Erik Qualman is one of my Twitter buddies and former MSU basketball player. His books are great and can be found on Amazon. I hope you enjoy the short clip on Social Media, it’s loaded with facts and upbeat music.
This is the 4th version of the world’s most watched social media video series “Social Media Revolution. Written by international keynote speaker and best selling author Erik Qualman (Socialnomics, Digital Leader, Alex Azure & Forbidden Door). This version uses new energetic music.
I know these really smart guys in our real estate industry that are always looking for better ways to improve our real estate data systems, syndication, IDX and our MLS’s. In fact they even agree to disagree, so that all points of view can be covered most of the time. A short time back Gahlord Dewald had indicated that canonical/authorship sends strong signals to Google about the content and they are likely to use this signal. Bill Lublin and Matthew Cohen were also in that conversation on our Facebook Group called Listing Syndication, Portals, & IDX for REALTORS. All this came about from a post written by Gahlord on Inman News called “Time to Tell Google Who Owns the Listing”
Below are the other three posts written by Bill and Matthew. I really don’t have a clue how this will get accomplished but, I think we’re on the right track here. One thing most will notice in this closed group for REALTORS and Ancillary related businesses will be the solution driven ideas vs. criticism. Many others not mentioned here contribute thought provoking ideas almost everyday.
So Bill Lublin’s Title takes a different twist saying “Why the MLS Needs to Tell Google Who Owns the Listing” Matthew digs deeper with: Getting SEO Credit For Listings Using the Canonical Tag: Implementation . Then Bill revises Title and updates with a new approach called Why Telling Google Who the Author is Shouldn’t Be Difficult for the MLS by: Bill Lublin
So, what does Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com have to do with all this? You had to have been there. My hope is that Google assigns this to one of their real estate SEO technicians and comes back with their point of view. I also hope that local MLS’s read all the posts attached and have their tech support technicians consider testing the waters here. My other hope is that we continue to have participation from all our industry partners to improve data, IDX, syndication and our MLS for the future. I think our customers and clients will appreciate that also, don’t you?
“Expect the Best” Mike
You’re a REALTOR, you have an iPad, you loaded up with all the apps, but now what? Well, here’s the solution, join Garry Wise, iPad expert at GoodLife Team, in these two exclusive webinars being held May 21st and May 29th on how to use iPad for Real Estate.
Garry will take you through step-by-step outlining the specific applications and practices used by the Paperless Agents at the Good Life Team every day in Austin Texas. This is a reasonable way for real estate agents to be consulted by someone that’s actually using the equipment and apps and more affordable than what I would charge the agent myself to teach them. Frankly, I suggest you watch this video and get started, plus the webinar, but that’s up to you. 
I can tell you what to use, but Garry can show you what works. I have had the opportunity to work with both Gerry Wise and Kristina through Webinars and as an Affiliate. It did not take me long to become an Ambassador to their program the “Paperless Real Estate Agent”. This is all I recommend to agents anymore, because it’s the best iPad education an agent can get to enhance their business.
By the way, if you don’t have an iPad yet, don’t let that stop you from taking the class. You soon will have one after seeing and hearing Garry Wise. Register Now for May 21st or for May 29th
“Expect the Best” Mike
Move announced the acquisition of Doorsteps, a provider of cutting edge tools and resources to consumers in their path to home ownership. The acquisition of Doorsteps supports Move’s dedication to strengthen its relationship with consumers and to help them love where they live. Below is a 2 minute Video for REALTORS that explains Doorsteps prior to the buy. I would imagine that realtor.com will be adding additional features.
Established in 2012, Doorsteps was born from the frustration, confusion and stress founder Michele Serro faced when purchasing a home in New York. Michele was inspired to create an online resource that enhances relationships between buyers, agents, lenders and service providers – a perfect complement to Move’s existing offerings in buying, selling, renting, lending, and moving.
Doorsteps offerings will help Move further educate, empower, and qualify homebuyers. Subsequent to the acquisition, the Doorsteps team will join Move as employees, continuing to expand the experience and integrate it with existing Move offerings. This is an exciting time for our industry with all the innovation, technology tools and syndication sites adding additional tools for REALTORS.
Right now the real estate market is so active that well price residential homes are selling faster than they arrive in some syndication portals. Maybe it’s time for Realtor.com, Zillow.com and Trulia.com to join NAR to solutions to push data vs. pull data, you think? Well, that’s another post.
“Expect the Best” Mike
The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS recently added two new programs called Realist Pro and Data Co-op that will enhance real estate agents reports they provide buyers and sellers across the Greater Lansing area.
Right now, many agents are using MLXchange and/or Fusion for CMA’s (Competitive Market Evaluations) and other search reports. The new programs are add-ons to Fusion.com that will probably eventually replace MLXchange that is limited to Explorer. With innovation and technology advancing rapidly the iPad, smartphone and more advanced tools are being utilized to offer clients and customers a more complete report. I was pleased to see that Fusion.com works well with Apple products.
Core Logic describes realist as the ‘must-have’ public records database for MLSs who want to provide their members with a robust, localized approach to property-centric data. The leading MLS tax data product for more than 25 years, Realist seamlessly integrates in-depth property data with market information, maps and market trends. Members can identify marketing areas with dynamic mapping solutions, create selling tools and export data in reports, labels, lists and more.
I’ve been using it for a while now and it is very comprehensive, flexible and localized as described by Core Logic.
The Data Co op is considered the next generation of MLS data sharing, MLS Data Co-op from CoreLogic Marketlinx calls it the one solution, one set-up, and one login that will aggregate MLS, tax and demographic data to provide a complete view of the entire market.
Core Logic also says that with access to the nationwide MLSs and their shared listings, along with a customized view of your local MLS data, it delivers what real estate professionals have wanted all along: data without borders. I have not spend enough time on this program yet and still learning my way around. It’s pretty impressive, although, I am more interested in the local Greater Lansing real estate market than I am Denver, Co. J
So, there is no excuse for a half-baked real estate report from any REALTOR in this town. We already have RPR (REALTOR Property Resource), which provides several wonderful reports and now these two detailed additions to Fusion.com. After all you’re the client don’t you deserve the best? I think so!
“Expect the Best” Mike
My real estate geeky friend said: I hope my competitors just don’t show up. This stuff really works and I want to keep it all to myself. REALTORS don’t do that …we share. Besides:
10. They keep having these REBarCamps, it must be that many just don’t get the tools, so they keep coming back and keep having it. Do I really need to hang around geeks to help my business grow?
If you can answer yes or no to any of the points above, maybe you should attend. However, the best way to find out is to just “Go Google yourself” but, even if you’re happy with what you found online about you and your business, you still need to learn how to use the tools. Right? Attend the next REBarCamp in your area. You’ll be pleased and well informed.
“Expect the Best” Mike
Real estate agents are getting beat up in a different way these days. Do you need listings? Yes, provided they are not overpriced. Maybe we’re heading back to the type of market that will bring move up buyers back into the real estate market. That would be sellers who also want to buy a home. That maybe great news. It’s been awhile and may take some time. Right now, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty and prospect for good inventory. If not now when?
Steve Murray of Real Estate Trends indicated that the Inventory crunch is hitting markets nationwide and especially in the lower end priced homes. Here’s what he said:
“So in the entry level and medium price points, where most of the buyers are, the inventory is the lowest, critically low according to numerous CEO’s we have talked to about this issue. New homes are coming back but not nearly fast enough to satisfy demand. And with over 8 million homeowners (CoreLogic) still underwater, that keeps an estimated 500,000 homes that might normally be available to the market off the table.”
Although we have been preaching since December to build that listing inventory, many REALTORS are now getting serious about going back to the listing basics. Coldwell Banker National rolled out a FREE training program for its 83,000 real estate agents to support building listing inventory through the Coldwell Banker University platform; it’s called: “8 Weeks to Listing Mastery with Zan Monroe”. It launched yesterday and is pretty impressive. Zan is a motivator, I had the opportunity to see him live a few times and highly recommend the CB agents take advantage of this great education.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said tight inventory is a major factor in the market. “Buyer traffic is continuing to pick up, while seller traffic is holding steady,” he said. “In fact, buyer traffic is 40 percent above a year ago, so there is plenty of demand but insufficient inventory to improve sales more strongly. We’ve transitioned into a seller’s market in much of the country.”
According to Realtor.org Total housing inventory at the end of January fell 4.9 percent to 1.74 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 4.2-month supply2 at the current sales pace, down from 4.5 months in December, and is the lowest housing supply since April 2005 when it was also 4.2 months.
Inman News reported today that the spring home buying season has kicked off with housing inventories in many markets at post-housing bust lows, creating a feeding frenzy that can make buyer’s agents’ lives as wild as un-mowed lawns.
So real estate agents, here’s 6 things you can do right now to get listings:
1. Knock doors and give sellers a one page FREE RPR report on their market
2. Mail postcards to target neighborhoods for a FREE Market Evaluation
3. Call 10 of your COI contacts to give them a 45 second market update with a by the way….
4. Visit all FSBO’s to build relationship. Give them something each visit. (Only 15-20% sell on their own)
5. Dust off the expired listings
6. Take a refresher course
OK, it’s your turn …add a few more action steps a REALTOR can take to build that inventory, and as always …
“Expect the Best” Mike
Here’s a few groups on Facebook I think every REALTOR could get some education, tips, and answers to their questions on. I know I do. There are plenty of smart real estate agents, techies, and ancillary related business people who share and contribute here everyday. Hope you enjoy.
“Expect the Best” Mike
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