Monthly Archives: November, 2009
Mobile Websites: A Closer Look
The recent National Association of Realtors conference in San Diego highlighted a number of technology trends emerging in the world of real estate. One of these was the use of mobile Internet, and we looked into whether agents should create their own mobile websites or invest in a branded, downloadable application.
The important thing to consider when choosing between these options is who your audience is, and how they will use your mobile presence. The cost of developing a downloadable application might be appropriate if you targeting a large, tech-savvy audience. If, on the other hand, you don’t foresee a huge return on investing a branded application, stripping back your existing website to make it mobile-friendly might be more suitable.
One thing is clear: ignoring the mobile option is a risky strategy. Sales of Internet-enabled phones are increasing in Australia, the US, the UK and the Asia Pacific.
Tech Trends from the NAR Conference: Part 6 – SMS and Email Yard Signs
Welcome to the sixth in our series of technology trends from the NAR Conference held in San Diego, California from the 13th through 16th November.
In the previous installments, we wrote about realtors having a mobile presence, the continued existence of video and virtual tours, low cost websites being offered to realtors in the US, the use of local information on realtor’s sites, and the rise of listing syndication.
In this second last installment, we look at the rise of businesses offering listing information delivered to your handset after entering a code from a yard sign.
Back to Basics: Why Advertise Online?
propertyadguru.com occasionally receives requests for information on how to list a property online. While this may sound like a strange question to some, we think the fact that this question is still being asked probably reflects reluctance amongst some agents to make the jump to online advertising.
The reason we think online advertising is worthwhile is simple: it’s the fastest growing source of enquiry.
Tech Trends from the NAR Conference: Part 5 – Distribution to Multiple Portals
Welcome to the fifth in our series of technology trends from the NAR Conference held just over a week ago in San Diego, California.
In previous installments we wrote about realtors having a mobile presence, the continued existence of video and virtual tours, low cost websites being offered to realtors in the US, and the use of local information on realtors’ sites.
In this installment, we will look at the rise of intermediaries who syndicate a realtor’s listings to 20 or so different sites.
New Premium Ads and Listing Tips at trulia.com
US property search engine trulia.com has released a new paid listings package for companies that it says will make it easier for consumers to connect with brokers and agents.
According to the trulia.com blog, these premium listings place advertisements at the top of search results and include an optimised and company branded home buyer contact form along with detailed listing and lead reporting.
New Ad Options from realestatebook.com
Network Communications Inc property portal realestatebook.com has recently launched new advertising options for its users through a partnership with display advertising provider iPromote.
realestatebook.com users can now create rich media display advertisements through iPromote’s One-Click Advertising technology that will run across a network of websites such as MSN, Yahoo! and Facebook. iPromote says the advertisements will reach an audience of over 40 million unique users per month.
zillow.com: Photos Make a Dramatic Difference
Earlier this year, US real estate marketplace zillow.com published a blog post detailing exactly which qualities led to good listing performance. Their data showed exterior home photographs, as well as specific neighbourhood details, attract the most attention.
Now, zillow.com has followed up with data that shows the dramatic effect photos have on the traffic a listing receives.
TourNarrator Makes a Splash
Real estate professionals already have plenty of ways to use their iPhone to make business easier. Now, a new release from a la mode, inc. has extended the iPhone’s reach to cover another step in the selling process: the home tour.
TourNarrator has just been made available on the iTunes App store for US$1.99, and a la mode says it has already climbed to eleventh position on the list of popular paid applications in the business category. So, what makes TourNarrator so special?
New Rightmoveplus Ranks Agents
Top UK property portal rightmove.co.uk has just launched an enhanced version of Rightmoveplus, its management and reporting suite for member agents.
The new additions to Rightmoveplus are aimed at helping agents analyse their local market and performance compared to their competitors.
More Real Estate Upgrades from Google Maps
Google Maps’ Australian team have just announced another round of upgrades to the Google Maps real estate search, this time focusing on keyword use and listing information.
The Google Maps blog explains that the introduction of new search technology will bring up listing results for searches that use phrases such as “real estate,” “home for sale Sydney” or “homes for rent near Perth”.
This new search option comes after Google Maps added a real estate option to the “more” menu, allowing users to view a layer displaying listings, earlier this month.
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