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I Wish My Website Was Advanced As My Ideas...

By
Real Estate Technology with Home Value Leads

I am a self-proclaimed tech geek. When WebsiteBox sponsored an Active Rain contest called "3 Things You Wish Your Website Could Do" I figured I wouldn't enter. To me, things like a blog, indexible IDX, and mobile responsive websites are EXPECTED and not a wish. I have all of these things on my site already. 

After thinking about it, what the heck? This is a wish list right? They probably are not thinking quite as advanced as I am, but here goes nothing:

1) The thing I love about my own WordPress blogs is that I have full power and control over EVERY aspect. I have access to all of my files through FTP access and can manipulate any portion of the code and CSS. I can add as many pages as I want, delete pages, and put in all of the custom content that my heart desires. This has turned me off from many companies such as Market Leader. I like to do my own design, my own work. My website must be FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE

2) One of the things that I would LOVE would be some type of plugin or functionality that allowed me to merge my online marketing with my offline marketing. How about being able to utilize a mailing list and have my website be able to spit out custom short URLs specific for EACH ADDRESS so that it was fully trackable? It would tell me which SPECIFIC address came to my website and which mailer it was that triggered the visit. It should also be able to connect with my CRM and share data (or be a full-fledged CRM on its own). My website must be a MARKETING MACHINE.

3) One of the biggest frustrations that I have with real estate is that each company tries to live inside of a box and don't like to play nice with other companies. This is a HUGE NO-NO for me. Companies need to understand that they will not be the be-all end-all for every person. When you try, you end up saying take it or leave it. When it comes to me, generally I will leave it. If I can integrate 4 systems together to give me a better option, I will do it. In order for a website/system to be a great fit for me, it needs to be able to be integrated into other systems. I don't expect them to do the integration, just make it possible. My website must have a friendly and flexible API

So, are these 3 things too much to ask? Since I haven't seen any company out there yet who has done it, I'd say it is a stretch. But this was a wishlist, right? I wish my website was advanced as my ideas. 

 

 

Posted by

Brian Rayl

Licensed Dallas Real Estate Agent 

Co-Founder of Home Value Leads

What is Home Value Leads?

Seller Lead Generation Tool

Scott Larson
BHHS/Utah Properties - Park City, UT
Park City, Utah Real Estate News

I wish I was more tech savvy.  But, that said, I have come a long way since I first started in this business, and am learning more about this every day.

Feb 12, 2013 10:02 PM
Ron Marshall
Marshall Enterprises - Saint Michael, MN
Birdhouse Builder Extraordinaire

Great entry into the contest.  I frankly don't know how my website works....but it does!

Feb 13, 2013 02:38 AM
Doug Rogers
RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL
Your Real Estate Resource!

I want my website to play Jimmy Buffet songs and spread my joke of the day.

Feb 13, 2013 09:48 AM
Bruce Hicks
Best Homes Hawaii - Honolulu, HI
Your Best Hawaii Realtor!

This is an envious list, Brian.  wouldn't it be nice if the website was 'smart' and modified itself when it saw itself dropping in the internet rankings?

Feb 13, 2013 11:21 AM
Florida Tolbert Team Keller Williams Advantage
Keller Williams Advantage III Realty in Lake Nona - Orlando, FL
Keller Williams Land Luxury Division Specialist

Brian,

All I can say is I agree with whatever you said.  You are speaking way too much geek for me. 

Feb 13, 2013 12:13 PM
MichelleCherie Carr Crowe .Just Call. 408-252-8900
Get Results Team...Just Call (408) 252-8900! . DRE #00901962 . Licensed to Sell since 1985 . Altas Realty - San Jose, CA
Family Helping Families Buy & Sell Homes 40+ Years

Great points. I don't know what API is but if it makes it possible for my sites to work together, I'm all for it.

Feb 13, 2013 03:24 PM
Brian Rayl
Home Value Leads - Highland Park, TX
Active Agent and Co-founder Of Home Value Leads

Scott: I think that is the point in business and in life: Never stop learning.

Ron: You do what you like. You have 3 resources at your disposal - Knowledge, Time, and Money. If you don't have the knowledge or time to do your own website, you have money to pay those who do. Web design has been a hobby of mine since highschool, and I enjoy it so luckily I don't have to pay others to do it for me. =)

Bruce: There is an app for that. =)

Kevin: Geek is my native language!

Michelle: An API is how programs talk to each other. Of course, then you have to have a program/plugin/etc that runs that API and coordinates the conversation between those two websites. For example: You are KW. You have eEdge which is Market Leader and MyTransactions which is DotLoop. When you go to enter a new contract, it automatically finds the person in your database. In order for it to do that, there has to be an API for the two systems to talk to each other. Make sense?

Feb 13, 2013 03:36 PM