(Urban Outfitters is selling a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.)
Sellsius offers up a late serving of turkey with a video from Brian Copeland , a Realtor in Nashville. (His blog, Nashville and Beyond, has decent content and some pretty funny and fun things things to know about the area.)
Even though the market forces have virtual tours as the leading form of RE marketing-over a million buyers a month visit Obeo-once more we have to hear how RE web video is the way to go.
My reply at Sellsius:
Brian,
Virtual tours are the most widely used form of web RE marketing; this is what the consumer wants because this is where the consumer money is being spent.
Video tours do not work for most listings because:
-Video tours are not aggregated or distributed effectively on the web.
-Video tours lack visual quality: most RE video is poor to average.
-Video tours are not cost effective for most listings.
Obeoman
steven.stearns@obeo.com
Virtual tours are the leading form of marketing properties on the web:
Sellers list with Realtors who sell,and Realtors who sell are using millions-perhaps billions, worldwide - virtual tours to market listings.
Because it is cost and labor intensive, RE web video remains a niche tool for luxury listings, unique locations and as a marketing tool for funny, charismatic or extremely dynamic Relators or agencies.
By the way, keep an eye on the blog here - in the coming weeks, Obeo will be showing you why virtual tours are and will remain the best way to market any property on line or anywhere. How buyers love virtual tours, and sellers love them, too.
Buyers want to own their home when they see it on line.
Obeo will help them do that, and more.
I gotta go sell something!
Obeoman
steven.stearns@obeo.com
1.) Google corporate jets will feature scrolling AdSense banners on their sides, or tow signs behind them as they fly over beaches.
By the way, you won't need a crystal ball for your sellers
with
Obeo HomeSite and Obeo StyleDesigner.
(Available after January 21st)
2.) Redfin will give away Snoopy Catch-'Em kits to each lister, with free linkbait.
3.) ActiveRain will provide free umbrellas to each Realtor at its site to protect them from getting soaked by falling prices.
4.) Pat Kitano at Transparent RE will move into a new glass headquarters in Pomona, CA. To stimulate the local economy and discourage the proverbial rock throwing, Pat will hire displaced mortgage brokers to police the grounds for any other offending projectiles.
5.) RISMedia’s Annual Leadership Conference will undergo a format change, a cross between Big Brother and Survivor. Hosted by David Hasselhoff, it will only be available by satellite subscription service.
6.) Zillow will use street teams to meme their brand and have street team members carry bells and buckets to enhance cash flow.
7.) The crew at Sellsius, inspired by their successful '08 nationwide blogging tour, will form a Band of Bloggers - like Brian Setzer's, only bigger and more verbose-and go on tour to over 1,500 real estate brokerages, playing at lunchtime in the parking lot.
8.) Inman TV will host a reality series of the Sellsius tour, partnering with Teresa Boardman to vlog and blog the performances.
9.) Trulia Voices, not to be outdone, will go out on a choral tour featuring songs with lyrics based on answers to questions posted at the site. Performance MP3s will be posted free at their site and will also be available as ring tones.
10.) NAR CEO Dale Stinton will go on a consumer-based diet including non-fat technology commodities.
11.) Upstart on line real estate community Wannanetwork will be bought by Donald Trump and leased to AT&T, forming a worldwide network of networks.
12.) Obeo and Krispy-Kreme form a strategic alliance to enhance delivery of its donut-on-a-stick incentive to all eligible-and hungry-Realtors attending their sales presentations.
Obeoair is at NAR this week, so check us out or email me for details!
Obeoman
steven.stearns@obeo.com
(Photo borrowed from futuro-house.net)
(Borrowed from UK Times)
We all know about home, family and what they mean.
Click here to donate to the American Red Cross
And, let's hold them close in our thoughts and prayers -
the victims, the firefighters and their families.
Obeoman
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
(Photo borrowed from Ontario Archives)In China, if you are one in a million, there are 1,300 of you.
Today, we are going to talk about why you milk the cow, get the cream and
how this keeps you moooovin' in the market.
Where to start?
Break out!
Of the old marketing habits. Remember, this market moves so fast, you have to ! Take a look at what you are doing and turn it upside down and shake it out!
Review your budget today and put your money where the consumer is: Better put most of it into your website, virtual tours and if you do use print, make sure you have your website featured prominently in your newspaper ad. Eight out of ten buyers are looking online for their home - realign you budget to reflect that reality! Use some of that money to make sure you can get and send email from where you are and capture client information for leads.
Standout!
Redo your biz card: so they are consistent and high quality. CD business cards with your listings on them? A great way to replace the old biz cards - and keep the Internet empowered consumer engaged.
Renew your information, news and industry education: Be an E PRO - run, do not walk to this Realtor designation! Remember, you have to be ready for the on line consumer and they are going to prefer the E Pro because that's basically where they learn, look and live with their information - on line! YOu should be reading Inman News and RISMedia every day - delivered to your email and for FREE!
And again-Get your BLOG on, and join an online community: Get started by reading blogs! Remember, a blog is a conversation you have with the readers. Respond to blogs-anyone who has one is dying for a comment! Join a community like activerain.com or wannanetwork.com - post in the forums, ask questions and learn from your peers. This is the leading edge of the future, and those who choose not to participate in social media do so at their own risk.
NOW, MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Watch this REMAX realtor Powerpoint - all the reasons and everything you need to know is right here!
Well, call me on my jaxtr at the top of the page if you have any questions, and I will get back to you!
Shake it up and have fun!
Obeoman
(Free Cash Cow ! - found at istockphotodotcom)Okay, ReMax North Central and all other Realtors: for the next couple of days, the blog here will offer a summary of great ways to get your marketing program moving - all crazy and most for FREE!
Start out knowing if you want the cream, ya gotta milk the cow:
-8 out of 10 buyers are on line;
-10-12 months-the amount of time people spend looking on line when they are getting ready to move;
-Right now - 2 hours from now-the amount of time the empowered Internet consumer will expect to hear from you, the Realtor when they find you on line.
-Realtors are Number One - with the Internet consumer - 80% of on line consumers will use the first real estate professional they talk to
Be ready for the empowered Internet consumer:
First, get your listings online at Obeo: 1 million visitors a month can't be beat - the first-class on line statistical reporting and photos you can keep using! -And don't forget to link your own website to Obeo for maximum traffic!
Second, distribute your tours on free sites using postlets : create a flyer with your great Obeo photos and spread the word about your listings at these other key sites for FREE:
backpage.com
craigslist
edgeio
Google Base
HotPads
LiveDeal
Oodle
Propsmart
Trulia
Vast
Third, start blogging and be the neighborhood expert: for free at blogger.com .
Blogging is how you tell your buyers about where you live, the fun you have there, who else lives there, where they can live around where you are and why they should buy a home there. Blogging is a conversation - so talk to these people in your blog like neighbors over the fence about what is going on where you live - after all, they will be your neighbors.
Fourth, get in an online community and get engaged : like activerain or wannanetwork. You'll find other Realtors at these sites, ideas for your blog and better yet, buyers and sellers looking for information from Realtors!
Get another bucket-this one is full - and check back tomorrow and the day after for more FREE marketing tools and ways to make the market happen for YOU!
Obeoman
Yang Huiyan (right) and her (LUCKY!) husband at their wedding.
...a total no-brainer and a great idea to share with everyone!
Anyway, on with the Monday Mashup:
REAL ESTATE IS STILL KING:
Nice little piece from the Birmingham Business Journal - according to a survey by the Guidant Financial Group, the majority of those folks holding money and looking towards their retirement saw real estate as a secure and worthy investment - despite the obvious market issues right now.
There are always peaks and valleys, but if you connect all the high points, the curve still goes up. Tell that to your lookie-loos on Sunday!
...c'mon, get your blog on - watch this:
And since we are all counting on the value of homes, why not add to your value as an agent by being more 2.0? Get started by watching Eric Hersman of Realty Thoughts at Inman TV. Blogging, social networking, being in online communities for Realtors, like Wannanetwork or activerain - all can lead to offline connections that can help you grow your sales. Eight out of ten consumers are online - where are you on that "X"?
...still on the fence? Don't think that all this webby stuff will work for you? :
Better read the Reno Realty Blog by Diane Cohn - she dishes on what is up with real estate in her neck of the woods, how the professional Realtors won't starve and says her blog is helping - so they are spreading the word with blogging classes.
As for me, I am working on a blogger meet-up sometime in the next three weeks for bloggers in Madison and Milwaukee- if you wanna come, just call me or drop me a line!
Obeoman
steven.stearns@obeo.com
...but if Realtors like donuts this much,
...BUYERS LOVE PHOTOS!
1,000 pictures are worth 1,000 leads-sink your teeth into this over at RIS Media.
The fact: as long as they are good photos, make sure:
as many photos of your listing on line as possible.
(This is where Obeo comes in, obviously.)
and in other sweet news, uberblogger Teresa Boardman is at the top of a list of 25 most influential bloggers in 2007 at Inman News.
And deservedly so - she is a "real" blogger who is not afraid to share what she knows about her community and real estate. She is open and receptive to other bloggers and their ideas. And she has a great sense of humor, too.
The list reads like a Whos' Who of Blogging with too many names to drop
- here, anyway.
Laugh and sell !
Obeoman
"The buyers won't move on price and the surplus inventory keeps on growing,
but
if I show them where they buyers are, put their listing there and tell them we are going to look at the numbers in a couple weeks, I know I can sell it."
Now, did that hurt? Feel better?
Good - see you at the Wisconsin Realtors Association get-together !
I gotta go..
Steve
(Donut on a Stick-Comfort Food for Realtors.) 
(photo borrowed from NASA/roverpics)
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