Broker Technology Topics
A Look Into the Future: What Technology Is Next?
Back in the olden days, just after the MLS book lost its appeal and was replaced by the MLS, a rather interesting new product launched for agent and broker websites called IDX – Internet Data Exchange. The idea behind it was that broker participants of an MLS could display the listings of other participating brokers on each other's websites. This led to an explosion of broker websites...
Create a New Facebook Page Tab With These 7 Tutorials
First lets take a quick look at the background: In early February, Facebook announced: "On March 11, 2011, you will no longer be able to create new FBML apps and Pages will no longer be able to add the Static FBML app. While all existing apps on Pages using FBML or the Static FBML app will continue to work, we strongly recommend that these apps transition to iframes as soon as possible...
Mastering Your Blog Timing
How many times a day or week should you blog to keep people interested? Do you know what time of day is best for blogging? Does it matter? The answer is simple: there is a science to blogging. With millions of bloggers, how do you make your message rise above the digital noise and gain traction within your industry? When are people listening? Don't worry, there are answers to this based on...
Master the Timing of Your Email Marketing
How many times a day or week should you email your subscriber base or clients to get the maximum opens without getting "unsubscribe" responses? Do you know what time of day is best for emailing? Does it matter? The answer is simple: emailing is not a haphazard activity. It has evolved into a science. If you are interested in keeping a client and subscriber base informed and engaged with you an...
Are Your Listing Descriptions Designed to Capture?
We're living in an industry where indexable MLS listings – those that are visible to the search engines – are becoming frequently more common. So I feel that it's important to bring up the value of optimizing personal listings to maximize on this opportunity. I was recently looking at the details of a real estate agent's personal listing and noticed the description contained a lot of...
Successful Timing of Your Social Media Posts
How many times a day or week should you tweet? Do you know what time of day is best for tweeting? What about posting to Facebook? Does it matter? The answer is simple: social media is not a haphazard activity anymore. It has evolved into a science. If you are interested in promoting yourself and your business online, it is well worth your time to invest in learning some of the research...
Attention Small Business – Social Marketing is the Great Equalizer!
There aren't many venues that provide the little guy a true leg up over Goliath. But we believe Social Marketing is one. It's as simple as this – do you feel more personal affinity for your local restaurant or your favorite chain restaurant? How about your favorite small B&B vs. a favorite hotel chain? Most of us just flat out feel a higher level of personal connection with small local...
Why Should Agents Work for Your Company?Guest contributor PCMS Consulting says: Are you and your team ready to answer these questions convincingly? I am 49 years old. I have two college degrees, have worked in corporate America, and have a significant amount of sales training. Do you want to recruit me? If I were in the market to become an agent for a real estate brokerage, I would consider myself the "agent of the future" and, as...
3 Basics of the Entrepreneurial Spirit
I had the opportunity to visit my Alma Mater this week to give a presentation on entrepreneurship to this year's senior class. The invite came in light of today's challenging job market and the idea that graduates need to be more entrepreneurial in their efforts. I'll be the first to support entrepreneurship as viable avenue to job creation, self-fulfillment and prosperity. When opportunities...
How Realistic is the Idea of a Paperless Office?
Guest contributor, GoPaperless Solutions, says: For some, the paperless office is all about conservation and environmental protection. For many reasons conservation and protection are good ideas; therefore, so are paperless offices and paperless document management. For those not-so-tree-huggerish folks out there, for whom the paperless office has had no draw at all, it's definitely time to...
Get Ready for a Weak Recovery
Some markets are stabilizing now and on the macro level, the housing recovery is not far away, according to Sam Khater, senior economist at CoreLogic. But the long awaited recovery won't be much to get excited about, at least initially. Negative equity is the culprit and it will continue to dampen demand and prices for months to come. Like other sectors of the economy, housing has excess capacity...
Importance of Keeping Your Videos Current
Ever drive by a business and see the same message on their marquee month after month, or even worse, a promotion for a Memorial Day sale when it's the middle of June? It makes you wonder if they read their own sign when they drive to work every day, or if they ponder the irony of displaying a sign that promotes their ineptness. Social Media, including video, is the same way. If something is...
Never a Better Time to Buy
Guest contributor FrogPond TV provides coverage on Ted C. Jones, Ph.D, Chief Economist, Stewart Title and his advice to the renters across America. The number of new rental units is 40% less than last year. Because of the fewer number of apartments, the rent is actually going up 4%. Sub-markets like San Jose's housing market has gone down. If you are looking at renting, consider...
Blogging Basics: Learn To Use The WYSIWYG Properly
As mentioned in the recent article about using images, we've received great feedback during our live reviews of the websites submitted by our free webinar attendees. I bring it up again, because another common infraction we see during our website reviews is an inconsistent use of fonts. Here are some sound tips on how (and why) to maintain a consistency of font usage as well as how...
New Rule: IDX Listing Content May Be Distributed by RSS to Any Third Party
I just received a copy of the Report of Recommendations of the IDX Use Work Group of the Multiple Listing Issuse and Policies Committee. I have had a blur of calls from The Realty Alliance, Leading RE, MLSs and Franchises alike today. There are many significant concerns. At the heart of the recommendations is the new rule that IDX listing content may be distributed by RSS or other electronic...