Slowly but surely, they are coming along. Local real estate search site CurbedPlaces continues to improve. There are bugs (the street I grew up on is nowhere to be found, and the map goes blank when I search for it), but it remains intriguing to watch. I still think that ShackPrices remains the local real estate search to beat and/or model.
Browsing Category sideblog
Smart growth is stupid
So says Randal O’Toole. I have a post in the works, but wanted to note Charlottesville Tomorrow’s video of yesterday’s event.
Finally! We are really no longer the #1 place to live
The “#1 City” slogan is no more. But how does the new one, “A Great Place to Live for All of Our Citizens” work with the new tourist website, Pursue Charlottesville?
Brief comment on RedFin
Robert clearly knows that he is writing for an international audience, something all real estate copy should seek to emulate)2 – There is an extraordinary amount of conversation in the re.net, but this is the most succinct comment I have yet seen about RedFin. The fact that Kelly Engel didn’t take the time to physically look at the property her clients were buying is more a commentary on the level of service she offered as a Realtor than on Realtors overall. I suspect Redfin is a better fit for her as an employer.One point that I thought was the most interesting was Glen, the Redfin CEO, mentioning how one of his agents does 8 deals a week. I think this translates into 5 hours per client from start to finish which shows the tradeoffs clients need to make when choosing between discount brokers and full service Realtors.My conclusion is that Redfin is great for people who want the Home Depot remodeling experience.
Good to know
Not that I have any plans to libel or slander anyone. And a good reason to not have ads.
Trulia launches new features
I tend to stay away from national news that every other real estate blogger will write about, but this will likely impact how people search for homes in the Charlottesville area…. Or, if I like a particular house, but I don’t like the asking price, I can subscribe to get an email notification of future changes made to that one listing.I can set up any number of tightly focused searches, each with its own email alert or RSS feed…. Some added-cost IDX systems permit saved searches with email updates, but then the search is not terribly more robust than Trulia’s.Why, oh why, oh why, is this so seemingly impossible for MLS vendors (at least the three with which I have personal experience)???MLS’ may have the best data (for now) but few of them seem to be innovating at a rate even remotely approaching that of Trulia, et…. Check out Albemarle County’s heat map:Again, the data is not yet close to complete (our MLS shows 1039 properties for sale in Albemarle County), but visually, the results are outstanding, and a very good start.
Google analytics gets more user-friendly
Read about it at the Google blog and the Google Analytics blog. I look forward to (hopefully) emailing my listing clients the traffic that is being generated for their listings, among other reports. Technology is great; using technology productively is often an entirely different conversation.