March 5th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

• All web publishers will soon be able to index their content instantly on Google through PuSH (via ReadWriteWeb):

“Google is developing a system that will enable web publishers of any size to automatically submit new content to Google for indexing within seconds of that content being published. Search industry analyst Danny Sullivan told us today that this could be ‘the next chapter’ for Google.”

• Our client Countdown To Buy announced a new pilot to offer a sampling of foreclosed properties in Texas (via National Mortgage Professional):

“The initial properties for this pilot will be located in Dallas, Texas, and can be researched on the company’s Web site www.countdowntobuy.com. Open houses will be held on Saturday, March 6, 2010 and Sunday, March 14, 2010. Confidential offers on these properties can be submitted through the Web site starting Friday March 5, 2010 and will be accepted for 25 days—or less should an offer match or exceed the price that is scheduled to reduce one percent per day.”

• Ad Age says that if content is King, distribution is Crown Prince:

“Sumner Redstone famously called content ‘king.’ Rupert Murdoch recently upgraded that to ‘Emperor.’ While there is certainly some truth to that when looking at online content — see Hulu’s rapid growth as an example — there are far more cases where great content does not seem to matter at all. At the very least, I think it is fair to say that even if content is king online, then distribution and marketing are the ‘crown princes.’ Good content or not, understanding and embracing digital distribution and marketing will prove critical to everyone in the entertainment industry.”

• Mortgage giant Fannie Mae called for another $15.3 billion in bailout money (via CNN):

“Fannie Mae (FNM, Fortune 500), which is controlled by the government, reported a fourth-quarter loss of $16.3 billion, including $1.2 billion in dividend payments to the Treasury Department. This is down from $25.2 billion a year earlier and $19.8 billion in the third quarter.”

Tags: content distribution, content is king, Countdown to Buy, Fannie Mae, Google Index.

February 26th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

• A sweet loft in our neighborhood belonging to director Barry Sonnenfeld is bought (via Curbed):

“This 2,270-square-foot loft at 25 Ann Street used to belong to Barry Sonnenfeld, director of ‘Men in Black’ and ‘The Addams Family,’ and his wife, Susan Ringo. But apparently it wasn’t a cool enough place to shoot aliens, because Sonnenfeld and Ringo have unloaded the place for $1.8 million, afte rlisting it for $1.895 million in late September.”

• Robert Albanese goes over 7 steps to reinventing your leadership style (via CleanSlate blog):

“Once you have your agent’s agreement on these points, you essentially have bridged the gap to a new set of leadership behaviors.  From this point on, if any agent questions why you are doing a certain thing or why things are different from before, all that you need to do is remind them that the entire office agreed on the new direction and that you are simply supporting that ‘new company vision.’”

• The top 5 real estate social media blunders (via FOREM):

“Enough about me, let’s talk about ME! Yes, social media is social – but at some point, it is NOT all about you! This is tough in real estate, where you learn from every marketing person to ‘sell yourself’ and ‘you are your brand’ – which is true – but many people (especially the Gen X and Gen Y crowd) don’t want to hear all about you – they want to know about the interesting things going on in the community, in their neighborhood, local market stats, and other things that make what YOU do valuable to them.”

• Joel Burslem on the Golden Age of Real Estate Search and Redfin’s expansion (via 1000wattblog):

“Redfin expanded into Oregon this week. I’m excited – if for no other reason that I am finally able to use one of the best online search interfaces in my home market. We’ve come a long way with search since the introduction and explosion of map-based search tools not so many years back. And while the tools available to consumers today are better than they’ve ever been, I still think there are more exciting things to come.”

Tags: leadership styles, map-based search, real estate search, real estate social media, Redfin.

February 12th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

• Google Buzz made its debut this week, but here are some privacy concerns to note before you get your buzz on (via MSNBC):

“If you’ve heard of Google Buzz, chances are you’ve also heard about some of the privacy concerns that surround it. The social media service offers some cool ways to share photos, links, status messages, and more with fellow Google Buzz users. But if you’re not careful, you may end up sharing more than you expect.”

• The Slate 60 list of largest philanthropic donors in America included four from the real estate industry (via AgentGenius):

“We decided to analyze the list this year to see how generous leaders in the real estate sector despite the crumbling industry and was surprised to see that several people linked to the real estate industry made the list with their philanthropic efforts. Four made the list this year, two of whom gave more money than Oprah!”

• FOREM looked at the top things Realtors could take away from Super Bowl Sunday (via Future of Real Estate Marketing):

“How does this apply to Realtors? You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a lot of buzz. In the past if you wanted to brand yourself you’d spend a lot of money on glossy magazines, park benches, and even worse – grocery carts. These days all you need is time and a plan. Within minutes you can create a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a LinkedIn account. With that you are armed to build your brand. You know those agents who put together detailed spreadsheets and calendars outlining their farming or SOI strategy? That’s the type of detail I’m talking about. To create a lot of buzz you have to get serious about your social media plan.”

• Nearly 20,000 luxury properties with multi-million dollar price tags went into foreclosure last year (via REALTOR Mag):

“In 2009, 18,817 properties worth at least $1 million faced foreclosure. That’s up 162 percent from 2008, reported foreclosure marketer RealtyTrac. Prices of $1 million-plus properties are down about 25 percent since 2007 with an increasing number of desperate home owners choosing auction sales over waiting for years for the right buyer to come along.”

Tags: Gogole Buzz privacy, Google Buzz, luxury foreclosures, real estate philanthropy.

December 18th, 2009

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

This week we’ve got one for the mobile people, one for the bloggers, the brokers, and the Google-obsessed:

• The NYC Best App contest we mentioned a couple weeks back is now open for worldwide voting (via Epicenter):

“New York City today asked people all over the world to pick the best new mobile and web apps that make the Big Apple “more transparent, accessible and accountable. NYC BigApps contest entrants mash official information from the  NYC Data Mine with outside data and services. The hopes is to create a cool and useful app that will win the developers some of the $20,000 in taxpayer money offered as prizes.”

• A short and sweet post on what makes a crappy blog article (via Future of RE Technology blog):

“1. Be working late at night and get an idea to write a post just because you haven’t written one in a while. Write the short post about an important subject and don’t check for grammar or spelling errors. 3. Write a stupid call to action at the end.”

• Real Estate Tomato gives advice to brokers looking for their website to be the cornerstone of their marketing and sales plan:

“It is time for brokers to take back the technological aspects of the business back and win once and for all the Internet battle with regard to real estate.”

• Katie Lance of FOREM reviews the latest and greatest Google product releases:

“Take a picture of a book, a store, a landmark and that picture translates into a search for that object. It is still in its infancy and only available on the Android (but the rumor is that it will available soon on Google Chrome) but think about the possibilities for real estate search. What if this worked with homes on the market? You could snap a photo and instantly see how long it had been on the market, details about the home, listing agent, virtual tours, and more.”

Tags: blog techniques, broker websites, mobile applications, new Google products, real estate data.

December 11th, 2009

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

• Bing introduces 3-D photosynth maps (via Fast Company):

“In an effort to beat Google at mapping, Microsoft Bing will use crowd-sourced photos to create a 3-D virtual worlds in its Maps application, the company has told FastCompany.com. The 3-D models will eventually be knitted into Bing Maps’ existing aerial and street-views and will allow users to explore and zoom at a level of detail that Google and Yahoo Maps can’t presently match.”

• Frank Borges LLosa advocates for electronic signatures and paperless real estate processes in the latest of Wheel Estate Cam (via Inman):

“It’s time to say goodbye to your fax machine and printer, says Frank Borges LLosa of FranklyRealty.com in Arlington, Va., who advocates for electronic signatures and paperless real estate processes. He suggests Adobe Acrobat (full version), PDFtypewriter, and eFax, among other programs that can be useful to facilitate paperless transactions.”

• The best new BlackBerry applications for the real estate professional - and a cute little holiday poem to go along with it (via MyTechOpinion):

“The apps below just may help you convert your next lead. So with sleigh bells ringing, and Christmas spirit in the air, We bring to you 12 Blackberry apps to review & compare!”

• Eric Byrn gives us the highlights of the future of search engines (via Real Estate Relativity):

“Here’s an article that details some interesting issues relative to search, recapping a Xconomy Forum on the Future of Search and Information Discovery panel recently held in Seattle. On the dais were Microsoft, Google, and a couple of University of Washington professors. Here’s some salient take-aways.”

Tags: Bing, Blackberry apps, paperless real estate, search engines.

November 20th, 2009

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

The best mobile apps of the future, going green beats being blue, a perspective on Google listings, and more in this week’s Roundup.

• A look at how information providers (like us!) are reshaping the MLS community (via Inman):

“With consumers now expecting to see a comprehensive set of for-sale listings, agents, brokerages, multiple listing services and third-party aggregators are seeking to differentiate themselves from their competitors by pulling onto their Web sites anything and everything from the growing universe of information that might conceivably be connected with a home purchase.”

• Can green properties impact employee health and productivity? A new CB Richard Ellis/U of San Diego study thinks so (via Hot Property Blog):

“A new study found that tenants in green buildings experience increased productivity and fewer sick days. The research also found that that green buildings have lower vacancy rates and higher rents than non-green counterparts.”

• ReadWriteWeb profiles the top 10 mobile applications of 2012 according to Gartner:

“For many of the categories on this list, there are a number of mobile apps that are already available today. But what Gartner makes clear is that we’re just getting started when it comes to their use.”

• Google is incorporating listings into map applications (via 1000Watt blog):

“Forget the RPR. If you’re interested in the future of real estate, you need to be watching Google closely these days. A couple weeks ago we noted the company’s move to include a real estate overlay on Google Maps, which put listings smack-dab in front of millions of Google users who likely had no idea the company has spent the last several years quietly aggregating this content.”

Tags: Google, green properties, listings, MLS, mobile applications.

November 13th, 2009

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

There is certainly a lot of conversation brewing in San Diego, so I will give your tired Friday eyes and ears a break from the three-letter acronyms most confused with four-letter words. That’s right folks, no RPR, MLS, NAR, VOW, or IDX till next week!

• Slate argues newspapers aren’t dying as many assume:

“For the last few years, the most serious problem facing print has been the sharp drop in advertising revenues. (Many chunks of the media world have been initiated into the 40 percent club.) But newspapers aren’t continuing to spend money as if it’s 2003 and hoping that Craigslist will disappear. No, they’re planning for survival by slashing costs sharply, trying to boost online advertising, and, here’s the clincher, making people pay more for the product.”

• Google is preparing to speed up page load time by up to 55% (via Gizmodo):

“Google’s working on a new application-layer protocol dubbed SPDY (pronounced “SPeeDY”) which is intended to improve how content is transported over the web.”

• Rupert Murdoch doesn’t think too highly of searchers, and is considering a paid subscription model (via The Business Insider):

“Earlier in the interview, he says he has to charge for his sites because there are ‘no news websites or blog websites anywhere in the world making serious money.’ In his opinion, ‘there’s not enough advertising in the world.’”

• Glenn Roberts Jr. advocates for drawing a line for business vs. personal communications (via Inman):

“And as social media blurs the line between personal conversations and business communications, companies and groups within the real estate industry and in other industries are working to define the gray areas and draw clear lines about what’s acceptable and what’s not. Adding to the urgency are FTC-proposed guidelines, scheduled to take effect Dec. 1, 2009, that relate to proper vs. improper use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising — and extend to new forms of media such as blogs.”

Tags: Google, newspaper industry, Rupert Murdoch, social media, SPDY.

November 6th, 2009

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

• BusinessWeek discusses the lack of transparency and reputable data determining the economic outlook:

“The first place to start is with the accounting for consumer spending data. There is no reason whatsoever that America should be hamstrung by the outdated and often incomplete consumer spending data collected by the Census Bureau and released 30 days after the fact—not when we can get more accurate data almost instantly.”

• Developers were pleased to learn Google offered up Javascript tools that will allow app development with Google’s code  (via ReadWriteWeb):

“Why is Google doing this? Because the more powerful web applications become, the more important Google’s search, browser and nascent OS become. More relevant to developers than some grand anti-Microsoft conspiracy, though, is that some serious UI sweetness may be forthcoming.”

• Our client Listingbook introduced their web overhaul (via RISMedia):

“The overhaul affected the public portal pages and there are no changes to the private portal. One of the biggest challenges the company says it faces is also one of their greatest attributes. ‘Our system is so deep and rich, full of valuable tools and powerful data,’ says Michael Ondrejko, the company’s senior vice president of Operations.”

• The Better Homes and Gardens iPhone app made a splash in the RE technology community (via Inman):

“Jeff Turner, president of Zeek Interactive and founder of virtual tour provider RealEstateShows.com, said in a blog post that the app is ’solely focused on consumer benefit’ with no obvious attempts to direct users to a real estate agent or away from the home they are interested in.”

Tags: Better Homes and Gardens, data transparency, Google open source, iPhone apps, Listingbook, real estate applications.

October 30th, 2009

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

GPS navigation was forever shaken, Smartphone users dominate, and more from our staff’s favorite reads.

• AdMob releases their annual Mobile Metrics Report, profiling mobile use and the shift toward Smartphones:

“Among the devices making the heaviest use of the mobile web are the iPhone and its non-smartphone counterpart, the iPod Touch. The data traffic created by these two handhelds has increased 19 times from September 2008 to this past month and now accounts for 43% of all smartphone requests worldwide.”

• Google shakes the GPS navigation industry overnight (via Gizmodo):

“This is not an attack of Google’s business practices, but an explanation of the sort of destructive innovation that has made them so huge so fast. (It’s also a warning to consider carefully any entities that gets this strong, especially if you plan on going into business with one.) Though predecessors like Microsoft experienced similar explosive growth, and grew a similar sudden global dependence, we’ve never seen the likes of Google. The GPS business isn’t the only one that will be consumed by its mighty maw before it’s had its run.”

• NYTimes’ Living In section explores the Castleton Corners neighborhood of Staten Island, using Onboard data:

“Single-family homes predominate; the vast majority of them are detached and have garages. Colonials outnumber Tudors and ranches, and many have at least some brick on the exterior and date back before World War II. A small number of town houses are scattered through the neighborhood, too.”

• Google Maps enhances its July launch of real estate listings with rental searches, among other tools:

“We’ve made it easier to find real estate listings. Now, you can simple select ‘Real Estate’ from the ‘More’ button on the top firhg tof any Google Map to discover listings. From there, it’s a simple matter to refine your search using the left hand panel - price, bedrooms, bathrooms and so on. Of course, you can still pan the map to search for the perfect neighborhood and it’ll automatically update with more listings.”

• Our own Patrick Healy made it to Roost’s 50 Real Estate People to Follow on Twitter

Tags: Google, Google Maps, GPS, mobile technology, population data, Roost, Twitter.

October 16th, 2009

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

• Our client Leading Real Estate Companies of the World launches the enhanced RELOHomeSearch.com (via RISMedia):

“‘What makes RELOHomeSearch.com unique is that it serves as a portal to the websites of leading real estate firms around the world,’ notes Eric Bryn, vice president of Strategic Development. ‘This distinction, paired with its robust community content, extensive listings, and cost of living data provided by Onboard Informatics, makes the site an invaluable resource for consumers wishing to identify quality firms while they search for ideal communities and browse for homes.’”

• One couple’s search for a Las Vegas home brought them to a market filled with destroyed foreclosed homes and bank bureaucracy (via CNBC):

“Finally, on day 7 of looking, and after having 7 offers ignored by the banks (who owned all the homes), the Realtor called Katie with ‘a gold mine.’ Yes, an owner-occupied, regular home. A rare non-foreclosure. They went immediately and put in an offer. The owner claims to like them, but she ended up with 10 offers and is still mulling. Ironically, in a market still flooding with new foreclosed properties every day, at the end of their week Katie and her husband met with a local builder.”

• Kayak publishes a slew of search data, giving travelers a look at the popularity of various destinations (via ReadWriteWeb):

“Best known for aggregating travel deals on roundtrip flights, hotels and rental cars, Kayak is now offering the public a peek under the hood. The company is laying bare its most popular destinations and searches via a new trends page. The site offers users a look at what people are searching for, where they’re searching from and the most searched hotels in the company’s top 50 most popular cities. With the travel industry slowly recovering from what has been a tough two years, this data can go a long way towards reinvigorating businesses.”

• Although they’ve dropped slightly, price reductions in major markets are still ever-present at 44% (via RISMedia):

“While many sellers continue to cut their asking prices, fewer are doing so, according to recent data compiled by ZipRealty, national real estate brokerage, which may lead to an upward trend in home prices. According to MLS data, more than 44% of home listings in 28 major markets tracked by ZipRealty in September 2009 included at least one price reduction, down 2.8% from September 2008.”

• Google insources its map efforts (via ReadWriteWeb):

“After a flurry of activity around Google Maps over the last few weeks, it now looks like Google is also ditching Tele Atlas as its data provider for Google Maps in the US in favor of a do-it-yourself approach. Google had been using data from Tele Atlas’ maps since September 2008 after moving away from Navteq’s data after Navteq was acquired by Nokia. Now, Google will use its own data, which it will supplement with data from government sources and a crowdsourcing approach.”

• And finally, since it’s Friday, here’s a lighthearted College Humor spot poking fun at the Google Maps Street View team

Tags: foreclosure, Google Maps, Kayak, Las Vegas, Leading RE, price reductions, relocation, search data, travel data.