Fidelity launched a redesigned cyberhomes.com website today, bolstering their effort in the property search portal marketplace and putting pressure on realtor.com, Zillow and Trulia. Like most property search portals, they welcome the consumer with a quick search in the middle of the home page.  The designers also choose a rotating background so the site looks fresh with each unique visit. I found the site very easy to use with deep levels of information in areas such as schools, neighborhood statistics, sold properties, automated home valuation, and property listings. Like all third party listing portals, there are gaps in some areas [...]

Here are my notes from his excellent presentation Change is Inevitable, Growth is optional. Leadership in developing agents is critical for brokers today. The 80 20 rule is alive and well in our industry today.  Our top agents produce 80% of our revenue.  Growth lies in developing the 80% of our agents that are not producing or representing the brokers brand and service up to the standards of the company.  As brokers continue to recruit heads rather than skills, this will continue. The problem facing our industry is that only 1 in 5 consumers meet our best agents on their [...]

The newswire reported today that SentriLock,  a leading provider of electronic lockbox solutions for the real estate industry, has entered into agreements with the Honolulu Board of REALTORS®, the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and six neighboring suburban associations, as well as six boards and associations in the greater Denver area. As a result of these agreements, more than 50,000 real estate professionals will begin using SentriLock electronic lockboxes over the next 90 days. SentriLock’s lockbox solution is built upon smart card technology (like a hotel key) rather than the e-Key technology used by compeitior GE Supra. Interestingly enough, agents will now [...]

As reported here,Chase International was the first known real estate company in the world to launch a Social Network tying a community of consumers, agents, and service providers together.  Given the number of brokers who have created accounts on the Chase site, I suspect that broker social networks will have a future in real estate.  Here is why. Ning, the company that provides the social network technolgoy to Chase International and more than 250,000 other social networks is growing at a rate of 1000 social networks a day. Recently, Ning closed a round of venture financing on $60 Million at a [...]

Local TV Stations are setting their sights on attracting the best online consumer, people looking for real estate. Buckeye CableSystem announces the launch of HomeFinder Channel 100 and companion web site http://www.HomeFinder100.com as a new 24 hour digital real estate channel and powerful real estate search engine. TV Advertising is now affordable for Realtors. This marriage of Cable TV advertising with an integrated web site ad represents a nationwide first in real estate - or any category for that matter. Toledo, OH (PRWEB) April 17, 2008 ’ HomeFinder Channel100 will launch on Television on Thursday April 17th. The website is [...]

Map based home search on Steroids Faster map loading nationwide will serve to enhance the consumer expereince when searching for a home using maps. MEDFORD, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–KEMP Technologies, a leading provider of affordable server load balancing and SSL acceleration solutions, today announced that WolfNet Technologies, a real estate technology innovator, selected KEMPs LoadMaster to maximize its services on the Internet by securing and improving delivery of web content. Using KEMPs LoadMaster, WolfNet Technologies offers users a wealth of new value-added features - including valuable technical support and ease of configuration. WolfNet Technologies provides IDX solutions, high end property searching utilities, and [...]

Part of the effective MLS Consumer Website Effectiveness Series   Once you have gotten through the tough stage of selling your membership on the concept of a MLS Consumer Website, it is time to build the site. There are several steps to go through to be sure you will have a cost-effective, timely and optimized website. Here are the steps WAV Group recommends to go through in building a consumer website. Review MLS Consumer Websites and other websites you like The first step to a successful website development effort is to look at other websites. When you find a site [...]

Forms AdvisorTM went live to the California Association of REALTORS® members on April 1st, 2008 extending an already outstanding array of member benefits aimed at risk mitigation. Forms AdvisorTM helps  C.A.R. members navigate their way through the forms available to choose which forms to use for any given transaction by walking the real estate agent through a series of questions about their transaction. In a world where new rules for complex transactions come at REALTORS® fast, Forms AdvisorTM is the best possible way for professionals to know what documents are required for any real estate transaction. By using Forms AdvisorTM, [...]

How to sell a MLS Consumer Website to your subscribers The first in a series of articles about how to host a successful MLS Consumer Website   Many MLSs have told us that they like the idea of a MLS consumer-facing website or that they would like to take their existing consumer-facing website to a whole new level, but they have run into resistance from some brokers in their region. There are several programs that can be used to help sell brokers on why a MLS Consumer Website is an effective tool they need to support.  If you need hard [...]

According to a study released recently by ChangeWave Research (no relationship to WAV Group), as the Palm looses market share, Blackberry and iPhones are experiencing growth.  Palm has long enjoyed a leadership position in real estate due to integration with the GE Supra product, but the winds of change are blowing. The ChangeWave study says the battle for leadership in smartphones today is between iPhone and Blackberry as Palm takes a backseat.. The BlackBerry line of products from RIM maintain a leadership position with 42 percent of consumer smartphone user market share - Palm is down to 16% Palm’s market [...]

LAKE TAHOE, Nevada (April 2, 2008) - A known leader in the world of real estate, Chase International has once again taken the reins of cutting edge technology with www.ChaseNation.com, a social networking website for people interested in Reno-Tahoe real estate. Unlike Chase International’s comprehensive Website, www.ChaseInternational.com, which supplies viewers with a plethora of information, ChaseNation.com is an interactive site allowing clients and agents to take part in discussions, make comments and ask questions. This is an interactive venue to share information. This is the first social networking website created by a real estate brokerage as a vehicle for direct interaction with [...]