Ramblings of a Real Estate Software Company

Google Based Property Search

David Carroll (softRealty.com) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:06:36 -0600

Due to the great demand from around the nation for our free IDX property search we are now offering a free, non-MLS based property search powered by Google Base.

This property search integrates with real estate agent’s existing websites or if the agent does not have a website, softRealty provides websites through their sister company, Agent Element (www.agentelement.com).

This property search is perfect for the agent who wants national access extending beyond the reach of their MLS listings. Features of this free property search include printable brochures with agent branding, photo tours, Google mapping, the ability to create predefined search results, upgradable Anonymous Lead Capture technology and much more.

This Anonymous Lead Capture technology is unique from any other in the industry because it throws the decision of “forced registration or not” out the window and gives agents the power to connect, qualify, and convert all their website visitors.

When compared to search engines that charge hundreds of dollars per year, this search tool has more features and a more intuitive interface.

Please review some sample sites that are using our Google Base Property Search and compare this to our MLS versions:

FREE Google Base Property Search:

• http://talktoshawn.publishpath.com

• http://bit.ly/HagerRE

• http://bit.ly/CartwrightRE FREE

MLS Property Search:

• www.kunkelsells.com

• www.ronsellsatlanta.com

• www.zoomre.com

If you are interested in using our Free Google Based Property Search, please email us at:

connected@softrealty.com

Websites that will blow your hair back...

David Carroll (softRealty.com) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:59 -0600

The most exciting aspect of starting softRealty.com has been helping agents to become more successful by giving them the tools to connect with their website visitors. Much to my chagrin, I have discovered that many agents are unable to use our products because....wait for it......they don't have a website (GASP)!

This is disturbing to me for a variety of reasons:

1. Over 80% of home buyers start their search on the internet, which means if you don't have a website, those home buyers won't find you

2. In 1984, there were 1000 internet devices... in 1992 there were 1,000,000... and in 2008 there were 1,000,000,000 (BTW, this will continue to grow)

3. Having a personal website sets you apart from other agents and helps you establish your brand

With all that being said, I can understand why many agents would fear jumping into the unknown that is the "interweb". Creating a professional looking website can cost thousands of those little green rectangular pieces of paper that are so scarce these days. Also, in a day and age when it is so critical to keep fresh content on your page, it can be an ominous task to even attempt to understand how to update your site on a regular basis.

Here is the good news: The technology exists today for agents to be able to manage and update their very own website without memorizing a lick of code. These websites also come with a built in softRealty.com property search (choose your local MLS or our Google Based property search for national access). Not only that, the process is easy and dare I say...fun.

Look at these screen shots:

Not to sound like an infomercial, but how much would you expect to pay for a 3 page website with a built in blog and cutting edge property search? What if I told you, you would pay as little as $10 a month...

The process to create your very own website is simple. If you are interested in using the softRealty.com built in property search, go to www.softrealty.com and set up a FREE account. Once you have completed that, go to www.AgentElement.com and choose which website plan you want and which website template you would like to use.

I think this is a fantastic tool that can help agents with a multi-faceted approach to improving their web presence.

I hope this has been helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.

Email us at: connected@softrealty.com

Call us at: 678.367.3780

Part 1: Forced Registration is a False Sense of “Permission Marketing”

David Carroll (softRealty.com) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:34:41 -0500

We published our first of several upcoming eBooks regarding “Forced Registration” and blogged about it here on ActiveRain: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1147742/7-reasons-why-forced-registrations-will-ultimately-hurt-your-business.

Dan Quinn commented making a correlation between our message about “Why Forced Registration is Bad” to Seth Godin’s “Permission Marketing.” For those who want a brief summary of "Permission Marketing," check out this short blog post from Seth Godin: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/01/permission-mark.html.

As I started my reply to Dan, my comment quickly evolved into another blog post. So, thanks Dan for starting the next conversation.

“Turning Strangers into Friends, and Friends into Customers”
– from the cover of Permission Marketing
The essence of "Permission Marketing" is about establishing trust and the terms of a relationship between how a consumer and business engage with each other. It's about giving the consumer the opportunity to determine when they are ready to take the relationship to the next level and for the company to respect that process.

Forced Registration is a false sense of “Permission Marketing.” Some would argue that at least the consumer has given you “permission” to engage by filling out a registration form. However, this request for that permission is made before the consumer knows what exactly the goods or quality of service are. Forced Registration has been heavily criticized by consumers and real estate professionals alike for this reason. When asked the question, “Would you fill out your own IDX registration form to continue searching properties?” every broker and agent I’ve talked to admitted they would not. They would leave the site or provide fake information. I have yet to meet a consumer who admitted they would complete the form if forced.

Regardless, some agents still maintain that only serious buyers fill out the registration forms and anyone else would not be worth their time. This position has always baffled me. What exactly is the harm to have a visitor return to an agent’s site to search without registering? Do agents pay extra for excessive use of the search tool? Do they just want to make it difficult for the visitor? I hope neither is the case. So, what’s the harm? The upside of allowing visitors continued access to searching on your site is you may eventually win the visitor’s business at some point in the future. This can only happen if visitors are not chased away from your site.

I still question the position held by many agents that only serious buyers register. Excluding referrals and people you already know, how many registered visitors became real clients? More importantly, how many visitors that left could have become real clients? Even those “new leads” that identify themselves aren’t necessarily ready to buy now. It only proves they are willing to give their information. You may not be as special as you think because these visitors probably give every website they visit their information. These guys are no more “qualified” than the visitors that left your site. On that same token, those who left may actually be "ready and able" buyers today. However, they don’t know the “man hiding behind the curtain” well enough to reveal their identity just yet.

Most agents will assert the majority of their clients are referrals, past clients, or people they already know or have met. Very few will credit the internet as a source of new clients. Yet, statistics show more than 85% of home buyers start searching on the internet before contacting an agent. Something is wrong if agents aren’t connecting with this 85%. What’s up with that? Maybe this concept of “Forced Registration” is not working because strangers aren’t becoming friends.

What's your experience with Forced Registration? I would love to learn more from the community.

David Carroll, Founder Dude (a.k.a. CEO)
softRealty.com Corporation

7 Reasons Why Forced Registrations Will Ultimately Hurt Your Business

David Carroll (softRealty.com) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:19:44 -0500

For a long time the standard in the RE industry has been to force website visitors to give their personal information in order to utilize features on an agent or broker site. And this actually was a really good idea… back in 1992. It is 2009 and users have different expectations about their internet experience. With search products like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and countless others, the average internet user expects to be able to utilize all of the features they want without having to give up their coveted information. Their expectations don’t change just because they are searching for properties on your site.

Please check out our eBook: “7 Reasons Why Forced Registration Will Ultimately Hurt Your Business”

Visit softRealty.com Blog

Free IDX - Getting more than what you paid for.

David Carroll (softRealty.com) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:54 -0500

We are challenged all the time by the adage “You get what you pay for.” It makes sense. For years, real estate agents are used to paying high prices for services that don’t even qualify as mediocre by today’s standards. Yet, we are seeing innovation spawned from companies that embrace this concept of “freeconimcs” or more specific to us, “freemium” pricing models. We see the adage being challenged by the likes of Google, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, webmail, and hundreds of other well known internet apps. These companies have redefined quality, user experience, consumer satisfaction, and raised the bar beyond most companies that charge for all their services. While the consumer masses have enjoyed this type of innovation, real estate agents have yet to fully benefit at the IDX level. Zillow and Trulia have redefined the standards from a consumer experience and agent marketing perspective. softRealty.com is approaching this from the IDX front.

Real estate agents are tired of tripling their IDX budget for features charged a la carte style, coupled with excessive setup fees in return for ineffective lead capture and a search interface designed out of the ‘90s. Let’s entertain for a minute that softRealty.com did not have a “freemium” model. If we competitively priced our product, we would not be known for being a low cost option. However, our approach is to partner with the real estate community to build solutions that bring real value to both agents and home buyers. We can do this more aggressively by winning a broader audience reach and market adoption with “freemium” pricing. If we’re going to survive, we have to be confident and competent with our product offering; our product must be amazing for people to use; and our supplemental features have to be worth upgrading to.

Don't worry, we don’t charge setup fees, either. That’s like charging you a cover charge just to check us out or worse, signing a contract with a mobile company, only you get penalized upfront in the IDX world. IDX setup fees never made much sense to us? Now, factor setup costs, typically around $200, into your monthly subscription and tell me what you are really paying per month.

Visit softRealty.com Blog

Which is Better? Working as an Individual Agent or with a Team

David Carroll (softRealty.com) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:41:07 -0500

I was reading a post by Rhonda Duffy Is A Swim Meet Like the Competition to Get Listings? and started writing a comment that evolved into what I thought would make a great first post on Active Rain. If you get a chance, please check out her blog.

Speaking as an outsider (RE technology startup dude) looking in (to the real estate agent's perspective), it must be a rare find for an agent to be well rounded with every "stroke," as it were. I've talked to hundreds of agents by now and I've met so many different personalities. Some are great with people and sales. Others are very organized and meticulous. Some are great with administrative stuff - managing finances, legal, state correspondence, etc. I've met people who are amazing as a buyer's agent and others that couldn't do anything but be a listing agent. Yes, there are those who do it all very well. But, there are so many more that will acknowledge their short comings and prefer to work in one specific aspect of their business.

While accountability is very important, people also need to play to their strengths as much as they can. Finding the right combination of agents who compliment each other's strengths to support every part of the business is one formula I've noticed to be successful and efficient.

So here’s a question. For those who do work in teams, how did you decide who is a member of that team and how did you split up the responsibilities? Did you do an assessment of various strengths or did you take a very different approach? What are the pros and cons of working in a team of agents vs working as an individual? Does the broker provide many of the benefits one would find working with a team?

Again, I'm just sharing the perspectives of an outsider looking in. ;)