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2008 List Issue:Technology
We’ve got gizmos and gadgets aplenty — but are yours helping you be more efficient and productive? Here, find great ideas for boosting Web traffic, check out the latest must-have gadgets, and get tips for keeping your e-mail under control.
5 Ways to Get Your Listings Exposed Online
With so many places buyers can turn online for property information, you could spend your day uploading listings wherever they might look. Or you could entrust that responsibility to an RSS service. Post the information once and then you can get back to selling real estate. RSS handles the rest. Think of how your MLS makes listing info available through Real estate pro.com. RSS provides the same service.
Here’s how you can maximize exposure in minimal time.
1. Start with vendors. Your virtual tour or Web site or your MLS provider may already be syndicating your listings. If so, discuss the details with them to ensure you’re getting the coverage you want. If not, ask if they’d consider adding this service.
2. Find other providers. Find out where prospects and clients are looking at listings. Popular real estate search destinations include Real estate pro.com, Google, Yahoo, Trulia, Zillow, PropSmart, and Craigslist for your area. That’s a good start of where you want your listings.
3. Shop and compare. Syndication services vary in their reach, their fees, and their other services. Some solutions include postlets.com, PostYourListings.com, and RealBird.com.
4. See for yourself. Take nothing for granted. Periodically visit the real estate portals and make sure your listings are showing up as promised.
5. Talk it up. RSS gives you a marketing edge. Let buyers everywhere know they can find your listings. Show sellers all you do to give their home maximum exposure online. Just don’t let them know how easy RSS makes it.
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Finding the Right Operating System
At the core of every computer and smart phone is an operating system that empowers the hardware, determines what software it runs. Whatever you buy, your decision to upgrade should based as much on the OS as on the features.
For computers.
1. Vista. The latest version of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows is offered in a variety of editions for home, business, and power users. Its enhancements include plenty of eye candy in a revamped user interface, improved security, and more control over the setup and usage of your PC. Those running an older PC should check the specs at www.microsoft.com to see if this new OS will work on it.
2. Linux. This is available in several versions that bundle the operating system with software applications. Linux is the open source alternative for PC users eager to move away from Windows. You’ll be more involved with your computer. For a more carefree computer experience, stick with what you know or switch to a Mac.
3. Leopard. Apple Inc.’s Mac OS X version 10.5 works with many of its computers and provides an adaptable, intuitive interface. Its Time Machine backup feature writes a history of files as you work for easy retrieval; the Boot Camp feature lets users install and run Windows and compatible software.
For smart phones.
1. Windows Mobile. Now in version 6, Windows Mobile delivers the familiar experience on handheld computers. Multimedia, Windows compatibility, and a customized version of the Office suite all drive its popularity.
2. Palm OS. The dominant PDA operating system hasn’t maintained its momentum in the smart phone market. But users like version 5.4 for its simplicity, personal information management suite, easy synching with Mac and PC, and deep catalog of software applications.
3. BlackBerry. These devices include PIM apps and a Web browser. The driving appeal is as the software engine of Blackberry’s always on mobile e-mail solution
4. Symbian. V 9.5, found on some Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung smart phones. Includes PIM tools and Web browsing but feature set tailored to capabilities of specific hardware.
5. Android. “Android”? You’ll be hearing more about it. It’s the platform of software tools, including a new operating system, that Google and a consortium of hardware vendors are working on to power an upcoming generation of smart phones.
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5 RSS Feeds You Should Have
Timely information is a requisite of real estate services: You’ve got to know what’s happening locally, nationally, within the real estate industry and all sectors affecting it, to deliver the professional insight clients expect and deserve.
An RSS reader can help. It scans Web sites you subscribe to for new content, delivering a synopsis you can quickly browse, or click through to read the full article. The latest versions of Web browsers have this capability built in. You can also download and install third party RSS feed readers in a few steps. Popular free choices include Google Reader, FeedDemon for Windows, and NetNewsWire for Mac from Newsgator.
Now, what RSS feeds should you have?
1. Local press. Print and broadcast media in your area have the best handle on what’s impacting your market. In big cities, some even offer specific feeds on local business or real estate news. Check their Web sites.
2. National media. For broad insight on national news, trends and developments shaping the real estate industry, look to real estate feeds from the media powerhouses of your choice, such as CNN, The New York Times or the Wall Street Journal.
3.Real estate bureaus. Feeds from these deliver a broader, deeper look from the perspective of real estate professionals. Try NAR and RISmedia.
4. Blogs. Subscribe to your favorites via RSS and you’ll know as soon as new articles are added. If you don’t have favorites yet, start with a search of the Real Estate Blog Directory or Blogflux.
5. Listings. Innovative real estate professionals, and Web sites serving them, are using RSS as a tool for promoting listings. RealtyFeeds.com’s category page breaks down listing feeds by state, with feed links for each.
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5 Ways Flash can Perk Up Your Web Site
1. Automated listing presentation. Chances are your listing presentation is already in PowerPoint or PDF format. You can use Camtasia Studio to record and edit your screen as you go through your listing presentation with you doing the voice-over using a microphone plugged into your computer.
2. Interactive video tutorials. If you find yourself educating your clients and prospects on a regular basis, creating an interactive Flash tutorial video is a cool way to go. Once again, Camtasia Studio is the tool of choice. The best approach is to create a PowerPoint presentation of your tutorial and then record the playing of it on your screen along with your voice-over. Then use Camtasia Studio to insert links to related material; you can even include an interactive quiz at the end.
3. Video blogs (Vlogs). With real estate blogging all the rage these days, it’s getting harder to stand out in the blogosphere. One powerful and engaging way to do so is to create a Flash-based video blog (Vlog). One good tool for this is Adobe Systems Inc.’s $29 Vlog It, which has everything you need (except the camera) to create stunning Vlogs easily.
4. Dirt-cheap virtual tours. If you don’t have a virtual tour for each of your listings, you just aren’t in the game. Virtual tours don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming, however. You can easily create stunning property or neighborhood tours using CoffeeCup Software’s Photo Gallery ($39), which helps you assemble professional Flash-based virtual tours in minutes.
5. Web forms with pizzazz. Let’s face it, most Web forms are boring and a pain to complete. It doesn’t have to be that way, however. Thanks to CoffeeCup’s Web Form Builder ($39), you can create visually engaging Flash-based Web forms that your site’s visitors will find fun to use.
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5 Questions to Ask Your Webmaster
1. Are my URLs friendly to both search engines and users?
If your pages have long, perplexing Web addresses, fewer people are likely to come to your site. Names should be descriptive and easy to remember. Pages need to be optimized for search engines to index as well.
2. Are all my pages linkable?
Getting others to link to your site or blog can bring you more traffic and more business. Let the techies know that having linkable pages is a must.
3. How do we monitor user experiences?
There are all sorts of monitoring tools to use to measure not only visits to your site but also what people click on and how they move from one page to another. Such insights can help you design more user-friendly sites. Google Analytics is a free service. For more robust tools, you’ll pay a fee.
4. Can I generate direct leads from an IDX feed?
The more you know about who is clicking on what listing, the better the chance you’ll have to pick up business from your site.
5. Are we in a maintenance or creative mode?
Asking which mode your site is in will help you discover whether you can do new things with your blog or Web site. If you’re using a hosting provider, find one that’s constantly ready to be creative.
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10 Must-Have Gadgets
 1. Air. Apple Inc.’s MacBook Air draws attention to the entire class of ultralight notebooks. Innovations include an LED-illuminated screen, multitouch track pad, five hours of battery run time and a svelte profile—0.16 inches at its thinnest. Starting at $1,799.
 2. Digital Notes. Like the Tablet PC concept but not the price? IOGEAR’s Digital Scribe lets you write or draw in ink on paper, then transfers and translates what you’ve written into text or image files on your PC. For Windows and Microsoft Corp.’s Office suite of applications. $99.99.
 3. Data Synch, In a Flash. Kingston Technology Co.’s Data Traveler 400 USB flash drive includes software to automatically update files, e-mail, and Internet settings as soon as it’s plugged into a PC. Available capacities up to 8 GB, with prices starting in the $30 range for a 2 GB version.
 4. Real Light Keyboard. Light as in laser. Power Positioning’s I.Tech Virtual Laser Keyboard projects a full-size, functioning keyboard on any flat surface. What you type is uploaded to smart phones or computers. The projector weighs about two ounces and is good for up to three hours of keyboarding per recharge. $199.
 5. Never a dropped call. Wi-Ex Inc.’s ZBoost YX500-CEL Signal Booster extends the range of a cell zone up to 2,500 feet to ensure a signal in the home or office. Works with Cingular, Verizon, and Alltel phones. $299.99.
 6. In-Dash PC. Azentek LLC offers four versions of a voice- or touch-controlled PC, designed and developed for in-car installation. Top of the line is the multifunction $2,799 CPC-1200. It features an Intel core-duo processor running Windows Vista, AM/FM/satellite radio, CDRW or DVD, MP3 or WMA, GPS navigation, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth wireless support.
 7. Slim and Wide. Casio America Inc.’s new EX-Z100 stylishly thin Exilim digital camera combines 10 MP resolution, 2.7-inch LCD, and 4X optical zoom with the wide angle 28mm setting required for photographing homes. $279.
 8. Power to go. Charge 2 Go Inc.’s Pocket Socket will recharge your cell phone or other mini-USB compatible hardware from one AA battery, wherever you are. $24.99.
 9. Peace of mind in your pocket. The Firestick Pico from Yoggie Security Systems plugs into a USB port to provide a firewall and security suite protection, freeing your system processor from continually running security software. $119.
 10. Zink. Zink Imaging Inc.’s inkless printing solution is so small it can be built into smart phones or cameras. Available this year in Polaroid’s Mobile Photo Printer. It plugs into a USB port or connects via Bluetooth for 2x3-inch instant photo prints. Price not yet set.
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5 Cool Things Real Estate Pros Are Doing on Web Sites
1. Going mobile.
With its extraordinarily sharp screen and innovative user interface, Apple Inc.’s iPhone has marked the advent of serious Web browsing using mobile devices. Some real estate pros have taken notice of this by making sure their site will look good on any size screen. Mobile-compatible sites sense when a mobile device is viewing them and serve up an optimized version. For example, Sapphire, N.C., brokerage WhiteWater Realty’s site dynamically adjusts the way it delivers its content whether you are using a desktop computer or mobile device like the iPhone or its competitors.
2. Offering dynamic calls to action.
Most real estate Web sites don’t use calls to action, which makes you stand out even more when yours does. Calls to action or irresistible offers are the main ways your site can powerfully engage visitors so that casual inquiries are more likely to turn into closed transactions. The key to maximizing effectiveness is to make your calls and offers relevant to the context of what your visitors are viewing. For example, go to www.manausa.com,the site for Century 21 First Realty in Tallahassee, Fla., and check out the information for buyers. You’ll find different calls to action from the ones in the sellers’ section. This takes targeting to a new level.
3. Providing real-time, accurate CMA services.
Scott Williams, with Prudential California Realty in Santa Barbara, Calif., has a unique Web site called Prime Voyage.Among its other features, this site enables home owners to interactively create a real-time CMA of their property that takes into account differences in square footage, condition, time since sale, and other factors from comparables found in their neighborhood using a Google Map interface. Scott says his Web-based CMA tool is so accurate he uses it for his own listing presentations.
4. Encouraging custom Google Map property searches.
It seems as if everyone these days is using some sort of Google Map–based property search tool. However, many are uninspired. A good example of how Google Map property searches can be fun and unique can be found at www.lindacraft.com, the site for brokerage Linda Craft & Team in Raleigh, N.C. In addition to the usual home icons, this interactive map also features entire neighborhoods, great for relocating buyers, and distinguishes condos from single-family residences.
5. Serving RSS feeds for listings.
Instead of the traditional approach for e-mailing listings to a visitor, some sites are now providing new listing feeds via RSS. This will especially appeal to the highly tech-savvy Generation Y buyers who seek especially efficient ways to receive information that is important to them. Visitors who use Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Vista operating system can now grab a feed of the newest listings and have them automatically appear in a widget or in their sidebar, home page, or desktop.
SLIDE SHOW
7 Features to Enhance Your Web Site
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3 Steps to E-mail Management
1. Filter.
- BAN Spam. Most e-mail programs have built-in filters to send junk e-mail, or spam, into a special folder or eliminate it completely. Other spam filters also are available. Look into adding more powerful extras such as Spambayes, which is free.
- Train your filter. Bulk e-mailers are constantly finding ways around filters, so you need to train yours to recognize junk e-mail. If junk e-mail is getting into your inbox, tag it as spam and your filter will learn its lessons and start segregating it out.
2. Manage.
- Channel. Multiple e-mail accounts can be channeled into one e-mail program so that you can check all the accounts quickly from one spot. This will save time. Consider having a special e-mail account only for active clients. This will make it easier to respond during ongoing home searches and sales efforts.
- Separate. Keep distinct home and work accounts. Don’t clutter your work account with personal messages.
3. Prioritize.
- Use folders. Sort your e-mail into folders that can organize and prioritize your mail. Have folders for individual clients, for example. Keep no more than 20 messages in your inbox at any given time so that you don’t lose track of who is trying to reach you about what.
- Use flags. Put a flag on an e-mail message to remind yourself to follow up on it. Flags are quick visual notes of your priorities.
- Cell mail. Use e-mail filters to send important message directly to your cell phone as either e-mail, if your cell phone accepts it, or text messages. Messages will get to your phone more quickly than you can get to a computer to check them.
- Learn your e-mail program. Whether you use a free e-mail provider such as Google or Yahoo; Microsoft Corp.’s Outlook; or another provider you’ll find ways to enhance its mail management.
- Use fax to e-mail. Get documents you need quickly. Search for a free fax to e-mail service and see if it meets your needs.
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How to Build Web Site Content
- Partner with local city guides. Include links to such guides or information from them, if they allow that, to tell visitors about local services and amenities such as restaurants and theaters.
- Partner with local clubs and civic groups. Put their contact information or links on your site.
- Include people WITH WHOM you have relationships. Local inspectors, handymen, and others can be listed and can contribute copy about their areas of expertise.
- Find people writing about your market. If you specialize in a particular neighborhood in a big city, find bloggers writing about that area and link with them. If you’re in a small town, find local bloggers and ask to exchange links with them.
- Link with local government sites. These can direct readers to needed civic services and include demographic and other important local information.
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9 Ways to Get Your Blog Read
1. Promote it on all your printed materials. Everything from your business cards to listing sheets to postcards should include your blog address. Your blog address should be as ubiquitous as your name and phone number in your marketing materials.
2. Be conversational. Write as if you were talking to a client or a friend, not delivering a formal speech to the United Nations. If you’re not comfortable writing, get help. One source is Copyblogger.com, which has tips for online marketing writing.
3. Pick a specialty. Write about something that interests you, be it older homes or sports cars. Giving readers insight into who you are helps them decide whether they want to work with you in buying and selling their homes.
4. Allow syndication. Through RSS, or “really simple syndication,” you can distribute content across the Web and to individuals who subscribe to receive it.
5. Be opinionated, boring blogs don’t get readers. Interesting ones grow through word of mouth as visitors tell their friends about you.
6. Don’t talk about your listings. Blog visitors don’t want just listings; visitors can get those at any number of sites. They want to know about you and what you know that can help them make real estate decisions.
7. Post regularly. Experienced bloggers say you should put up at least two new items a week. Some suggest writing every day to keep visitors coming back—and to help them develop an affinity to you.
8. Comment on other blogs. Read other real estate blogs and comment on their postings. From your blog, include links to them and ask them to link back to you.
9. Register with blog directories. That way people searching for real estate blogs will find you. Technorati.com is perhaps best known but there are others.
Try team blogging.
If writing every day seems daunting, team up with colleagues and set up a posting rotation. Some brokerages have established company blogs that have many contributors to keep a fresh flow of new items coming.
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LINKS
Your Handbook for Success: Read More Lists
Tech Watch
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View the 2007 List Issue: Prospecting, Technology, Selling, and More
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