RealBird Integrates with Street View API
By Reggie · March 29, 2008 · 10 Comments
Zoltan of RealBird clued me in to Google’s release of their new Street View API Thursday. Meaning developers can now integrate street view maps with ease. You can bet this API’s popularity will surely explode in real estate websites as buyers will appreciate the convenience of previewing neighborhoods from remote locations.
Realbird has already begun taking advantage. You may remember we talked about manually embedding these maps. Well not anymore, Zoltan has integrated the new API in with RealBird’s Listing Websites.
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Mapping Done The Right Way in Your Next Single Property Site
By Reggie · January 30, 2008 · 2 Comments
According to the Internet vs. Traditional Buyers Survey conducted by California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.), mapping technology continues to be one of the highest-rated features used by Internet buyers. Yet when I look around, many real estate Websites are either not leveraging maps at all or using old mapping interfaces to display homes and community info. Now don’t get me wrong, I do understand that this technology can be expensive to deploy. But as a real estate agent you do have options. Why not include the latest mapping on your next single property Website? Check out these two killer features from RealBird and MyMarketWare.
RealBird
Is Google street view available in your area? If so you are going to enjoy the directions from Zoltan over at RealBird. He recently posted on a very simple way to manually embed Google’s street view into your next listing publisher design. This view will give home searchers an up close view of local streets and neighborhoods as if they were driving down the street. Potential buyers can visualize their drive to the freeway or downtown without leaving their chair.
MyMarketWare
Our own NikNik offers MarketSites to real estate agents utilizing the latest in satellite imagery called pictometry. These visually pleasing aerial photos come from Microsoft Live and the give your web audience a surprisingly clear view of the neighborhood. Click your mouse on the satellite image and drag to explore new areas. Zoom in to 20 meters for an extreme and detailed close up. Take a look at backyard conditions, as well as distances to schools and park–you can do it all.
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Tags: marketsite, google street view, Google, maps, technology, RealBird
Sidebar "Bling" Cross Promotes Your Online Presence
By Reggie · December 10, 2007 · 12 Comments
These days real estate professionals are members of social sites, online communities, blogs and more. So how do we deliver a consistent brand and message over so many tools? Also how to we channel interested parties to our other communities? One way is to use a similar sidebar for each application.
Introducing the BLING Widget for Real Estate Agents
Since we have not seen the perfect sidebar bling application for you real estate agents, we developed one for you to use. You will notice in “Step 7″ I instruct you to use the full path to the icons. This is so that you can use this code on real estate networks like Activerain, Facebook and more without making further changes.
Here is an example of the buttons I have created for your use.
(Buttons from left to right: LinkedIn, Facebook, RSS, Activerain, Zolve, MyBlogLog, Google MyMaps, Friendster, Trulia Voices, Zillow and RealTown Real Estate Network.)
DOWNLOAD ZIP FILE OF BUTTONS HERE.
IMPORTANT: If you are adding this to your blog, please make a backup of your template before beginning so you can easily restore things if you need too.
Step 1:
Create a new folder on the root directory of your website or blog and title it “bling”
Step 2:
From the icons I’ve created, choose the specific icons you want to use on your sidebar widget and add them to your newly created folder titled “bling”. (Note: Choose either the .jpg files or the .png files. PNG files have a transparent background.)
Step 3:
Start by opening notepad or your HTML editor. Now you will be adding the code from each step to the blank notepad document. Please add each snippet of code to notepad in the order below. If you are advanced, the complete code is avaliable here.
Step 4
Copy the code below. Now paste into the notepad document we opened in Step 3. The code we just copied is for the header of our widget. The widget title is”Find Me Online” If you would like to use a different headline, replace those words with your own. You can also update the header and border color by replacing the hexadecimal (6 Digit) color with one from this chart.
Step 5
Copy the text below. Now paste this code after the code above. We will be editing it as follows:
Replace [Insert URL of Personal Photo] with absolute/full URL to photo. (i.e. http://www.mytechopinion.com/images/reggie.jpg) (Tip: Ideal width is 75 pixels or less)
Replace [Insert Name] with your name
Replace [Insert Company Name] with your company or blog name
Replace [Insert Your Blog or Website URL Here] with your actual URL
Step 6
Copy the code below. This is the DIV for the buttons. Please paste to our open notepade file after the previous code.
Ok, now you will start to add the buttons for your widget. 4 buttons will fit on each row. If you are using more than 4 buttons, you can add another DIV by preforming Step 6 again. This will create a 2nd row of icons.
Step 7
Earlier you added the buttons for your widget into a newly created folder. Now find the corresponding code from the options below. Then add each desired to your notepad or open editor. Look for “<!–Insert Buttons to the left of this block–>” and paste the button(s) code before it.
LinkedIn
Replace [Insert LinkedIn URL] with the link to your LinkedIn Profile.
Facebook
Replace [Insert Facebook URL] with the link to your Facebook Profile. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
ActiveRain
Replace [Insert Activerain URL] with the link to your Activerain Profile or blog. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
RSS
Replace [Insert RSS URL] with the link to your RSS feed URL. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
Zolve
Replace [Insert Zolve URL] with the link to your Zolve profile or blog. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
MyBlogLog
Replace [Insert ByBlogLog URL] with the link to your MyBlogLog Community. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
Friendster
Replace [Insert Friendster URL] with the link to your Friendster URL. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
MyMaps
Replace [Insert MyMaps URL] with the link to your custom Google MyMaps page. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
Trulia Voices
Replace [Insert Trulia Voices URL] with the link to your Trulia Voices profile. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
Zillow
Replace [Insert Zillow Profile URL] with a link to your profile on Zillow. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
RealTown Real Estate Network
Replace [Insert RealTown Profile URL] with a link to your profile on RealTown Real Estate Network. Also replace [Full Path to Image] with your full URL to the image.
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Tags: real estate technology, trulia, technology, real estate agents, colors, mybloglog
Google Offers Free “GPS-Like” Technology for Real Estate Agents
By Reggie · December 5, 2007 · 5 Comments
As a real estate professional you’re in and out of neighborhoods all the time. You’re expected to know your area well. But at times you still need some directional assistance. When those times arise, you may be thanking Google. Recently the Google Mobile Maps crew has launched a new “GPS-Like”’ technology called “My Location”. This new feature is freely available for most web-enabled phones, and you don’t need to have GPS on your device for it to work.
So how exactly does the My Location technology work?
Google will pinpoint your location within 1000 meters by calculating and estimating your handset location based on the unique footprint of surrounding cell towers. To start up this feature from with Google Mobile Maps, click “0” and your approximate location will be displayed on the Map. Your location will be represented by a blue dot if you have GPS or a blue dot with a light blue circle around if you do not have GPS. This dot is your approximate location.
To get started, simply text the word “bluedot” to 33669 or visit www.Google.com/gmm on your mobile device to download the application.
Other useful Google Mobile Apps:
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New Buyer Tour Technology Helps Real Estate Agents Bridge the Geographical Gap
By Reggie · November 18, 2007 · 5 Comments
With Real Estate agents looking to embrace the latest technology tools like blogging and social networking, many are noticing their buyer contacts are originating from out-of-town locations. So how does a real estate agent efficiently show local homes, without the buyer traveling for each buyer’s tour? I’m not talking about emailing MLS printouts!
SiteSeer3D is an online application that integrates with your website and allows real estate agents to show buyers 3D views of local geographic areas and points of interest. OK, I know so far I’m just describing Google Earth and Microsoft Live Maps technology. But SiteSeer3D packs in tons of other useful features by interfacing with the local MLS. For example, imagine the buyer (or buyers agent) zooming into individual properties for sale and identifying a home’s proximity to schools, parks, and downtown locations. SiteSeer3D also displays parcel boundaries, much like Cyberhomes, to help buyers understand the true size and shape of the lot. Buyers can click a “details” button on any home for sale to see listing photos, tours, physical characteristics, associated flyers, mortgage calculators, community links and resources etc.
If a real estate agent would like to give their buyer a guided tour, they can use SiteSeer3D’s remote tour guide features. This allows the potential buyer to watch his/her screen while the real estate agent takes the driver seat and explores the local homes for sale and community characteristics. This tool makes the initial preview insightful and helps eliminate showing mismatches; making the actual tour day much more productive while shorting the sale cycle.
After carefully reviewing the SiteSeer3D demo, I found the technology rather intuitive; however one challenge you may face is that they are not integrated with every MLS. When they do integrate, data flows from the MLS via a FTP data push or RETS feed. I was told by SiteSeer3D Excel import is also available although I have not personally tested the feature.
Useful Links for SiteSeer3D:
Watch a video overview of SiteSeer3D
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Tags: technology, MyTechOpinion, real estate, real estate agent, Google, real estate agents
16 Holiday Gifts for Real Estate Techies
By Reggie · November 12, 2007 · 8 Comments
NikNik, Chad and I put together a list of some useful pieces of technology for real estate agents everywhere. Thanks to NikNik, we even have a few accessories this year. Have fun shopping!
Reggie’s PicksLenovo Think Pad Tablet PC
In my opinion, convertible tablet PC’s are built for real estate agents. The tablet technology allows for real estate agents to sign contracts on screen and start the paperless revolution. This year I’m recommending the Lenovo Thinkpad X61. The Lenovo Thinkpad X61 offers Intel’s Core Duo processor, embedded EV-DO or HSDPA modem for integrated wireless broadband, long battery life and strong benchmark scores for performance. Just keep in mind to get the small 12.1 footprint, the Lenovo Thinkpad X61 does not include an integrated optical drive. [see specs]
Garmin Nuvi 660
The Garmin Nuvi 660 is the perfect portable GPS Technology with a sleek 4.3 inch display. This state-of-the-art navigation system provides 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. It also offers a complete “points of interest” database for local restaurants, gas, ATM’s and more. Also stop getting surprised by accidents and road conditions with an optional traffic package from XM NavTraffic® or MSN® Direct. Even use the Nuvi 600 to play MP3’s or display JPG’s of that next listing you’re visiting on buyers tour. (also checkout the Nuvi 770) [see specs]
Wireless Broadband: USB727 or U727 Modem
Two pieces of technology every mobile real estate agent should have is wireless broadband internet and a sleek flash drive. So why not combine them. The Verizon Wireless USB727 and Sprint U727 both do exactly that. Now get a 4BG of microSD™ memory, combined with a next generation mobile broadband on the EV-DO Rev. A network. Also note, this little device comes with out-of-box support for Windows XP, Vista, Mac, and Linux.
MII Flashcam
Open houses and other real estate activities often mean you may be alone for periods of time. Your safety is of top importance! Carry the MII Flashlight, and video/audio recorder. The MII Flashcam comes with one gigabyte of RAM capable of storing 1 hour of quality audio and video. The MII also supports night vision technology, allowing you to convert evening into daytime on the 1.5” TFT-LCD color Display. The MII is water resistant and provides 3 ½ hours of continuous operation. [Sold Here].
Photoshop Elements 6.0
Do you have the right software for organizing and editing your real estate photos? Photoshop Elements provides many powerful tools in an easy to use software package. Tag your photos with keywords, use touch-up tools to enhance your photos color and contrast. Easily resize, crop and more. Even find the best photos for the MLS and print marketing by using the side-by-side viewing feature. [see features]
NikNik’s Picks
Acme Made Laptop Cases
Acme’s laptop cases make real estate on the go—sleek, sassy, and practical! Acme Made laptop bags combine style, functionality, and affordability. Dimensions and suggestions are provided to ensure your laptop acquires the right fit. Check out “The Clyde City” for him and “The Trixy” or “Slim Cargo” for her.
Blue Tooth Headset
I can’t leave home and be expected to multi-task to my greatest potential without my Bluetooth headset. Driving and other real estate tasks become “hands-free” via wireless connection to your headset. I’m a fan of the Jabra Bluetooth Headsets, the BT2020 in particular. The BT2020 has the latest Bluetooth 2.0 technology. [see specs]
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2008
Load it onto your laptop, attach the small GPS locator and you’re good to go. Get to know a new market area, create informative brochures based on your neighborhood analysis, or create mashups of your sold properties—perfect for prelisting presentations. [take a tour]
Mobile Office
This item is so popular that it’s often sold out. Keeping your car clean when it’s used as your daily office is easier said than done. But with the Lewis N. Clark Travel Business Center, you can keep your notepads, pens, files, digital camera, flyers, snacks, etc. secure and organized. And when showing property, just fold, zip and place in your trunk.
iHome Portable Speaker for Nano
The Bose Sounddock provides great sound with minimal setup. My good friend (Sarah) even brings it on our business trips. But at $300, it’s an item you won’t want to lose or leave at an open house. Another great option for real estate agents is the iHome Portable Speaker for your Nano. At only $30, you can set the mood with quiet background tunes at your next broker’s tour/open house for a bargain!
Chad’s Picks
Dell XPS M1330
The technology driven real estate agent needs a laptop that includes the latest multimedia functionality while remaining portable. The Dell XPS M1330 is just that. Only 0.87” thick, the XPS M1330 is a 13.3” widescreen laptop that can be configured with a hi-def LED screen, a 320 GB hard drive for ample storage space or a 64GB solid state drive for performance and reliability, up to 4GB of RAM and a slot-load DVD burner. There is also a choice between AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon for mobile broadband. [see specs]
Dell XPS 420
Thought about incorporating video and audio files into your real estate marketing plan? You’ll need a computer with tons and storage and serious power to handle file editing and conversion. The Dell XPS 420 is ready to incorporate the 45nm next generation processors. A fully configured XPS 420 includes an integrated LCD to access songs, pictures, video and system settings without using the keyboard, Adobe Elements Studio, video and audio inputs on the front panel, a remarkable 2TB of storage, a Blu-Ray drive, an eSATA connector, 10 USB ports, and a deck-top device storage area with cable routing. [see specs]
HP Officejet Pro L7680 Color All-in-One
Upgrade the printing, copying and faxing capabilities of the real estate agent in your life this holiday with HP Officejet Pro L7680 Color All-in-One. This device is fast, touting laser printer speeds from an inkjet printer. The built-in Ethernet connection allows for easy sharing of this all-in-one with multiple computers. The unusual feature of standard duplex printing makes double sided printing a breeze. [see specs]
Lexar ExpressCardTM SSD
The more multimedia based real estate technology becomes, the more storage space we need. To increase the storage capacity of your laptop computer without messing with a hard drive upgrade, look to a solid state express card drive. The Lexar Expresscard SSD can quickly add up to 16GB of extra storage to your laptop. Just slide the card into the express card slot on your machine and it is ready to use. [see specs]
Seagate FreeAgent Pro
Need to back up your real estate business? The Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB drive is a cutting-edge backup and storage device. The forward thinking design of the FreeAgent includes the latest and fastest external connection, eSATA, for blazing transfer speeds. For those without eSATA, a USB 2.0 and 2 Firewire ports are also available. The included software makes for simple system backups, “goof-up” safe version storage and automatic data duplication and transfers to email, an iPod or Shutterfly. [see specs]
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3
A good wide-angle lens will improve real estate listing photos by including more of a room in a single shot. Without investing in a digital SLR, choices for cameras with strong wide-angle functionality are limited. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 includes a 28mm equivalent wide-angle lens that extends to a 10X optical zoom. Optical image stabilizer aids a shaky hand, a high sensitivity mode makes shooting fast moving objects easier and the new SDHC memory cards are compatible, providing 8GB of storage on a single card. [see specs]
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Tags: map, mobile real estate, real estate agent, pcmag, maps, real estate
Why Ubertor For Your Next Real Estate Website?
By Reggie · September 27, 2007 · 2 Comments
Occasionally here at MyTechOpinion - Technology for Real Estate we will invite a guest writer from a top real estate technology company. This week I am pleased to announce that Stephen Jagger from Ubertor has the spotlight. (By the way…Ubertor also provides SingleProperty websites that allow you to keep all the data within your original site, while having a domain go directly to your single property site.)
Reggie asked me to write a post about what makes Ubertor real estate agent websites so different from our competitors. Here are a few points that make us different. To really get a feel for it, feel free to order a website on our system and you will get the first 30 days free. What a great way to try us out.
1. Google Webmaster Guidelines
We have built our real estate agent websites to follow Google’s http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769
http://www.brianbecker.ca/
http://www.sellwithstratton.com
http://www.loftsvancouver.com
http://www.jameswarren.ca
3. Integration
Our system has the ability of being integrated into Google Sitemaps, Google Maps, Feedburner.com plus you can post any widget that you like into your website. It is quick and easy to manage.
4. IDX Compatibility
We have created the system so that any agent anywhere can use it. Want to have your areas property search built in? No problem, you can use our MLS tab within the control panel to add your MLS property search or the IDX feed of your choice. Here are some examples:
http://www.sandiegocastles.com/ - San Diego, CA
http://www.jeffandsteve.com/ - Palo Alto, CA
http://www.moveuputah.com/ - Draper, UT
http://www.historicmodern.com/ - Okeechobee, FL
5. Flexibility
Without using CSS you can add pages, delete pages, change page names, add banner images, remove the banner completely, flip the template colors, plus much more. The system is built to give you as much flexibility as possible so that you can have a unique look and feel for your website.
There is so much that can be done with an Ubertor website and so many reasons why you should have one. From a dollar point of view we are so confident that you will love our product we will give you the first 30 days free. Plus there is NO Setup Fee, No Contract and No Obligation. Check us our here http://www.ubertor.com/
Here is an interview I did with the Real Estate Channel that answers some more questions about Ubertor:
Here are some testimonials about our product:
“This is just a little note to let you know how pleased I am that I made the move to Ubertor. As you know I had a website designed, built and marketed professionally some years ago. This site was and is a great source of business for me so I was really nervous about changing anything. I wondered, why mess with something that is working? However the site was hard to work with and I had to pay people to do changes to the site, upload photos, etc. etc. I was not skilled enough to do my own work on it. My new Ubertor site is great! It doesn’t take much training to be really good at managing my own site! I am really happy with it.
I still stay up were I was in the search engines too.”
Trish Anderson, RE/MAX All Points
Burnaby, BC
“Ubertor is a small Real Estate software provider based out of Vancouver, Canada that is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking a simple, all-in-one solution to get your real estate business on the Internet.”
Joel Burslem - FutureOfRealEstateMarketing.com
Portland, Oregon
“Ubertor’s product was the first I found that offers the flexibility I desired. The sites are simple enough for the novice yet offer the more sophisticated user the tools required for full content control, such as access to code and the ability to add and edit pages and site navigation. Of course, your featured homes presentation software is among the best I have encountered.”
Kris Berg, Prudential California Realty
San Diego, California
“This has become the best RE sales tool that I have ever invested in! I have referred other fellow agents within my office to their services & they all have been equally impressed. I must say I LOVE my website & the results it gets! Ubertor was so easy to work with in tweaking my site & their support is super! Their excellence continues to exceed my expectations. Use them they are GREAT!!!”
Steve Church, The Muljat Group
Bellingham, Washington
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Tags: Google, compatibility, colors, widget, real estate technology, real estate
RealBird’s New Features and New Business Model
By Reggie · August 9, 2007 · 1 Comment
According to NAR, approximately 70% of buyers want to know more about the community they are buying in, so you’ll want to use the rich-text editors to include community and neighborhood information. Potential buyers will also see a “ValPak” icon to the map providing local coupons to enhance their experience. The Listing Publisher will also cross market your listings on each custom site you’ve created. You will also want to include these listings on your personal website. Simply grab their ‘Just Listed” widget to display your listings in the side bar of your website or blog. Or maybe it’s GeoRSS mapping widget you’re looking for. This widget will provide your website visitors local street maps, amazing 40 degree angle “bird’s eye” views (HOT technology) with local points of interest overlay.
Once your site is built, easily publish your listing site to a domain of your choice. Now it’s time to syndicate your listing for maximum exposure. RealBird can help you get the word out to Google Base, Trulia, Edgeio, Lycos Classifieds, Oodle, Local.com, Vast, and RealBird’s own SearchOnMaps.com. You can also grab the code to post on tools like Craigslist, Backpage, Kijiji, Facebook etc.
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Tags: new features, maps, trulia, new feature, Google, map
Google Mobile Maps Technology Utilizes GPS
By Chad A. Johnson · July 29, 2007 · 2 Comments
I have been a huge fan of the Google Mobile applications ever since Reggie reported on the service in his post, FREE Google Maps for your Mobile Device. I use it to get driving directions, find businesses and check traffic conditions. It truly is an indispensable program for anyone with a compatible smartphone.
Yesterday, I upgraded to the latest version of Google Mobile Maps for the Blackberry 8800 and got a pleasant surprise. This latest version takes full advantage of the Blackberry 8800’s GPS functionality. Now, when I open Google Mobile Maps, it shows me my current location (within 3 meters)! This is huge, especially for someone without GPS technology in their car. I can now search for an address or business (by name or business type) and get turn-by-turn driving directions from my current location.
The Blackberry 8800 comes with a navigation application installed, Telenav. While Telenav probably has its strengths, it requires a paid service. The $10 per month fee is not much, but the average real estate agents has so many subscription fees for different services and memberships that it can really add up at the end of the year.
While I have only mentioned the Blackberry 8800 (AT&T), those with the new Blackberry 8830 (Verizon), Blackberry 8800 (T-Mobile), Samsung BlackJack, Helio’s Ocean and other GPS enabled phones can take advantage of this great new functionality, as well.
To get the Google Mobile Maps application, go to http://mobile.google.com/ from your smartphone’s browser. Download the Google Mobile Maps Tip Sheet here.
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Tags: maps, MyTechOpinion, technology, blackberry, real estate agents, api
Google Maps 360 Degree Street View
By Reggie · May 30, 2007 · 2 Comments
Real Estate agents benefit from real estate technology aimed at increasing transparency. Well today is a big day for that as Google Maps has released their new 360-degree ground level view in major metropolitan areas. Now potential buyers can see real estate before you take the photo.
To access these new street-level maps simply search Google local in select major areas and look for the new “Street-Level Views” icon in the top right corner. Once clicked you will notice the streets turn purple. Then simply move the “stick figure” to a purple area and watch street-level views appear. Real Estate agents and others will notice arrows on the street-level graphics for navigating you through local streets. You can also make these new street-level view full screen, and you can spin the angle of the photo 360 degrees. Have fun with this new piece of technology and enjoy this breif video on the new features.
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Tags: YouTube, maps, map, new features, street view, real estate agents
Cyberhomes 3.0
By Reggie · May 3, 2007 · 1 Comment
Cyberhomes, by Fidelity National Finance, has been upgraded with tons of new features. Now a user can search out a home on Cyberhomes, make refinements in value, custom select comparables and save those changes. It’s then easy to recall those saved properties or neighborhoods for easy access later. Real Estate Agents, you may appreciate that feature if you utilize Cyberhomes to educate the consumer on their homes price.
Cyberhomes also now includes the ability print a detailed summary report. The printed report displays the Cyberhomes estimate, estimate ranges, changes over the last 2 months, neighborhood values, physical characteristics and assessed values. If it’s not print you’re looking for, maybe you would like to email the property. Or possibly take advantage of the new alerting feature which allows a user to receive monthly updates about a property.
Cyberhomes has also been updating their Charts & Graphs starting with adding 3 new revolutionary heat maps in their Market Maps section. These new visuals display Home Value Estimates, Changes in Estimated Value and Housing Density. These heat maps are keeping with the Cyberhomes theme and utilizing Microsoft Virtual Earth for the clean and smooth look and feel.
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Tags: new feature, real estate agents, real estate, new features, real estate agent, Microsoft
7 Ways to Syndicate Your Real Estate Listing
By NikNik · April 22, 2007 · 18 Comments
With so many buyers turning to the Internet to shop real estate, getting your listings in front of them couldn’t be easier. There are many website solutions to choose from when it comes to posting your listings online. Many of these sites provide a comprehensive suite of products and services in order to better market your listings online (i.e. listing flyers/ads, virtual tours, mini-websites, blogs, etc.). Spend less time recreating everything, when you can create it once and share it in several formats while also getting the info you want in front of your potential buyers! But don’t take my word for it, check out a few of the following ways you can syndicate your listings for yourself. Keep in mind that not all aggregated websites reach the same audience, so be wise before posting your listing. Are you really reaching out to the right demographic?
As of the CAR 06-07 Internet Vs. Traditional Buyer Report, the share of Internet Buyers (those who use the Internet as a significant part of the home buying process) reached 70% in 2006. Many have estimated this percentage closer to 90%.
vFlyer.com
A one stop shop for creating, promoting, and distributing classified real estate listings. Their easy-to-use interface allows you enter information in quickly and get your listings out to Google Base, Edgeio, Oodle, Vast.com, Trulia, PropSmart and others! Other highlights include: Built-in tracking for ads, cut and paste ready to use HTML into Craigslist and eBay, embed your ads into your blog or website via their slick widget, and generate PDF files you can email or print. vFlyer also includes social bookmarking and Yahoo maps. Example Example Widget
Postlets.com
Postlets make it fast and easy for just about anyone to create a real estate ad like a pro. Utilize drop down menus of standard features to walk you through the process of creating your elegant listing ad. Your listings will be automatically sent to Oodle, Google Base, Trulia, Backpage, Propsmart, Edgeio, Vast, and other classifieds search engines. Postlets also includes a small Google Map for aerial and satellite views. Once your ad is complete Postlets will generates HTML code for posting ads on Craigslist and LiveDeal. You can also use the code for your blog or email newsletter (although it’s not quite as slick as vFlyer’s widget). Example
RealBird.com
RealBird, known for their map based-search, will syndicate your listing to Google Base, Google Blog Search, Edgeio.com, Oodle.com, Lycos, IceRocket, Vast and Technorati when you make a listing flyer using RealBird Publisher. RealBird also has built-in support for cross-marketing your blog and your other listings on your virtual tours. Once you enter your blog’s RSS feed in your RealBird profile, your virtual tours will show the latest blog posts in the footer. Your listing flyers are also optimized for search engine indexing and include social bookmarks. Example
Tourfactory.com
Tourfactory can give your real estate presentations and virtual tours the professional look they need in this competitive market. In addition, your real estate listings will be delivered to millions of potential buyers via Move.com. Realtor.com, Google, Yahoo, Home Debut, Sprint, and the Dupont Registry. Example
Classifiedflyerads.com
ClassifiedFlyerAds.com is a simple solution for creating full color, eye catching real estate ads, rental ads, auto ads and items for sale ads that will automatically be posted to top classified directories and live data feeds (Craigslist, Google Base, backpage, edgeio, Propsmart, Syndic8, Realty Feed Search, Oodle.com, Lycos, Trulia, LiveDieal, FindHomeRentals, hotpads.com, geebo, Vast, Realty Feeds, and more). Example
PostYourListings.com
Postyourlistings.com provides a suite of products and services, including: listing syndication, agent/broker websites (design & hosting), and print marketing flyers. Your real estate listings are transmitted to major portals every night: Yahoo, Cablevision 12, LongIsland Press, Google, vlshomes.com, HomeSeekers.com, Home Gain, MLS.com, Real Estate Espanol, Lycos, oodle.com, Craigslist, Real-Estate.com, ListingMania.com, Trulia, Propsmart. Their designs may not be among the best, but they sure get creative when it comes to their syndicated partners. Example
reallyo.com
reallyo is a free tool for real estate agents and brokers to create great looking flyers with video tours, photos, floorplans, Google maps and descriptions. Point interested buyers to your reallyo flyer, link it on blogs, forums, emails and other classifieds sites and embed video. Create impressive real estate mini sites in minutes and reach thousands of buyers via Syndic8, Google Base, oodle.com, edgeio, backpage, Local.com, Lycos, Realty Feeds, Vast and Livedeal. Example
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