Real Estate Marketing SEO Blog

MSN The New Google Slayer?

So what does the largest Software manufacturer do when it decides it wants to get "serious" about search?

Call their platform new.

-New relevancy (better than Google)
-New technology, with big words (like neural network  ranking and natural language)
-New search types-Targeted, Exploration, and Discovery
-New Spell Corrector
-Larger Index
-A newer-faster Index

And if you go over and do a search, we see spam, more spam and not much relevancy. Live 3.0 coming anytime soon?

Robert Bruss

A few years ago I met Bob Bruss thru a client named Brian Yui. Bob was contributing to Brian's Home Buying book, and Brian thought we should meet.

I was eager for the introduction as I knew Bob to be a real estate legend. I remember reading his advise 20 years ago  in the San Francisco Chronicle back in my college days. He is the Dear Abby of real estate. So I was absolutely thrilled to meet him when he came into town attending a conference in L.A.

We had lunch and I found him to be an incredibly sharp and a passionate man. He was at an Internet Marketing conference for goodness sake.

I had heard he was sick of late and was saddened to learn a few moments ago that the great Bob Bruss had passed away. He will be remembered as the sage of real estate. And hopefully those that were able to meet him, even for a moment in time, will be inspired as I was by his wit and passion.

He leaves behind him a body of work that any real estate professional and/or investor should embrace.

Universal MLS

Recently I hinted that I believe that the current MLS system is dangerously susceptible to being replaced. Possibly by an outsider.

The only way to fix this problem is for the MLS's to get themselves in touch with technological realities and to create a true Universal sharing of data.

As it happens ( as reported by Inman), 3 of the largest multiple listing services in Wisconsin just announced an aggregation of real estate data that will benefit members across the State.

This is a major move that hopefully causes more influential states to take notice. Meanwhile, Colorado real estate broker Creed Smith, has recently created Universal MLS. Smith has plans to build a new MLS. The idea is not new by any means, however few insiders have attempted such an approach.

He has a hefty challenge as few have the wherewithall to change  industry habits except for a nicely funded startup. It is only a matter of time.

Top Internet Friendly Cities

An Ohio State University research study determined accessibility by the number of internet connections to and from each city through 41 major commercial internet backbones:

1. Chicago
2. Washington D.C.
3. Dallas
4. Atlanta
5. New York
6. San Francisco
7. Los Angeles
8. Denver
9. Seattle
10. Houston
28. San Diego
Source: CityMayors.com

More Good News

Just when you thought the world was going to hell in a hand basket. Just recently:

• U.S. Mortgage Rates Drop Below Year-ago Levels
• The economy has expanded faster than expected
• The trade deficit has been reduced
• Housing inventory has shown signs of stabilizing. This according to a recent Zip Realty statistical compilation.
• The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, on Wednesday agreed to allow both companies to buy more subprime loans. Meaning help for those we thought were sure to go into foreclosure can now possibly refinance.
• Commercial Real Estate is booming across the country. A record $257 billion was invested in commercial real estate in the first seven months of 2007, up from $146.7 billion in same period in 2006 — that total does not include transactions valued at less than $5 million, or of investments in the hospitality sector.
• The Fed recently this week sliced one-half a percentage point off the federal funds rate, cutting it to 4.75 percent from 5.25 percent. This may or may not be the solution the market needs. But it will certainly help over time.
• The median closing sales price of Chicago Condos For Sale for the Week ending August 22nd was up 8.5% from the same week last year. Sales are off, but prices remain steady to strong.

Thought some positivity might be in order before the weekend.

Digital Suicide

How An Industry Gives Away Its Power

When Microsoft defended themselves from the Feds for acting as a monopoly, most could have predicted the outcome. The prosecutors simply did not understand the case. Why?

".. Blinded Me With Science!"
          Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science

Selling technology is easy. Just layer perceived value on top of perceived value until you make your case. Never mind that the cool bells and whistle are worthless. The consumer, in this case the Government was swimming in a world they just don't get.

The Inevitability of "Free"

Or, when Angels Refuse to Fly

Out there on the property web we see many value propositions. It isn't anything new to place listings online in a vertical portal. Surely Trulia is a company who is in the right place at the right time.  However one wonders when the Angels will ask for a revenue model. Which brings us to... Free is Free: The way most largely backed websites start off is with a good idea for a website that would get visitors (eyeballs they call it) but without the distraction of a revenue model. I am told that the Investors do not take much attention at a venture unless the website generates 3 million uniques. But at some point the Angels get tired of carrying a site on their wings.

Like the open source software that is freely available,you have competitors that make themselves freely available and they are the noise that devalues and fuzzies your message. What can you do to change the conversation? To reframe the debate?