One of the panel discussions at the recent Bloodhound Blog Unchained covered the topic of online reputation management with: David Gibbons, Zillow Rudy Bachraty, Trulia Jeff Brown, www.bawldguy.com Real Estate Investments Broker Here are some of the best ideas and tips I gleaned from the discussion: • Leverage your blog presence by commenting on blogs - reaching the audience you seek • Use Google Alerts to receive updates on topics of interest. Set up a Google alert on your name, company, etc. • Zillow & Trulia agree that when someone trashes their company – it is a great opportunity to... Read more →

Andy Kaufman and Brad Coy presented and demonstrated Twitter, the numerous applications available to enhance your Twitter experience and how to use it all at the BHB Unchained Conference on May 20, 2008. What is Twitter? A microblogging platform that asks the question..."What are you doing now?" A communication channel and social network You post to Twitter in 140 characters or less via your mobile phone or the web It's text messaging, instant messaging, and email rolled into one service that allows you to communicate instantly with a group A potential addiction and time-waster or a unique way to stay... Read more →

Brian Brady shared his obsession with marketing and how "ubiquity" works with the Unchained Conference attendees on Day 2. Brian is everywhere on the Web 2.0 /RE.net webscape and he showed us how he does it. Some key points from Brian's discussion: New customers are the life blood of your business, including referrals from your past clients and sphere of influence. The Internet automates your Unique Selling Proposition - how you stand out from your competitors. Web 1.0 - static, your business card and brochure online. Web 2.0 - an exchange, participatory, interactive. The empowered customer has all info available... Read more →

My second day at the BloodhoundBlog Unchained Social Media Conference proved to be more than I expected - these guys know how to deliver the good stuff! The morning started with an epiphany and intriguing historical review from Greg Swann on, well, history - from primitive cultures to the Greeks to the 20th Century. I loved how he tied the history and philosophy to the evolution of Web 2.0. Visit the Unchained You Tube Channel for all the videos. The epiphany - read/view more on this BloodhoundBlog post and Greg's April post on the subject: You are free to THRIVE... Read more →

Pre-Conference day at the BloodhoundBlog Unchained conference in Phoenix proved to be chock full of nuggets and solid content. In fact, I have already implemented many and made changes to my blog as a result of what I have learned today. Here's a recap of the key points for me: Mary McKnight of RSS Pieces covered a lot of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tips and lead generation strategies: Use SEO tools to analyze the effectiveness of your blog: SEOBOOK WebsiteGrader SEOCentro Use a call to action on your blog - a button with "Search 20,000 listings"; "What is my home... Read more →

This editorial opinion by Cyril Moulle-Berteaux, "The Housing Crisis is Over" appeared in the Wall Street Journal on May 6, 2008 and has been getting a lot of attention in the blogosphere. The author quotes historical real estate cycles and claims the national housing market is approaching the bottom now based on a variety of facts and economic trends: Home sales peaked in July 2005 New Home sales are down 63% from peak levels Housing starts have fallen more than 50% Affordability - prices have declined while, generally, incomes have grown Brett Arends asserts in his article "Is Housing Slump... Read more →

Open Houses...You either love 'em or you hate 'em. And based on your attitude about them and as a real estate agent - they either work for you or they don't. In my experience, open houses are the single, easiest, most cost effective way to make money and generate leads in the real estate business. Let's consider the benefits: Marketing exposure for your sellers and your active, saleable listing inventory. There have been offers written and accepted on the actual property an agent is holding open! Opportunity to meet and work with buyers and sellers and make additional sales. The... Read more →