an innocent evening in front of the computer turns into an obsession. I spent the afternoon listening to talk radio and it was all about politics. Telling you how I got from politics to the foreclosure widget is another blog entireley! For now, let's just say even the web adheres to the six degrees of separation.

After crusing the web for about an hour, I landed on ForeclosureWidget.com. This widget is for consumers - and it's not you're typical web based widget - but a desktop widget. Created by the folks at Foreclosures.com - it allows consumers to search foreclosures from a widget on their desktop. Consumers see Foreclosures as "A Good Deal" even if they aren't - so a large number of advertising dollars are being spent to lure them in to whatever product someone is selling. That includes Real Estate Agents. What buyers are really looking for is a good deal.

That lead me to search for other foreclosure related widgets - when I found an article at Inman News about ForeclosureRadar.com ForeclosureRadar is putting a little twist on foreclosures and creating a widget - for Real Estate Agents. This new tool is really a combination of foreclosure listings, IDX and a widget. ForeclosureRadar has created a widget that pulls Foreclosoure listings froma database and lets a Real Estate Agent display them on their webpage. They do not try to sell data to consumers - only agents. It's refreshing to see a new tool of value directed towards agents and not the general public. Currently ForeclosureRadar is only available in California but they have plans to roll out a national FLX (Foreclosure IDX) for all real estate agents.

Get your free profile at Inman.com

2008-05-05T00:12:00.000-05:00

I was reading a afew stories at Inman.com when Idecided to comment on one. As I was registering to comment - I discoverd that agents could create a free profile and make it available to the public. Before I created my profile - I decided to do a search in my area and see how many agents were listed. Searching a 500 mile radius in Chicagoland I only came up with 17 agents. SEVENTEEN!!! I believe this is a new feature implemented with the Inman redesign in March of this year - but I was still amazed that so few agents had registered so I jumped at the opportunity.
According to the Inman About US Section - "The company's content is syndicated on more than 150,000 web sites and in more than 200 newspapers". Seems like a no brainer to create a profile on the site for free.

Agents Treating Agents w/Respect - It Sells More Homes!

2008-05-03T18:14:00.001-05:00

A DIFFICULT TRANSACTION
I recently completed a rather difficult transaction with another agent. I was the listing agent on a bank owned property. The buyers agent worked with buyers that stuck with the process for over 3 months. The property had multiple problems - water in the basement, cracking drywall, holes in the walls. At one point - the bank gave the potential buyers a counter offer which the buyers accepted. The bank then backed out of the deal. That's right - they "verbally" gave me an acceptance which I conveyed to the buyers agent. But when I sent in the contract to be signed, the "higher ups" at the bank refused to sign it. So the buyers walked away. A few weeks later - they came back and accepted the new counter offer from the bank. I had never seen this before and I didn't blame the buyers for walking away.

WHY THE AGENTS MADE THE DIFFERENCE
Buying or selling a bank owned property can be a difficult process. Trash outs, utility problems, liens on the property. Not to mention the obvious whiplash caused by the lender. But throughout the process the other agent and I always managed to stay calm and rational - being upfront about what was occuring. When the buyers expressed concern about the water in the basement - I provided them with a quote from a contractor that I had ordered on the banks behalf. Turns out - the buyers inspector knew this contractor and said he does great work. I think this gave the buyers a sense of assurance that it was a legitamate and accurate portrayal of the problem.

SO WHY DOES IT MATTER
Throughout the process I was honest and upfront with this agent. We did not know each other before the transaction and the fact that we were both respectful and honest while representing our clients made the difference in getting this deal closed. I have all the confidence that, should I have the opportunity to show her property in the future or vice-versa - we can both assure our clients that what the other agent is representing to be the truth is, in fact - the truth. What do other agents think when they schedule an appointment to show your properties? Could your professional repuatation with other agents help you sell more property? Absolutely.

Foreclosure Bus Tours - How Do They Work?

2008-05-02T02:31:00.001-05:00

I've recently been obsessed with the idea of foreclosure bus tours. I've been concentrating my business on short sales lately - and doing a foreclosure bus tour seems like a great way to get connected with buyers. There are several going on in my area and I wanted to know how to get involved. Here's what I've learned:

Rent a Bus - rental rates for a bus that holds around 50 people will range from about $500 - $900. You can rent the bus for 5 hours or an entire day. Sometimes a per mile fee is also added on.
Charge Participants - Foreclosure Bus Tours Operators are charging participants anywhere from $25.00 a person to $100.00 a person. Even more for higher end property foreclosure tours.
Feed them - Breakfast and/or lunch is usually provided for participants.
Teaming Up - Agents are teaming up with Attorneys, Inspectors, Appraisers and title companies to spread the cost around or get the tour sponsored completely.
Pre-Requirements - Some agents are requiring that participants be pre-approved and sign a buyers agreement before taking the tour. Some are not.
Choose Homes - most agents I know that have REO or Pre-Foreclosure properties want to know how they get their homes on the tour! If you don't have your own REO or Pre-Foreclosure properties, most agents would be thrilled to have a bus load of people pull up in front of their listings!

FORECLOSURE BUS TOUR SERVICES:
ForeclosureBusTours.com

HIRE YOUR OWN FORECLOSURE BUS:
BusRates.com
USABusCharter.com
BusBank.com
USCoachways.com

If one of these links don't work for you, look for local limosiousine service. Larger limo companies will usually have the small mini buses available for rental. Or you could go for the strech Hummer!

AGENT WEBSITES - FORECLOSURE BUS TOURS:
ColumbusBusTours.com - Ohio Agents Donna Carstens and Michelle Foster with Coldwell Banker King Thompson.
VegasRepoBus.com - James Wedewer with O48 Realty and his lending partner Anand Goundar of evofi ONE Mortgage in Las Vegas.
RepoHomeTourChicago.com - sponsored by Re/Max of Barrington, Illinois
DenverForeclosureBusTours.com - Debbie Salek, RE/MAX Professionals, Inc. and Dana Dziagwa, W.R. Starkey Mortgage in Denver, Colorado.
SacramentoREO

Overall, the foreclosure bus tour seems like a way to get buyers exicted and involved in the process. Jerry Murphy of Anthem, Arizona raises a good point. Are foreclosure bus tours actually a good idea for buyers? Everyone looking at the same property - maybe more than one person bidding on the same house? Sure - every agents dream. Has this happened to anyone?

QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR AGENTS DOING BUS TOURS:
What about liability during the tour? Do you need extra insurace?
Do you tour with more than one agent? If so - how do you handle leads?
Are you requiring buyers agreements?

Cool Closing Gifts - Top 10

2008-04-29T02:04:00.002-05:00

Early in my career, I ran into a client at Home Depot a couple months after closing. We had a quick chat and I thought we had made a good connection through the sale process and beyond. Then, just before leaving - he turned to me and said "You know, my wife was surprised we never got a closing gift". I was stunned. I had never really thought a lot about it. I worked hard to find them a good home at a great price. But I thought closing gifts just weren't my style. He said his wife was still talking about it months later. I guess I blew it, but I learned my lesson. So here is a Top Ten list of Cool closing gift ideas!

Name Frames - cool real photos that spell out a name.
Custom Home Sketches - provide a photo and give your clients a custom sketch of their new home!
Personalized Door Mats - a door mat with your clients name or initial.
Custom Candles - definitely a unique idea. They offer custom soy candles and will mail one every month for a year after closing.
Personalized Wine - wine, champagne & water with custom labels you create!
Custom Moving Boxes - not the most personal touch, but a unique idea. Custom moving boxes imprinted with your logo & information.
Custom Coffee & Chocolate - create custom labels for gourmet coffee or chocolate. Use your marketing info or put pictures of your clients on the labels!
Photo Throw Blankets - have any picture knitted into a throw blanket.
Custom Bath Towel - monogrammed personal bath towel, but that's not all.....read on
Meat Branding Monogram Iron - this is just too weird to pass up. Sold by the same folks as #9 - the Custom Bath Towel, you can get a monogrammed meat branding iron to put your initials into everything you cook on the grill. Serious BBQ'ers only please. Offered by The Personalization Mall, they have hundreds of personalized products you can order for cool closing gifts (Chef hats, carving knives, door knockers, address plaques & more!)

Real Estate Logos

2008-04-24T22:47:00.005-05:00

Looking for a fresh start -a new image, an exciting logo? One of the easiest ways to get variety of logo options is to post a project at Elance.com Elance is a place where business people post projects that need to be completed - and service providers bid on the job. I have used elance twice to create the logos at MyPumpGuy.com (my brothers company) and GolfGorilla.com (a custom google search engine). Both of these logos were created for less than $150.00.
If you're looking to go the more traditional route of purchasing a pre-made logo or hiring a company that will create a logo for you - here are a few resources:

elance.com - post a project for free and get bids on logo design.
biz-logo.com - a library of pre-designed real estate logos for $125.90
LogoDesignGuru.com - wow. Very cool set of "packages" to get a logo created. For $199 they will give you 4 logo concepts and 3 revisions.
1800mylogo.com - great samples of other real estate logos they've designed.
TheLogoCreator.com - this is a new one. Software for thirty bucks that lets you mix and match pre-created pieces to create real estate logos.
CMYKCards.com - $129 for complete logo design. Excellent step by step layout of how the logo creation process works.
LogoMaker.com - create your own logo online and try it on your site for free!
Real-Estate-Designers.com - offers logo design and other web related marketing.
LogoWorks.com - $99 to start your custom logo design.
LogoYes.com - another service to create your own logo online.

Real Estate Blogs: Market & Promote Yourself For Free!

2008-04-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

We spend a lot of time on our blogs, we anxiously wait for the Google gods to pay attention and move our blog up in the search results. We hope customers will visit us in droves and buy or sell real estate with us. Why not give them a little push? Promote your blog on real estate related websites and blog directories!

FeedBurner.com - syndicate your blog to anyone, create an RSS feed that can be read in any reader. I'm a big fan of FeedBurner and it's one of the easiest ways to promote your blog and get cool widgets that promote your blog (See the headlines & story clips on the right? That's a widget from FeedBurner).
RSSHugger.com - at first glance, RSSHugger.com seems like just another compilation site of blogs. The site is well designed and easy enough to use - similar to technorati, but not quite as powerful. In order to get listed in their directory, you must either a)pay $20.00 for a ten year listing or b)write a review about the sit at your blog(hope this counts!). To be honest, I was about ready to write this one off until I read the "About" page that very skillfully put a real face on the site. Collin LaHay is using this "Write a review for free membership" idea as a viral marketing campaign to build the site. And he's upfront about it. I never like when advertisers or business's try to pretend like they are just giving you something free. Collin also tells you want he plans to do with the money he makes - pay off college expenses and continue contributing to Kiva. This about page made me want to join - made me want to be a part of what Collin is doing. My suggestion to Collin - feature this about info more prominently on the front page.
Zillow.com - thanks to Cheryl Johnson at Active Rain for pointing this one out. Only a few local real estate blogs listed. This just seems like a no brainer. Zillow gets lots of press and it's one of the biggest real estate sites out there. Get yours on the list now!
Technorati - I have often heard of this and seen the tag on blogs, but I thought it was just another bookmarking tool. It's more than that - its' a directory of blogs. You can add your blogs for free and search the directory of available blogs.
Squidoo - imagine someone browsing the magazine rack at a bookstore. All you see is the front page. If something on that front page grabs the reader - they pick up the magazine and read it. Create a "front page" for your blog at squidoo and grab readers attention.
BlogTopList - add a couple buttons to your site and visitors can vote for your blog.
IceRocket - a blog search engine and free blog tools.

Now you've got your blog listed, now what? Here are a few great articles on how to start getting noticed in the blogosphere:

Blogging Brainstorm: 75 ideas to get you started right now by AlaMode
8 SMO Tips to Nitro Boost your traffic
20 Essential Blogs to submit your blog to by Search Engine Journal
How to optimize blog post titles by the Marketing Pilgrim (After reading this article, I took their advice and added the word Real Estate in my blog title)
Seth Godins Guide to Blogs & The New Web

Social Networking - where and why?

2008-04-22T01:53:00.008-05:00

Lately I have been obsessed with Active Rain - The Network for Real Estate Professionals. My obsession didn't take hold at first, I was a member for a couple months before I even realized what to do with it. But once it took - I was hooked. But why? I've joined other social sites and never really been interested to the degree I am at Active Rain. Perhaps it was a matter of timing. In a business that is changing, whether it be real estate or health care - everyone is forced to examine how they are doing business. During my own self examination, I re-discovered my interest in all things technology. Until now, incorporating those interests into my real estate career never really took off. Then, one night as I began blogging - I had an epiphany. Suddenly my worlds of Real Estate and the Internet/technology came together.

But this life changing event was more than an isolated incident. I discovered my online "persona" so to speak. The advent of social networking brings a new level of transparency to the business world. People we do business with now have photos online, profiles at myspace or have their names listed in membership lists on the web. Suddenly, it has become easier to know more about the people behind the titles. This level of transparency brings with it questions of privacy, personal responsibility and the obvious benefits of networking. Even now, I am still discovering how to connect all these different online aspects of my life. I use myspace to connect with friends, LinkedIn to do business and Facebook for family links. But why keep those different areas of my life separate? I've done plenty of business with both friends and family. The challenge is learning how to use each of these tools in different ways.

So, I arrive here - tweaking and adding to my various online profiles at different social networking sites. Below is a list of different networks available and how they see themselves or how I am using them:

MySpace - gained its notoriety with teens. I mostly use this site for connecting with friends - a profile of my more personal life. Because of the inherent personal nature of MySpace you need to connect on a more personal level. MySpace has a heavy music component and has helped launch many musicians.
LinkedIn - a monster of a business networking site I am just learning to use. Here's a great article by Mario Sundar "10 ways to use LinkedIn"
FaceBook -Facebook has brought privacy online! Due to its lack of public profiles (someone must be approved before reading details about you), my brothers, sisters, nieces & nephews have latched onto Facebook. I am mostly using Facebook for family connections.
ActiveRain - THE social network for Realtors. Need I say anything else?
Twitter - a service that lets you keep friends and family up to date on "What you are doing". I don't think I want to be that responsible to everyone I know!
Jaiku - a social networking site that was recently acquired by google. It is similar to twitter - you keep friends up to date on what you are doing. Right now, you have to request an invite - probably because they are going through changes related to the acquisition.
MeetUp - a way to connect to people locally who are interested in similar activities. Looking for someone to jump out of a plane with? Find them at meetup.com
Lyro - similar to linkedin. A business community - but not as robust as linkedin. I found out about linked in after googling an old boss I was trying to connect with. I found his lyro card and sent him an email. He called me the same day!!
Plaxo - just discovered this one tonight and joined. Their tag line "Connect your personal and professional life in one place". I basically copied and pasted everything from my linkedin profile.
Pownce - unless you have friends on here already, I'm not sure why you'd join. Seems like a well designed site, but I just don't have the energy to join one more site tonight!

There are a lot more sites out there. A great resource is this list of social networking sites at wikipedia. Enjoy!

Real Estate tools for cell phones!

2008-04-21T01:17:00.006-05:00

I was so excited yesterday after implementing my first mobile property info service for a listing that I started to think about other tools available for the mobile consumer and/or agent. Typically, mobile content will be in demand by a younger more tech savvy audience. If you are an agent at ease with technology - it's a great way to bring in clients that will likely buy and sell 3, 4 even 5 homes in their lifetime.

As I was doing my resarch, it seemed like there were lots of articles in 2004/2005 talkng about the impending move of the MLS to a mobile platform. Many of the links no longer worked - and I can only assume that a majority of these companies didn't survive. What would be great - would be the ability to give my buyers the ability to search the MLS from their phone on a platform that connected me to them. A tool of value I provided. Although I found 2 companies offering such a service - I don't think either are available in my area.

Text messaging by phone works in two ways. First, consumers can call an 800# posted on a rider at your sign and request a text message. Secondly, consumers can text a number code or keyword code to the destination advertised on your sign (text home1 to kathsells or text home 1 to 87944). Within seconds, the consumer receives a text message on their phone. Most will also include a link the consumer can then click on to view photos or more information.

Text Messaging Soulutions for Listings:

CellSigns.com - offers both a sign based text for info service and access to the entire mls.

TheMobileListing.com - offers plans on a per property basis with unique codes for each property.

CellTrust.com - a more robust system probably implemented at the office level with customizable solutions and keywords available.

Agent511.com - offered as a monthly service on a per property code basis. One of the only services I saw offering unlimited messages per code.

House4Cell.com - includes free signs with each code activated.

ClubTexting.com - unique feature allows you to customize what is returned to the texter. you could even send a list of comparably priced properties.

irio.com - also offers unlimited text messaging.

text-ed.com - offers text messaging via an 800# - only one I've seen combining texting with 800 service.

ReactionListings.com - includes free riders with each keyword activated. Also offers a free 30 day trial of their service.

Agent MLS Access on a mobile phone:

PocketRealEstate - by Borran software. They have been around for some time now. You can access the entire MLS, save client profiles and find properties via map service.

PocketMLS.com - full MLS access for agents. They offer additional tools like Listing alert to send MLS listing alerts to clients, friends & families.

MostHomeWireless.com - offers a solution for individual Realtors and also a solution to implement for an entire board/MLS.

Client/Buyer access to MLS Data

MLSPDA.com - agents & offices can use this technology to offer buyers the ability to search the MLS via mobile phones. Currently the are in Beta Mode in San Diego County, CA.

SmarterAgent.com - offers a GPS based system for consumers to search for apts. for rent and homes for sale. Will be offering a privately branded search option for real estate agents.

Mobile Blogging Tools:

FeedM8.com - converts your blog or website into mobile content! Check out Blue60Blog.com to see how it works or visit m.blue60.com on your mobile phone!

Utterz.com - blog from your phone! Works with Blogger, wordpress, yahoo and many other blogging platforms. Currently in Beta.

Agents - Get floor plans for those pre-owned homes!

2008-04-18T02:49:00.007-05:00

This post is in response to Peter Potylicki at Active Rain who wrote about Floor Plans yesterday. He was referring to an ezine What Do National Home Builders Do That The Re-Sale Market Doesn't To Sell Homes? by Pablo Santibanez. Pablo goes on to discuss floor plans offered by builders and how much of an industry standard they are in the new construction arena. By contrast, Pablo says - the floor plan is virtually ignored by Realtors in the secondary home market.
So why are floor plans ignored by Realtors? I'll tell you why. We have no idea where to get them! Sure, if the homeowner has a copy of the floor plan - most Realtors try to include that in the marketing material. I know I do. I have even made an effort to keep a file of floor plans I pick up from new builders so I can use them for marketing future homes. But what if the homeowner has no floor plan? Maybe it's an older home? Maybe no one in the office has a floor plan? Where the heck do you get a floor plan! We'll, it took me more than a few hours sorting through all the links on the web for builders, custom home floor plan creators - but I was able to put together a list of actual floor plan providers.

Floor Plan Providers:

EZFloorPlan.com - These guys take a hand sketch provided by you and turn it into a floor plan for $29 bucks - if the home is under 2000sf.
FloorPlanet.com - they partner with virtual tour providers or photographers and teach them how to create floor plans. This just makes sense.
FloorPlanOnline - wow, this looks like a really cool service. They have interactive floor plans and virtual tours. Floor plans start at just $49.00.
FloorPlanGraphics.com - definitely higher end and higher priced. In Austin, Texas
HomeSight.net - they partner with appraisers who visit the properties and get measurments. Also offering interactive floor plans.
InsideTract.com - using the floorplanonline.com software, they provide interactive floor plans for California Realtors.
LaserTechFloorPlans - floor plans for commercial properties.
NJVTours.com - James Colucci Enterprises. I'm guessing by the name that they are in New Jersey - but for the life of me, I can't find any location info for them on the website.
RealTourVision.com - a virtual tour provider offering floor plans as an option. Excellent place to get it all done in one place!
Imagemaker360 - a big one here in Chicagoland - offers an interactive floor plan combined with the virtual tour.
MetroPix.co.uk - for our friends in the UK. They have very reasonable plans that allow an entire office to create unlimited floor plans!
VHT.com - they can create floor plans from old blueprints.
CirclePix.com - offers a $60 upgrade to the virtual tour for a floor plan.

Floor Plan Software: You probably don't have time to setup software, sketch properties and create floor plans for every home. But if everyone in an office chipped in - maybe you could buy the software and find someone who would be interested in using the software to make floor plans at a cheap price. Great business idea for someone!

2dPlan.com - allows you to create floor plans, add furniture, colors & textures.
SmartDraw.com - comes in under 200 bucks. Not bad.
FloorPlanner.com - a great piece of online software. Works on a monthly subscription basis but looks like it would be perfect if you have someone lined up to make floor plans for you. No expensive software to buy!
Visio by Microsoft - I hate plugging Microsoft! But I used Visio before they bought it and it was a great product. Very easy to use.

Single Property Website Providers

2008-04-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

In my previous post, I discussed the pros and cons of single property websites and listed some great discussions on the topic. Many of the virtual tour providers are starting to include individual webites for properties. Each of the services may include different features - some of these features will be offered for an additional price. Decide which ones are important to you then compare providers on that basis:

Aerial view - usually provided by Google Maps, Mapquest, etc.
Property photos - some let you upload a few photos - some are unlimited.
School info - this may go to a national educational info site or allow you to put a link to the local school district website.
Traffic info - will tell you how many times the property site has been accessed.
Ability to upload video or links to video. Great if you have a video tour of the neighborhood.
Lead tracking - if customers request more info the leads will usually be emailed to you or sent as a text message to your phone.
Contact agent feature - by phone or text.
Mobile content version - clients can view a version of the flyer on their phone.
Custom domain name - www.123MainStreet.com
Custom rider w/domain name
Feeds to classifieds - # of feeds and sites vary.
Image Posting - Important! Do they allow you to upload the images, or do you have to provide a link to another location where you image is hosted?
Mortgage calculator
Ability to upload documents like floor plans, disclosures & covenants.
Open House feature - ability to add scheduled open houses.

If you've decided you'd like to given them a try or you'd like to compare prices/features - here are a list of single property website providers:

ePropertySites.com - actually includes mobile phone content. The have a great chart comparig themselves to many single site providers.
SinglePropertyWebsites.com- single site pricing starts at $45.00 but includes a custom domain name for the property.
vFlyer.com - includes a mobile viewing of flyers. You can have up to 5 acive flyers for free!
Postlets.com - offered for $5.00 as a premium postlet. A lot of options for the price.
iPropertyWebsites - prices starting at $45.00 but a large array of features.
ListingDomains.com - prices start at $60.00 but this includes a custom domain name and a sign rider. All in one place!
PowerSites at AgencyLogic.com - like many of the vendors, offers a free pre-listing site creation you can use in your listing appointments.
ClassifiedFlyerAds.com - one of the least expensive coming in at $5.99
UrbanFeature.com - staring at $50.00 it includes a domain name.
GoViewIt.com - interesting, this is a free piece of sofware for real estate companies that allows you to create your own single property websites. UrbanFeatures sample listing says it is powered by GoViewIt.com

Single Property Sites - Value or Void?

2008-04-17T01:44:00.010-05:00

While searching for single property site resources I stumbled upon a blog that contained -by far- the most honest, worthwhile, singularly valuable analysis of a Real Estate tool I have seen on the internet. Insight from technical people, providers of the service, and users of the services.

Mary McCormick of RSSPieces wrote a blog about Single Property Sites titled "MYTH: single property websites drive traffic" and goes on to say, referring to Single property sites "Don’t be swindled. This is simply a waste of money that alone will not drive traffic, leads or Internet visibility". Mary wrote the article over a year and a half ago. But an excellent discusssion over the value of this product continues today. Single site providers & Realtors have added to the conversation - both agreeing and disagreeing with Mary's comments.

Are these sites a valuable marketing tool? In and of themselves they are not the answer to your prayers. As a tool in a stable of marketing products - it is one more item you can use to market yourself and your listings. These may work well as part of a listing presentation for some agents, or a great way to showcase a high end property for other agents. To me, they seem to offer a great way to tap into the mobile consumer market by offering content on the phone - and start developing a relationship with a younger demographic early in their decision process (part of the ePropertySites offering).

I see a process of change occuring in the product we call "Single Property Websites". RealTourVision now offers a single property website in conjuction with the virtual tour they provide. Z57 offers what that call an AE Showcase that they are offering for free (I think it's just so you can see a sample) and they offer this as an add on for agents who use their website service. They have included a single property website as part of the tools they offer agents with websites hosted at Z57. What we need to see is a development of this service to work in conjunction with agent websites, classified postings, domain purchasing and MLS's. They need to offer the depth of information included in some, but not all of the providers - school info, aerial maps, lead tracking, custom domains (at a reasonable price), agent website integration and more. Thankfully, I think this process is already naturally occuring.

The other thing we need to consider - how will I manage all these different domain names at the listing? Homeowners want to see their custom address promoted, agents want to promote a web adress that will attract consumers to THEIR site. And I'm sure brokers want to have the company address on the sign. I also use a custom rider for a neighborhood farm website. Reconciling all these different domain names on a sign or property remains a challenge. And you can only have so many riders! Maybe an answer to this solution is a re-vamping of how we use signs as Realtors. Perhaps the days of our photos and huge company logos on our signs are dead. And these signs in themselves need to become more of resource for buyers.

I never like to rehash a discussion that I've found somehwere else on the web, but I do like to highlight a few points and give you a resource for more information:

Single Site Pros
Gives the seller a tool they can use to promote their home - not the agent. They can proudly show off everyghing there is to know about their house. Gives quick access to everthing the potential buyer would want to know - the location, school info, photos,

Single Site Cons
May not be the "traffic" or "lead" generator you are hoping for. Will drive traffic to a website other than your main online presence. Costs range from $5.00 to $50.00 (even more for some higher end property websites).

VFlyer Discussion about Pros & Cons of Single Property sites

RSSPieces - Great Discussion including Realtors, Tech Folks & single property site providers

Tools & Widgets for Websites & Blogs

2008-04-16T08:06:00.008-05:00

Thanks to Active Rain & ActiveRainCustomizer.com I was up all night last night playing around with my ActiveRain blog. It got me to thinking - there are lot of cool tools out there we can use to jazz up our websites and/or blogs. As if I need something else to distract me!

ActiveRainCusotmizer.com - Thanks Brad, you inspired this post! Brad created a great tool that lets you customize the look of your ActiveRain blog. Shhh....it's a secret ;)
FeedBurner.com - turn your blog into a feed machine! Now readers can grab your blog in any format they wish. Really, this tool is too easy to pass up.
SpringWidget.com - Create your own widget. Man, this is easy. Create a widget of your blogs headlines that you can put on any webpage - or offer to other websites and syndicate your content! Currently there are 275 Real Estate widgets on the site.
MyBlogLog.com - a Yahoo widget that you can post on your site or blog that shows who has visited recently. Only shows members who have joined. Also lets them join your community.
StefanJuhl.com - great review on the 6 essential elements of a website widget.
WidgetBox.com - another collection of great widgets. Check out the 10 Mortgage Calculator Widgets or the Real Estate Property Analyzer Widget
VFlyer widget - I found this one at WidgetBox.com but it caught my eye and deserves to be separated! This is a paid service - but it allows you to create a widget of your listings or other content that can be placed anywhere on the web.
PollDaddy.com - create unlimited polls for your site and show off the results!
Feedm8.com - Last, but certainly not least. I liked this one so much - I implemented it immediately! Let viewers read your blog on their phone! How cool is that? And it's free! Ads will be placed at the beginning and end of the feed-but you share in the revenue. See the samples at WidgetBox, view the Blue60 Blog to see how it works (scroll down, on the lower right side) or visit m.blue60.com on your phone or browser.

Business Cards for Real Estate

2008-04-15T23:10:00.006-05:00

Well, Yesterday I had my photo taken for my new business cards. Today, I need to decide where to order them from! In the past, I've ordered from VistaPrint.com and ColorCardsDirect.com. There are more choices out there than I can possibly imagine but here are a few things to consider when ordering cards

Do they provide a free proof? Some will charge you.
What's the turn around time?
How much is shipping?
Do they offer backside printing? How much?
Do they offer custom designs?

VistaPrint.com - they have an offer for 250 free business cards. If you're a new agent and you aren't sure yet what you want - this might be a good way to try something out. They also have a very advanced card design tool where you can actually move things around, add images and play around with creating your own custom card.
ColorCardsDirect.com - last time I ordered from them, I had to pay $5.00 for a proof! Now they are offering free proofs and a free photo! They are now offering 1,000 cards for $34.95. I was very happy with my order last time around.
ColorForRealEstate.com - $69.00 for the first 1,000 - discounts for higher quantities. I have ordered postcards from here before and was happy with the quality and shipping. But I have not used them for bcards.
BusinessCardSource.com - if you type realestatebusinesscards.com directly into your browser, this is where you end up! That's how I found BusinessCardSource.com. They are similar to VistaPrint.com and have a variety of basic Real Estate Designs. More basic offerings and not for the high end custom card.
SelPros.com - I first heard of SelPros a few years back when one of the agents in my office used them. They do some really nice custom cards and they have their own photography studio. The website says they work with Realtors, investors and Business's all over the nation but most of the sample cards on the site seem to be Illinois & Wisconsin. You'll pay a premium here - but you'll get your monies worth.
Zazzle.com - the only card printer I see offering free 2 sided printing!
NexCards.com - this site makes me dizzy! They offer metal cards, magnet cards, sticker cards, post it cards and some cards I've never heard of!
123Print.com - orders as low as $4.95 for 100 cards. Mostly basic templates
GotPrint.com - thanks to Vickie McCartney at Active Rain for this one. 1,000 cards printed on both sides for $15.99 WOW!
BusinessCards.com - hey, I had to include this one.

On a side note, during my search for business card companies on the web I came across a blog at Bloodhoundrealty about business cards as marketing tools for houses. I read the blog at Bloodhound Realty that referred to a blog by Rory Siems at Laguna Niguel Real Estate Blog. Both blogs were referring to HomeCardsOnline. HomeCardsOnline.com is selling high quality business cards as promotional tools for high end listings. Here's the kicker - all three of them are ActiveRain members.

HomeCards Online Active Rain Profile

Rory Siems Active Rain Profile

BlodohoundBlog - this is a group blog and I can't find all the members, but Brian Brady is one of the bloggerss

Photos & Business cards

2008-04-14T15:21:00.004-05:00

I looked in my desk drawer yesterday to discover I'm down to about 20 business cards. So, like a true American - I wanted to go out today and get new cards on the spot. Well, first I need a new picture cause I've lost some weight and just look better. And it's impossible to call a photographer or studio and get an appointment today. Unless I go to someplace like Sears Portrait Studio or Picture People. I tried Picture People when I first got into the business and it was a miserable experience. They are cheap - but they are not setup to serve business people. They take baby pictures.
Then a few years back I got a free photo taken by a builder offering photos to Realtors who toured the model. Pretty good gimmick. This time, I decided to give Sears Portrait Studio a shot. Hey, they said I could walk in the door and walk out 30 minutes later with a digital file. That's the American way;) I would really like to get a professional photographer in a studio to do something special - but as usual, it always gets pushed to the back burner!

Some things you want to consider:

Copyright
Technically, anyone taking your photo retains the copyright for reproducing those images. Sears includes a copyright release when you purchase their business photo package. No one even mentioned this to me when I first took photos at picture people. I just bought a photo, scanned it to my computer and did whatever I wanted with it!

What you get in the end
After you take a photo, what are they going to give you? A photo on a CD? What format will the photo be (probably .jpg) Will they email an image to you? Do you have to get a printed photo? That will then have to be scanned. Do you get one photo? Or all the photos that were taken? At Sears, I only get one photo in the end. Unless I want to pay more $$$$!

Poses
How many poses will they take? This usually translates into time for the photographer. Unlimited poses? Sears took 6 photos - 3 different backgrounds, 2 photos each.

Price$$$$
There is usually a separate sitting fee. Sears charged a $65.00 sitting fee. For print photos, there is a charge per photo or photo package. If you want a copyright release for a business situation like a business card - where you will want to reproduce the image for business cards, marketing materials, websites, etc. there may be a copyright release fee. The photo fee at Sears was $50.00 and this included the copyright release.

Delivery time
Ummm....I want it now! I went to another "Digital Photo Studio"...that's what they called themselves, And they said I could take a picture today and they would get it to me in 2 or 3 days. Are you kidding me? No, he wasn't. At Sears - you get a CD immediately. If you want print photos, it takes 2-3 days. Of course - for a fee, they will print them NOW!

Resolution
This is important if you are going to manipulate your photo a lot. Most of the "Instant" photo studios i talked to offered an image at 300 dpi (dots per inch) - the higher the dpi, the better. I was hoping for more than 300dpi but I took what I could get!

Overall, this is a quick fix. Again. My photo on my business card should rank pretty high on my priority list. But the problem I have run into - where do you find a good, experienced photographer for a business card? Seems like most do weddings, family portraits, etc. I would welcome any suggestions!

Tune in tomorrow for Business Card resources on the Internet. I will be researching tonight and placing an order tomorrow!