22 May 08 
The Hunt for a New Home Starts Online
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According to a recent National Association of Realtors’ profile of buyers and sellers, only 7 percent of all buyers went and visited an open house as their first step when searching for the right home to buy. In fact, it is estimated that close to 90 percent of all buyers start hunting for their next home on the Internet.
So where does this leave the open house? Many real estate agents will not conduct an open house unless insisted upon by the agent’s client; and when an open house event does take place, a rookie agent is often asked to host the event on behalf of the owner’s agent. Newer agents will often request to baby-sit the open house in order to gain leads by introducing themselves to would be buyers and sellers.
If a potential buyer does attend an open house, or if the buyer wishes to view a home for sale in person, it is most often after he or she has found electronic information – pictures, textual description, and other information gathered via the Internet.
Tags: home seller, homebuyer, internet, NAR, national association of realtors, new homes for sale, open house, real estate agent
20 Feb 08 Who is the greatest real estate agent in the world?
Who is the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World
Well… if you’ve bought or sold a home in California anytime recently, you probably employed the greatest real estate agent in the world and didn’t even know it! That’s right! Ask any Realtor or real estate agent throughout California who the number one agent is, and he or she will certainly tell you it’s them! If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the list of number one real estate agents below.
Lyon Real Estate – www.GoLyon.com – is apparently the greater Sacramento Region’s #1 Real Estate Company. My only question is… Why then have the FBI and IRS seized documents relating to a real estate scheme that duped investors out of roughly $9M? Read about the KCRA 3 investigation here.
John Vostenak – www.JohnVostenak.com – is self-proclaimed as the #1 real estate broker / agent, Realtor representing clients since 1984. No mention of who was number one before 1984.
Homeland Realty & Investment – www.SoldByWilly.com – boasts #1 Realtor’s Website in Orange County. A quick search for ‘#1 Realtors website in Orange County’ on Google, Yahoo, and MSN didn’t back this statement. In fact I couldn’t find Willy’s #1 Realtor Website anywhere in the top 50 results for that phrase or ‘Orange County Realtor’.
Joseph and Kim – www.KimSchneider.com – I’m not sure how it is possible, but somehow they’re both the #1 real estate agents for West Hollywood. They must be tied for first!
Finally, a real estate agency that understands… It’s not about declaring that you’re #1 or the greatest real estate agent in the world. It’s about much more, such as performance, integrity, caring, and commitment!
I like the message on the Sam Snead Real Estate website – www.SamSneadRealEstate.com – instead of asserting that they are the greatest; their message is simple, “Sam Snead Real Estate, where the customer is #1”!
I have never done business with any of the real estate agencies listed above. I can’t tell you whether or not they provide quality service and advice. I would assume that they operate in the utmost professional manner and that they’re excellent real estate agents. My point is that the greatest real estate agent in the world isn’t necessarily the one who claims to be.
When looking for a real estate agent, don’t just take their word that they are number one; ask for references. Better yet, talk to your family and friends who’ve recently bought or sold a home, and ask them about the quality of service that they received throughout the process. If you get positive feedback and they recommend a particular agency or agent, start your research there.
Take the most obvious precaution, Google them! Search the Internet for complaints or any unlawful acts. If your search comes up empty, call their references to ensure you will receive what you are promised, but most importantly what you would expect from who is undoubtedly the greatest real estate agent in the world!
Tags: California Real Estate, homeland realty, john vostenak real estate, lyon real estate, Real Estate, real estate agent, sacramento real estate, west hollywood real estate
19 Feb 08 The Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World
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The Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World
Who is the greatest real estate agent in the world? Right now it’s a title up for grabs, but on May 1st, 2008, we will find out which agent, according to Google’s search engine, is worthy of the title “The Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World”! Thanks to Eric Bramlett, the Austin Real Estate Agent who came up with the idea for a contest and title, and Morgan Carey of Real Estate Webmasters, we will soon be able to recognize real estate agents for their constant drive to learn effective ways to market real estate properties online.
Among other things, a great real estate agent is an expert in communicating, listening, understanding and real estate. They meet the needs and exceed the expectations of their client’s throughout the entire process of listing, selling or buying a home. The winner of this contest won’t necessarily be the greatest real estate agent known to man, but they’ll prove that they’re educated in search engine optimization, a crucial part of marketing your real estate listings online.
The goal and how to win the title:
The winner of this contest only has to meet one requirement, get to the top of Google’s search results for the phrase – greatest real estate agent in the world – and still be there when the contest ends May 1st, 2008. Of course, there is a lot that goes into reaching and maintaining good Google rankings, and with some of the best search engine optimization experts from around the world competing for the title, all contestants will have their work cut out for them.
On May 1st, 2008, the person holding the top position after a keyword search for: greatest real estate agent in the world; will win the title and prize (mentioned below). Google operates multiple data centers around the world and results for searches can differ from one data center to the next, so determining the winner may be a little difficult. I’m not sure if the contest includes Google domains in other countries.
The Rules:
No cheap shots below the belt or in the back of the head, no biting, no head butts and no kicking when your opponent is on the ground (Yeah Right!).
Contestants can use any domain in their control. This means anything from a MySpace page to a blog-site and everything in between. In addition, they need to follow Google’s Guidelines for Webmasters. I believe contestants are also encouraged to share things that they’ve learned from others during the experience but it’s unclear if this is expected before or after the contest.
Other than that, unless I’ve missed something, it’s going to be a contest full of traditional search engine tactics, creative practices and hopefully new experiments yet to make it into the mainstream field of search engine optimization. I doubt any webmaster will participate in shady schemes as most of their techniques will be under the watchful eye of their competitors.
The Prize:
The prize is a free Real Estate Webmasters (REW) template website, free hosting for a year on the new V 2.0 REW platform and the company’s $2500 CORE IDX accompanied with the $360 yearly fee on top of it; total value of the price is well over $4000. The prize is fully transferable – if you’re a real estate broker and you win, it could be a nice incentive package for a top performing real estate agent.
The announcement of the contest and its prize were offered by a well know Real Estate company, Real Estate Webmasters, the company specializes in custom web design, IDX/MLS solutions, search engine marketing and website templates.
The contest will likely help many webmasters better understand what’s needed to compete in today’s real estate industry and more importantly educate them on the best techniques and practices to use when engaging in search engine optimization. The contest will be both fun, and entertaining as we watch some of the best Internet real estate experts compete for a new title and worthwhile prize. In addition to the many contestants and sideline enthusiasts, there will be a few critics of the contest voicing their disapproval of the possible spam associated with such an event.
Who do you think is going to be the first winner of The Greatest Real Estate in the World contest? Can they find you a kitchen like the one below?
Tags: google, my space, real estate agent, search engine optimizing, seo contest
