advice realtors: Google Removes Supplemental Index Label - 08/07/07 04:32 AM
I read a lot of SEO posts and blogs. I've seen a lot of writing where people discuss pages that were listed in google with the tag ‘Supplemental Index' next to them. I've seen posts from people who work on these pages to try and get them out of that supplemental index. For those of you that have wondered about this, I thought you would find this interesting.
Google has removed the label ‘Supplemental Index' from pages.
Google states that they are enhancing the search to provide deeper link indexing, "...we are indexing URLs with more parameters and are continuing to place fewer … (7 comments)

advice realtors: How to Advertise a Single Property Web Site Address for $9 a Year - 08/07/07 01:35 AM
Have you been curious about advertisements for properties like this www.123MainStreet.com? Here's a creative use of technology to save money on this popular marketing service. There are several companies out there that you can pay to create a web site for your listing and then advertise a unique web address just for that listing. However these companies charge set up fees and/or monthly subscription fees that quickly add up to a big expense.
Your listing is already online on your own web site and/or your company's web site! No need to pay for another web site. Just register the custom web site … (31 comments)

advice realtors: Cn U Rd This? Rquird 4 all byrs of proprty - 08/01/07 01:46 AM
I remember buying my first home. I had a stack of MLS print out sheets that my agent had given me. I found those sheets difficult to decipher. There seemed to be so much to weed through just to figure out how many bedrooms and bathrooms the next house on the tour had. Then on top of that add all of the abbreviations so commonly used in real estate. Today I was reminded of this when I read the following property description:
"Rnvt'd kit w/corian, cust cherry cabs, new gas cooktop. Hrdwd flrs dwn. 3BRs 2BAs dwn. New HVAC upstrs. 2BRs 1BA … (39 comments)

advice realtors: It's all about the paycheck baby! - 07/31/07 02:18 AM
Everyone always says they have - great customer service. Some even boast exceptional customer service. I've never seen a sign that says - We could care less about you our customer. It's all about the paycheck baby!  So that leads me to believe that people don't mean to give poor service - they either don't know what is good/bad service to someone else or they don't know how to create environments that are conducive to good customer service or they have good intentions, but aren't able to actually produce results. Many times we slip into patterns and just repeat over and … (8 comments)

advice realtors: Realtors Must Wear Hats - 07/28/07 02:23 AM
Does that sound absurd to you? It may be what your customer expects. I see so many of us tout - excellent customer service. Is this just a cliché or are you getting real? A critical component to delivering excellent customer service is to understand your customer's expectations.
If your customer thinks that ‘Great Realtors Must Wear Hats' and you don't own a hat.... things aren't looking good. Even if you deliver what you feel is ‘exceptional customer service' your customer may not agree.
It is critical to understand customer expectations and get feedback.
The level of customer service is dependent on customer expectations. … (15 comments)

advice realtors: Confused about IDX? Possible reasons why… - 07/09/07 04:21 PM
Just for fun, I googled "What is IDX" and I was quite shocked by the conflicting responses. No wonder so many people are confused with the term. These are real quotes I found searching online.
Behind Door Number 1 - It's some fancy web site: "State-of-the-art property location system that works with any website".
That was the first definition that popped up on my screen ...uhnnnnn...(buzzer sound) sorry, not the right answer. Surprisingly, that answer is actually from a provider of IDX solutions. They seem to be giving themselves kudos for building this state of the art location system. Hmmm, sounds like … (8 comments)

advice realtors: What is IDX? You show me yours and I’ll show you mine. - 07/09/07 04:20 PM
My guess is you are reading this for a couple of possible reasons?
You just read my post Confused about IDX? Possible reasons why... ORYou already know what IDX is and you want to see how I explain it. ORYou're addicted to the Rain and constantly reading blogs that blip across your screen. ORYou're a web developer and a real estate agent just asked you to build a site with IDX on it and you googled ‘What is IDX'. ORYou're an agent and you've been hearing the term, but you weren't sure what it is. OR...Ok - maybe I could get to … (10 comments)

advice realtors: Why should I pay full commission when I can get so much information on the internet? - 07/09/07 02:03 AM
Advice for Realtors
How do you address the question - Why should I pay full commission when I can get so much information on the internet? 
Advertising, "I offer free CMA's" won't get it anymore. Zillow, Lending Tree, FSBO.com and other internet models claim that they can help sellers see with or without an agent; find the value of their home or at least view comparable sales online; assist buyers who will get a gift card up to $1,000 or more.
How do you compete?  Where's your value in real estate transaction?  What can you provide that can't be outsourced or done online?Unfortunately, newspapers such … (18 comments)

advice realtors: Marketing Real Estate with Photography - 06/29/07 08:49 AM
Marketing real estate with attractive photos of a bright and well-maintained home can create great interest. Here's some tips to get some great shots.
When people look to buy real estate today, they search online for property for sale. Buyers are much more likely to view home profiles, when the property information includes pictures. Home sellers should display multiple photos of the interior and the exterior of their home online. Photos should draw the buyer in.
Photos should encourage them to come see the home in person.
Exterior Pictures
Clean up the yard. Make sure exterior is ready to show (weed, mow paint) Zoom into … (0 comments)

advice realtors: Price Adjustments: Setting the Stage - 06/29/07 03:57 AM
At listing time, advise sellers that the average buyer physically looks at 10-15 properties before making an offer. The buyer's agent screens listings before showing these properties, for basic requirements. Then say,"If your home has been shown 10 times and we have no offers, it has been compared to 100-150 homes like yours. Something is definitely not right. We need to make a price improvement (or market adjustment) and/or make improvements that have been recommended by showing agents."Moral: You shouldn't have 20-30 showings before asking for a price adjustment. From the desk of Steve Brown, Crye-Leike General Manager
5 Factors Affecting the … (1 comments)

advice realtors: Why are Crye-Leike listings the easiest to show? Our Appointment Center - 06/26/07 09:41 AM
Some companies call it the new Centralized Showing Service (CSS) Program - We've called it the Crye-Leike Appointment Center for the last 12 years. You don't have to play phone tag scheduling appointments. A fully automated and staffed center makes it easy to show a Crye-Leike property.
Our appointment center is not an outsourced call-center. Appointment center staff and our agents see each other every day.Operators coordinate showings 13 hours a day, seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.Service even answers calls after-hours.Appointments set based on customized instructions.Showing agent convenience of scheduling multiple appointments at once.Online Activity Reports for … (1 comments)

advice realtors: Crye-Leike Agent Tech Tips: Free Open House Advertisements - 06/26/07 04:42 AM
Technology & Marketing Tips for Crye-Leike Real Estate AgentsWould you like free advertising for your upcoming Open Houses?
Crye-Leike associates can advertise upcoming open houses on Crye-Leike's web site. It's free! Open House information displays on the property detail and summary pages of a property search. Visitors also search specifically for upcoming open houses (See example of criteria selection for a Memphis Open House Property Search).
"I hosted an open house and had a few people stop by who said they saw it advertised online. Our office also puts out a group page each week to remind everyone to let our office manager know … (2 comments)

advice realtors: Do all of your listings have photos? - 03/20/07 01:39 AM
Please, Please, Please put photos in the MLS on all of your listings.
The 2006 NAR profile of buyers/sellers said that... Recent homebuyers searched for a home for a median 6 weeks and saw a median of 9 homes. 75% of buyers viewed the internet as a very useful tool in their home search. The typical internet searcher visited a median of 12 homes. The typical home buyer that did not use the internet to search for homes was 44 years old and saw a median of 5 homes.
Are you adding media to your listings? Do they have multiple photos and/or virtual tours? … (5 comments)