Print is dead. Over 70% of people searching for a home start and continue their search on the internet. Most buyers will know more about the homes that they are looking for than you do before they seek you out. Those who are not marketing on the internet are missing out and will eventually disappear. At the same time, you are not offering your clients the most up to date marketing tools and their listings will suffer.

All homes in the MLS are on realtor.com and that is where a majority of people go online to search for homes. That is changing. Sites like Zillow and Truilia as well as Craigslist and others are also becoming havens for people to search for potential homes. As an agent who uses technology, I have been posting to these sites for several years, but everytime I take a listing, it has become a cumbersome process to post to all of these sites separately. Recently, I was searching for a better, and free, way to maximize my exposure while minimizing the time expended to post and maintain these listings. I came across a site called postlets. Before I describe to you what it is, I want to preface this with the fact that a: it is a totally free service (there is a premium version but you will not need it), and b: I am in no way affiliated with this company, just very impressed by it.

What this site allows you to do is create professional quality listings (an example is pasted at the bottom of this entry). It asks questions about the property, lets you fill in descriptions and upload pictures as well as all of the typical online information that you would want to display. It then compiles the information, creates a specific website for each listing, automatically posts each listing to Zillow, Google Base, Truilia, Lycos, Backpage, ByownerMLS, Hotpads, Kijiji, Local.com, Oodle, and Vast, and it also gives you the HTML code for your listing site that you can paste into Craigslist and within 30 seconds, you can have a professional looking ad there as well. You also get a listing showcase website that can be personalized with your logo, and again, this is all free. You can use the HTML code in conjunction with your own site, or just link to your listings from your site.

However you use Postlets, it is sure to enhance traffic to your listings and in addition, when you are conducting a listing presentation, it is one more tool to amaze your potential clients with that your competition does not have and as I always say, we are all working from the same information, it is what we do with that information and how we market that sets us apart and lets our potential clients make an informed decision.

Below is a snapshot of a website I created in Postlets in about 2 minutes for one of my listings in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jason Goodman | Listwise Realty Services | (919) 270-8881 12125 Warwickshire Way, Raleigh, NC Beautiful Wooded Lot in Desirable Neighborhood 4BR/2.5BA Single Family House   offered at $349,900 Year Built 1990 Sq Footage 2,951 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size .29 acres HOA/Maint $70 per month DESCRIPTION This home features large living rooms and bedrooms. A master on the first level gives you a split bedroom plan. Enjoy the spectacular wooded views from one of two decks or from the large open windows in the dining and family rooms. Master bath suite includes a new whirlpool tub with a heater, separate stall shower, large walk in closet, dual sinks, and is newly tiled. The step-down family room includes a stone fireplace and the entire main level is done in beautiful hardwood. On the second level, there are three large bedrooms. This home is perfect for anyone looking for a home with large rooms for entertaining in a very desirable North Raleigh neighborhood. Single Family Property, Area: North Raleigh, Subdivision: Hawthorne, County: Wake, Approximately 0.29 acre(s), Year Built: 1990, Community swimming pool(s), Fireplace(s), Dining room, Hardwood floors   see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Fireplace High/Vaulted ceiling Walk-in closet Hardwood floor Family room Living room Dining room Breakfast nook Dishwasher Stove/Oven Microwave Laundry area - inside Balcony, Deck, or Patio Yard     COMMUNITY FEATURES Clubhouse Swimming pool(s) Tennis court(s) Playground       ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Seller contact info:   Jason Goodman Listwise Realty Services (919) 270-8881 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: May 13, 2008, 6:53pm PDT