Agency Logic PowerSite Single Property Website Blog

Social Media Risk Management Webinars

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:24:28 -0600

I love Frances Flynn Thorsen. There, I said it! The love affair, one she is completely ignorant to (until now of course) started a few years ago at an Inman conference in New York City.

It was January 2008 and Frances was on a panel discussing "Blogging: A Fresh Take on Client Prospecting". There were several questions from the floor and one was something like 'which blog post generated the most traffic?' To everyones shock and amusement Frances spoke about her post "Plus Size Blogger's Boobs Invite Terror Threat Mishap". Someone followed up with 'Is there a post you want to write but haven't yet?' I can't put Frances' response here but it was even more shocking and absolutely hilarious; I fell in love immediately! If you are ever lucky enough to meet her I'm sure she'll happily explain ;)

And so to my point. You can benefit from the world as Frances sees it right here, right now. During the recent Virtual RE Barcamp she ran two very important sessions about managing social media risk. With so much bad advice in the dark world of "social media" (queue scary music...) it's refreshing to listen to some good old fashioned common sense. Here is the first session, enjoy:

Online Mapping and Floor Plans Just Got Better

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:21:52 -0600

Whenever I look at online mapping solution providers I am amazed that so many companies seem to be able to make money off such a thin sliver of the property market. There's one other industry that seems to have lots of providers selling to a very small group of people; 3D floor plans. Then something comes along that makes me realize I'm wrong and there's always better ways to represent property more effectively online.

Google SketchUp is their free (what else did you expect?) 3D modeling software that allows anyone to create a 3D model of anything. If it's a city, town (or home) it can also be added to Google Earth:

Add this to the recent announcement that Google is building out a page for every home (RPR vs Google; Round 1?) and we are heading towards phenomenally rich property imagery for every home.

The following is an example of some California locations, this is really cool stuff!

Social Media Thoughts From San Diego

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:19:28 -0600

At this months NAR Conference and additionally at the San Diego RE Barcamp the Better Homes and Garden team were the CNN of real estate.

With camera's and photographers and interviewers they were everywhere. Here is a subset of the interviews (including one with yours truly) centered on the subject of social media. Enjoy :)

Terabitz Introduces New Web Platform for Real Estate Brokerages

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:36:27 -0600

Property Search, Market Data, and Hyperlocal Media Integrated in a User-Focused Interface Company releases platform with @properties, Chicago's leading real estate company

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 3 (PRNewswire) -- Terabitz (http://terabitz.com), an online real estate company that delivers revenue-focused solutions to real estate brokerages, today announced the release of a new Web platform. The platform includes content, tools, and back-end features that enable real estate companies to deliver a more engaging and useful experience to online buyers and sellers. The platform was released through leading Chicago brokerage @properties (http://atproperties.com). The new @properties Website can be viewed at http://www.atproperties.com.

Terabitz, which already counts many leading real estate companies as clients, will make the platform available to brokerages across the country later this month.

"The Website is the most important brand touch point a real estate company has today, so it must be excellent in every way possible - anything less exacts a price in customers," says Terabitz CEO Ashfaq Munshi. "This platform allows brokers to meet that challenge, to engage users in way that builds loyalty - and business."

Platform highlights include:

Neighborhood and Community pages featuring business reviews, photos and school reports as well as hyperlocal news content.

Real estate market reports featuring data and trends derived from live MLS (Multiple Listing Service) data and displayed in a way users can understand at a glance. Reports are provided at the neighborhood and community level, which makes them more useful than typical city- or county-level views.

Property search that better merchandizes listings through a "gallery" view that enables the user to view large photos in the search results display.

Explore the Neighborhood(TM), a map-based tool that enables users to view amenities in the area of their home search - businesses, places of worship, recreational facilities and more - in order to understand what it is like to live in a place.

Terabitz One-to-One(TM), a prospecting tool that enables agents to create dedicated, automatically updating Websites for homeowners that display recent sales, new listings and a dynamic home value estimate.

"Our ambition was to create the best real estate Website in our market, and it soon became clear that Terabitz was the best partner for making that happen," said Thaddeus Wong, co-founder and CEO of @properties. "Their commitment to never-ending innovation matched our own and resulted in a site that places us in that leadership position - and, just as importantly - will keep us there for years to come."

Concludes Munshi, "Real estate companies have been limited by sub-par Web solutions for too long - solutions that cost them too much and deliver too little. This new platform deepens our commitment to providing a better way."

About Terabitz

Terabitz is a Silicon Valley-based technology company. The venture-backed firm is led by a group of technology veterans with decades of executive-level experience at Oracle, SGI, Applied Materials and other leading companies. For more information, please visit http://www.terabitz.com.

Contact:

Gregg Henebry Terabitz (617) 840-3578 gregghenebry@terabitz.com

People Really Can Live in a Garbage Truck!

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:28:47 -0600

Source: Apartment Therapy

Big thanks to AT reader Maren who sent us these awesome photos of a guy who lives out of...garbage truck? Correction: A highly modified garbage truck. This small space is nicer than some apartments we've seen! Hardwood floors...custom kitchen (with perfect storage!)...and a comfortable built-in sectional.

Redneck Real Estate ;)

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:26:44 -0600

Can't See the House For the Trees (A Candidate For Some Staging Advice?)

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:25:42 -0600

If you enjoyed this post you'll certainly enjoy these other 'Just For Fun' posts!

AIS Media Wins Two 2009 Silver W3 Awards In The 'Real Estate' and 'Branded Content' Categories

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:09:44 -0600

CRB Realty Associates, Inc., Website and eBSP® Partner Program Video - Gain Prestigious Recognition

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 29, 2009 – – AIS Media, Inc. announced today that it has been named a winner of two Silver Awards in the 2009 W3 Awards competition for its outstanding interactive media work in the 'real estate' category for the CRB Realty Associates, Inc. website and in the 'Branded Content' category for AIS Media’s eBSP® Partner Program Promotional Video.

The W3 Awards competition, sponsored and judged by the International Academy of Visual Arts (IAVA), received nearly 3,000 entries from top companies and agencies worldwide. The annual 2009 W3 Awards, are considered among the most prestigious web creativity awards in the world.

"It gives us great pride that the IAVA judges have singled out AIS Media from among thousands of talented companies and named us a winner for our Interactive media work,” said Thomas Harpointner, CEO of AIS Media. "These awards are a testament and reaffirmation to our team’s talent and commitment to consistently produce the type of cutting-edge work that represents the W3’s high standards of excellence."

"We were amazed at the caliber and quality of work received this year. Our winners continue to push the envelope of internet creativity and web design, and it is gratifying to see such great work from the smallest agencies to the biggest firms," said Linda Day, the director of the IAVA. "On behalf of the International Academy of the Visual Arts, we are honored to recognize our winners as they continue to set a high standard of excellence for Web development."

W3 Awards are sanctioned and (peer) judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a "Who's Who" of acclaimed media, interactive, advertising, and marketing firms. IAVA members include executives from organizations such as: BRANDWEEK, Estee Lauder, HBO, iNDELIBLE, Monster.com, MTV, Omnicom, Polo Ralph Lauren, Refinery, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Victoria's Secret, Wired, Yahoo!, and many others.

About AIS Media:

AIS Media, Inc., an award-winning Interactive media company, is a leading provider of Internet strategy, website development, email and search engine marketing, e-commerce and lead generation solutions for performance-driven companies worldwide. AIS Media has developed a suite of Web-based applications under the proprietary “Excerpo” brand, which focuses on email marketing and e-commerce. AIS Media’s solutions are available directly and through its global network of certified partners. For more information, or to locate a local consultant, visit: www.aismedia.com.

# # #

Issued By : David E. Johnson Phone : (404) 880-0098 Address : 2451 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 3607, Atlanta, GA 30339

Seth Goodin On Networking, Online and Offline

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:58:56 -0600

Is This The House From Hell? ;)

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:56:46 -0600

If you enjoyed this post you'll certainly enjoy these other 'Just For Fun' posts!

What Is Facebook Really For? (Just For Fun!)

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:33:53 -0500

I had to share this video - even though I'm a huge Facebook fan the commentary rings true :) Now I just need to find something that is as 'honest' about twitter! Enjoy :)

The Future of Real Estate - Avery-Hess, Realtors

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:12:42 -0500

Contributor: Stephen M. Fells

This is one of the most fascinating videos I've seen in a long time, possibly even this year. If you are a Realtor this is a must watch! You will absolutely learn from the information presented; the question is will you choose to use or ignore it? Enjoy!

The Future of Real Estate - Avery-Hess, Realtors from Amit Kulkarni on Vimeo.

Truth In Advertising (Again!)

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:11:27 -0500

How To Present a Price Reduction ;)

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:10:12 -0500

Chart of The Day: TV Ads Helpful; Web Banner Ads Not So Much

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:08:23 -0500

Source: The Business Insider - Silicon Alley Insider

Contributor: Stephen Fells

So banner ads on the Web are the way to go? Apparently not according to a survey from AdWeekMedia and Harris Interactive. When asked for the most 'helpful' form of advertising 37% opted for TV ads versus 14% for Internet search engine ads and a paltry 1% for Web banner ad's.

Affordable TV ads for the corporate masses is something several companies claim to offer, even Google are getting in on the act. What's missing from this for me is how these numbers have changed relative to last year. The death of the newspaper as we know it seems imminently more likely with circulation down, ad revenue going to Craigslist, and ever more people spending less time on newspaper Websites. So it's particularly interesting that the survey also details how newspaper ads, relative to Web banner ads and Internet search engine ads combined, are considered more helpful.

Chart of The Day: Facebook Blows Past 300 Million Uniques

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:07:14 -0500

Contributor: Stephen M. Fells

As a business owner I constantly look at the numbers but have always felt that on their own they are useless. Perspective is needed, specifically I ask "What is the trend?" Looking at last month's sales, new client numbers and profit are all very interesting but seeing if they go up or down relative to the previous month, quarter or same period last year is far more valuable. It's why the following chart is of particular interest. News Corp recently announced it was cutting almost 30% of it's MySpace workforce. This ComScore graphic from Business Insider highlights a potential reason.

More interestingly is the closing gap between Twitter and MySpace. Twitter has it's problems but as it matures I expect marketers (and advertising revenue?) to flock to it.

Ultimately what I draw from this graph is that Facebook stands alone as 'the' social network with Twitter it's sole running mate. The vast service offering difference between these two companies suggests they can co-exist but we don't know where Twitter is heading; 'to infinity and beyond' or the path of so many other ' dot coms' that failed to live up to the hype. It will be interesting to see how Twitter monetizes it's business (apologies to Barry Diller for use of the term 'monetize'), it will be interesting to see how MySpace turns things around, it will be interesting to see how Google fights the momentum of Facebook growth, it's simply an interesting time to watch technology.

NAR Reports: Did You Know - Home Buyers and Social Media

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:06:02 -0500

Source: Jessica Lautz - NAR Research Economist

From the 2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 44 percent of recent home buyers are on a social networking site.

79 percent of recent buyers aged 18 to 24 are on social networking Web sites.

One in ten buyers over the age of 65 are on social networking sites.

Social media is a growing trend to connect with old friends, coworkers, and classmates, but it can also be used an important marketing tool.

From the 2009 Member Profile REALTORS® are using social networking sites with increased frequency. 35 percent of all REALTORS® are currently using a social networking site.

In comparison, 71 percent of REALTORS® who are 29 years old and younger are on social networking sites.

One in five REALTORS® who are over the age of 60 are on social networking sites.

Chart of the Day: Homeowner Delinquencies Getting Worse And Worse

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:04:50 -0500

Source: Joe Weisenthal and Kamelia Angelova - Silicon Alley Insider

Some folks out there still seem to think the housing market is bottoming or even turning around. It's not.

Freddie Mac is out with its latest housing market update, with a wealth of data on the housing market from its perch. One graph that stuck out for us: total delinquencies near 2.5% are way beyond the GSE's historical norms.

When the numbers for things like delinquencies or foreclosures start to flatten or turn around, we can start talking about a turnaround. Granted, like the Case-Shiller series, some will say this particular chart is 3-months old, though nothing we've heard since the end of March suggests things are much different.

And the Final 5 Most Bizarre Houses Around the World

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:59:03 -0500

Source: Oddee.com

Any ideas on how to list these five 'homes'?

1. The Fallingwater, in Pennsylvania (USA). It was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 and built partly over a waterfall.

2. The Mushroom House, in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA).

3. The One Log House, in Garberville (California, USA). It is a one-bedroom house hollowed out from a single log that came from a 2,100-year old redwood tree. After felling this 13 foot diameter forest giant, Art Schmock and a helper needed 8 months of hard labor to hollow out the log into a room 7 ft. high and 32 ft. long, weighing about 42 tons.

4. The Kvivik Igloo, in Kvivik (Faroe Islands).

5. The Walking House, a 10ft high home that's solar and wind powered and can stroll at walking pace across all terrains. Made by the MIT and a bunch of danish artists.

Halifax Realtor Ads - Highlights or Lowlights, You Decide...

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:56:34 -0500

Source: Mark Wilson

Cynthia Connors: Realtor and philosopher:

Mark Stein: Realtor and Action Hero

Sharon Meadows: Realtor, Genius and Tent Dancer:

Pat Richie: A Terrible Golfer, A Great Realtor

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:55:20 -0500

The Complete Realtors Kit

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:52:39 -0500

Fifteen Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Agents Rank Among Top 400 in U.S., New Survey Shows

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:51:42 -0500

San Ramon, CA, June 28, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, the Bay Area’s leading real estate services company, announced today that 15 of its agents ranked among the top 400 real estate professionals nationwide last year – more than any other brokerage in Northern California.

The results were from the fourth annual “Real Estate Top 400,” a national sales ranking sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, lore magazine, and REAL Trends. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage had the strongest showing among local real estate companies, with more than three times the number of agents making the prestigious list than any other firm. The annual report ranks top practitioners in the United States by sales volume and number of transactions, both for individual agents and teams of agents.

Ten Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage sales associates from the Bay Area and Sacramento ranked among the top 100 nationwide for sales volume last year, while another four agents ranked among the top 100 real estate teams. One other Bay Area agent ranked among the top 100 for number of transactions. The 15 agents outpaced the results of more than one million real estate agents nationwide.

In its announcement, The Wall Street Journal noted that the housing professionals succeeded in one of the most difficult markets the nation has ever faced. Sales of existing homes fell 13 percent last year while new-home sales dropped 38 percent. In addition, consumer credit was extremely hard to come by as banks dealt with loan defaults and foreclosures. “Yet amid those wheezing numbers, many agents and brokers have found a way not just to breathe easier but thrive,” the Journal reported.

“The best individual agents and teams found a way to keep business steady or keep growing,” said Steve Murray, founder of REAL Trends, the Denver-based publishing company that compiled the list. “They cranked it up, understanding it’s about communications to past customers and prospects, marketing, and staying face to face with clients.”

James Madison, an agent in Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Santa Rosa office, led all company sales associates last year with 486 transactions valued at more than $149 million. That ranked him 10th nationally for transactions and 13th for sales volume in the Top 400 survey.

The other Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage sales associates who made the top 100 ranking for individual sales volume were Tim Allen, a Carmel agent; Nina Hatvany, San Francisco; Hugh Cornish, Keri Nicholas, and Hanna Shacham, Menlo Park; Carlos Kozlowski, Sacramento; Erika Demma, Woodside; Jim Arbeed, Burlingame; and Glenn Beaubelle, Orinda. Kozlowski and Glenn Adams of Vacaville ranked in the top 100 for number of transactions.

Four Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage agents from the Bay Area also ranked among the top sales teams last year, including Malin Giddings of San Francisco, Tom LeMieux of Menlo Park, Bill Gorman of Saratoga, and Royce Cablayan of Los Altos.

“We are extremely proud of the national recognition these 15 outstanding agents received,” said Rick Turley, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in the San Francisco Bay Area. “These agents are the best of the best in the real estate industry. They’ve succeeded in the most challenging housing market we’ve seen in years because of their long track record of delivering results for the most discriminating home buyers and sellers. This reaffirms that the very best Realtors in the country work for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.”

Nationwide, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage once again had an excellent showing in the Top 400 rankings with more agents and teams than any other company in the U.S. Company agents earned 18 of the top 100 spots for sales volume and 14 of the top 100 rankings for number of transactions. In addition, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage teams secured 20 of the top 100 spots for sales volume and 13 of the top spots for transactions.

The Real Estate Top 400 awards program was developed jointly by The Wall Street Journal’s Business Development Group and REAL Trends, a leading source of analysis and information for the residential real estate brokerage industry, and lore magazine, the “people” magazine for the industry. The Real Estate Top 400 honors America’s elite real estate agents and their companies and is compiled and analyzed by REAL Trends. Winners were published in a special advertising supplement of The Wall Street Journal, lore magazine and on www.loremagazine.com.

About Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is the largest residential real estate brokerage in Northern California and serves the markets from Monterey to Tahoe and nearly every market in between. The company has 61 office locations and more than 3,600 sales associates throughout Northern California. Last year the company handled more than 16% of all home sales in the Bay Area, more than double its nearest competitor. Through its internationally renowned Coldwell Banker Previews® program, the company leads the luxury home market, selling more than 27% of properties that sold for more than $3 million and more than 33% of homes priced above $5 million. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company. NRT has more than 900 offices and 56,000 sales associates operating in more than 35 major metropolitan areas. A subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, NRT operates Realogy’s company-owned real estate brokerage offices. For more information please visit www.CaliforniaMoves.com or call 925.275.3085. DRE # 00313415.

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Contact Information Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Stephen Maita 510.739.0620 samaita@yahoo.com

I'm Looking for a 2 Bedroom Home and a Copy of Forest Gump, Can You Help?

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:49:08 -0500

Chart of the Day: People Spend Less Time On Newspaper Sites

Stephen Fells (AgencyLogic) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:47:55 -0500

Source: Nicholas Carlson and Kamelia Angelova - Silicon Alley Insider

The average time users spent per visit fell on 17 of the 30 most-popular newspaper websites fell during May 2009 compared with May 2008, according to Nielsen. Below, we chart this decline for four of the top most-trafficked sites.

Less engagement doesn't necessarily mean a news site is getting less traffic. In fact, some speculate that these numbers indicate newspapers are actually doing a much better job attracting visitors from short-attention-spanned search engine users.

Here's the problem: In order to charge brand advertisers expensive rates, newspapers need to show that readers stick around for awhile. Not happening.