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Google Tools for Real Estate Professionals

By: Reggie · Posted on November 22, 2006 · 1 Comment

I was “Googling” (verb: to search Google) last night when I stumbled across a great page on none other than Google’s website. The page was titled “Google Tools for Real Estate Professionals”. It’s devoted to Realtors trying to get the most out of Google’s far reach and innovative services. The page contains helpful links to:

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Spice up your next Internet posting! Part #2

By: Reggie · Posted on August 13, 2006 · 12 Comments

Postlets.com is a new online classified service with a twist. Postlets allows anyone to build and post a classified ad, and they will not only display it but automatically submit the listing to several classifieds search engines—maximizing your reach across the Internet. For those sites that except HTML, Postlets will generate the code so all you need to do is cut and paste.

Here is how Postlets works. Start by creating a free account. As you begin they need contact information (Click Here to Read Postlets Terms of Use) and you must choose a category for your posting. (i.e. Real Estate) Then enter your properties physical characteristics and description. Lastly upload up to 12 photos. That’s it, you’ve completed the post. Now Postlets will submit the listing to Oodle, Google Base, Edgeio, Propsmart, HotPads and other classifieds search engines. If you want to take it a step further, Postlets can spice up your Craiglist, Backpage or LiveDeal post with HTML!

So remember, add the sites to your listing plan. The more eyes you can attract the better.

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How can Trulia help my business?

By: Reggie · Posted on August 3, 2006 · Leave a Comment

Have you heard about the new Trulia Real Estate Search? Inman recently announced Trulia as the “2006 Most Innovative Web Service“. Trulia connects home buyers directly with brokers through their online interface offering a “mashup” of interactive neighborhood and satellite maps, homes for sale, multiple search views, and market trends to help the home search process.

ENOUGH, How can Trulia help me?
By displaying your listings with a link back to your website. Trulia indexes real estate information from various website feeds into their easy to use interface. Learn about starting your own feed to Trulia by clicking here. (* Note: If you do establish a feed, each listing must have complete data and an image.)

If you are feeding properties to Trulia, you may want to use some of their free tools. Trulia offers an Integrated Search Box, Trulia Map, Home Roll (Newsest homes on Trulia) and a XML RSS Feed of results pages. Take a look at their map plugin below:

Trulia Provides Local Information
When it comes to relocation info, Trulia has done a wonderful job of dynamically linking all of the best locations in one easy interface. Take a look at the California Real Estate Guides, he is a Snapshot of San Francisco. You’ll view sales trends with graphs, schools, census information (i.e. crime, houshold income, travel times.) local maps, community Organizations, attractions, parks & recreation, entertainment, news & media, and government.

Try the Trulia local real estate guides search here

Trulia logo
Examples: “San Francisco, CA”, “94588″…

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FSBO’s Delivered To Your Email Daily?

By: Reggie · Posted on July 30, 2006 · 1 Comment

Do you actively marketing to For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties? Are you looking newspaper by newpaper for these leads? There is a better way! Introducing LandVoice, the premier source for FSBO leads in the industry. Landvoice searches over 1,600 sources of FSBO information every day, such as newspaper classified ads, home sale magazines, and real estate listing web sites in over 400 major US markets. Landvoice is the most complete FSBO database in existence today.

From my research I learned the median FSBO selling price in 2004 was 15.4 percent less than the median agent-assisted transaction price. It looks like FSBO sellers wanting to save money are actually losing money in lower sales prices. (Source: NAR)

Fast Fact: According to the National Association of Realtors, 87% of FSBO’s list with a Realtor.

http://www.landvoice.com

Click here for the “NAR Fields Guide to Marketing FSBO’s”

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Spice up your next Internet posting! Part #1

By: Reggie · Posted on June 17, 2006 · 5 Comments

Next time you are sitting down for a listing presentation, let the seller’s know that in addition to the MLS you will place their home on classified systems like Craigslist, Google Base or even Microsoft’s Live Expo. To post your listing visit these links:

If you are posting to a community like Craigslist(excepts HTML), and you don’t mind a small CribYourSpace.com logo, this free tool may be the answer to spice up your next profile, blog, web page, or classified ad. Click here to visit CribYourSpace.com

Another service to take not of is Postlets

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Mapping: How it’s improved searching for homes online

By: Reggie · Posted on June 17, 2006 · 2 Comments

In the past when searching for homes online you mainly came accross home photos, content and if you’re lucky, a virtual tour. How things have changed! Many have said 2006 is the year of the map. In the recent past, online mapping has made a dramatic jump forward with Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft all jumping into the open source mapping arena. Of course, the first question you may ask is “How does online mapping help the online real estate experience?”

Imagine searching online for a home. You find a home that peaks your interest. You’ve seen the pictures, but you are not sure where the street is located. Using new mapping technologies you’ll easily see streets, school data, distance to strip malls, freeways, train tracks, towers and more. There are a few companies supplying pre-built packages. The first to come to mind is RealBird.

RealBird, established in 2003, offers a map-based search tool that can be easily branded, customized and added to any real estate website. Choose from Map-based Search or Publisher. RealBirds’ Map-based Search is a powerful IDX property search tool. See example here.

RealBird Publisher does not tap into IDX data. This system has agents enter their listing details once and they will get automatic exposure to 1000’s of syndication partner sites including Google Base (Google’s Classified System), Edgeio.com and more. These listings then show as interactive hotspots on your own maps. On June 14th, 2006 RealBird announced they’ve added the ability to upload video of the property with audio narration from your hard drive, digital video camera or your mobile phone.

If you are in the central valley, IDX Central is your best bet. This Interactive map tool is clean and possibly the most attractive I’ve seen. And just like RealBird you can see from a birds eye view.

Other Options:
MLS Finder