realbird: The Lucky Blog Post
- 03/22/08 04:46 PM
Back in late January, I had a blog post about how to embed Google Street View into websites, blogs and the RealBird single property websites. Ever since, we've been receiving a constant stream of incoming traffic to that blog post from all over the world. It quickly became the most visited post ever on our RealBird blog and I could not help but think about why do we get all that attention and such a great organic search results.The post is about an accidental finding of a hidden Google Street View feature. I was brainstorming with myself about what would be … (14 comments)
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realbird: Turn your single property websites into virtual open homes
- 03/11/08 02:06 PM
First of all, thanks for all of you for the buzz about RealBird. It is great to see people benefiting from the service and being enthusiastic about RealBird.
I am glad to announce that we released a new version of the RealBird Listing Publisher service this weekend with even more useful features:
Add live chat to your single property websites - turn your single property websites into virtual open housesReal-time market stats (median price chart for the zip code) are included for more than 6,000 US zip codes - more areas are added ongoingMini Single Property Website Widget for your blog, website … (9 comments)
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realbird: Yahoo loves ActiveRain
- 02/25/08 04:31 PM
While reviewing the day's activity on RealBird I noticed something ABSOLUTELY cool.
MyBlogLog.com (a Yahoo! company) added ActiveRain to their list of 3rd party services.
For those of you who are already using MyBlogLog, it is a must have edit: Login, go to your "My Account">"Services" section and enter your ActiveRain username. A link to your ActiveRain profile will start showing up on your MyBlogLog pages instantly. It also reflects on your MyBlogLog "About me" widget.
For those of you who have not been using MyBlogLog yet, here is quick wrap up of what they do (the most important things, among the other … (16 comments)
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realbird: SEO tip disclosed by Google
- 02/22/08 10:59 AM
While doing our regular SEO reviews of the property websites created with RealBird Listing Publisher, I found an interesting information disclosed by Google in their Google Webmaster Tools. I thought I share it over here as it can be very valuable for your ActiveRain posts. Unlike other SEO techniques, this is very easy to do, once you know the fact that Google pays attention to this particular detail.
Many of Google's algorithm is obviously not publicized, but their Webmaster Tools gives a lot of insights into what Google knows about your site and what they pay attention to. Whether you actually use … (25 comments)
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realbird: What $1 Million Buys In Homes Across The U.S
- 02/18/08 10:46 AM
Forbes has an article with the identical title posted a few days ago comparing different US markets and what one gets for a million bucks.
I'd like to start a project here on ActiveRain calling all of you who have a property at this price point ($1 million +- 5%) to post it on RealBird for free. Let's enhance the article with real, for sale listings, maybe Forbes will give us (all of us) some link love for our efforts. Once we have 1,000 such listings in our database, we - at RealBird - will create a mashup and also a widget … (30 comments)
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realbird: MRIS agents: RealBird just flew over to your area !
- 02/07/08 06:59 AM
Just a quick note, that we have officially released the MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Services) version of the RealBird Map-based MLS Search service. More details can be found on our blog or go straight ahead and sign-up for a free trial to experience the unique and powerful features of the RealBird IDX widgets.
Make sure you test-drive the MLS hotlist widgets (photo slideshow, blog sidebar, email signature MLS widgets) and the embedding of the MRIS map-based search into your syndicated RealBird listing websites. Both of them are extra powerful and novel ways of reaching home buyers on "remote" Internet locations.
(Agents and brokers … (2 comments)
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realbird: Open House Map and Widgets
- 01/31/08 03:06 PM
We released a new MLS widget service based on the popular RealBird Map-based MLS Search service: called Open House Widgets. Currently it is available only for two MLS markets: RE InfoLink (REIL) - San Francisco Bay Area and Metropoilitan Regional Information System - MRIS (DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and some part of Pennsylvania). Based on the user feedback, we can easily port it to the other MLS markets we support if the MLS provides open home information in their IDX feed. Here is a list of the different open house widget types
Open House Map widget with search capability for websites and … (0 comments)
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realbird: Street View - part 2
- 01/28/08 08:43 AM
Not long after my first tutorial about the embedding option of Google Street View as a widget, single property sites with this option are popping up on RealBird.
See the example below. For this particular property, Google has a street view for the exact location. Look around, "take a walk" on the street, zoom in and out to see details. I am not sure if I've ever seen a better neighborhood visualization than this.
Make sure to see it in action here. The screenshot does not do any justice to this feature. You have to see this interactive.
And here is the instruction on … (0 comments)
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realbird: Google Street View - now with embeddable widget option
- 01/27/08 05:15 PM
Google Street View is one of the coolest things Google has come out with since their initial Google Maps release. As many of you already know, Google started to take photos of streets not unlike A9 and Microsoft did before. Except the way Google implemented it on Google Maps actually made it very usable, quick and interactive.
It is obviously a very powerful neighborhood visualization tool and should be in every real estate agent's toolbox for online, virtual listing presentation.
Up till recently, there was no way to use it in your own blog or website other than by linking to … (2 comments)
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realbird: Lat49 - Put your real estate business on the map
- 01/16/08 12:33 PM
Lat49 is a new ad network focusing on the growing number of map mashups and map-based services as their delivery platform. The publisher network (websites where ads show up) includes major map sites such as MapQuest Gasprices mashup and our own real estate yellow pages at SearchOnMaps.com As opposed to other ad networks, you are not paying for impressions or click-throughs here, but rather, you are buying "locations". You can select a certain geography for your ad and lock it exclusively for your message. Geography coverage is provided at four zoom levels: Local, Neighborhood, City or Regional. Your ad will show … (0 comments)
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realbird: A Novel Approach to Online Lead Generation - a whitepaper
- 01/13/08 01:56 AM
RealBird's president Gabe Gross had a whitepaper published by Rismedia, BrokerAgentNews and Inman News.
I post the the article in full for your reading pleasure. Comments and questions are welcome. Thanks.
-- Zoltan Szendro
RealBird.com
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A Novel Approach to Lead Generation for REALTORS®
by Gabriel Gross, President, RealBird.com
A “virtual” paradox is happening in real estate: the Internet has become the major medium for real estate information, yet real estate agents find it increasingly difficult to generate good leads using their Web sites. The cause for this is quite simple: The majority of early-stage home buyers will start their search with the major … (7 comments)
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realbird: Map-based MLS Search 2.0
- 12/10/07 05:00 PM
Introducing the RealBird Map-based MLS Search 2.0
It's been a while since our last major update of the RealBird Map-based MLS Search service. I am pleased to announce that the new version is now available for real estate agents and brokers in our current MLS coverage areas.
In the current post, let me emphasize one of the groundbreaking and unique marketing concept, which enables real estate agents to reach out for home buyers beyond their website, via syndicated featured listings, viral marketing and social networks. There are many other new features, I'll cover them in upcoming posts.
The Problem
Your … (2 comments)
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realbird: Animoto slideshow - simply beautiful
- 12/05/07 02:06 PM
Animoto slideshow embedded in RealBird listing sites
I thought I share you a real-world example of Dennis Jonas & Denise Fuit using Animoto slideshow on their RealBird Listing Publisher single property website.
Animoto is one of my personal favorite and it is great to see innovative agents put it to perfect use for their listing marketing efforts. Animoto takes your uploaded photos and music and generates unique, distinct slideshows based on the pattern and the beat of the music. You can create 30 seconds slideshows for free with Animoto.
See it in action here (Click the "Coming Home to Greylock" tab)
Pretty cool, … (2 comments)
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realbird: 10,000 RealBird members
- 11/03/07 10:27 AM
We did it ! We passed our first significant milestone:
RealBird has now over 10,000 members.
As of Nov 3, 2007 2:46 PM (PDT) it is 10,044 to be exact. This number includes RealBird Listing Publisher, Map-based IDX Search, Yellow pages and customers of custom mapping services.
Thanks for all the members and supporters. This is truly amazing!
For those of you who are not familiar with the RealBird Listing Publisher service, here is a quick overview:
One of the best and the only completely free single property website builder service (as far as we know) . Create stunning online presentations for your listings … (2 comments)
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realbird: Sold Listings Map widget
- 10/26/07 08:32 AM
We have released a new, free widget for RealBird to market your sold listings portfolio. Showing off your sold listings on your websites and blogs are important to encourage seller prospects to trust their listing on you. Showing them your sold listing portfolio will ensure them that you can actually deliver on your promise of selling their listings.
The Sold Listings Map widget is a powerful visual presentation of this marketing concept. See the example below showing the sold listings of Roland and Linda Hauhe on such widget
' Rather than deleting your listings published via RealBird after they are … (6 comments)
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realbird: iPod Touch drawing date changed to Sept 28, 2007
- 09/18/07 02:09 PM
We have moved the iPod Touch sweepstakes drawing date to September 28, to the same day Apple will start shipping the product. See the sweepstakes overview.
Below are some additional listing marketing features not listed in our previous post:
Take your whole listing inventory on the road:Bookmark your RealBird RSS feed on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You can flip through all of your featured listings, double tap the one to showcase and present details, unlimited photos, maps and directions.
On the iPhone, your phone number is automatically converted to a hotlink. By tapping on it, iPhone users … (1 comments)
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realbird: Power of presentation
- 09/10/07 09:42 AM
I found another great usage of background images by a RealBird member for creating listing presentation which not only delivers the facts about the marketed property but also delivers the mood and emphasizes important characteristics via images.
See Amy Steel's featured listing
She also uses BrightCove and embeds it with her RealBird listings. Great presentation and utilization of the unique capabilities of the RealBird Listing Publisher service.
You can see another example of highly effective background image usage on the RealBird Blog
If you have a listing published via RealBird, which you think should be featured to educate other RealBird members on effective … (1 comments)
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realbird: Featured listings map on Localism
- 09/05/07 02:53 AM
I can not stop being amazed on how RealBird members innovate with the tools we provide them for marketing their listings online.
Roland and Linda Hauhe is using the RealBird Featured Listings Map widget to market their open homes on Localism.
See http://localism.com/article/177957/Open-Houses-in-St-Charles-Missouri
Another great example is Ceci Ellis usage of background images to enhance her listing presentation and to add a cozy, local touch to her advertising. See http://realbird.typepad.com for an example.
Hey, go ahead and register with RealBird for free and let us know how you utilize the online listing marketing widgets. Also, show us know your innovative use of RealBird … (0 comments)
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realbird: RealBird flies free
- 08/06/07 04:54 PM
Yes. It's true, we let the bird go. It was time. RealBird flies free now.
We are glad to announce that the RealBird Listing Publisher service is now completely free for real estate agents and brokers.
The RealBird Listing Publisher is an advanced on-line listing marketing service for creating listing presentations (aka virtual tours) and for listing distribution to 3rd party websites such as Craigslist, Trulia, Kijiji, Google Base etc. for maximum exposure. You can create unlimited single property websites with unlimited, large-size photos, slide-shows, videos, unlimited design themes, widgets and much more. To read about the features and to register please … (29 comments)
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realbird: Gorgeous North Bay, Luxurious San Diego
- 07/21/07 08:27 AM
We have released two more luxury real estate portals: one for San Diego county, the other one for the San Francisco North Bay.
LuxurySanDiegoEstates.com
The Google Maps based MLS portal is a service of Windermere Exlcusive Properties of San Diego, CA. The service focuses on the luxury real estate market of San Diego county, including high-end markets such as La Jolla, Coronado, Rancho Santa Fe etc. The listings are from the local Sandicor MLS and the database of luxury single family homes and condos is updated daily. See it in action here
LuxuryNorthBay.com
LuxuryNorthBay.com is a service of Healdsburg Sotheby's International … (0 comments)
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Back in late January, I had a blog post about how to embed Google Street View into websites, blogs and the RealBird single property websites. Ever since, we've been receiving a constant stream of incoming traffic to that blog post from all over the world. It quickly became the most visited post ever on our RealBird blog and I could not help but think about why do we get all that attention and such a great organic search results.The post is about an accidental finding of a hidden Google Street View feature. I was brainstorming with myself about what would be … (14 comments)
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