August 4th, 2011

Weekly Roundup

By Leo Vidal, Marketing Intern

This week there have been a few conversations on recent technology that features our client’s new ventures and exciting collaborations.

Here are a few highlights (via Inman):

• Market Leader has been getting lots of kudos around for their release of Market Insider, powered with our data sets, yesterday:

“Real estate marketing and technology company Market Leader has added local market data to its software platform, the company announced today. Through a “Market Insider” tab, the company offers customized reports of housing market statistics and demographic trends in a local area. The data can be viewed on an agent’s website or sent via a monthly email newsletter. The product is free to “qualified existing Market Leader customers” and new customers who subscribe to Market Leader’s platform by Sept. 30.”

• Coldwell Banker now has new search features, along with our Lifestyle Search, on their website:

“In a separate announcement, global franchise company Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC announced the relaunch of its “Properties” real estate search section at ColdwellBanker.com to provide more than a dozen ways to search for properties and gather information about homes and communities.”

• Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, whom celebrated it’s third anniversary last week, has launched a program to focus on luxury real estate market:

“Realogy subsidiary Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has launched a program that focuses on the luxury home market, the franchise network announced Monday. The network also rolled out programs focusing on city-center listings (Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Urban Properties), and commercial listings (BHGRE Commercial) in the spring. Distinctive Collection will feature properties with a listing price of at least $750,000 or those priced in the top 10 percent in their respective local markets.”

• Corcoran released it’s first Android App on Amazon:

“New York City-based real estate brokerage The Corcoran Group has released the first real estate application in Amazon.com’s new Android app store, the brokerage announced. The app includes the ability to search homes for sale or rent in New York City, the Hamptons and South Florida.

Users can filter listings by price range, bedrooms, bathrooms and keywords; see property details and full-screen photos; and contact an agent directly from the app.”

• MRED partners with REALM for online advertising:

“Midwest Real Estate Data, a Chicago-area multiple listing service, has entered into an agreement with the Real Estate and Living Media Network (REALM), an online advertising service operated by LPS (Lender Processing Services) Real Estate Group. Under the agreement, REALM will deliver “highly targeted advertising to both real estate consumers and professionals across the entire spectrum of MRED online channels, including its MLS system and consumer-facing website, according to a July 28 announcement.

With the MRED announcement, REALM’s advertising services will reach about 10 million users in the real estate category. In May, Inman News and REALM announced a content and advertising agreement.”

December 30th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Michael Groysman, Marketing Intern

• ReadWriteWeb honored the social media site, Facebook,  trumping all other internet sites as the Best BigCo of 2010.  Facebook edged out Google and Apple:

“Facebook passed 400 million active users in February and continued its ascent throughout the year. As at date of writing [12/28/10], Facebook boasts more than 500 million active users, half of whom log on to Facebook on any given day. The average user has 130 friends and, in aggregate, Facebook users spend “over 700 billion minutes per month” on the site. In November, Hitwise reported that Facebook gets nearly 25% of page views in the United States.”

• The number of foreclosure notices filed in November 2010 plunged 21%, the biggest month-over-month drop ever recorded by RealtyTrac, complements of robo-signing moratoriums (via CNN/Money):

“The number of Americans who actually lost their homes to bank repossessions plummeted even more steeply — to 67,428. That was off a whopping 28% from 93,236 in October. Repossessions are down a third since September.  The drop in total filings, which include notices of default, scheduled auctions and repossessions, followed a 4% decline a month earlier. RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacio attributed the downtrend to fallout from the recent robo-signing controversy.”

• 4Realz Strategies posted on how professionals can use social networking tools to build and strengthen relationships…in particular, those relationships with people who are beneficial to business opportunities:

“The main idea behind Gist is pretty similar to other social media aggregators like MyBlogLog, FriendFeed , Seesmic and Google Buzz in that you add all of your other social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc) and then use one tool to see all your updates.  However, there’s one HUGE improvement they’ve made.  Rather than forcing you to view updates based on a timeline (i.e. most recent updates first), they allow you to view updates in a “people” mode where you can view all the updates from that person (whether they are on Facebook, Twitter, their blog, foursquare, etc.) based on the importance that you’ve selected.”

• What sets the BlueRoof360 Blog Network apart from the rest:

“First it’s widgetized, meaning you can put blogs anywhere you want on a website- on any page, and in any size, and put all the different components you would want to have (featured properties, blog search top posts, images, videos, text, etc) anywhere you want around it.  Second, with our network you can have blogs that write themselves- or rather automate themselves with articles by other bloggers, or by the professional writers we pay to write content for the network.”

October 1st, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Manager

• What is it about the nature of a successful startup that gives it an edge over competitors? (via ReadWriteWeb):

“Friday morning, Wesabe co-founder Marc Hedlund posted a blog titled ‘Why Wesabe Lost to Mint’  in which he explains his opinions on just that. From his perspective (which he admits is anything but un-biased), Mint won because they hustled to make users happy – not one of the other ‘utter crap’ reasons he disagrees with.”

• Moving to San Diego? Our client Z57 is among the best for workplace happiness (via RISMedia):

“Z57 Inc., a real estate online marketing company, was recognized as one of San Diego’s top three places to work. In the San Diego Union-Tribune’s 14th annual 2010 San Diego’s Best Readers’ Poll, Z57 ranked third in the San Diego Life category of Best Place to Work. Z57 has 155 employees and serves thousands of real estate industry clients nationwide.”

• A traditional sales perspective contrasts the technology race (via Inman):

“The race for better and faster technology has arguably replaced the rat race. We all know now who moved our cheese: Technology did. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer the rat race. At least I knew where I was going, what I had to do, and who would win.”

• Our friends at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate are recognized for outstanding web development (via RISMedia):

“Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC announced that it has received a Web Marketing Association 2010 WebAward for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development. The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate website scored high marks for design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use. The award was chosen by independent judges from around the world who review sites in 96 industries.“

Tags: Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, BHGRE, startup success, Z57.

August 13th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Michael Groysman, Marketing Intern

We had some server issues last week, and we were not able to bring you any interesting articles – so here is a double dose of the Weekly Roundup.

Enjoy.

• Happy 50th Birthday to the space shuttle Echo-1, the father of all modern satellite communications (via Gizmodo):

“Today we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Echo 1, history’s first passive satellite. NASA’s Echo mission began rather poorly. A test launch had exploded so brightly, so spectacularly, that it prompted frightened calls up and down the entire eastern seaboard.”

• Problems with legalizing jailbroken iPhones (via CNET):

“The jailbreak for the iPhone released over the weekend may have exposed a flaw in the iPhone’s mobile Safari browser. Unlike previous jailbreaks, which required the iPhone to be connected to a computer to run the software update, the latest jailbreak, posted by the iPhone Dev Team at Jailbreakme.com, is accomplished via the Safari browser loaded on the device.”

• Teleconferencing and its impact on businesses travel (via Chicago Tribune):

“Technology has made many things easy. We record TV shows and fast-forward through commercials. We listen to far-flung radio broadcasts live on our telephones. And we meet face to face with clients and staff members from thousands of miles away.”

• A look at why fewer new homes are being built (via Bubble Meter):

“It is a long and slow decline. Housing prices were simply unsustainable. National housing bubble coverage, with special attention to the Washington, DC area housing bubble.”

• How can we bring quality jobs back to the United States (via Redfin Blog):

“Grove argues that Silicon Valley can’t create jobs because we out-source most of our manufacturing abroad. His startling political opinion is that the goal of our government’s economic policy should be to maximize profitable employment, not just total corporate profit.”

• Another depressing, but important mortgage story (via Bloodhound Blog):

“Unfortunately, even Congress — that bastion of liberalism and home of the bailout — is tiring of pouring good money after bad into the two mortgage giants that have been sucking up all the mortgages — good and bad — that private industry is willing to create. To paraphrase one-time third party Presidential candidate, Ross Perot: That giant sucking sound you hear is taxpayer money subsidizing home mortgages.”

• Sales from Realogy Corp and its franchisees lead transactions in the rankings (via RISMedia):

“Sales professionals affiliated with Realogy Corporation or its franchisees represent 41% of the nation’s Top 400 residential real estate agents and teams based on sales volume and transaction sides, according to the fifth annual rankings report published by The Wall Street Journal/REAL Trends.”

Tags: construction, jailbroken iPhones, mortgage woes, Realogy, Redfin.

July 30th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Michael Groysman, Marketing Intern

• The utilization of mobile devices and QR codes for real estate listings (via Inman News):

“Real estate marketing is getting ever more mobile, but one of the most effective tools an agent has is still that iconic, printed yard sign. For those agents interested in directing potential clients from printed materials to the ever-ubiquitous smart phones in their hands, startups specializing in QR (Quick Response) codes are springing up.”

• An interesting utilization of the iPad (via Geek Estate blog):

“SignMyPad is a new iPad app that lets you sign and fill out pdfs right from your iPad. If you’re like me, you chafe every time you need to print out a form, fill it out and sign it, scan it, then discard the original printed version. While there are much larger and more established companies such as Docusign, SignMyPad takes a different approach. Instead of a computer generated signature, with SignMyPad you literally sign with your finger.”

• How simple things can improve your internet marketing and also customer relations (via Agent Genius):

“How often do you go into a listing appointment and talk about how slick your internet marketing is?  When you’re trying to impress a potential client and prove to them that your listing package is the best thing to come around since Al Gore invented the internet, it’s easy to talk about listing feeds, show a video or two, and perhaps even show off your site statistics or how well you rank for Google keywords.  All of that is great, but as more agents become better connected themselves, it’s time to start thinking about ways to keep yourself a cut above the rest.”

• A look at the marketing of HTC and how it can be implemented in real estate (via 1000watt):

“You may know HTC as the object of a lot of smart phone industry buzz. What you may also know is that their phones – Evo, Aria, Eris and Incredible – are taking this industry by storm. They’re kicking Nokia’s nuts and threatening Apple’s attempt to corner the market. How is that happening? I decided to do a little checking. Seems they’re doing a lot right. More on that below. It also made me think it would be instructive to pull this brand through a cosmic wormhole and ask the question…”

• And a fun one for everyone: the future of clothing production and design (via Gizmodo):

“Fashion site Ecouterre has an article on the 3D printed clothes phenomenom, and the museum of Modern Art is exhibiting the Dutch designer Freedom of Creation’s works already. It’s not just the lure of having clothes that fit properly that’s appealing for designers—3D printing also helps cut down on labor costs and could be seen as reducing waste.”

Tags: HTC marketing, internet marketing, mobile devices and QR codes, SignMyPad.

July 23rd, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Michael Groysman, Marketing Intern

• An interesting look at the rising value of information (via RISMedia):

“In today’s business world, content is most definitely king. But it’s not enough to just have great content—it’s about how you distribute that content and how quickly you can get it to your intended audience. The real estate industry is no different.”

• Revamped Google images and the potential it has for real estate (via 1000Watt):

“Google launched a revamp of their Google Images search this week. The service has been a remarkable catalog of the web’s visual information since 2001 and now indexes over 10 billion images. But as of now, it’s even cooler.”

• A look at some of the most creative and interesting business cards (via Agent Genius):

“Many of these cards are no more than two colors, are the standard rectangle, yet they are well outside of the box of the normal business cards and most of theses cost the same or less than what you’re currently paying, given the advent of ordering online. If you’re not creative, hire a designer, they’re not super expensive for business cards. If you are creative, you’ll get your inspirational juices flowing with these pictures below.”

• Possibility for a new real estate tax by 2013 (via Bubble Meter):

“Apparently, ObamaCare contains a new tax on real estate. It only affects ‘the rich.’ However, given enough time and inflation, it may start affecting middle class Americans, much like the AMT.”

• An interesting comparison of Facebook and Google (via Future of Real Estate Marketing):

“One of my favorite sessions at Real Estate Connect SF was a panel answering the question: Is Facebook bigger than Google?”

Tags: 2013 real estate tax, content is king, creative business cards, Facebook vs. Google, new Google images.

July 9th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Michael Groysman, Marketing Intern

• Geolocation jobs boom; here is a look at some of the other most requested and fastest growing freelance jobs (via Tech Crunch):

“Freelancer.com spotted a whopping 909% increase in geolocation jobs online. As a result of what the company dubs the ‘Apple effect’, Freelancer.com also saw a significant 721% boost in HTML5 jobs.”

• Some mistakes that one can make when using social media (via Future of Real Estate Marketing):

“As you all know, simply creating an account on Facebook or Twitter rarely equates to being plugged in. The most common reason for not spending time on developing a social media strategy is that real estate agents and brokers fear there will be little to no return on investment – and that frankly ‘it’s just too much work’ or ‘I don’t have the time.’ Here are 3 common mistakes that I see real estate agents and brokers doing all the time”

• Very interesting analysis of the economy, stock market and the financial future of the world (via Bubble Meter):

“Alan Greenspan on the economy, you can count me as one of the people who blame him for the current economic mess, but I still think he’s very knowledgeable about the economy.”

• Things to know when buying a house (via CNN/Money):

“If you can’t commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner – even in a rising market. When prices are falling, it’s an even worse proposition.”

• MapQuest adopts open source format and new models and designs (via ReadWriteWeb):

“AOL’s MapQuest announced today that it is launching an open source mapping initiative, beginning with the U.K. and then heading to the United States. The project, available now at open.mapquest.co.uk, uses the new modern design and layout for MapQuest, revealed last week in beta format. However, the data on the site comes from the OpenStreetMap community, an ongoing effort to create free and editable maps worldwide.”

July 2nd, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Michael Groysman, Marketing Intern

• Century 21 upgrades their mobile app to make it user friendly and dynamic (via RISMedia):

“Century 21 Real Estate LLC, the franchisor of one of the world’s largest residential real estate sales organizations announced the release of its new iPhone app. The Century 21 iPhone app automatically provides mobile users with property listings, open house information and Century 21 office locations. It also provides a quick overview of the communities associated with each listing, including school details, community images and statistics.”

• Very interesting and stylish graph on the inner workings of Google (via PPC blog):

“You wright a blog post, tweet, update your site or otherwise add content to the web. Google’s bots crawling the web will come across your post”

• The use of social media in the real estate market (via Mashable):

“Over the past two years, real estate professionals have found creative ways to overcome the real estate crisis, including finding innovative uses for social media. After facing drops in home sales well into 2010, real estate pros have been forced to utilize their offline skills in an increasingly social way online. By using photo and video sharing to enhance listings, along with professional networking sites to hone their sales skills, real estate veterans have made strides in moving inventory in tough times.”

• Congress helping out home owners by prolonging tax credit on housing (via Bubble Meter):

“First-time homebuyers will have until Sept. 30 to close on their purchases and land an $8,000 tax credit under a bill passed by the Senate late Wednesday. President Obama is expected to sign the bill, which was overwhelmingly approved by the House on Tuesday. The deadline had been June 30.”

Tags: century 21, how Google works, real estate social media, tax credit.

June 25th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Michael Groysman, Marketing Intern

• Government helps struggling homeowners (via Advertising Age):

“For homeowners that are unemployed and underwater, they don’t always qualify for traditional loan modifications or governmental assistance, so last month, the Obama administration set aside $2.1 billion in assistance for ten of the worst hit states. Each state had to submit plans that were innovative in order for their method to be approved. The plans varied from subsidizing mortgage payments for up to 2 years to paying down principle.”

• Interesting insight into the trends of our economy (via Bubble Meter):

“There’s a sharp divergence emerging in the U.S. economic recovery, with housing stumbling and the industrial sector booming.”

• A great buyers guide for homeowners insurance (via Sellsius Real Estate):

“So you finally own your own home. Congratulations. The first thing you are going to need is homeowners insurance. Homeowners insurance is one of those things no one likes to talk about.”

• John Tuccillo on the state of the housing sector (via Real Blogging):

“For months, we’ve been wondering if the housing sector was rebounding or whether the good news was a creature of the tax credit. Well,  the jury is still out, but we have a microphone in the jury room and it doesn’t look good. The May numbers were just plain disappointing, and no amount of it-takes-longer-to-close-a-short-sale explaining away will excuse it.”

Tags: market trends, mortgage, tax credit.

June 11th, 2010

Weekly Roundup

By Michael Groysman, Marketing Intern

• Interesting use of GPS information of images in Flickr (via Gizmodo):

“If you are going on vacation to New York, London, San Francisco, Paris, Madrid, Venice, Rome, Amsterdam, Chicago, or any nice city in the coming months, these maps will tell you where are the most popular photo spots.”

• Brian Boero talks iPhone and iPad apps for real estate (via 1000wattblog):

“With these apps and a handful of other well done entrants, is there a need for every brokerage in America to develop their own (and likely far less delightful) app?”

• Critics give NAR mixed reviews in lobbying Congress (via Agent Genius):

“Despite how this extension makes the real estate sector appear, others are supporting the move for the sheer fact that loan officers are up against unprecedented difficulties in getting loans processed and most of it is outside the control of Realtors and their clients.”

• Greg Swann talks about the correlation of economic freedom and corruption as it relates to the poverty of a given population (via BloodHound Blog):

“Countries that pursue policies of economic freedom have rich populations. Countries that obstruct free enterprise have poor populations. The relative wealth or poverty of a given population is strongly correlated with and can be readily predicted from the level of economic oppression in that political economy.”

• Shedding some light on the decline of mortgage delinquencies (via AOL Housing Watch):

“Stricter lending rules have helped curb the number of mortgage delinquencies. Agencies from the FHA to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are reporting a decreasing number of people who are behind on mortgage payments.”

Tags: economic freedom, GPS and Flickr, iPad and real estate, mortgage delinquencies, NAR loan extension.