real estate marketing: Cut thru the clutter - how do you set yourself apart from your competition? - 12/26/08 08:22 AM
I've always been in awe of successful realtors, as it must be the most competitive business out there!  I feel like I can throw a snowball out my front window and hit a Realtor or two!With the intense competition, I've always been amazed at how and why a potential customer will 'choose' a realtor to represent them. Some of the reasons are so absurd it makes my head spin:  "I go to church with their wife's mother"; "I receive a calendar in the mail every year"; "I receive your postcards", etc.  I just can't wrap my head around why someone would … (42 comments)

real estate marketing: Too many choices, too little advertising dollars.... - 08/26/08 05:00 AM
For the average real estate professional, the opportunities for exposing listings in a slow market is more than overwhelming - Newspaper advertising, open houses, web sites, single property sites, blogs, lawn signs, grocery store carts, bus benches, symphony programs - the list goes on and on.
Clearly in any market, but most especially a slow market, there are only a finite number of dollars and time that can be allocated to marketing a particular listing.  And those have to count - more than ever!
So what to do?  Your seller really wants to see their home advertised in the local paper, … (53 comments)

real estate marketing: New Hampshire Virtual Tours, Video Tours & Slideshows...less than 20%??????? - 07/21/07 04:24 PM
In Hillsborough County, as of July 22, there are 3,802 active residential listings.
19% have virtual tours
There are 405 active listings priced at $500,000 or more
31% have virtual tours
There are 3,370 active listings priced at under $500,000
17% have virtual tours 
A 'virtual tour' can be classified as any of the following:
A simple flash slideshow, such as RealEstateShows, VisualTours, etc.A 360 degree, spin around tourA full motion video tourPrices for these range from $125 per year for an unlimited number of tours (a simple slideshow) to up to $300 for a full, high definition video tour.
There are a record number of properties on the … (1 comments)

real estate marketing: YouTube.com offers custom player options, chapter stops and custom colors - 07/20/07 11:14 AM
The leader in user generated videos, YouTube, has just launched a new “custom player” feature,  allowing you to personalize embedded YouTube videos.You can edit features such as the name of the player, pick a color scheme and even the video layout, with an option to display or hide related visual content.This customization can be used on your own videos or those by others saved as favorites or in a play list. In addition, the new tool allows viewers to skip to any part of a stream, similar to WellcomeMat.After picking the desired options (although limited at present), your can then generate … (3 comments)

real estate marketing: Video is exploding on the web... especially for real estate - 07/06/07 01:22 AM
[Updated July 2008] It's safe to say that two years ago, video on the web was only a dream and only accessible by a very few, patient people.
However, to illustrate that video is EXPLODING online (literally), below is a short list (and I'm sure missing many sites) of all online video websites as of this second - they do seem to crop up almost daily.
So, for all those naysayers out there who don't believe the web is going video.... here's proof!
Please not that many of these sites are now banning commercial and real estate videos, such as SpikeTV … (21 comments)

real estate marketing: The understanding of online real estate video tours similar to that of websites 5 years ago... - 06/15/07 11:44 PM
As I speak to agents and customers regularly regarding online real estate video tours, I'm finding a very interesting similarity. Back in 1999, 2000, as a web designer, I was preaching to agents that the internet was the way to go in real estate marketing. Customers were searching online and your competition was NOT there to meet them. A small group of realtors 'got it' and got onboard with a website. Of course, at that time it was a very simple site - the MLS was not even available to be part of your website, so it was strictly informational.
However, … (8 comments)

real estate marketing: BusinessNH Magazine | June 2007 Article on Real Estate Video Tours - 05/30/07 03:29 PM
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real estate marketing: Brokers in Blogsville - 04/29/07 09:38 AM
The Sunday Boston Globe today featured a major story on real estate brokers and blogging.....   and mentioned ActiveRain.com as well....
Agents are going online to get knowledge and information -- and their opinions -- out By Paul F. Roberts, Globe Correspondent  |  April 29, 2007
It's Friday morning and John Keith of the Boston Real Estate Blog is sitting on a nice scoop: A rental agency in town has been caught using a professional mailing list to try to poach agents from its competitors.
That's a definite no-no, Keith explained in his post, titled "How to annoy just about everyone."
Over at condoDomain.com, another … (2 comments)

real estate marketing: Drive by a house; turn on your cell phone.. watch a video tour! - 02/12/07 07:48 AM
Adobe announced today that Flash Lite will support playback of Flash video on mobile devices:
"At the 3GSM World Congress, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that support for video will be integrated in the next generation of Adobe® Flash Lite™ software, Adobe’s award-winning Flash® Player runtime specifically designed for mobile phones. Flash Lite 3, expected to be available in the first half of 2007, will bring the Adobe Flash Player video format from the desktop to mobile phones and devices, enabling operators, handset manufacturers and developers alike to deliver more compelling and engaging experiences to mobile users."I can just imagine one … (3 comments)

real estate marketing: "Featured Tours" on Realtor.com - bad marketing idea? - 12/23/06 08:12 AM
Considering:
1)  The market is slow - properties are sitting on the market for months
2)  Choices for buyers are abundant - almost exhausting
3)  Gas prices are at an all time high
4)  Open houses are generally a waste of time
 
I am amazed at how few people choose to offer 'featured tours' for their listing on Realtor.com, arguably the most visible real estate website in the country.
In my area:
Nashua, NH has 638 listings, but only 8% have featured tours
Hollis, NH has 72 listings, but only 20% have featured tours
Amherst, NH has 180 listings, with 15% offering featured tours
Manchester, NH has 1,045 listings, with only … (37 comments)

real estate marketing: Internet Marketing for Realtors Podcast - 12/01/06 08:09 AM
As you ponder marketing opportunities for the upcoming year during this transitional time in the real estate industry, you might want to consider if your website is 1) bringing you the traffic that you feel it should 2) bringing you qualified traffic and 3) converting that traffic to real, live leads.
I find most REALTORS® take the "if you build it they will come" philosophy with their website, and in many cases take the easy way out by purchasing a 'ready made' website, which requires writing a check once a month.  VOILA!  600 page website.
Then they wait.  And wait.  And a year … (0 comments)