Videos | Real Estate News

Be the catalyst for community in your business – online and offline in 2010

Jan 21

This was my first time being “behind the scenes” with Inman News at Real Estate Connect NYC. Having worked directly with agents and brokers prior to coming to Inman, this time at Connect I listened with a new set of eyes.

I kept thinking, “If I was a Realtor, what would be my big take-away from Connect?”

At opening session, Brad Inman talked about 2 things that caught my attention:
1. The world is changing – real time search, location, news, comments, reviews, auctions and collaboration, and of course real estate.
2. In this age of “digital addiction” take time to “look up” and connect with people face to face.

So taking those two things into consideration, if I was a Realtor – here would be the 2 big things I would implement ASAP into my business:

1. Mobile technology. If I was a Realtor I would make sure that I had a mobile strategy in place. In his opening message, Brad Inman, Publisher, Inman News said, “One of the biggest shifts we are seeing is the increase in real time data.” Tools like mobile applications, Twitter and Facebook, are impacting how quickly information is distributed. Inman predicts that one of the big trends in 2010 will be mobile apps that are able to filter and organize this data. Real time search, real time location, real time agent feedback, and real time real estate listing information will be major trends we will see in 2010. “Those agents that adopt technology will close more transactions because they will be more efficient,” say Inman.

nexus-pic-ap-335253213

If I were a Realtor I would make sure I looked at things like:

Does my brokerage have a mobile app? What about my MLS?
Is it worth me investing in my own mobile app? iSites, a new service launching today, allows you to take your website’s RSS feed and data and quickly transform it into a full-fledged iPhone app. It was created by Genwi, a service that combines aspects of RSS reader, social network and news filter. For just $25, iSites will create a customized iPhone and Android app for you.
What type of local data can I have right at my fingertips on my mobile phone? Yelp is a great place to start. Foursquare is another great local app that is getting a ton of attention, especially after Dennis Crowley spoke at Connect – and we all had an “a-ha” moment!

Mike Mangino, Owner & President, Elevated Rails talked about some of the key apps to have on your mobile phone to help you do your business better:

Navigation tool
Access to your CRM tool
A simple mortgage calculator app you can use with clients
Social Media apps: TweetDeck, Tweetie 2 or Hootsuite, Facebook and Linked-In apps
I’m adding to this list – Wordpress app – a must if your blog is hosted on WP.

2. Connect with people face to face. One of the biggest challenges Realtors face is meeting new potential clients face-to-face. Now is the time to ‘look up!’

group_member_450px

Scott Heiferman, co-founder and CEO of meetup.com was one of the final keynote speakers at Connect and talked about the power of connecting with people live and face to face. People are creating their own self organized groups.

There are 5.7 million Meetup.com members in nearly 59,000 local groups in more than 11,000 cities, according to the company’s site.

Agents can not only join a meetup for local real estate professionals, but they can connect with local real estate buyers groups and sponsor non-real-estate-related groups.

I love this concept – especially for an agent trying to break into a new market niche or community, or just for an agent trying to expand their sphere of influence, this is the perfect opportunity for them.

The message is: be the catalyst for community in your business – online and offline in 2010.

Stay tuned for more about Connect. Inman News will be publishing a comprehensive report next week. Also check out inman.com this week – videos are available for Inman Premium Members. Not a member? Sign up by this Friday, January 22nd and get a special rate of only $99 (reg. price $149)

Written by: Katie Lance, Marketing Manager, Inman News

Ad: Win more business! Showcase your company with a custom video ad from Turnhere. Save 50% off your first video!.

Here is the original post:

Homebuilders Rally Before Falling With Market

Sep 3

Real Estate

Shares of homebuilders jumped Tuesday after a gauge of future U.S. home sales rose more than expected to the highest level in over two years but were later pulled down with the broader market on concerns about the overall economy.

See the original post here:
Homebuilders Rally Before Falling With Market

Bloggers Examine Social Media, Today’s Investment Opportunities

Apr 23

Real Estate

[Note: To follow is an excerpt of an interview with successful bloggers from the Real Estate Investment Club or the REIClub.com -- Halle Eavelyn, Manager of Halle Homes, LLC and Cherrathee Hager, of Twin Oak Properties. To listen to the show archive or download an MP3, go to www.IncomePropertyInvestmentTalk.com/031809.]

Originally posted here:
Bloggers Examine Social Media, Today’s Investment Opportunities

How Do I Love Thee…Let Me Dance the Ways!

Feb 13

Real Estate

WE LOVE YOU! Well, we love our loyal MTO readers and community members! Thanks for sharing your love with us every day via your comments, thoughts, ideas, suggestions…and most of all, support! We’re also very thankful that you love technology as much as we do. But it’s time to get off the computer (for just a moment) and share some love (and your best moves) with those around you! So we made you this Valentine Dance Gram! Hope you enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day from MyTechOpinion!

Lovely Charts: Sophisticated Diagrams Made Simple

Feb 11

Real Estate

If you need to create a flowcart, diagram, org chart or even a wireframe, I have a powerful and attractive resource for you! Lovely Charts is a slick Adobe Flex application that uses a simplistic drag and drop drawing engine. You can tell Lovely Charts has placed heavy importance on their clean design and attractive chart output. Their graphics and symbols will help you clearly represent your ideas on screen…without having to dig deep through thousands of choices. But don’t take my word for it, view their Gallery here.

So what’s it going to cost me?

Lovely Charts offers both a free and paid version. The free product allows users to print or export as many charts as needed, however you can only save one editable chart. If you need to be able to save more editable charts, try the professional version. It supports versioning and team collaboration with commenting.

Lovely Chart Resources:
Keyboard shortcuts
Screencast

Double Your Monitor, Double Your Fun!

Feb 9

Real Estate

Dual monitor systems are no longer just for geeks. Granted, Reggie, NikNik and I are geeks and we all use dual monitor systems. But it is time that the average real estate agent looks into adding a second monitor to their desk.

What is so special about using 2 monitors?

Besides making your friends think you are a computer genius, there are huge productivity benefits to having a second screen. Think of all of the programs that you have open during a typical business day. At any given point, you may have a browser or 2 open, Outlook, a few folders, a photo or video editing program, Twhirl or another Twitter application and maybe even iTunes for some background music. All of this can quickly clutter a computer screen.

Now, image that instead of one 22″ monitor, you have 2. Suddenly, you have twice the real estate to work with. You can move email and social networking activities to one monitor while reserving the other screen for browsing, photo editing and video creation.

No more shuffling through windows to get to what you want to work on next. Everything is already in front of you.

The economics of a dual screen system

Believe it or not, it is cheaper to buy 2 smaller monitors than 1 huge monitor.

Let’s look at an example of buying a high-end Dell 24″ monitor (UltraSharp 2408WFP) versus 2 comparable Dell 22″ monitors (UltraSharp 2208WFP). The 24″ monitor costs $690, while the 22″ monitors cost $249 each ($498 for 2). That is a $192 dollar savings.

Not only would you save money going with the two 22″ monitors, you actually get more working space than with a single 24″ monitor.

Tips for adding a second monitor

Video cards
You will need a video card with 2 ports. Upgraded video cards have included 2 ports for years, so your computer may be ready for a second monitor, already.

If your computer uses an integrated graphics system (found in entry-level computers), you will need to add an aftermarket video card. This is a simple and inexpensive upgrade. You don’t need a cutting-edge gaming card to perform real estate technology tasks, so you could get away with a card costing $100 or less.

Monitor choices
If you already have 1 monitor, try to purchase a second identical monitor. This will not only look better on your desktop, but it will mean that the colors and brightness are the same.

If you are unable to buy an identical second monitor, make sure that the new monitor has the same native resolution as your current monitor. Running 2 monitors with different resolutions complicates an otherwise simple configuration.

Buying 2 new monitors? Purchase screens whose size is in the current price-to-size sweet spot. Right now, 22″ monitors are the cheapest for the size. Prices go up considerably once you jump to the 24″ size or larger. This changes over time as larger monitor prices drop, so do your homework.

Pick up a second monitor and watch your productivity surge. It really is one of the smartest real estate technology investments you can make.

7 Real Estate Conferences Worth Attending in 2009

Feb 4

Real Estate

Of course we can’t go to every real estate conference taking place this year. But we can plan ahead for events that may be coming to your local area. Or better yet, plan for a vacation-learning experience. I may be a bit biased being in California, but San Francisco and San Diego make for great destinations! Here’s the lowdown on all the valuable upcoming real estate conferences….all are worth attending! Which one(s) are you planning for?

REBarCamp Seattle - One day event for passionate real estate professionals who are hungry to learn and share creative and effective marketing ideas and industry trends. When: Feb 13^th, 2009 Where: Zillow Corporate Headquarters, Seattle

RETechSouth – Real conversations about the technological changes impacting the real estate industry. Some of the best minds in the industry will gather in one room to share their knowledge. When: March 20^th2009, Where: Gwinnet Center, Atlanta

REBarCamp Los Angeles – If you missed Seattle, don’t worry REBarCampLA is a great day for agents looking to get started with social media marketing and other creative online and offline strategies for growing your business. When: April 2^nd,2009 Where: Location TBA

REBarCamp San Francisco – The 2^nd annual REBarCamp SF! The first one was a hit, and this just happens to be where it all began! Join in the conversation and collaboration. It’s also a great way to kick off the Inman Connect SF (if you’re attending that one as well). When: August 4^th, 2009 Where: Exact location TBA, San Francisco

Inman Connect SF – Brings together leaders in real estate, finance, and technology to promote change and innovation in the industry. Between the workshops, expo, and events (aka: parties)…this conference is probably one of the most attended (and valuable) RE events of the season. Be there or be square! When: Aug 5-7th, 2009 Where: Palace Hotel, San Francisco

NAR 09 – Registration opens May 5^tfor the 4 day expo and conference being held in San Diego. Learn to be more productive or renew your motivation with new strategies and tools for your real estate business. When: Nov. 13-16^th, 2009 Where: San Diego Convention Center

REBarCamp San Diego – More details to come. When: TBA, sometime during NAR09 Where: San Diego, exact location TBA

Be sure to check back, as I will be updating these events with more information as it becomes available. Oh, and let me know which event you will be attending so we can connect! Woohoo!

7 Real Estate Events Worth Attending in 2009