real estate: Buyer's Agents, Have Consumers Really Chosen Their House Online? - 03/24/08 06:25 AM
I'm fascinated by the conversation around REALTORS® and real estate on Twitter.
I track lots of different key words and find the conversations that take place enlightening. The other day I saw this comment from PJ.
"Going to meet with my realtor. I don't know why as I've already picked out my house. GO AHEAD, TAKE MY MONEYS"
The timing of the comment was particularly interesting, since I had just had a conversation with Mariana Wagner about how her Internet clients "think" they know what house they want, based on their Internet searches, but more often than not end up buying something … (109 comments)

real estate: The Missing Bubble Guru Video Bubble Video - 03/06/08 07:24 AM
Yes, I've taken down the BubbleGuru.com video bubble once again.
And it will stay down here on ActiveRain until I have something REALLY important that I want everyone to know about, regardless of which post they come to on my ActiveRain blog. Until that time comes, it's just plain annoying for it to pop up on every single post, even if you've already been to other posts I've written.
As I said in "Let's Test BubbleGuru.com One More Time," that's not the way it's supposed to work. The BubbleGuru.com embed code is built to be placed right before the closing body tag … (12 comments)

real estate: PLEASE STOP USING ALL CAPS! - 07/30/07 02:21 AM
THIS QUALIFIES AS A RANT. I SEE THIS PRACTICE ALL THE TIME, AND I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
YOU'VE SEEN IT TOO... AN MLS OR REALTOR.COM LISTING, A POST OR A DESCRIPTION IN A REAL ESTATE SHOW, AND THE ENTIRE TEXT IS IN CAPS.... LIKE THIS. HELLO? THIS SEEMS SO BASIC TO ME.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT BASIC. I JUST FINISHED VIEWING A SHOW WITH A DESCRIPTION JUST LIKE THIS AND IT SENT ME OVER THE EDGE... AND THERE WERE NO PARAGRAPH BREAKS. THE STARTLING PART WAS THAT IT WAS PRODUCED BY A VERY GOOD REALTOR WHO OTHERWISE CREATES EXCELLENT SHOWS. SHE … (85 comments)

real estate: Solar Energy Heating Up? - 03/15/07 06:28 AM
I can't help but wonder what role the real estate community should play in supporting solar energy initiatives. 
c|net News.com had a great photo essay this morning on a new power plant opening it's doors in Boulder City, Nevada. Nevade Solar One is a 300 acre field of mirrors that collects thermal energy from the Sun and heats tubes filled with oil to 400 degrees. The oil is then used to create steam, which turn a turbine to create electricity.
How much electricity? Nevada Solar One will produce enough juice for 15,000 homes or 25,000 hotel rooms. It goes live on the grid … (37 comments)

real estate: Newspapers Are Good For Something! - 12/04/06 09:05 AM
The demise of real estate classified advertising is well known. (And I'll admit I am trying to hasten their demise.) Several posts (Here is one by Chichi Ahia) in the past week have talked about advertising budgets and where you should be spending your money. It's evident from all the numbers, and from the comments on the posts, that advertising a listing in the newspaper is not necessarily going to give you any bang for your buck. According to NAR, only 3% of home owners surveyed found their home as a result of a newspaper ad. 
That said, newspapers can be your … (27 comments)

real estate: If You Can't Fix It, Feature It! - 11/28/06 10:31 AM
Dawn McCurdy came up with a creative way to sell a home that needed a lot of work. She used honesty and the "Mission Impossible" theme song from our Just For Fun music library, to give this real fixer-upper a great marketing piece. She decided not to take a "this house doesn't deserve a Show" approach to marketing the home.
"We were all talking about why we shouldn't put photos of it or showcase it as it is in such need of repair," Dawn said. "Then, we thought, why not. When you advertise something as needing work, the first questions buyers … (14 comments)

real estate: Highlight Your Expertise And Educate Your Clients - 11/28/06 01:06 AM
It's important to highlight every skill you have when trying to set yourself apart from the masses. Using Internet tools to create presentations that highlight thoses skills in an evocative way is critical. People want to connect with you and your message. They don't want cold presentations. Find the right tool for you and use that to create presentations that truly set you apart from your competition.
ActiveRain member Sarah Cooper and Pat Murphy, of Coldwell Banker Advantage in Hurricane, West Virginia, showcase their expertise to better capture their client's attention in the education process.
View Their Educational Show Here
Sarah writes, … (11 comments)

real estate: Reach The Network Only Your Children Can Reach - 11/28/06 01:00 AM
When we saw this show we said, "Yes! That's perfect. She really gets it." Julie Eichacker took some time away from selling and went to the Valentine's day party at her child's school. She, of course, took her camera so she could capture the moment. When she got home, she put together a show for the class.
Then she gave the link to the teacher to send home with her students... to give to their parents! This is just a great idea. The teacher, students and parents will enjoy it and the parents won't be able to keep themselves from sending … (30 comments)