Trulia Founder and COO Sami Inkinen joins Sherry Chris to talk about the relationship between technology and real estate brokerage in today’s market.
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A couple weeks ago, my colleague Jason Steele wrote an article describing the odyssey he and his wife had survived in selling their home. For me, that article began a series of misunderstandings that could only happen in our socially-networked age as a number of friends (and some family) falsely believed that I had suddenly been forced to sell my house due to the difficult economy. Since my parents and two of my three brothers live in various corners of Europe, this seemed entirely plausible; as serious as things are for many, they seem to somehow be getting an over dramatized version of the news. For all they’ve heard and read, our entire economy has screeched to a complete and utter standstill.
How did this misunderstanding happen?
As part of a conscious effort to “spread the word”, many of us at BH&G RE link our social networking sites to this blog. For example, when a new blog article posts it is automatically populated onto our “News Feeds” on Facebook. This is one way to reach a broader audience. The update only shows the title of the post (without indicating who the actual author is). If someone wants to read more, they simply click on the hyperlink and follow the story.
In real estate 101 training I was taught that you tell everyone you know what you are doing and then remind them every time you see them that you are selling real estate. One of my first lessons was to write down the names of everyone I knew and then contact them to let them know I was now selling real estate. For many new agents today that is done instantly via their Facebook profile.
Now that real estate 101 and Facebook 101 have met, there are amazing opportunities. I admit, it took me a while to figure this out, but recently it dawned as me as I was watching the updates of my selling agent friends on Facebook. They’ve been posting their new listings as newsfeeds and sharing status updates on their latest work-related activities. Facebook has become the Web 2.0 delivery vehicle for just listed and just sold cards. Cool!
The folks from Microsoft were in the office last week and during the course of their presentation they mentioned a new project from Microsoft Live Labs called Photosynth.
First of all, “Microsoft Live Labs?” I guess they have stopped trying to differentiate themselves from Google anymore. The presenter extolled the virtues of the technology and claimed how simple it was to automatically reconstruct a three-dimensional space from a collection of photos of a place or an object. In laymen’s terms, it allows you to create a wicked cool 3-D version of any space simply by snapping 2-D digital photos.
Photo by JOE M500/Flickr.com
Posted by Nicolai Kolding
I’m an insomniac. That hardly makes me unique around here - it’s a bit of a running joke in our halls as we see each other in the morning: “So, how many times did you wake up last night?!” On many nights there are just too many ideas spinning around in our heads to allow for a peaceful sleep so we’re up like a flash at 3 a.m., reaching for pen and paper to write them down before trying to doze off again.
Posted by Wendy Forsythe
At the recent Inman Connect conference in San Francisco there was a noticeable change in the voice of blog advocacy. In previous years technologist and vendors were on stage singing their praises to the power of blogging. This year practicing real estate professionals were on stage sharing their successes and insights into building and enhancing a real estate practice using the blogging medium.
A lively debate erupted questioning which is a better inquiry generator– a website or a blog?
Posted by Wendy Forsythe
I heard once that out of every 10 people we meet, we immediately like 2 of them, immediately dislike 2 of them, and are indifferent to the other 6. The next time you are in a room with 10 people, look around and test out this theory!
After reading a recent article on Inman News reporting the latest Hitwise Top-20 Real Estate websites for June it occurred to me that the chemistry we feel for people we meet is similar to the chemistry we feel with different websites we visit.
Remember the days of beeps and buzzes, answering machines and pagers? These not-so-old communication and contact methods today rank somewhere among pink princess phones and pulse dialing. And where we used to wait until we returned home to check our messages, today a missed cell phone call is a rarity. 24/7 accessibility has become literal for many, and I’m tempted to break into dance when a funky ringtone interrupts my grocery shopping. And while I may be old enough to remember telephone party lines, I have evolved with the instant-communication times.
Whether speaking about a sales person, a manager or a company leader, the ability to embrace change is the primary personality trait for those individuals who maintain a ‘hip’ and progressive persona in our business. This is not a new idea by any stretch of the imagination, but remains something that is easier said than done. The successful agent understands that as customer needs and wants evolve, so must our business vocabulary. Even more, the most successful agents that I have met actually learn to enjoy the changing business environment.
Just take a moment and consider all of the changes that have occurred over the past 10 years alone. In 1998, many agents did not have presentable Web sites or even effectively used e-mail as a communication tool. As time passed however, sales professionals learned to use technology in building and managing their businesses and navigated the advent of VOWs and IDX solutions. Brokers and agents have witnessed the transformation of marketing and advertising from sole focus on newspapers to a primary focus on Internet environments, as well as countless other key changes too numerous to mention here. Now, prospecting and social networking are coming together as building blocks to enlarge an agent’s sphere of influence.
Posted by Wendy Forsythe
Earlier this year, at the Inman Connect Conference in New York, I was introduced to Kindle! This gizmo is all the things I’ve ever wanted in a companion: a great communicator, dependable and good looking. I waited a long time for Kindle, but it was worth the wait!
I’m referring of course to Amazon’s Electronic Reading Device called Kindle. I’ve been showing off my Kindle around the office and professing my admiration to just about anyone who will listen. So I thought I’d blog about my new friend.
Flickr Photostream
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Sherry Chris |
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Nicolai Kolding |
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Wendy Forsythe |
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Camilla Sullivan |
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Robert Albanese |
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Jason Steele |
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Kevin Doell |
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Paulette Costa |
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