Comments on: I Want My, I Want My, I Want My … Traffic http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:51:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Rudy from Trulia http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-140 Rudy from Trulia Fri, 16 May 2008 00:22:18 +0000 http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-140 Hi! For more information, please take the time to read our blog post - http://www.truliablog.com/2008/05/15/back-to-basics-trulia-was-built-to-help-improve-your-roi/ Regards, Rudy Social Media Guru at Trulia Hi!

For more information, please take the time to read our blog post -

http://www.truliablog.com/2008/05/15/back-to-basics-trulia-was-built-to-help-improve-your-roi/

Regards,

Rudy
Social Media Guru at Trulia

]]> By: Louis Cammarosano http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-139 Louis Cammarosano Thu, 15 May 2008 21:05:34 +0000 http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-139 Its interesting to see this listings controvery suddenly dawn on Realtors. It seems that Realtors were awed (blindsided) by the wonderful transparent web 2.0 innovations, and they failed to notice what they were getting into when decided to send their listings to the New 2.0 companies. At HomeGain the realtor has always been featured exclusively and prominently; not Netflix ads or Weighwatcher ads. We don't sell advertising wherever we have Realtor customers. Our customer is the realtor. We don't take Realtor data and sell ads around it. This is a point that has been missed by many realtors as they bash homegain and embrace the 2.0 crowd of potential interlopers. I recently asked the question- how does a third party vendor partner with Realtors. We think we do it pretty well and so do our customers. For further reading: http://blog.homegain.com/how-does-third-party-vendor-partner-with-realtors http://blog.homegain.com/what-about-customer-service-employee-satisfaction http://blog.homegain.com/success-real-estate-agents-goal-not-buzz-louis-cammarosano Its interesting to see this listings controvery suddenly dawn on Realtors.

It seems that Realtors were awed (blindsided) by the wonderful transparent web 2.0 innovations, and they failed to notice what they were getting into when decided to send their listings to the New 2.0 companies.

At HomeGain the realtor has always been featured exclusively and prominently; not Netflix ads or Weighwatcher ads.

We don’t sell advertising wherever we have Realtor customers. Our customer is the realtor.

We don’t take Realtor data and sell ads around it.
This is a point that has been missed by many realtors as they bash homegain and embrace the 2.0 crowd of potential interlopers.

I recently asked the question- how does a third party vendor partner with Realtors. We think we do it pretty well and so do our customers.

For further reading:

http://blog.homegain.com/how-does-third-party-vendor-partner-with-realtors

http://blog.homegain.com/what-about-customer-service-employee-satisfaction

http://blog.homegain.com/success-real-estate-agents-goal-not-buzz-louis-cammarosano

]]> By: Gabe Sumner http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-122 Gabe Sumner Thu, 08 May 2008 19:25:38 +0000 http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-122 Forgive me for making one more comment; a chief advantage "open IDX" would offer is more agent control over how listings display on non-broker web sites. Many brokers & agents have accepted they cannot ignore non-broker web sites. However, because these non-broker web sites cannot interact directly with the MLS they get their listing information via a myriad of 3rd-hand methods. If a seller discovers a problem with their listing on Google Base or Yahoo! Real Estate, they will often expect their agent to be empowered to fix the problem. This is sadly often not the case though. It is anyone's guess where this listing information originally came from. The local newspaper? the broker? another web site? If we can accept that non-broker web sites have become a relevant force in the home buying process then our next task becomes to improve the quality and control of the data. Realtor.com is currently the only web site allowed access to all MLS's nation wide. The article above cites how this monopoly has been used to abuse the REALTOR community. It is time for this monopoly to end. It is time the IDX be opened to brokers & non-brokers alike. It is time agents are given the ability to impact how their listings display on the Internet. It is time to embrace the Internet. It is time to evolve. Gabe Sumner - http://www.goondocks.com/ Forgive me for making one more comment; a chief advantage “open IDX” would offer is more agent control over how listings display on non-broker web sites.

Many brokers & agents have accepted they cannot ignore non-broker web sites. However, because these non-broker web sites cannot interact directly with the MLS they get their listing information via a myriad of 3rd-hand methods.

If a seller discovers a problem with their listing on Google Base or Yahoo! Real Estate, they will often expect their agent to be empowered to fix the problem. This is sadly often not the case though. It is anyone’s guess where this listing information originally came from. The local newspaper? the broker? another web site?

If we can accept that non-broker web sites have become a relevant force in the home buying process then our next task becomes to improve the quality and control of the data.

Realtor.com is currently the only web site allowed access to all MLS’s nation wide. The article above cites how this monopoly has been used to abuse the REALTOR community. It is time for this monopoly to end. It is time the IDX be opened to brokers & non-brokers alike. It is time agents are given the ability to impact how their listings display on the Internet. It is time to embrace the Internet. It is time to evolve.

Gabe Sumner - http://www.goondocks.com/

]]> By: Gabe Sumner http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-121 Gabe Sumner Thu, 08 May 2008 18:45:39 +0000 http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-121 What a wonderfully written and balanced article. To the poster above me; Roger, you sound like a person after my own heart. I have found myself bickering frequently with real estate agents concerning the idea of an "open IDX" and the value listing re-syndication offers to their clients. Often I am reviled for my perspective: http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/blogs/ryan-ward/4353/show/ (See the comments on the posting above) The Trulia "no-follow" practice is slimy; but the idea of lots of companies (brokers & non-brokers) providing exposure for an agent's seller is a good thing (in my opinion). Sadly this is often an ego-driven industry; what is good for the seller comes secondary to agents getting the spotlight. It matters little to these agents that their seller's listing is getting more attention; rather they become angry that buyers aren't forced to use their personal web site. Gabe Sumner - http://www.goondocks.com/ What a wonderfully written and balanced article. To the poster above me; Roger, you sound like a person after my own heart.

I have found myself bickering frequently with real estate agents concerning the idea of an “open IDX” and the value listing re-syndication offers to their clients. Often I am reviled for my perspective:

http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/blogs/ryan-ward/4353/show/

(See the comments on the posting above)

The Trulia “no-follow” practice is slimy; but the idea of lots of companies (brokers & non-brokers) providing exposure for an agent’s seller is a good thing (in my opinion).

Sadly this is often an ego-driven industry; what is good for the seller comes secondary to agents getting the spotlight. It matters little to these agents that their seller’s listing is getting more attention; rather they become angry that buyers aren’t forced to use their personal web site.

Gabe Sumner - http://www.goondocks.com/

]]> By: Roger Conant http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-120 Roger Conant Thu, 08 May 2008 15:13:24 +0000 http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-120 After serving as a broker for a decade, I got into real estate services with The Personal Marketing Company in the mid-80's. Even back then, you could see that the "barn door was swinging open"(access to listing info), but the leadership was in denial. I can't believe that "denial" still exists today. Hey, I am a Realtor at heart, but there's "MY REALITY" and then theres "THE REALITY". And the reality is that the consumer always wins in the end...and the consumer will always want to "see everything". There are occasions when "surrender" is "victory"! After serving as a broker for a decade, I got into real estate services with The Personal Marketing Company in the mid-80’s. Even back then, you could see that the “barn door was swinging open”(access to listing info), but the leadership was in denial. I can’t believe that “denial” still exists today. Hey, I am a Realtor at heart, but there’s “MY REALITY” and then theres “THE REALITY”. And the reality is that the consumer always wins in the end…and the consumer will always want to “see everything”. There are occasions when “surrender” is “victory”!

]]> By: Pat Kitano http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-118 Pat Kitano Wed, 07 May 2008 23:54:45 +0000 http://bhgrealestateblog.com/i-want-my-i-want-my-i-want-my-%e2%80%a6-traffic.html#comment-118 Your anecdotes point to one of the subtle sea changes rocking the industry, Sherry... real estate internet presence translates to substantial asset value. Before the industry "discovered" the real power of the internet, all the brokerages slapped up sites just so they could tell their agents and potential recruitment prospects: "yes, we have a website". Same with agents who then bought websites with the same vague lack of purpose. The tech world knew the value of a well trafficked web property (they had experienced the high 1999 valuations of Web 1.0), that's why the founders of Zillow and Trulia come from the Internet space. With a few exceptions like Realtor.com and Remax.com, the brokerage community didn't get it. So it looks like the value proposition of traffic, traffic, traffic has entered the lexicon of the real estate site admins. What's more interesting is how brokers or agents can now leverage their own blogs to become well trafficked sites that will increase in value throughout their career... and like a doctor's practice, sell their properties at retirement to a younger agent for the leads. It amazes me how agents don't yet get that Your anecdotes point to one of the subtle sea changes rocking the industry, Sherry… real estate internet presence translates to substantial asset value. Before the industry “discovered” the real power of the internet, all the brokerages slapped up sites just so they could tell their agents and potential recruitment prospects: “yes, we have a website”. Same with agents who then bought websites with the same vague lack of purpose.

The tech world knew the value of a well trafficked web property (they had experienced the high 1999 valuations of Web 1.0), that’s why the founders of Zillow and Trulia come from the Internet space. With a few exceptions like Realtor.com and Remax.com, the brokerage community didn’t get it.

So it looks like the value proposition of traffic, traffic, traffic has entered the lexicon of the real estate site admins. What’s more interesting is how brokers or agents can now leverage their own blogs to become well trafficked sites that will increase in value throughout their career… and like a doctor’s practice, sell their properties at retirement to a younger agent for the leads. It amazes me how agents don’t yet get that

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