Technology Archives - Page 5 of 30

Apparently, an iPad Changes Everything (in Real Estate)

in Technology on December 27, 2010 December 28, 2010

For my (potential) seller clients, being able to have a conversation about the listing process with the iPad as the facilitator will be simple and functional. … Now taking recommendations on best apps and practices. :)” Within a day, I realized that everything had changed: Top 5 Observations: 1 – I’ll be able to leave the Macbook at home.

… For those of you interested, these are some of the first apps I have installed: – Google Mobile – Must have – Box.net – Dropbox – Must have – Evernote – Docusign – Must have – if I could mark up Contracts on this, it would be nearly perfect. … I can’t get morning print delivery where I live, so this makes my annual subscription worthwhile. – NYTimes – BBC – Tweetdeck – Twitter – Friendly Plus (for Facebook) – Flud – Flipboard – CNN – CNBC – Angry Birds – Smurfs – Star Walk

Gone Droid – A Step in the Evolution

in Technology on November 15, 2010 November 15, 2010

Following up on my “What’s next in Real Estate Technology” series … It’s been five days since I switched and while I miss the simplicity of my Blackberry – it does email and phone calls extremely well – So far I’m happy that I decided to buy the Droid Pro .

…I do a lot of mobile uploads, and the 5 meg camera, while not the 8 meg on the Droid X, is better than the 2 meg on my BB. Qik – I’m going to be testing this soon. (more on this later) Skype is a bit better on the Android, I think. … I know this – visitors to RealCentralVA.com are using mobile devices* – and I’d like to encourage more. 🙂 1 – iPhone 2 – iPad 3 – Android 4 – Blackberry 5 – iPod 6 – Samsung * They’re so much more than phones.

What’s Next in Real Estate Technology?

in Technology on November 10, 2010 November 10, 2010

This stuff fascinates me because it make for a better search experience for consumers and will eventually trickle its way to the Charlottesville market. (and Nest released a new version of our search , and my Charlottesville home search just got faster) – Lifestyle search – I want to find and live in a neighborhood with other people around my life stage – with kids, near a park, 20 minutes to one spouse’s work, walk to a coffee shop and a library, ride a bike to the other spouse’s work, close to a Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods, with utilities that are below average in a well-built house, priced lower than the assessed value that is oriented to allow for solar panels, with high speed access, close to the Downtown Mall on a cul-de-sac. – More content creation for and by real estate people – across the spectrum – Geo.

…I want to know what’s happening in the real estate market – what people are searching for, what they’re buying, how many foreclosures are out there, how many people are buying houses with ceramic tile, how many with gray-water systems, how many off-the-grid and more.

…For example: if I put a video up of a property I’m marketing and use my primary youtube account (the easiest way to upload and share video) I can be and will be flagged for “branding” because the consumer can find me via youtube. – MLS – other websites can resize photos. … There is no excuse. – Part One – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Interactive Floorplans – Part Two – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Real Estate Video – Part Three – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Paperless Transactions . – Prologue – What’s Next?

Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Part 3 – Paperless Transactions

in Technology on November 3, 2010 November 3, 2010

When we were meeting a few weeks ago, they were looking at the faxes I used to send them, discussing the websites I used to put up for them – photos of neighborhoods, areas, houses, etc. and we were talking about how things have changed and evolved since then. When we put my clients’ house on the market a few weeks ago, they were looking back at their files from when they built five years ago.

…In 2011, I am strongly considering not recommending lenders who don’t get this – if their processors, their underwriters etc think that electronic signatures aren’t “real” I am going to have a very difficult time working with them. … Part One – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Interactive Floorplans Part Two – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Real Estate Video Part Three – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Paperless Transactions.

Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Part 2 – Video

in Technology on October 27, 2010 October 28, 2010

When we were meeting a few weeks ago, they were looking at the faxes I used to send them, discussing the websites I used to put up for them – photos of neighborhoods, areas, houses, etc. and we were talking about how things have changed and evolved since then. … Now, video is ubiquitous and more consumers now have and use high speed internet: But, it is important to recognize that only two thirds of Americans have broadband access at home: The adoption of broadband internet access slowed dramatically over the last year .

…For example: if I put a video up of a property I’m marketing and use my primary youtube account (the easiest way to upload and share video) I can be and will be flagged for “branding” because the consumer can find me via youtube. – The Consumer Doesn’t Care about Realtors’ squabbles about branding. … Part One – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Interactive Floorplans Part Two – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Real Estate Video Part Three – Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Paperless Transactions .

Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Part 1 – Floorplans

in Technology on October 20, 2010 October 22, 2010

…I work with a lot of international and out-of-state buyers who are relocating to the Charlottesville area; I am constantly seeking out tools that will enable me to help facilitate our relationships and transactions. … I can’t tell you how many Interactive Floorplans: For years, I’ve wanted to have an interactive floorplan that showed the floorplan and pictures of the rooms at the same time . … This is a link to a floorplan , and I’m embedding it after the jump. (provided by Floorplan Online ; here’s a nice review of them ) This is a dead-simple implementation of something I’ve wanted for years, and I’m thrilled to offer it.

The Future of Real Estate (Search and More)

in Technology on October 4, 2010 October 4, 2010

Will this be the future of how people will search for homes? I rarely share “industry-type” stories here, but this post speaks to how I anticipate my clients will be searching for homes in the next one, three, five years. … My goal as a Realtor is to maintain my edge, my understanding of the market and my value proposition for my clients through representation. And where does the Google fit into all of this?