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Home Shoppers in the Digital House Hunt Age

Jess Maria — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:23:13 +0000

The National Association of Realtors recently collaborated with Google to research digital habits of home buyers, to “better understand the evolving role of digital media in the consumer home search process.” The result? A realization that today’s home shopper is über-connected, to say the least. The report, called the Digital House Hunt, takes a careful look at home shoppers in the digital age, specifically as they shop for real estate. “Consumers are going online at a rapid pace to look for information to support their buying decisions,” says the report. “They watch ‘how-to’ videos on YouTube, they read review sites, they look up specific brands on search engines, and even research on the go with their smartphones and tablets.” Google calls this the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT): “the idea that shopping is no longer about showing up in a store, or in our cases at a brokers’ office or an open house, seeking advice or counsel on what to buy or how much they should spend.” Over half (52%) of today’s home buyers turn to the internet first when they begin their property or home search, and 9 out of 10 rely on the web as a primary search resource. Google says real estate searches have grown 22% year-on-year, and 253% over the past 4 years, while Google real estate related searches on mobile devices grew 120% percent year-over-year from 2011to 2012. Today’s home shopper is digitally connected from multiple access points, requires flexibility, mobility and an ‘always on’ shopping atmosphere. Don’t miss these key findings: 69% of home shoppers who take action on a real estate brand website begin their research with a local term (i.e. “Houston homes for sale” on a search engine) 52% of actions on real estate brand sites come directly from a local search on a search engine Homes hoppers using search engines are 9% more likely to take action on a real estate brand website than those who do not search Real estate consumers who use the internet while researching a home are more likely to use multiple sources YouTube is the top video research destination for home searchers 88% of buyers use an agent Finding an agent and agent related searches on YouTube has grown 46% year-over-year Read the full report HERE. Home Shoppers in the Digital House Hunt Age is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Home Shoppers in the Digital House Hunt Age is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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How Real Estate Agents Use Technology

Jess Maria — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:35:39 +0000

As we start the year, we can anticipate a lot of lists – both predictions and recaps. Later in 2013, we’ll be sure to take a look at how real estate agents used technology throughout the whole of 2012. Before that, however, let’s recap 2011 stats for a frame of reference. Most valuable tech tools: These tools are seen as time savers and productivity enhancers, which indicates they have a good chance of topping the 2012 list, as well. In 2008, only 33% of survey respondents engaged in social media. In 2011, 90% of brokers and 91% of agents use social media. How high will that figure have jumped in the next report? I can’t wait to find out. Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube led the way as the most used social media tools, with Facebook becoming a prominent site for property listings. Outlook and Gmail were neck-and-neck in 2011 as the most popular email platforms, followed somewhat distantly by Yahoo, Outlook Express, MSN, GoDaddy, AOL, Apple Mail and others. The majority of agents and brokers used an Android smartphone in 2011, followed by iPhones and Blackberries. Can the Android maintain its lead? Brokers tend to rate the ROI on their websites higher than do agents. When the full 2012 stats become available, we’ll be sure to update you with a comparison. SOURCE: Annual Technology Survey Report by the National Association of Realtors How Real Estate Agents Use Technology is a post from: Properties Online Blog

How Real Estate Agents Use Technology is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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Live Chat for Real Estate Website

Jess Maria — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:31:52 +0000

As a real estate sales agent, developing lasting, trustworthy and confident relationships is a must. In person, this is probably something you cultivate on a daily basis. But how do you manage to build meaningful relationships on the internet? Adding live chat to your website might be the key. Handy online tools, like those offered by Zopim, allow you to easily chat with visitors to your website, live, giving you an unprecedented way of connecting with your visitors and really meeting their needs. And the best thing? Zopim can be easily and seamlessly integrated with your Properties Online agent website or your Listing Unlimited sites, meaning you can take advantage of this handy tool without having to re-do or re-make anything at all. Your existing site is all you need. The world grows ever more mobile, and statistics show that more and more communication is taking place outside of traditional phone conversations. Make your website work for you, by providing a new way for your potential clients to contact and communicate with you. No matter where you are, in or out of the office, you can remain logged in all day on your favorite Instant Messenger (GTalk, Yahoo IM, MSN, AIM, etc.), and can continue your chats on our mobile iOS app, with no one the wiser. Staying on top of your real estate marketing campaigns is crucial. Live chat solutions can add to the convenience of advanced website statistics. Your Properties Online web stats are always live – you can see what’s happening right now – and they allow you to track not only where your visitors are coming from, but if they used a keyword to enter your website. Add-ons like live chat for real estate websites mean you can also identify your high-value visitors based on important information such as referrer, country, repeat visits, time on site, URL, chat content, etc. Your website, your business – get your best results by harnessing unique and exciting digital technology. We’re always here to help! Live Chat for Real Estate Website is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Live Chat for Real Estate Website is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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The 2013 Housing Market – It’s Good News

Jess Maria — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:38:41 +0000

2013 is already shaping up to be a promising year for the U.S. housing market. A favorable end to 2012, thanks to a strong rebound in the market, have led RE/MAX Co-Founder and Chairman Dave Liniger to go on the record with his top ten predictions for the coming 12 months. “Although interest rates have been at historic lows, they have not been the driving force behind this recovery. There’s no single factor driving this market; it’s been a combination of low prices, low inventory, improving consumer confidence and a huge pent-up demand. That was true throughout 2012 and will continue to be true in 2013,” Liniger says. Liniger has gone as far as saying that 2013 will be the best year in real estate in many years (yay!), but a fragile, obstacle laced recovery is not yet complete. Liniger’s top 10 predictions, revealed via a video presentation, are: 1. More homebuyers and sellers will come back to the market 2. Homes sales will rise by 6-7% and prices will rise by 3-4% 3. The inventory of homes for sale will hit a bottom 4. Higher priced homes will begin to sell 5. Distressed property numbers will continue to fall 6. Shadow inventory will continue to fall 7. The number of short sale closings will rise to a peak 8. Record low mortgage rates will rise slightly by year-end 9. Lending will remain tight 10. Home affordability to remain the best in years “If housing can stay on the road to recovery, it’s possible that it can pull the rest of the economy along with it,” he says enthusiastically. Top 10 Housing Predictions for 2013 by David Liniger The 2013 Housing Market – It’s Good News is a post from: Properties Online Blog

The 2013 Housing Market – It’s Good News is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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How Evernote can be Ever so Helpful to a Real Estate Agent

Jess Maria — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:41:59 +0000

Too many things on your plate? Struggling with bits of scrap paper, notes drawn on napkins and reminders haphazardly loaded into your phone? With Evernote, you can do away with all of that. Basic Evernote service is free, and premium service is just $45 per year, or $5 per month. As a real estate agent, you’ll find dozens of ways to use Evernote, so even at the premium rate, it’s a bargain. Evernote is unique and highly useable because it allows you to save, search and retrieve information from incredibly varied formats and sources – PDFs, images, web pages, sound files, and more. The web-based software uses OCR technology to search text in images, meaning that anything you save in Evernote from your phone, tablet, mobile device or computer becomes searchable later. With Evernote you can: CAPTURE & REMEMBER EVERYTHING. Save everything you see online and in the real world. Snap a photo, record some audio and save it. ACCESS IT FROM ANYWHERE. Evernote can be used on any computer, phone or mobile device you have. FIND THINGS FAST. Search by keyword, tag, or even printed or handwritten text inside images. MANAGE TRANSCRIBED TEXT. Using services with transcribed text, such as Google Voice, Callwave, Jott becomes even better. Simply forward to your Evernote transaction note book, and a link to the audio goes with it. KEEP EVERYTHING IN SYNC. With Evernote, all of your notes, web clips, files and images are made available on every device and computer you use. SAVE FAVORITE WEB PAGES. Save entire webpages to your Evernote account with our nifty web clipper browser extensions. You get the whole page: text, images and links. RESEARCH BETTER. Collect information from anywhere into a single place. From text notes to web pages to files to snapshots, everything is always at your fingertips. MANAGE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS. When a transaction closes, you can save all notes, from all formats, into a folder to html, then print to one document in date order. You can then save all closed transaction folder notes in Evernote format to hard drive or CD for retrieval later, without having to save the entire note book. WORK WITH FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES. Share your notes and collaborate on projects with friends, colleagues and classmates. AUTOMATE. Monitor and auto-sync with folders on your computer to copy documents to notes automatically. For a busy real estate professional, Evernote is one of those online tools that is truly a godsend. You’ll find scores of other handy uses for the tool, beyond those listed about. What are some of your favorite technology tools? How Evernote can be Ever so Helpful to a Real Estate Agent is a post from: Properties Online Blog

How Evernote can be Ever so Helpful to a Real Estate Agent is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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Google tools for real estate professionals

Jess Maria — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:34:36 +0000

We’ve talked previously about the NAR statistic that 87% of prospective home buyers start their search online. And for most web users, Google remains the default search engine. In fact, it is the most-used search engine for researching and purchasing real estate information and services. Google tools for real estate professionals can be used to let you reach prospects in your region at all stages of their home search – while they’re looking for properties, checking out locations, and selecting an agent or broker? Google’s Real Estate Tools can help to connect you to both buyers and sellers by: Generating real estate referrals and leads; Taking advantage of Google’s extensive reach (The search engine has more real estate searches than other search engines combine, and more unique visitors than all real estate specific websites); and Connecting you with the Google Network, which extends to over 80% of internet users in the United States. Google Tools for real estate agents and brokers can help you drive leads, connect and engage with customers, and save time and money. Here’s how: Set up a Google+ profile to promote your business, boost your search engine rankings and more. Create and maintain a branded YouTube channel. YouTube viewers are 90% more likely to obtain information about real estate online than the average American. Enhance your online listing with Google SketchUp. Model your properties in Google SketchUp and give your clients a 3D view, and allow customers to freely explore the home, community and its surroundings in 3D, right from your website. List your business with Google Places. You can submit multiple locations with a data file and conveniently manage and control listings. Publish your listings on Google Earth. Use Google Maps free, and make your listings easier for home-buyers and real estate agents to find when they look for properties on Google.com. “Over 56% of all Internet searches on ‘real estate’ and related terms are conducted on Google and our partner sites, and the majority of those searchers are actively looking for listings or referrals to brokers and agents,” says Google. Use Google Maps API to place interactive maps on your own website. Try pay-as-it’s-used marketing, with Google AdWords, and get real time ROI, with conversion tracking data. Track your campaign’s progress, and modify or halt it at any time. Try Gmail and Google Apps web-based email, calendar and document management, accessible from just about anywhere. Google tools for real estate professionals is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Google tools for real estate professionals is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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What on Earth is a QR Code?

Jess Maria — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:05:08 +0000

So, what exactly is a QR code? If you’re like many, you’re probably wondering what on Earth is a QR Code, and what’s it good for? “QR Code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside the industry due to its fast readability and large storage capacity compared to standard UPC barcodes. The code consists of black modules (square dots) arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be made up of four standardized kinds (“modes”) of data (numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, Kanji), or through supported extensions, virtually any kind of data.” Got that? Yeah, me neither. Check out this fantastic video from ScanChannel to get up to speed: QR Codes are growing in popularity as advertising tools due to ever increasing smartphone usage. A QR Code allows potential buyers to use their own smartphone as a barcode reader, providing quick and effortless access to your website. Why is this awesome? It has been proven to increase conversion rates, by moving qualified prospects further down the sale/conversion funnel, seamlessly and in a way they’ve chosen to interact. What on Earth is a QR Code? is a post from: Properties Online Blog

What on Earth is a QR Code? is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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2012 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Statistics

Amanda Cornelius — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:00:50 +0000

The annual report I value most is the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. This report is packed full of useful statistics for agents and brokers who are looking to educate themselves about the sales process from the perspective of the Home Buyer and Seller. It clearly shows where agents should be focusing their marketing dollars (hint: not the newspaper) and also provides important details about the Buyers and Sellers experience during the sales transaction.

2012 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Statistics is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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Selling Local Real Estate to International Buyers: 2012 Statistics

Jess Maria — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 00:23:04 +0000

The National Association of Realtors annually examines the purchases of real estate in the United States by international buyers. As they point out: “We live in a global marketplace. While all real estate is local, not all property buyers are.” The estimated volume of international sales increased between 2011 and 2012 by 24 percent. The 2012 Profile of International Home Buying Activity report revealed that: • Total sales volume to international clients is estimated as $82.5 Billion in 2012, up from an estimated $66.4 Billion for the 12 months ending March 2011. • About 20% of clients are obtained through website/online listings. • 27% of Realtors® reported having worked with international clients. Realtor specialization on the buyer’s side of the market—such as foreign language capabilities, cultural affinity or orientation with the prospective purchaser and experience in explaining U.S. real estate to foreigners—appear to be important in bringing an international transaction to successful conclusion. • International buyers came from nearly all over the globe, but five countries accounted for 55% percent of transactions: Canada, The People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong), Mexico, India, and the United Kingdom. • Just four states accounted for 51% of purchases: Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. • Fifty-two percent of Realtors® reported that international transactions accounted for 1-10% of their total transactions, while 27% reported that international transactions made up more than 10% of total transactions. • Forty-five% of international purchases were under $250,000. There appears to be a gradually increasing trend towards purchases in the $250,000 to $ 500,000 range. There was a jump in the sales of homes valued at $1 million and up. What makes an international buyer look at property in the United States? “Proximity to the home country; the presence of relatives, friends, and associates; the convenience of air transportation; climate and location appear to be important considerations to prospective buyers. For example, the East Coast attracts Europeans. The West Coast is attractive to Asian purchasers. Florida appears to be attractive to South Americans as well as Europeans and Canadians. Within markets in an individual state, it is not unusual to find concentrations of people grouped by nationality. One could speculate that word-of-mouth and shared experiences influence the purchase.” SOURCE: http://www.realtor.org/reports/profile-of-international-home-buying-activity Selling Local Real Estate to International Buyers: 2012 Statistics is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Selling Local Real Estate to International Buyers: 2012 Statistics is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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Boosting Your Online Visibility: Tips & Tricks

Jess Maria — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:15:18 +0000

If you’re a real estate agent reading this blog, chances are you already have a properties website or websites. If not, what are you waiting for?? Getting your properties online is crucial for boosting sales, visibility and credibility. Let’s face it – your online marketing is just as important (if not more) as the offline marketing. But how can you be sure potential clients and buyers actually see you and your properties online? Here are some tips for boosting your search engine rankings: 1. Keywords: Start here. Don’t pepper your site with too many keywords, that will just make it appear generalized to Google, and you won’t reap any benefit. Instead, carefully select around four or five keywords total that you want to prioritize on your site. Think locally. You’re probably not trying to compete with a national organization. Tailor your keywords to your local market. Think strategically. 2. Analytics: Without a way to track results accurately, whether you’ve chosen the best possible focus keywords is hard to determine. Sign up for Google Analytics to learn a lot about your site and how it’s performing. Your web analytics will show you your increasing traffic and help you to determine which keywords and which strategies are producing the highest number of new customers. 3. Visibility: To boost the work your site is doing, you’ll want to up your visibility elsewhere on the web. A great way to achieve this is through blogging. It takes time to do it well and often, but the payoff can be huge. Start by ensuring that the root domain of your blog is your website, and opt for a quality SEO plugin tool to help guide you in adding keywords to your blog posts. 4. Content: If you struggle to find something relevant to say every day, share the blog load with others on your team! If you’re a sole proprietor, considering hiring a writer. And remember, content isn’t just text. On your website and blog, make sure your visitors will find thing visually stimulating. That means adding photos, images and videos. Set up a branded YouTube channel and put it to work! 5. Research: Your online presence can grow tremendously, with a little or a lot of effort. Explore Facebook, Google+ and other social networking tools. Look into smart technology that allows you to market single properties beautifully – complete with Craigslist, video, mobile technology and Facebook apps built right in. Or market multiple properties, or properties and yourself all at once! You don’t have to be a web wizard, as long as you set yourself up with the right tools. Boosting Your Online Visibility: Tips & Tricks is a post from: Properties Online Blog

Boosting Your Online Visibility: Tips & Tricks is a post from: Properties Online Blog

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