Building strong networks is the key to success in the real estate industry; and, today, Facebook is the key to building strong networks. The rise of social media combined with the shift of real estate marketing online has made Facebook the premier application for real estate network creation. Other social medial such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus offer similar network-building opportunities that should not be ignored; but virtue of volume and ease of use, Facebook deserves your focus.

According to the Facebook website, more than 160 million Americans use Facebook. More than 50% log on each day, and the average Facebook user has 130 friends. If you can entice even a fraction of the people in your area to visit your Facebook page and click the “like” button, you can quickly build your network of potential clients. The fastest way to do this is by using Facebook to build a network of real estate industry professionals and service providers, including fellow real estate agents, mortgage brokers, title companies, insurance agents, building inspectors, repair services, etc.

According to a Postling.com infographic posted on Mashable Business, 84% of real estate professionals use social media and 79% use Facebook. By building reciprocal links between your site and the sites of other industry providers, you earn consumer trust by association with providers already known to the consumer. Heavy Facebook use by the real estate industry provides you with a prelaid groundwork on which to build your network.

Use Facebook Referrals to Build Your Real Estate Network is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Video chat allows real estate agents and clients to see each other in real time while they are talking, creating a more intimate and personal communication experience. Video chat makes it possible for real estate agents to develop a personal relationship with home buyers that do not live in the area, as well as with local buyers who have extremely limited availability.

The stress of finding and purchasing a home can be particularly grueling for long-distance home buyers who, by virtue of their absence, are forced to be more dependent on their Realtor than local buyers for reliable information about local schools, community services, neighborhood ambience and other issues that are important to home buyers. The ability to actually see their Realtor while discussing their housing needs and potentially suitable real estate listings can provide the extra bit of comfort and reassurance that many long-distance home buyers need.

Beyond its use as a highly effective client communication tool, video chat also offers real estate firms a viable video conferencing alternative. Video chat provides the benefits of video conferencing without the need for a video conferencing system. There’s no complicated set up, specialized equipment, lag time or expense. Video chat allows real estate firms to connect agents or multiple offices in real time for weekly briefings, training sessions or idea exchanges. Video chat allows real estate companies to create an anytime anywhere virtual conference room via computer or smartphone, a considerable advantage in our highly mobile world.

Make sure you’re reaping the full benefits of new real estate technology; contact Properties Online today.

Video Chat Offers Realtors New Communication Tool is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Real estate agents can forge connections with potential home buyers and sellers by adding QR codes to business cards, flyers, newspaper ads, direct mail, online property listings and lawn signs, using different QR codes to direct consumers to different sites or information. Different QR codes can be imbedded in different marketing vehicles to help track their effectiveness. QR codes are also proving effective in building social media relationships between real estate agents and potential clients. QR codes are still novel enough to generate excitement and curiosity. People can’t seem to resist scanning QR codes when they appear in Facebook posts and Twitter tweets. Their popularity and convenience are making real estate QR codes the preferred method of linking to detailed information and video tours of new property listings.

As smartphone become the new communication standard and consumer interaction becomes increasingly mobile, QR codes are expected to become the go-to method of imparting information to real estate consumers. PropertiesOnline.com can help you add this powerful mobile marketing tool to your real estate tool bag. Free real estate QR code generation is included with all Properties Online website products.

Use Real Estate QR Codes to Boost Website Traffic is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Easier to use and display and even more portable than laptop computers, it didn’t take iPads long to replace laptops at open houses and client meetings. Their larger screen size also gives tablets a considerable edge over smartphones when it comes to displaying property listings and running walk-through videos for home buyers.

iPads have become de rigueur at open houses. Real estate agents find tablets a convenient and eye-catching way to showcase other area properties. Touch technology still engenders a certain “oh, wow!” response that impresses home shoppers. Some real estate agents have found it profitable to join in sponsoring neighborhood open houses. Tablet tours at each property entice home shoppers to visit other area open houses. But numerous industry watchers believe that tablets and the rise of mobile communication have already rung the death knell for traditional open houses. Time-crunched home buyers would rather check out property video tours on their iPads than spend time traipsing from house to house.

The marrying of tablets and mobile technology allows real estate agents to interact with clients anytime, anywhere. Video conferencing is replacing office visits. Tweets are replacing emails. iPad and iPhone apps allow real estate agents to forward listing information and video tours to clients as soon as new listings are posted. House hunters can now peruse real estate listings from the comfort of their home or while they’re on the go. With an iPad, home buyers can check out new listings while they’re commuting to work or sitting in the parking lot waiting to pick up the soccer car pool. Tablet technology frees real estate agents and home buyers from time and place constraints, opening a new era in real estate.

If you have an iPad, you might want to check out this cool app called Open Home Pro

iPad Is Becoming a Must Have at Real Estate Open Houses is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Recently Google released a beta version of its highly-anticipated social networking platform, Google+. So far the reaction as been good with praise for the app’s design and features. Having read several reviews it seems that Google + has several built in tools that can be highly advantageous to Real Estate Professionals.

Google+ is similar to Facebook, offering to connect users, add status updates, share photos and links, etc.  But what Google + offers that Facebook does not is a tool they call “Circles”. Circles allows users to define contacts, and group them by type. This cool feature will allow Agents and Brokers to share information with a specific group or “circle”.

A good use of Circles in the Real Estate field is to separate your work colleagues, friends and clients. You can even break your clients into smaller circles. For example, Buyers, Sellers, Past Clients and so on.  The ability to control who you share specific information with is powerful, and very useful for Real Estate professionals.

Google+ also incorporates a built-in multi-user video chat tool called “Hangouts”. With Hangouts, users can chat with up to ten people at the same time. Whoever is Talks the loudest is highlighted in the large central window, with everyone else displayed in  strip of smaller windows underneath.

Hangouts can be useful for agents and broker in several different ways. First off, for the small virtual office, Hangouts is a great way to have a interactive office meeting. For large offices, this tool could be used to connect managers together for their weekly managers meeting. For agents who need to connect with an out of town client, or even to do a virtual listing presentation, Hangouts is perfect to facilitate just that. I am anxious to test this feature to see how well it works.

Another great feature that makes Google+ different from other social networks is “Sparks”. With Sparks, users can add interests and the system will crawl the web looking for articles related to that interest, making it easy for users to find relevant articles to share.

Can you think of any other ways Real Estate professionals can use Google + to help grow their business?

Google + A good Tool for Real Estate Professionals is a post from: Properties Online Blog

SEO, or search engine optimization, is important for any website, and this is true for real estate websites as well. Essentially, SEO helps to make sure that your website will be found on the Internet.

Optimizing your web site itself, or on-page optimization, is just part of your efforts to build a web presence, but it’s certainly a major part.

If a search engine bot crawls your web pages but your web pages don’t “tell” it what your site is all about, then the search engine will not be able to index your web site correctly, and people who search online for what you offer will not be able to find you.

For example, if you sell real estate in Austin, Texas, your site’s title tags and copy need to include related keywords such as “Austin real estate,” “homes for sale in Austin” etc.

Another important factor in determining whether your website will rank well for your main keywords is inbound links. Search engines show strong preference to websites who have links from other websites pointing at them. High quality agent site companies have tools in place to help your agent website get links.

Engaging in social media will also bring you links over time, because the people you connect with will learn about your site, and if you provide useful material, they may link to it.

Another important aspect of on-page search engine optimization is to add a blog to your real estate site. A blog, unlike a static site, tends to be rich in text. If you write it correctly and include your main keywords throughout the text, a blog can give your SEO efforts a significant boost.

Real Estate Websites: Why SEO is Important is a post from: Properties Online Blog

MountainOfAgents.com is a progressive social media-oriented real estate agent directory that provides a simple and effective way for agents to extend their brand in organic searches and get their clients involved in the feedback and referral process. Consumers can take advantage of the uncomplicated, precise search engine that can quickly locate compatible real estate agents within a desired zip code radius.

Mountain of Agents’ unbiased approach to delivering relevant information focuses on what really matters to consumers and agents:

• Quick access to concise, informative real estate agent profiles
• The ability to quickly view stats on an agent (and quickly rate them, too!)

A very small percentage of clients will take the time to submit a written testimonial, let alone register to do so. Mountain of Agents’ unique rating system—referred to as ‘complimenting’—allows the user to anonymously compliment the agent in six of the most important categories relevant to the home buying/selling process:

• Geographical Mastery
• Marketing Expertise
• Active Interest
• Trust and Compassion
• Helpfulness
• Likeliness of Referral

What’s compelling about this system is that the client can compliment an agent in less than 6 seconds—the amount of time it takes to click the cool buttons next to each category. And let’s face it, everyone loves to press buttons, especially ones that give you immediate feedback that your compliment rating has been tallied.

Registration is free and takes about a minute to complete. Once a member, agents can begin circulating their unique profile URL to clients, family and peers for complimenting. Agents can also upload a photo, add a detailed headline and bio, and add links to their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. Registered members also receive a profile QR code they can download and use on print materials, making it easy for clients to submit compliment ratings on the go from any tablet or smart phone. Awesome!

Once you’ve amassed a gaggle of compliments, slap a Mountain of Agents dynamic compliment badge on your business website to strut your stuff and promote your public profile.

Now you can reserve any US zip code and give your profile a competitive edge. Introducing the Mountain of Agents zip code reservation service. As a registered member, reserving a zip code pins your listing to the top of results during user searches.

When you reserve a zip code, your profile receives precise, unparalleled visibility in search results.

Since only two agents can reserve the same zip code at any given time, the race is on to secure the zip code you market to before your competitors. Best of all is the price, which allows agents to reserve any zip code for a three-month period for just $35 (less than $13 per month). It’s simple, fast and easy to reserve a zip code. Click here to learn more about zip code reservation.

Join today at http://www.mountainofagents.com and help spread the word to great real estate agents in your area. Don’t forget to follow Mountain of Agents on Facebook and Twitter, too!

Generate direct leads with a new real estate agent rating system is a post from: Properties Online Blog

It’s an easy way for consumers to access a web page from their mobile phone, and for companies to direct consumers to a specific landing page, and to make sure the landing page is optimized for mobile viewing.

In real estate, there are two popular uses for QR Codes:

1. Agents are adding QR codes to their print media. This enables homebuyers who pick a flyer to quickly get to a website filled with rich information and color photos of the house. The idea is that instead of typing a long web address into their phone, the prospect can quickly and easily get to the same place and get all the information they need. QR codes beautifully connect offline with online, making the most of what modern technology has to offer, and – most importantly – engaging leads.

2. A really cool thing to do is to add a QR code to your lawn signs. Typically, the prospect sees the home and the sign, and while they’re still there, they can quickly access the property site, chock full of information about the house, including a link to the agent’s email. It’s a great way to capture a lead that otherwise might have just moved on and forgotten about the house.

With more and more people using smartphones, real estate professionals simply cannot ignore the huge potential that the mobile Internet, and the various tools it offers – such as QR codes – has for capturing and engaging leads, and turning them into clients.

QR Codes for Real Estate Pros is a post from: Properties Online Blog

For many years Real Estate agents have struggled to create professional, engaging videos for their listings.  The expense of having a professional video shot has always been cost prohibitive and the quality for most do-it-yourselfers usually leaves something to be desired. Virtuets seeks to solve these issues by enabling real estate professionals to create property videos that won’t break the bank.

This December, Properties Online will be releasing their new product called Virtuets. Virtuets allow real estate professionals to create stunning videos for each listing using still images, music and a whole lot of pizzazz! The agent can select the genre and music that best fits the property and the Virtuet’s engine does the rest. Agents can share the videos on YouTube, blogs or Facebook!  Additionally, they can burn each Virtuet to a DVD for safe storage. These engaging videos will impress even the most discriminating seller. The company plans to release this new product as an added value service for their website products ListingDomains.com and RealEstateSites.com but will also launch a stand alone version in 2011.

-Amanda Cornelius, realinventive.com

New Video Posting Tool for Real Estate Agents is a post from: Properties Online Blog

For those of you who couldn’t make it out to New Orleans this year for the National Association of Realtors Convention, I thought I would hit the highlights for you.

LOWES
Let me just start off by saying I can be bought with cookies. Lowes had (by far) the best give-aways at the show. I walked off with a 1 gig jump drive, a mini mouse for my laptop and freshly baked cookies (with coffee to boot!).

This friendly booth made me remember why I do my home improvement shopping at Lowes. Not only great products and services, but great customer service!

Terri Murphy
If you ever have a chance to hear Terri Murphy (@terrimurphy) I would suggest you take advantage. Her insights on real estate and technology are right on the mark. I have seen her speak at a Century 21 regional event and now at the Kodak booth in New Orleans.

As a top producing sales person in the Chicago area for over 24 years, Terri understands the unmatchable power of strategic alliances that truly create a strong differentiation in the market today.

Terri is the President of Terri Murphy Communications and Chief Information Officer of U.S. Learning in Memphis, TN.  She is the founder of www.WomensWisdomNetwork.com., an online resource network for women in business.

RealBiz Media
Next One Interactive, Inc. (OTCBB: NXOI) and RealBiz Media have launched a unique real estate marketing platform for real estate companies and professionals called “Connextions”. In a nutshell, these two companies have developed a technology platform that is able to take virtual tours, make them broadcast ready, and feed them to the largest real estate websites (Realtor.com, Trulia.com, etc), social networking sites (Facebook.com, Youtube.com, etc) and now …. television! Connextions is the only real estate marketing technology platform that is able to combine the power of the Internet and Television and provide it in a single automated marketing solution for the real estate professionals.

I caught up with Steve Marques at NAR to brefiely go over the new program.

Wells Fargo MTG
Winner of this years “Fun” booth. At the Wells Fargo booth, visitors are able to play a series of games including Texas Hold-Em and “Bop the Mole” in hopes of winning cash, cooking gadgets and the coveted Wells Fargo stuffed horse. It is always fun to see what Wells Fargo will come up with next.

QR Codes
QR (Quick Response) Codes made an appearance at this years shows. Several companies are trying to turn the QR hype into a business. A few companies were offering the QR codes for a flat or monthly fee. You are able to add listings, and create the QR codes that will redirect visitors with a QR reader to the listing page you created with the company. The issue I have with this product idea is that you (the agent) can create QR codes for free using Kaywa and you can send the visitors directly to the listing page on your website. Seems more cost effective and less time consuming to do it that way – no? It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

We (ListingDomains.com & RealEstateSites.com) are in the process of adding a QR code generator to our Listing and Agent websites service. We do not plan to charge anything additional for this service. We will also offer a sign rider with the QR code for an added fee. More to come on that …

NAR 2010 Highlights is a post from: Properties Online Blog