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Cyberhomes Here I Come!

By: Reggie · Posted on October 14, 2008 · 9 Comments

That’s right I’ve scored a new gig at Cyberhomes.com. It’s official. Actually my title is the official part: Director of Social Media. Very exciting given the fact that Cyberhomes is such a major player in the online real estate search.  If you don’t already know, they have extremely deep and rich data around more than 100 Million homes in the US. Also layered over the home ownership data you’ll find neighborhood stats, school info, home sales, and rental info.

If you are a fan of me or Cyberhomes I would appreciate you joining our newly created Cyberhomes Fan Page on Facebook. I’ll be using this page to highlight Cyberhomes events, conventions, meet-ups etc.

Also please follow me on Twitter: @cyberhomes.

Since I’m asking favors, I would also like you to investigate a program Cyberhomes has created to help real estate agents gain market advantage.

Cyberhomes Neighborhood ExpertTM – A bundle of exclusive tools for your zip codes.  The package includes your Local Ads on local home searches, current market data, offline marketing materials and slick co-branded property reports.

Cyberhomes Good Reading: Good reading includes writers from BusinessWeek, Money, Bankrate.com, Wall Street Journal and more. In good reading you’ll also notice a new Cyberhomes blog held down by Lauren Baier Kim & Janine Sieja.

See Sellsius coverage of my new gig.

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All the agents in the crib…drop it like it’s hot!

By: NikNik · Posted on October 12, 2008 · 18 Comments

Turn up your mobile real estate bizzle with these 2 hot tools.

Dropcard - Send your business card from your phone to your new clients using SMS!

Dropcard lets you create a virtual business card that can be easily emailed to anyone you meet using your phone. Whether it’s a new client or friend, you can immediately send them your name, email address, phone number, LinkedIn profile, Twitter ID, blog address, website, or anything else you’d like to include. Your dropcard will arrive instantly in the recipient’s email with a vCard attached, so they can import your contact information into their address book.

Dropcard allows you to create 2 business card profiles for free (ex:  one for business and one for pleasure). However, the free version limits the number of contacts you can send to (only 15 per month). Perfect option for giving Dropcard a try.   [Read more...]

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Splashup: I can’t believe it’s not Photoshop

By: Reggie · Posted on October 11, 2008 · 4 Comments

With Web2.0 we’ve seen the introduction of many remarkable web applications that would not be possible just a few years ago. Microsoft has seen growth from competitor products like OpenOffice.org and Google Docs.

Now it’s time for Adobe Photoshop to start feeling the pressure from online competitors in their space. Introducing Splashup (formerly Fauxto).

Splashup is a 100% free web-based image editing application, and will run in all major browsers.  The tool makes grabbing and editing photos from sharing sites like Facebook, Flickr, or Picasa a snap.

Once you have your artwork open, you’ll feel like you’re running a desktop application. The menus drop down, tool palettes are in familiar locations, and the interface is very clean.
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SMS Widget Makes Connecting Immediate…No Superpowers Required

By: Reggie · Posted on October 9, 2008 · 15 Comments

Real estate technology blogger Matt Rains has created a new and useful SMS widget for your website or blog. The goal behind this widget is simple, allow visitors to connect with you quickly. And you’ll receive the phone number of the online individual reaching out.

Consumers move fast these days and they want immediate attention. The powerful element behind text messaging…is its immediacy. It’s also proving to be the way in which many communicate.

According to Nielsen, the average mobile subscriber in the US sent and received more SMS text messages than mobile telephone calls during Q2 2008.

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6 Responses a Real Estate Agent Should Never Give the Press

By: NikNik · Posted on October 7, 2008 · 6 Comments

Some of us are loud and have no problem getting our point across! But is that a good thing? When it comes to verbal self control, I must admit I’ve been guilty once or twice of TMI. So if you are being interviewed or sharing information about your real estate market, make sure tobe seen and heard as the community expert, not the community boob!

I recently ran into Matt Geiser, of Keller/King Inc., and he was kind enough to share his tips for responding to the press. In the midst of all this market mania, he managed to make me smile.

Here are his top “6 Responses a Real Estate Agent Should Never Give the Press”:

(1) Don’t tell them that you have ten of anything, when you only have five.

(2) “Let’s be honest here – this market totally sucks.”

(3) “Hell, I wouldn’t recommend buying a damn thing until the market hits rock bottom in 2010.”

[Read more...]

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Some Like It Hot (But Your Laptop Doesn’t)

By: Chad A. Johnson · Posted on October 5, 2008 · 12 Comments

Few things are as dangerous to the well-being of your computer as heat. An overheated computer can cause annoying performance issues, such as lockups. It can also cause permanent damage, like when my CPU fan failed which fried my CPU and motherboard. That was a costly problem.

Heat has always been an even bigger issue with laptop computers. Heat producing components are crammed into the smallest cases possible. This leaves very little room for cooling systems, which are usually limited to tiny exhaust fans. Not quite adequate.

Use your laptop for an extended period of time and feel the bottom. It is hot! People have burned their legs from this heat. Furniture has even been marred from it.

Thankfully, there is an easy, inexpensive solution to the laptop heat issue.

Manufacturers, such as Targus, Belkin and Antec, are producing laptop cooling pads. These thin plates contain 1 or more cooling fans and are powered via a USB cable. When you set your laptop on one of these devices, fresh air is continuously blown on the bottom of the laptop keeping it cool.

[Read more...]

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Get Down to Business @ BiztechDay

By: NikNik · Posted on October 2, 2008 · 2 Comments

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you’re in luck! Not just because the beauty of fall is among us, but because BiztechDay is just a couple of weeks away! Saturday, October 25th to be exact! And if you haven’t registered already, now is the time to take advantage of the special discount for MyTechOpinion readers. BTW-You don’t have to live in the Bay Area to enjoy this event, if you are looking for a purposeful getaway, San Francisco would love to host you! The weather is gorgeous and there is plenty to do before and after BiztechDay!

But first, let me tell you why should be at BiztechDay. For starters, this day is about putting business before technology. With New Media taking over and online avenues becoming a marketing must for small businesses, it can be an overwhelming task to kick start your own Web 2.0 business plan. So BiztechDay takes a step back from technological enthusiasm and a step forward in the direction of practical application. Learn real tips and advice from business experts on: [Read more...]