Blog
As Mortgage Rates Rise, Here’s How You Can Use Home Sales Data To Approach “Fence-Sitters”
As mortgage rates rise this year, now is the time when it would be smart for a real estate professional to feature home sales data on their website.
Why? Because the human condition that all brokers and agents disdain is about to change. That condition is known as “fence-sitting” and people are going to see very quickly that not making a home buying decision today could be costly for them... Read More
Use the Latest Real Estate Marketing Tools to Monopolize on New Interest in “Surbans”
There is a new housing phenomenon making the rounds called “surbans” and here’s how you can use real estate marketing tools to promote this hot, upcoming trend.
The reasoning behind this movement seems natural. Millenials and others prefer the idea of living in cities where there are plenty of amenities – restaurants, clubs, museums, stores, etc.
But, home buyers are... Read More
How New Brokers Will Use Real Estate Data To Compete Against Established Brokerages
You own a real estate brokerage firm in town that has been established for years.
A full Rolodex of clients. Plenty of referrals. Brand name familiarity around town. Agents immersed in the community and working every networking group out there.
Life is good.
For a new brokerage or real estate agent to crack into your market, it will take some doing. They will have to wear out lots of shoe... Read More
Experts Say 2017 Will Be The Year To Market To Millennials – Do You Have a Mobile-Ready Real Estate Website
The Fiscal Times recently issued its “Real Estate Trends to Watch in... Read More
Real Estate Map Tool is the Key to “Amenity Marketing”
New York City is adding a new subway line. So what’s the big deal? Just ask the developers who are flocking to the area and building around it like crazy.
As everybody... Read More
Home Sales Heat Up in California. How Brokers Can Set Themselves Apart with a WordPress Real Estate Website
It’s deja vu all over again as the real estate business in California is heating up. That basically means brokers and agents need to be on top of their game with responsive WordPress real... Read More
The Value of Property Sales Data and Hot Markets
When it comes to finding hot markets, property sales data is golden. And as real estate professional knows, there are a number of factors that can turn any market into a hot market, fast.
Take a recent example from overseas. The entire world was surprised one day when “Brexit” took place and citizens in Britain surprisingly voted to leave the European Union.
Many pundit, experts and Brits woke up scratching their heads with two BIG questions.
How did that happen?
What happens next?
Well it didn’t take long for the consequence of that... Read More
Wine Social Media Guru Gary Vaynerchuk Offers Advice on Real Estate Content
What do wine and real estate content have in common? According to web guru Gary Vaynerchuk, quite a bit.
You might have heard of Gary. He’s the guy who built a $50 million empire selling wine – all on the internet.
The guy loves social media. He... Read More
How to use a WordPress real estate website to capitalize on latest trends like “Agrihoods
Real estate professionals need to know – if you want respond to trends quickly, there are several reasons why the best way to accomplish this is with a WordPress real estate website.WordPress Now Powers 26% of the Entire Web. Why isn’t it Powering Your Real Estate Website?
Apple. Facebook. Google. By now, everybody knows... Read More
Real Estate Email Can Be More Enticing With This Data Tool
Real estate email is a beautiful invention. So why do so many real estate brokers and agents not utilize it correctly?
There’s a real estate data tool that can fix that.
First of all, despite all the new social apps out there such as Instagram, Snapchat and Tumblr, the old... Read More
Neighborhood Data Matters and Here Are Real Estate Tools to Show Home Buyers and Sellers Why
How important is neighborhood data? A recent article in US News and World Report talked about real estate trends that a person in Chicago should consider before they sold their... Read More
How “Agent-Generated Content” is the Next New Thing in Real Estate
Today’s Millenial home buyer is a different breed of consumer. Savvy agents and brokers can revise their strategies to meet this change by employing the latest in real estate data technology to create “agent-generated content.”
As anyone can see, when you have a generation raised on iPhones and iPads, the way they make a purchasing decision is going to be different.
This is a generation that can buy a gadget from Amazon on their phone in just a few seconds by hitting the 1-click button.
For this group of consumers, there is less calling friends and... Read More
Real Estate Data Can Boost the First Impression of Agent Websites
Use real estate map search tool to promote “Starbucks Factor” for home listings
People love their lattes. We mean, really love their lattes. So much so that those overpriced cups of coffee can actually affect the price of real estate in the surrounding area.
It’s true. Researchers have found that... Read More
Use Real Estate Data To Move Up In Search Rankings
Realstir Takes Innovative, Consumer-Focused Approach to Traditional Real Estate Websites
When it comes to those large real estate portals, sometimes it appears as though the model is not fully optimized for the benefit of the consumer or an agent.
Here’s why.
Consumers have difficulty getting all the information they need unless they fill out a lead form or call an agent first. Agents get shut out of areas because they are not paying enough.
Realstir is out to change all that. The San Diego based company is taking an entirely new approach to the real estate marketplace. They want to give... Read More
Real estate trends for 2016
School boundaries can now be easily featured on real estate websites
One of the most important pieces of information a real estate agent or broker can place on their website to help parents has nothing to do with a property itself. It’s school boundaries. Those critical lines on a map that will determine which school a child will attend.
As everyone knows, the choice of a school is a very, very sensitive issue. Children might wake up one morning, get dressed and hop on a bus, thinking going to school is no big deal. But people in the know do know that there is quite a bit of activity going on behind the scenes with some parents... Read More
Real Estate WordPress Themes Rules To Follow
When it comes to real estate WordPress themes there are many advantages. And then there are the minefields.
When the difference between a shoddy WordPress-based real estate site can mean the loss of buyers for million dollar homes or sellers for your target neighborhoods, you might want to invest the time to make the right choice.
Here are some of the do’s and don’ts when deciding on real estate WordPress themes:
First of all, be sure to find themes in the real estate niche. There is nothing clunkier or more time consuming (and will be more... Read More
One Ingredient You Need for Successful Real Estate Website Design
Sure, there are lots of factors that go into a real estate website design. But there’s one word that best describes what any agent or broker must aim for in their website design – and that word is “wow.”
Yes, the “wow” factor. It’s not a very technical web design term such as HTML, XML, PHP, MySQL, CSS or SEO.
But at the end of the day, it’s not web technicians who you are looking to impress with your real estate website. It’s home buyers and sellers. And the one item that will have the most impact on them,... Read More
Are Home Buyers Really Searching Homes By School Attendance Boundaries
Why is the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song “Teach Your Children” so popular? Because educating the young is one of the main responsibilities of any civilization. And that is why data about school attendance boundaries is so important for real estate agents and brokers.
In a recent survey of 1,000 home buyers conducted by Realtor.com, 91% of them said school attendance boundaries and buying in a high-quality school area zone was important to them. Some real estate professionals will tell you they have worked with buyers who felt finding a home with... Read More
Walk the talk by providing “walkability” data and tools to Millennials
Marketing experts will tell you that certain words have incredible power. The word “free” or “guaranteed” for example. When marketing to Millennials, real estate brokers and agents would be smart to pay attention to the word “walkability.”
It would also be smart to have real estate data to point out the “walkability” of the properties they are selling.
Because here’s the reality. Every generation is different. Some generations loved cars. A car was not always within reach of Americans. Certainly not as many as we have now... Read More
To meet Google mobile requirements its best to consider a WordPress real estate website
As a real estate professional you may have heard about Google’s “Mobilegeddon” event earlier this year. The update to their ranking algorithms took place on April 21 and leading up to that date, Google essentially told all website owners your site had better be “mobile-friendly” or you are going to lose rankings.
But the story doesn’t end there.
And this is why a WordPress real estate website is the best when it comes to “responsive” web platforms that can adapt to all sorts of configurations whether on a desktop, laptop or... Read More
The big fallacy that big real estate data can only be offered by big players
Various experts are saying they believe big real estate data is only going to be the domain of the mega-real estate sites such as Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and others.
One person even said, “It will become increasingly difficult for individual real estate agents to be visible to consumers both online and offline as the consumers follow the larger data sources online.”
Not so. It might appear that way. But that’s the big misconception.
It used to be that way perhaps But the beauty of the state of data technology in 2015 is how it is leveling the... Read More
It was geography, not people, who shaped history
Traditionally, the way we learn about history is through the characters involved.Articles on how to find the best agent are missing the point on real estate big data
There are several articles circulating on the web about how to choose a real estate agent.
They all seem to say the same thing and they all also miss out on a few important qualities that brokers and agents should possess in this day and age.
That includes the latest real estate search and data technology. But more on that in a second.
Here are some of the usual tips these articles include when looking for an agent:
– Talk with recent clients. Sure, good advice. But be wary, any professional can always keep a handful of happy clients in their back... Read More
The secret to keeping new year's resolutions
It’s a new year and you got your resolutions all set to go.
You plan to increase your real estate business, lose weight, exercise more, spend more time with the family or a friend, travel, paint the house, whatever it may be.
Now we all know where most of these resolutions end up. Sometimes you think, geez, I might as well throw in finding a cure for cancer and ending all wars.
Resolutions are tough.
But the folks at Self magazine have some smart suggestions.
First of all, limit the number of resolutions. The fewer goals, the more likely you will hit... Read More
December: the "tenth" month and end of a long year
It is so incredibly fitting that the holiday season comes at the end of the year.Think about it? Wouldn’t you want to end the year on a high note? Celebrating with family and friends?
If the world isn’t weird enough with all this talk of such strange words such as iPads, Nexus’ and... Read More
How to market properties in today's coupon economy
It’s no secret this country has gone through some tough economic times and is on the slow road to recovery.
A few years ago, jobs disappeared. Housing dropped. Wallets and pocketbooks shrunk.
Things appear to be getting better – the unemployment rate is declining and the demand for real estate listings in... Read More
What's the "tipping point" when it comes to hyper-local real estate?
It’s not often you are credited with creating a new or popular phrase in the English language.
Writer Malcolm Gladwell took the term “tipping point” to a whole new level with his book of the same name published in 2000.
He pointed out there are three characteristics of a tipping point – one... Read More
Use "hidden gems" to increase your Facebook followers
We were sitting around the other day with a bunch of friends who lived in our area for quite a while.
I mentioned a funky and delicious restaurant we checked out recently.
They had never heard of it.
And they were quite impressed with our local knowledge.
This got me thinking about how real estate brokers and... Read More
How to glow when "Googled"
I read an interesting blog the other day from a real estate agent who held an open house.
She met a nice young couple who toured the house and then came back and spoke with the agent.
“Yea, we Googled you,” they said, apparently happy with what they found.
Googled... Read More
When it comes to personalization in real estate, how "sick" is your website?
I thought about this the other day while I downloaded an app on my smartphone. There’s a major underlying shift taking place with consumers.
Take iPhone apps for example. Okay, you might enjoy photography apps, someone else might like games and someone else might prefer weight loss... Read More
Data is "lighter these days" so load it up on your real estate website
While there is always the usual amount of bad news going around, there was one major bit of great news recently that few people seemed to notice.
And this bit of news has implications for anybody who owns a website.
IBM just announced the launch of their Sequoia BlueGene Q supercomputer and its stature as the fastest... Read More
Agents on "Million Dollar Listing" emphasize "lifestyle" and you should too
Have you ever watched Million Dollar Listing? It’s a show on the Bravo network where three 30-somethings sell real estate in Malibu and Hollywood.
With their luxury cars, weird haircuts, and super-wealthy clients, this almost seems like a fantasy reality show.
Their names are even trendy – Madison, Chad and Josh (what, no Biff?).
I watched it the other day and almost fell off the couch when one of the young men proudly declared, “I don’t sell just real estate. I sell a lifestyle.”
Like nobody, including the rich, has ever... Read More
Tools for dealing with Google's real estate search dominance on smartphones
Have you participated in a conversation lately and someone asks, “Who was that guy who played in the movie (insert title here)?
“You know who I’m talking about, the guy with the (insert unique character traits here).”
After a few minutes of everyone wracking their brains, someone finally pulls out their smartphone and finds the answer in nanoseconds.
Are you taking a close look at what is occurring here?
Your smartphone is no longer just a phone. It’s an information device. And you might take a closer look at how this is changing the... Read More
When selling real estate, are you obeying the "law of geography?"
There seem to be a bunch of very unique laws out there. I’m not talking about regulations against speeding or stealing.
But laws concerning big ticket items – Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, or the Law of Large Numbers.
There’s one law that everybody in the real estate profession should be familiar with: The Law of Geography.
It was developed by a brilliant American-Swiss doctor of geography, Waldo Tobler (not that other Waldo, although, you could make a connection because it does involve places).
The First Law of Geography states:... Read More
Deloitte designates "Geospatial Visualization" as one of the top Tech Trends this year…and we've got it
Remember all those years of... Read More
When a development provides 'no amenities,' use a positive spin
It makes sense that real estate would be booming in a city that never sleeps – NYC.
Believe it or not, some experts say those insane housing prices in New York City are a bargain.
Sure, they are high, but they are not hysterically high like in Tokyo or London or Paris.
There are other factors causing the boom – super low interest rates in the US, inquiries from overseas investors and a scramble by Wall Street wonders who now apparently have more faith in real estate than in the stocks they sell.
This has caused some interesting trends, including a rush to... Read More
Would you get an "F" for school data on your real estate site?
I was speaking with an acquaintance of mine the other day, and was surprised to hear he recently moved to the other side of the country.
“Yea, we like the schools here better. We were considering a private school where we lived before but thought it would smarter to just relocate.”
2,000 miles!
That’s quite a leap.
Now I know he didn’t just move 2,000 miles for the schools, but our conversation kept nagging at me and I would not be surprised if it was 80% of the reason why he hauled his wife and two kids more than halfway across the... Read More
Tis' the season for real estate agents to take pride in the service they provide
As families gather in their homes for the holidays, if you are a real estate professional, you’ve got to have some feeling of pride knowing you found the right home for many of these families.
Many times in our professional lives we get caught up in the numbers – how many sales, how many... Read More
Real estate broker calls SpatialMatch his 'Magic Map'
Everyone in business knows, you don’t always get feedback from a satisfied customer. Many times they are just too busy.
But when one of your clients refers to your product as “magic,” well, you just gotta listen.
That’s what happened at Team X Real Estate in Los Angeles.
Broker Emmanuel Xuereb wrote in his blog that he has added the SpatialMatch IDX and lifestyle search engine to his web site.
It is “the most incredible new technology for searching properties,” Emmanuel writes. “And we are the... Read More
How to position your market area as a candidate for the list of "Great Neighborhoods"
If you watch the hit NBC show, Parks and Recreation, you probably cringe every... Read More
Google wants to see "stickiness" – here's how SpatialMatch will improve your site
You may have noticed a while ago how your searches on Google were starting to produce an inordinate amount of sites that were not exactly what you were searching for.
Instead of real estate information, you found bogus pages with nothing but Google links on them.
While the folks at Google had... Read More
How to cash in on the "walkability" craze
The term “walkability” is a hot new buzzword in real estate circles.
Most of you have a rough idea of what it means just by the word itself. But walkability involves more than just putting one foot in front of the other.
Basically, the term concerns how-user friendly a certain part of a community is designed. It asks the basic question: how easy is it for people to not only walk but shop, visit, mingle, enjoy or spend time in an environment? How “pedestrian” is it?
Factors to consider include sidewalks, bicycle paths, traffic, road conditions, safety... Read More
With SpatialMatch you can make nearly any property "family-friendly"
There is probably no more appealing phrase to a person looking to buy a house than “family-friendly community.”
It just has a nice, wholesome ring to it, doesn’t it? Conjures up an image from “The Beaver” with mom inside the house cooking and kids playing... Read More
This year's top real estate movie award goes to….
Isn’t great to see a low-budget film make it big?
Independent movies like “Little Miss Sunshine” or “Sideways.”
Movies that don’t have overpaid movies stars and cost a gazillion to make and make you wonder after two hours, wouldn’t all that money have been better spent, say, rebuilding a country.
Our nomination for independent Real Estate Movie of the Year has to go Mark Richert’s film titled “I Want to Live Near a Starbucks.”
It’s only 2:13 minutes long. But it touches the lives of nearly every... Read More
Marketing guru tells real estate agents to quit now. Here's how to fight back.
If anything is apparent today, it is that nothing stays the same. Look at search engines. Remember Alta Vista? Lycos? Yahoo as the place to start searching on the web.
Not any more. While technology is providing us with incredible devices, it also has a nasty edge to it. It disrupts the status quo.
This is very... Read More
Let's give them something to Tweet about
Everyone knows that famous Bonnie Raitt song “Let’s give them something to talk about.”
For real estate brokers and agents in 2011, it should be “Let’s give them something to Tweet about.”
Yes, a site that amazingly only... Read More
Customizing the search process orgranizes the "chaos" and keeps consumers returning
The real estate industry has clearly lagged other industries in customization possibilities for “real estate search and display.” Think about it.
On the web you can customize everything – my song playlist, my favorite videos, my bookmarks, my news, my friends, etc. etc. etc.
Customization exists in order to recognize individualism and make things personalized and relevant to each person.
But to... Read More
"Farming" techniques are changing. Do you have the right tools?
It used to be that America’s farmland was made up of small farmers with moderate acreage. Today, the small farmer is complaining that they are being put out of business by the mega-farm corporations.
How did that happen? The simple answer is that efficiencies were made to the... Read More
Realtors now have a tool to effectively use the persuasive technique of "scarcity" in any market
By now most of you are familiar with Groupon. It’s a company that cuts a deal with a local advertiser, say a restaurant, to offer a sizable discount of 50% or more.
The catch is, consumers have ONE day to buy the deal.
Does this work? Well, Groupon had $750 million in sales last year... Read More
Generating high-quality real estate leads requires a "give"
On the Internet, if you want to get something, you’ve got to give something.
It is old fashioned Internet behavior to expect me to fill out a contact form before I can even see what you have to offer.
Real estate marketing is no different.
It’s ironic that more than 80% of home buyers start their search for a home on the web, yet, most real estate sites offer users very little or at times nothing in return for their contact information.
SpatialMatch gives agents and brokers a very effective tool to capture leads. Using our... Read More
How to create "buzz" about your real estate business
People who take the time to research products online are not only a great segment of the market because they tend to buy big-ticket items at a higher rate than other adults.
They also like to talk about it.
According to BIGresearch, about half (47%) will give advice to others on what they found, compared to 29.4% of all adults who might tell others.
“Consumers who research products online appear to be more knowledgeable and eager to share information,” said Gary Drenik, of BIGresearch. “Because they are likely to tell a... Read More
Location, location, location is being redefined by today’s lifestyle search driven buyers
What do short distance, safety, and time savings, all have in common? Answer: they are rewards of selecting the right location that meets my lifestyle for my next home search, and my last one. Let me explain:
This is going to sound strange. But the best thing I liked about my old house was not the architecture, or the swimming pool, or the atrium in the kitchen.
It was the fact that the house was located 1/2 mile from a movie theater.
Hey, I love the... Read More
Buzz starting to build about SpatialMatch’s neighborhood/lifestyle search tool
It’s all smiles around the office this week as we received a tremendous boost for SpatialMatch with both a plug on national TV and coverage by a leading real estate technology columnist.
We’ll start with TV. A Fox Business reporter interviewed Joseph Vranich, a business relocation coach, about how businesses are... Read More
At Inman conference, Realtors "get" the use of lifestyle search technology
For any person who has ever endured the challenges of exhibiting at a trade show, there is no better feeling in the world than when a visitor comes back to your booth for a second visit. And, they bring a colleague.
Our group came away from the San Francisco Read More
It’s here. Home Junction is proud to announce the beta release of groundbreaking real estate search tool
After two years of intense development implementing hundreds of millions bits of hyperlocal search data, Home Junction Inc. has released the beta version of its SpatialMatch platform.
To put it simply, SpatialMatch is a geo-spatial neighborhood and property research tool that incorporates everything a real estate agent needs to help home buyers find the home that best matches their lifestyle.
“We’re excited to bring this sophisticated new real estate search tool to the Realtor community” said VP and... Read More
Inman News features the benefits of SpatialMatch and "hyperlocalism"
Geez, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
The popular real estate technology web site, Inman News, recently posted an article by columnist Bernice Ross touting SpatialMatch and the importance of “hyperlocalism.”
Bernice is no neophyte to the real estate profession. She has more than 30 years experience, is a Certified Master Coach, and is the author of two books. Including her latest one – “Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success.”
When it comes to marketing an entire lifestyle, rather than just a home, Bernice sees the pixels on the... Read More
How “Year of the Tablet" will change how real estate is sold
Imagine if, 20 years ago, you were a real estate agent who dabbled in writing science fiction.
You might write a short story that goes something like this: super-savvy real estate agent Jenny Jetson drives up to a showing with her client in a new hybrid electric car. Before she opens the door to the prospective property, Jenny pulls out a thin and glossy 9 x 12″ “electronic tablet” and touches an icon marked “SpatialMatch.”
With the tap of a button, a satellite view of the home appears instantly. When she clicks on another tab, a map appears.... Read More
How to use the ‘Scarcity Rule’ and ‘Lifestyle Amenities’ to sell more homes
Would you pay $1.5 million for five cents? Someone did. In 1996, a coin collector paid that amount for a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel.
Real estate agents continually use the same principle which created the high purchase for this coin. It’s called the principle of scarcity. Expert Dr. Robert Cialdini calls it “the rule of the few.” To define this phenomena in simple terms, he says “the idea of potential loss plays a large role in human decision making.”
Sure, if you’re selling a unique house or... Read More
I’m A Lifestyle Relocation Specialist
I don’t know if you’d put “Lifestyle Relocation Specialist” on your business card, but you’d definitely want to incorporate this marketing message into your brand image. The fact is; if you just sell homes, then you are a data-commodity and your unique selling proposition is getting harder to convey, unless of course, you have the bragging rights to say; 100% market share, 100% sold rate at 100% asking price in just 0 days!
I doubt it!
There are other ways to set yourself apart from the commodity elements of the industry. You... Read More
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /var/www/html/hji-2015.hjstaging.com/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4365