Susan Zanzonico asked:




Web savvy Realtors are paying less attention to the latest trends in online real estate, and more attention to tools and marketing methods that are already well-established. That’s because developers and users are starting to agree that the most useful web 2.0 tools have already been developed – the challenge now is using tools to their fullest potential. Professionals with this approach have a better chance of increasing their web presence, and putting a solid strategy in place for the next true wave of Internet development.

The first step in this process is figuring out which of the new online real estate tools will prove the most useful over time. Many agents might choose to test all the products they know, but the most efficient method for this could also be to simply check what everybody else is using. The sheer volume of real estate sites out there, and the variety of different tools being used, makes it easy to surf and compare.

At this point, the best and most popular tools seem to be listings maps, blogs, search engine friendly design, and social networking sites. Many real estate marketing campaigns have these elements, but not many use them to their full potential. For example, it remains to be seen exactly how tools like blogs and listings will be combined, although the potential is definitely there. As real estate pros begin to identify and develop this list, they’ll emerge with a set of reliable and dynamic web tools.

Real estate professionals developing their own websites also need to know which real estate media and national listings websites are going to stand the test of time. Cooperation with these websites will be important for agents looking to gain national exposure, but these agents must be selective to avoid having listings and networking profiles in too many places, before the top sites emerge.

Knowing the elements of an effective real estate marketing campaign is important, but learning how to use these tools will prove more useful for Realtors in search of a long-term solution.

michaelrussell asked:




A strong online presence is now essential for real estate professionals. It does not matter if you are a realtor or an investor, a homeowner or homebuyer; the Internet is steadily growing into the world’s largest real estate resource, with thousands of pages of listings, community information, photographs and multimedia tours. The Internet must be utilized if a real estate group wants to succeed in today’s market.

Two things have happened recently. The real estate market crashed and realtors got Web savvy. These events are not mutually exclusive. An online presence is a relatively affordable way for realtors to share their products and information with countless potential clients. It also allows them to take a proactive approach to their work while the market struggles.

It is one thing to merely transfer your current listings from print outlets to online outlets. Being online allows you to easily update and share your listings, but the real estate market is already crowded, and if you do not employ savvy techniques and rich, unique content, chances are that your properties will not have much more success than they did in print. Think of it in terms of the newspaper industry. Many major papers are struggling because they are not doing more with their content. They are not doing more for their readers. They are merely shifting their information from print to the Web. Successful newspapers — and successful real estate Web sites — are using the Web as an advantage, as a platform from which numerous ideas can take shape and redefine what it means to be informed.

Young, innovative companies run the most popular Web sites and blogs. They recognize the advantages and challenges of working online. They engage their readers with community forums and visually stimulating photographs. They collect information from outside contributors. They give advice and notify the public of investment opportunities. Most of all, they provide up-to-the-minute information that is relevant and interesting, useful and entertaining.

One of the most popular is Curbed. The site focuses on all things real estate, in New York and San Francisco, and provides readers with pages and pages of insightful content. Curbed has transformed the way users view real estate. It has turned the buying and selling, the deals and steals into enjoyable, opinionated information that is quickly consumed by a hungry market.

Apartment Therapy is another popular site. It strives to provide users with tips; advice and user-generated comments that will help to maximize what can be done with the usually confined space of apartment living. This site is at it’s most popular now, as the economy and people are looking for ways to do more with less.

Trulia is an aggregate site. It works with real estate professionals to offer the most comprehensive look at the entire United States market. Trulia offers articles and blogs, Q&A forums and maps, listings and updates from experts around the country. It is a destination site, giving readers a truly rewarding experience.

These are the newer Web sites. But what about the companies that have been around for a while? What about the real estate groups that worked for years to succeed and become trusted as the most knowledgeable professionals in the field? Well, they have to work just as hard to succeed online, often times reshaping their approach and technique.

The Real Estate Book, which has one of the largest distributions of any real estate group, has for years been available to the public in countless retail stores across the country. The American public grew to trust and rely on the Real Estate Book for its listings and realtors. It became synonymous with the real estate industry and those looking for property. When the market turned its focus online, the Real Estate Book built a formidable Web presence. Now it is offering a new product, a way for realtors to harness the Real Estate Book’s massive amount of listing information.

The product is actually a widget. A widget is a tool for your Web site. The widget increases your Web site’s functionality. The widget the Real Estate Book has developed allows real estate professionals to work together. They can download the widget, customize it so if fits their site’s feel and size, and then access the Real Estate Book’s listings. This allows every realtor, no matter the size of their operation, to offer their clients an easy and informative way to browse the Web for real estate listings. It is an advantage to both the Real Estate Book and the realtors that use it. It brings together information, offers it to more people, and improves the way listings are explored online. As a successful company must, the Real Estate Book has developed a new way for people to use their resources.