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Articles

Where Do Crimes Against Agents Take Place? Open Houses, Home Showings Are Two Significant 'Danger Zones'
Meeting with strangers in private locations can be an inherently risky activity, and it's something that real estate agents do every day in order to provide their clients with services. But exactly how dangerous is it, or can it be? A recent WAV Group study examined agent safety topics, asking real estate agents if they have ever been the victim of a crime at work, what type of crime they experienced, who perpetrated the crime, and where it happened. The research indicated that open houses and home showings are two locations where agents tend to experience risky situations. 'Have You Been the Victim of a Crime at Work?' Most respondents (62.5% overall) said that they have not been the victim of any crime at work. However, significantly more women than men have been the subject of some type of criminal behavior at work: 24.8% of men reported being the victim of a crime, compared to 44.6% of women. After determining which respondents had been the victim of a crime at work, the survey asked agents who had experienced a criminal scenario at work to share where it took place. Risky Open Houses, Phone Calls, Home Showings More than half of agents who had experienced a crime at work (55.8%) said that the crime took place in one of three locations: At an open house: 20.9% On the phone: 19.8% At a home showing: 15.1% There were some interesting differences between how male agents and female agents who had been the victim of a crime at work responded to this question. Open houses seem to be more dangerous for female agents than for male agents. Of the agents who had experienced a crime at work, 22.5% of women said the crime took place at an open house, compared to 13.3% of men. And female agents are significantly more likely than male agents to experience a crime such as phone harassment. More than one in five female agents who had experienced a crime said it took place on the phone (22.5%), compared to 6.7% of men. This is almost certainly because female real estate agents are inherently attractive targets for perpetrators of phone harassment; their images and their contact information are widely available in the communities where they work. By contrast, significantly more male agents than female agents who had experienced a crime at work reported that the crime took place at a home showing. More than one in four male agents who had experienced a crime (26.7%) said the crime took place at a home showing, compared to 12.7% of female agents who had experienced a crime. Men were also almost five times more likely to say that the crime took place at a private meeting than women, 13.3% to 2.8%. Tips for Staying Safe at Work While brokerages can (and should) implement protocols to help keep agents safe, there is a lot that agents can do themselves to decrease risk and increase their own personal safety. Check in with friends and family. If you're meeting frequently with people you don't know well, establish a check-in system so that the people in your life know where you are supposed to be and when — and can raise an alarm if you're not. Use the buddy system. Bring a friend when hosting an open house, and consider partnering up with others when meeting prospects in private locations. Pre-verify identity of prospects. Before meeting with someone you don't know well, verify their identity, status as a homeowner, and their ability to buy or sell a home right now. Sign up for an answering service. Using an ISA or a third-party service to help you manage your phone calls (and screen them) can potentially eliminate some of the phone-based crimes that agents experience every day. Stay tuned for the full results of the research report, and stay safe out there!
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Real AI: MBAs vs. ChatGPT, NYT and DALL-E 3, and Crazy-Scary Deepfakes
Real AI is a 100% human-created weekly roundup of all things AI in real estate and emerging AI innovations in other sectors likely to impact real estate. Innovation Challenge: MBA students vs. ChatGPT – Who wins? The Wall Street Journal earlier this month featured a terrific story by Christian Terwiesch and Karl Urich, testing how good AI is at creating new ideas. Terwiesch and Ulrich are professors of operations, information and decisions at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Their hypothesis: that when it comes to "identifying opportunities for new ventures, generating a solution for an unmet need, or naming a new company," these unstructured tasks appear to be "ill-suited for algorithms." However, they now argue that large language models like ChatGPT are proving these assumptions wrong. They discovered this by creating a competition, randomly polling 200 Wharton graduate students to determine, "Who is better at generating innovative ideas: the human or the machine?" Describing the process of how they determined the quality of the ideas submitted by both students and the 100 ideas created by ChatGPT, they came to a solid conclusion, and it wasn't even close. They write: "ChatGPT isn't only faster but also on average better at idea generation" by a margin of victory that was 35-5, machine over human. I've often described ChatGPT as one of the best ideation, top iteration, and most accessible brainstorming tools I have ever used. Now, thanks to these Wharton professors, there is research to back it up. OpenAI launches DALL-E 3 ChatGPT's cousin, DALL-E 3, the OpenAI tool that creates images from text prompts, started previewing this week. Unfortunately, it is currently limited to a very small test group. But if you read this in the New York Times, you'd think you can use it now: but you can't! The Times (irresponsibly) writes, "DALL-E and ChatGPT were previously separate applications. But with the latest release, people can now use ChatGPT's service to produce digital images simply by describing what they want to see. Or they can create images using descriptions generated by the chatbot, further automating the generation of graphics, art and other media." That may be coming, but it is NOT available to most ChatGPT 4 subscribers. I know this because ChatGPT 4 told me when I asked it to create an image. ChatGPT 4 responded: "I'm currently not able to create or manipulate images or photos. However, you can create this picture using graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. Here's a simple guide on how you might approach creating such an image," and then gave me instructions on how to use Photoshop (not kidding). DALL-E 3, again not yet available to the masses, is designed to better understand user commands to render images. It also is supposed to improve its ability to include legible text in images, one of its well-known weaknesses, apparently common with AI image generators. These planned improvements are needed. Using DALL-E now can be hit or miss. Sometimes the images are masterful, sometimes they are less than amateurish. This wide range of performance issues are limiting its potential, so hopefully, the new DALL-E 3 will be rolled out to all ChatGPT users and embedded as described by the Times, soon. Examples of the hit-or-miss nature of DALL-E today: Headlines: AI Take 5 3 AI Prompts That Really Work for Real Estate Agents | Tech Helpline (Florida Realtors) - 9/19/23Teach ChatGPT to write like you, organize your input with columns, create stock photos Amazon unveils a 'smarter' Alexa. Its AI has a lot of work to do | The Washington Post - 9/20/23Not ready for prime time, according to the Post, noting Alexa 2.0 kept providing the wrong answers. Highlights From The AI Insight Forum Exploring AI Regulation | Search Engine Journal - 9/14/23Top tech CEOs met with US Senators in Washington, D.C. at an AI Insight Forum Artificial Intelligence And The Boardroom: Immediate Actions Items | Forbes - 9/20/23Lots of advice, including "boards must be realistic, practical, and cautious when it comes to AI. Proceed with caution, but proceed!" How to Use Google Bard AI: 10 Ways It Can Make Your Life Easier | PCMag - 8/13/23Bard's best new feature is the integration with Google search to fact check with one click! Video Bonus: 21 of the best deepfake examples that terrified and amused the internet | Creative Bloq - 9/11/23 Quote of the week To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.
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Scaling Excellence: Strategies to Maximize Real Estate Team Productivity
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How Technology Is Streamlining the Renovation Process for Homeowners (And Their Agents)
For decades, home flippers have been purchasing, improving, and re-selling houses primed for strategic renovations to maximize their return on investment, or ROI. Most homeowners have never had access to what it takes to flip their home successfully until recently. A new category of firms specializes in home renovations, streamlining, and simplifying the process by leveraging modern technology. One of the fastest growing areas in real estate today is pre-sale renovation, which essentially democratizes the home flipping process, giving every home seller the potential to flip their home and maximize their ROI. Understanding pre-sale renovations The concept of "pre-sale renovation" might seem new. Still, for years, many individual real estate agents have been helping their sellers by covering the upfront costs of minor improvements as well as professional staging of a home. Homeowners also often self-funded home improvements before listing their homes for sale. Usually, the goal was to make a home market-ready to sell faster. But diving into the DIY route for pre-sale renovations is fraught with challenges, as many homeowners would learn: Extended timelines: Homeowners often underestimate the time and energy renovations might take, discovering that significant delays can become common at several stages of the renovation, and the disruption in their lives can be substantial. Unplanned or hidden costs: Unexpected expenses, whether from discovering something not anticipated or changing plans, can inflate the budget quickly. Inexperience leads to mistakes: Lack of knowledge can result in choosing incorrect materials, overlooking the right improvements to make based on current market intelligence, or not accounting for needed professional assistance, such as a designer. Financial strain: Paying for a renovation out-of-pocket can be challenging for many, and resorting to credit can incur higher total costs, reducing the final ROI. Finding trustworthy contractors: A reputable and reliable contractor is crucial. Without one, homeowners risk subpar work that might not add the desired value or incomplete work if a contractor walks off the job. Navigating building codes and permits: Each locality has its regulations. Overlooking a necessary permit or not providing the correct information can lead to delays, fines, or mandatory changes. Safety risks: DIYing can pose a safety issue, especially when attempting electrical or plumbing work. No value addition: One of the biggest fears is undertaking the effort and costs, only to find it hasn't significantly increased the home's selling price. As you can see, the challenges in going the DIY route are many, and these pain points spawned the pre-sale renovation movement we are seeing today. Using a pre-sale renovation firm as a solution Compass Real Estate was the first real estate brokerage to formalize the pre-sale renovation process and offer it to sellers throughout the markets it served back in 2018. Still, many real estate agents and homeowners are in the dark about pre-sale renovation. It's about making strategic home improvements before listing the home for sale to get the best price possible. Pre-sale renovation ensures a better net gain for the seller once the home is sold. Agents benefit because a higher sales price typically equates to a larger commission. By handling everything from assessing what improvements will yield the highest ROI and having a design team to create a plan, a pre-sale renovation firm arranges the contractors and manages the entire process, often including securing materials, scheduling, and budget creation and maintenance. Perhaps the most significant benefit to most homeowners is that there are no out-of-pocket costs when using a pre-sale renovation firm. The firm pays the expenses, which are reimbursed at closing. Because technology is reshaping the pre-sale renovation landscape, by partnering with a reputed pre-sale renovation firm, agents are empowered with tech tools that eradicate the need for an agent-funded or homeowner DIY approach. New technology is streamlining the renovation process New technology, including artificial intelligence, enables pre-sale renovation firms to automate much of the process. The result is a more standardized and simplified home improvement process for agents and their seller clients. At the core of this transformation is the use of machine learning and computer vision, making the planning and budgeting phase of pre-sale renovations a breeze. Every seller aims to maximize their ROI, but understanding a property's current value, its potential value post-renovation, and the needed improvements to get there is required. Previously, gathering this information was a tedious task, often taking several days. But, thanks to AI, agents can now get rapid insight into a home's current condition and potential post-renovation value. More importantly, using this new technology, agents can show a potential seller during their home listing presentation what a pre-sale renovation could mean to boost their final sales price. For example, a new tool for real estate agents that is in beta testing uses property images to gauge its current worth and its renovation prospects. It then utilizes a renovation recommendation system, providing estimates rooted in budgets supplied by local contractors. For agents, think smart CMA meets AI-powered AVM, delivering a more detailed foundation for discussions to help agents with their listing and pricing strategy when meeting with sellers. The power of using this new tech – that delivers to a homeowner a renovation budget and potential ROI gain – in seconds, what previously took days, creates a "wow" factor that should help agents win more deals. With these new technological advancements, agents can effortlessly discuss the benefits of waiting a little longer before listing with potential sellers. Showing sellers a comprehensive game plan on the spot is a conversation changer. When sellers learn that everything is taken care of, including financing the improvements that are paid at closing, it creates a win-win for them and their listing agent. Closing more deals The real estate industry is rapidly undergoing a technological evolution because of AI, and nowhere is that more true than with pre-sale renovations. These advancements democratize the renovation process, enabling homeowners to leverage tools, capital, and strategies previously reserved for expert home flippers. AI won't replace real estate agents in this new real estate area empowered by AI, but agents using AI will do more deals than those who don't. Michael Alladawi, CEO and Founder of Revive, is a Southern California real estate veteran with a proven track record as a builder, investor, and respected home flipper. Michael created Revive to share his spectrum of knowledge and help homeowners maximize their profits when selling their homes.
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Products

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BoomTown Marketing Platform
BoomTown is the leading platform to grow your real estate business and the only system proven to 4x your database. With expert lead generation, IDX websites, intelligent CRM, predictive lead insights, success management (and so much more), BoomTown takes the guesswork out of closing deals. Plus, with a Lead Concierge Service of real, US-based & highly-trained Lead Concierges (no bots!), BoomTown actually handles your lead engagement for you. That means, more connections, more conversations, and more closings. Discover why BoomTown is trusted by the top producers in real estate and dominates the Real Trends top lists year after
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Market Snapshot®
Provide your clients with accurate, real-time MLS data that matters. Market Snapshot® syncs with nearly every MLS, with most updated every 15 minutes, so our trend reports are the truest representations of market activity in your clients’ areas of interest.Within moments, your clients are notified of new listings, price changes and sales as they happen – not when they’re updated on public records. Your clients will have the freshest MLS data right at their
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RPR for Commercial
RPR for Commercial For those specializing in commercial properties, this program providers users comprehensive market data on a single platform. You can search for data by demographic, psychographic, or spending information to identify areas of high concentration of the customers your client is looking to target.  RPR for Commercial also helps business owners find a location based on an analysis of spending data within drive time, radius, or general area. Commercial reports can also be put together in minutes for your client to show trade area, business opportunities chart, or property reports as well.
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Industry News

Renting Beats Buying in All but Three of the Largest U.S. Metros
Buying a starter home in the top 50 metros cost $1,111 (60.3%) more than renting in August, as median U.S. rents see fourth consecutive month of year-over-year declines SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 21, 2023 -- The elevated mortgage rates, steep home prices and declining rent costs familiar in today's housing market have made it less costly to rent than to buy a starter home in all but three of the largest metros in the U.S., according to the Realtor.com® Monthly Rental Report released today. In August 2023, the cost of buying a starter home in the top 50 metros was $1,111 (60.3%) higher than renting in those markets on average. "Rents have registered steady declines for the past four months and, while they remain well above pre-pandemic levels, when you factor in the impact of record-high mortgage rates and high home prices, it's understandable that many would-be homebuyers are choosing to remain on the sidelines," said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com®. "The downward trend in rental prices reduces the sense of urgency, giving renters more time to save for a home. In the period ahead as rents soften, we expect more households will remain renters for longer." August 2023 Rental Metrics – National Nationally, rents drop for fourth straight month, while homebuying costs increase Median rents for 0-2 bedroom units declined consistently year-over-year for the past four months which, when combined with mortgage rates hovering above 7% and a low enough supply to drive prices up despite subdued demand, tipped the scales further in favor of renting. In August, homeownership costs exceeded renters' monthly costs by nearly $300 compared with the start of the year. August marked the fourth month of year-over-year rent declines in a row for 0-2 bedroom properties, which overall are down -0.6% year-over-year. Rents dropped -0.7% for 2-bedrooms, -0.5% for 1-bedrooms, and -0.2% for studios. Specifically, the median asking rent in the 50 largest metros dipped to $1,752, down $7 from last month and down $25 from the peak in July 2022. However, median rents remain $336 (23.7%) higher than the same time in 2019, prior to the pandemic. In the majority of the largest U.S. metros, though, renting a starter home remains more affordable than buying one. During the past 12 months, with an average 30-year fixed mortgage rate jumping from 5.22% to 7.07%, the cost to buy a starter home in markets that favor renting climbed at an average rate of 21.4%, increasing from $2,500 to $2,959. Renting beats buying in nearly all major metros, and the advantage is increasing In August, renting was more affordable than buying a starter home in 47 of the 50 largest metros, up from 45 during the same time last year. Declining rents and the increasing costs of buying a home contributed to the jump in savings from renting. While skyrocketing mortgage rates pushed up the cost of taking on a mortgage, climbing home prices expanded the base of mortgages as well, making buying even less affordable compared to renting. The advantage of renting continues to grow in all rent-favoring markets. In the top 10 metros that favor renting over buying, most of which have a higher concentration of tech workers and high earners, both the average cost to rent and to buy are higher than the national average. Austin, Texas topped the list of markets that favor renting, where the monthly cost of buying a starter home was $3,946 – 136.3% more than the monthly rent – for a monthly savings of $2,276. Meanwhile, Baltimore and St. Louis flipped from buy-favoring to rent-favoring markets during the past 12 months. In August 2023, the monthly savings in rent-favoring markets were $483 higher compared to the prior year. The median asking rent declined -0.5% year-over-year in rent-favoring markets, a trend significantly different from 12 months ago. In these markets, the monthly cost of buying a starter home in August 2023 was $2,959, which is $1,183 or an average of 64.3% higher than the cost of renting. Comparatively, in August 2022 buying a starter home in rent-favoring markets cost an additional $700 (36.2%) more than renting. San Jose saw the most substantial surge in savings when comparing renting and buying. In August 2023, renting a starter home in San Jose yielded monthly savings of $3,214, a significant increase from the $1,964 saved last year. Indianapolis, however, saw the largest percentage increase in savings from renting. In August 2023, renting a starter home in Indianapolis would save renters $431 compared to buying, ten times the savings seen 12 months ago ($43). In markets favoring buying, the advantage is shrinking In August 2023, only three of the top 50 U.S. metros favored buying starter homes rather than renting: Birmingham, Ala., Memphis, Tenn., and Pittsburgh; however, the cost-benefits of buying have decreased since the same time last year. In buy-favoring markets, the monthly cost of buying a starter home was $29 cheaper on average, or -2.1% lower than the cost of renting, a significant decrease from the savings of $192 in the same time last year. In particular, the savings from buying a starter home instead of renting dropped from $434 to $43 in Memphis, $282 to $6 in Birmingham, and $139 to $39 in Pittsburgh over the past 12 months. As the benefit of buying diminishes in these markets, prospective homebuyers will need to consider all trade offs when deciding whether to buy or continue renting. This is particularly important given that today's elevated mortgage rates and still-high home prices pose substantial challenges for would-be buyers. To help homebuyers better understand their options, as part of its RealCost set of tools, Realtor.com® offers a free rent or buy calculator, which estimates how long a new homebuyer would need to remain in their home for buying to make more financial sense than renting. "As we noted in our July Rental Trends report, seasonality and recent momentum in the rental market make it very unlikely the market will see a new peak rent in 2023," said Jiayi Xu, Economist at Realtor.com®. "Still, rents remain well above pre-pandemic levels, contributing to ongoing affordability concerns for renters, regardless of whether they plan to rent or buy in the months ahead." Top 10 Metros that Favor Renting over Buying in August 2023 Rental Data – 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas – August 2023 Methodology Rental data as of August for studio, 1-bedroom, or 2-bedroom units advertised as for-rent on Realtor.com®. Rental units include apartments as well as private rentals (condos, townhomes, single-family homes). We use rental sources that reliably report data each month within the top 50 largest metropolitan areas. Realtor.com® began publishing regular monthly rental trends reports in October 2020 with data history stretching back to March 2019. The monthly cost of buying a home was calculated by averaging the median listing prices of studio, 1-bed, and 2-bed homes, weighted by the number of listings, in each housing market. Monthly buying costs assume a 7% down payment, with a mortgage rate of 7.07%, and include taxes, insurance and HOA fees. With the release of its July rent report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting more comprehensive rental listing trends and metrics. The new methodology is expected to yield a cleaner, more representative and more consistent measurement of rental listings and trends at both the national and local level. The methodology has been adjusted to better represent the true cost of primary housing for renters. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the rental data released since July 2023 will not be directly comparable with previous releases and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. About Realtor.com® Realtor.com® is an open real estate marketplace built for everyone. Realtor.com® pioneered the world of digital real estate more than 25 years ago. Today, through its website and mobile apps, Realtor.com® is a trusted guide for consumers, empowering more people to find their way home by breaking down barriers, helping them make the right connections, and creating confidence through expert insights and guidance. For professionals, Realtor.com® is a trusted partner for business growth, offering consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. For more information, visit Realtor.com.
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Need to Move? We're Approaching the Best Time to Buy in 2023
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Local Logic and Plunk Partner to Enhance Data Insights for Residential Real Estate
Location intelligence leader to combine insights with AI-powered home analytics platform to provide the most comprehensive property analysis for the US residential real estate market MONTREAL, Sept. 12, 2023 -- Local Logic, a location intelligence leader that quantifies location at scale to shape smarter developments and more sustainable cities, today announced a partnership with Plunk, a company bringing advanced analytics to residential real estate for more confident investing in the largest asset class in the world. In an increasingly competitive market, the data and insights from this partnership will enable real estate investors, agents, and homeowners to accelerate and improve purchasing decisions. Plunk's AI-powered home analytics platform aims to transform the real estate market by offering real-time insights into home valuation, risk assessment, and remodeling possibilities. Local Logic's core offering provides crucial and often overlooked information on the property's location, including historical and demographic insights. Combined, this synergistic partnership will provide users with all the information on the property and its location to drive better decision-making for investors and home buyers and create a more efficient workflow for agents. "Real-time data and localized market insights play a crucial role to investors, homeowners, and real estate professionals," shares Brian Lent, co-founder and CEO of Plunk. "Plunk and Local Logic strive to fully power the residential market with the information it needs to grow exponentially. Combining our efforts will drive a new level of innovation in the industry." Local Logic has a reputation for partnering with some of the most prestigious tech vendors in the residential real estate industry, such as Black Knight, Constellation1, CoreLogic, Inside Real Estate, and MoxiCloud. As a leading insights provider for the real estate industry, Local Logic brings in unparalleled expertise and granularity. "Plunk has created industry-leading data solutions in the residential space," says Vincent-Charles Hodder, co-founder and CEO of Local Logic. "This partnership will further drive our mission to empower end-users with the technology and insights they need to make better-informed real estate decisions." This partnership comes off the heels of a $13 million Series B financing round with the primary goal of further quantifying the role that location plays in the success of real estate investments and arming investors with definitive data that will enable them to make the best possible decisions. Additionally, Local Logic plans to continue expanding strategic partnerships with broker sites and MLS organizations to further impact residential real estate decision-making. For more information on Local Logic's solutions, please visit locallogic.co. About Plunk Plunk is the first AI-powered, real-time home analytics platform leveraging next-generation applications of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and image analysis to revolutionize the way homeowners, real estate professionals and investors value and invest in residential real estate. For more information, please visit www.getplunk.com. About Local Logic Local Logic is a location intelligence platform that digitizes the built world for consumers, investors, developers, and governments – delivering unrivaled clarity and actionable insights capable of creating more sustainable, equitable cities. With more than 75 billion unique data points – the largest unique location data set in the U.S. and Canada – the platform creates a digital twin of cities, quantifying the built world and offering predictive, precise analytics to inform the present and future of over 250 million individual addresses.
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EasyKnock Acquires Home Management Platform Onder
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Companies

realtor.com®
Realtor.com® pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today through its website and mobile apps is a trusted source for the information, tools and professional expertise that help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. Using proprietary data science and machine learning technology, realtor.com® pairs buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. Find property info from the most comprehensive source of home data online at
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Homesnap
      Founded in 2008 and based in Washington DC, Homesnap is a trusted real estate search platform for people to explore homes and search MLS real estate listings -- online or from a mobile phone. Using the Homesnap app (available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices) you can snap a photo of any home, nationwide, to find out all about it. For listed homes, you may be able to see interior photos too! When you’re ready to buy or sell real estate, you can contact a real estate agent within Homesnap to schedule a showing or list your home in the MLS. Homesnap is powered by a specialized homes database that combines hundreds of disparate sources of data. Our data feeds include: over 40 MLS real estate databases, property tax records, census data, geographic boundaries, property polygons, school information, mortgage rates and
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Realtors Property Resource® (RPR)
This initiative is based on the collaborative efforts of REALTORS® and the real estate community, including Brokers, MLSs and Associations. RPR’s core mission is to reinforce the REALTOR’S® value in the market place by keeping them ahead of the technology curve and better able to serve today’s’ technology empowered
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CRS Data (Courthouse Retrieval System)
Empower your REALTORS® by adding the MLS Tax Suite as a membership benefit. Since 1989, CRS Data has provided a wealth of accurate and reliable property data. Our MLS Tax Suite provides customizable and comprehensive access to property records, prospecting tools, neighborhood comparables and extensive mapping layers. We constantly improve our MLS Tax Suite based on user feedback - and then deliver with personable customer
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Webinars

Mastering Real Estate Marketing in 2023: Back to the Basics
When home sales decline in a market, it may feel natural to pull back on spending to conserve your resources. But is that really the right approach? Instead, top agents take the opposite tack: they get even more aggressive on promotion because they know their competitors are cutting back. This leaves an opportunity for top agents to expand their presence. Then, when the housing market turns favorable again, they can come out stronger than ever. Fortunately, you don't have to spend a ton on promotions to be successful. In a recent webinar, we learned how to act strategically to market yourself to sellers and give your listings a virtual advantage. Watch the webinar recording to learn more: Webinar Guests Michael Vervena, VP of Sales and Marketing, Planitar, Inc. Moderator: Marilyn Wilson, Co-founder and President, RE Technology Video Timeline 0:00 - Moderator Marilyn Wilson introduces the topic and panelist. 3:40 - Michael Vervena talks about current market challenges. 6:55 - Buyers and sellers are starting their real estate journey online. 8:35 - What do home sellers expect from a real estate professional? 11:27 - Meeting home buyers' expectations. 17:35 - How to give your online listings a virtual advantage. 22:03 - Technology that provides accurate and reliable data to meet buyers' expectations. 42:20 - Strategies for sharing your listings on social media. 43:11 - How to demonstrate your value by showing your client what you did for them. 48:35 - What makes iGuide unique, and how it helps your marketing strategy. Next Steps To learn more about iGuide, visit GoiGUIDE.com To find a service provider in your area, visit goiguide.com/residential-real-estate Read articles about Virtual Tours, Floor Plans, and Online Marketing Explore more Virtual Tour, Floor Plan, and Online Marketing solutions in our Product Directory Watch more webinars
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Online Marketing Boot Camp: Don't Be the Invisible Agent
Can your ideal clients find you online? Making your business visible to potential leads isn't as simple as throwing up a real estate website. Online marketing isn't like Field of Dreams — if you build it, they may not necessarily come. They will, however, come if you undertake a consistent marketing strategy. And it doesn't even have to be complex or time-consuming. The key is cross-promoting your marketing content across various platforms so that you reach consumers wherever they are. We learned all about this in a recent webinar. Watch the recording below to find out how easy it is to get started with an online marketing strategy that puts your business in front of your ideal clients. Webinar Guest Brandon Zwingman, National Business Development Consultant, Elm Street Technology Video Timeline 0:00 - Host Brandon Zwingman introduces himself and the webinar topic. 4:11 - The top five online platforms that most agents aren't using in their online strategy. 6:37 - Email marketing: what kind of emails to leverage, how to use them, and what content to include. 18:05 - Blogging: the benefits to SEO, your online visibility, and how to promote. 20:13 - Facebook: Business pages, how often to post, the most valuable types of posts. 33:33 - LinkedIn: "The silent powerhouse" for real estate marketing. 40:00 - Your website: your central place to be found on the internet. 44:22 - The key to effective social media marketing. 47:08 - The way consumers search has changed. 48:00 - Local ranking factors on Google. 49:37 - Setting up your Google Business Page. 53:00 - The importance of your online brand. 56:27 - Money making goals to set for your online reputation. 1:00:41 - A look at how OutboundEngine can simplify your online marketing strategy. 1:14:58 - Go to bit.ly/profilereach to see how your business is displayed online. Next Steps Visit OutboundEngine.com to learn more Read articles about Online Marketing, or explore more Online Marketing solutions in our Product Directory Watch more webinars Register for our upcoming webinar, Real Estate Marketing in 2023: Focus on the Fundamentals
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[WATCH] The Ultimate Lead Generation Machine: How to Keep Your Repeat and Referral Gears Turning
Did you know that 67% of all real estate leads come from repeat and referral clients? To help our readers learn to nurture this side of your business, we recently co-hosted a webinar with Morris Marketing Group. Webinar attendees learned the latest research on lead generation and conversion, as well as answers to the following questions: Where do the best leads come from? Who is converting them? What is their strategy? Watch the webinar recording below to learn why lead conversion is just as important as lead generation, how to find quality leads, and how to keep your repeat and referral business humming along. Webinar Guest Phil Hollander, VP of Business and Professional Development, Morris Marketing Video Timeline 0:00 - Host Phil Hollander introduces himself and the webinar topic. 5:00 - What type of real estate agent do you want to be? 6:13 - What does having a vision for your business look like? 7:29 - Why you need to generate a steady flow of leads. 7:55 - The Lead Spectrum: a different way to look at leads. 11:33 - Two ways to evaluate a lead. 13:09 - The ideal lead situation. 15:14 - The four dominant personality types of lead generation and conversion. 23:50 - A look at the Prospector and Converter personality types. 25:56 - A look at the Networker and Marketer personality types. 28:59 - How are clients choosing agents these days? 29:57 - Why having a systems-based business is critical to your success. 33:51 - The Success System for generating and converting leads. 36:15 - Component #1 of the Success System: Direct mail newsletter. 40:32 - Component #2 of the Success System: Email newsletter. 41:17 - Component #3 of the Success System: Market updates. 42:29 - Component #4 of the Success System: Birthday and move-in anniversary outreach. 43:01 - Component #5 of the Success System: Phone calls. 44:09 - Component #6 of the Success System: In-person client events. 45:20 - Component #7 of the Success System: Annual real estate checkup. 47:29 - Component #8 of the Success System: Your website. 49:08 - Component #9 of the Success System: Blog and social media content. 51:21 - Strategies for qualifying your database. 53:31 - Quick overview of what we've learned so far. 54:50 - Does the Success System work for new agents? 58:21 - Learn more about the Client Referrals system with a free 20-minute consultation. Next Steps Contact Phil Hollander via email or at 800-308-6134 ext. 217 for a free 20-minute consultation Visit MorrisMarketingGroup.com to learn more Read articles about Lead Generation, or explore more Lead Generation solutions in our Product Directory Watch more webinars
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[WATCH] Lead Gen Boot Camp: Strategies to Keep Your Pipeline Full
It's a changing market, and like many agents, you may be wondering what the future of your business will look like. How can you invest in your business, and in serious lead generation, during a shifting market? "You can't be a one-trick pony," says Dylan Handy of Elm Street Technology. "You can't rely on one source of lead generation. In a market like this, you have to be really creative." During a recent webinar, Dylan walked us through lead generation strategies across multiple platforms: social media, your website, online ads, organic traffic and more. Watch the webinar recording below to learn how to keep your pipeline full and thriving even during a fluctuating housing market. Webinar Guest Dylan Handy, National Business Development Consultant, Elm Street Technology Video Timeline 0:00 - Host Dylan Handy introduces himself and the webinar topic. 5:02 - What's the ultimate goal of lead generation? 6:10 - Why your website is your "front door" for online business. 8:51 - Driving traffic to your website: the difference between organic and paid strategies. 10:05 - The best social media platforms to drive organic traffic to your website. 11:27 - How to increase your SEO value by blogging. 13:08 - What should you blog about? 17:49 - The ins and outs of leveraging Facebook for lead generation. 24:45 - Overview of other major social platforms to leverage. 28:27 - The key to effective social media marketing. 30:06 - Why you may not be getting leads from your current website. 32:11 - Using paid traffic to drive website traffic. 40:54 - Real estate portal leads vs. search engine and social media ads. 43:20 - Three components of online lead conversion. 45:50 - Lead nurture follow-up systems and processes. 47:50 - The secret to successful social media marketing and online lead generation. 49:30 - Leveraging automated systems and processes. 52:30 - How Elevate's all-in-one solution can help you generate, nurture, and convert real estate leads. Next Steps Contact Dylan Handy via email or at 508-963-2163 to sign up or learn more Visit ElmStreet.com to learn more Read articles about Online Marketing and Social Media, or explore more Online Marketing solutions in our Product Directory Watch more webinars
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WATCH: How to Get More Referrals (Even in a Tough Market)
Referrals are some of the best leads a real estate agent can get. In fact, 89% of agents say that referrals are their most successful marketing tactic. And while 70% of sellers say they would use the same agent, only 25% do. Fortunately, there's a way to improve the latter statistic. We teamed up with OutboundEngine for a recent webinar to explore the ins and outs of referrals—including asking for them, cultivating them, and staying top of mind so past clients are more likely to refer you. Watch the webinar recording below to learn active (and successful!) referral generating strategies: Webinar Guests Brian Bolton, Customer Experience Team Lead, OutboundEngine ‍Owen Lindsley, Senior Account Director, OutboundEngine Video Timeline 0:00 - Brian Bolton introduces the topic and fellow panelist. 5:05 - What are referrals? Why are they important? 8:20 - The value of referrals. 13:08 - Referrals don't just happen. 14:21 - Three steps to a predictable referral process. 16:51 - Why your clients aren't sending you referrals. 21:02 - How to ask for referrals. 22:50 - Step 1 of asking for referrals: Find the right time. 24:50 - Step 2: Make it easy. 27:17 - Step 2: Just do it. 28:51 - What can we learn about referrals from industry leaders? 30:48 - The power of email marketing. 32:48 - How email marketing drives referrals. 33:55 - Examples of emails that ask for referrals. 36:55 - Staying in touch via social media. 38:48 - Building and maintaining your online credibility. 40:48 - How to control your online presence. 44:05 - Three tips you can act on right now to get more referrals. 49:16 - Owen Lindsley shares how OutboundEngine can help real estate pros earn more referrals and build their online reputation. Next Steps Visit OutboundEngine.com to learn more Read articles about Online Marketing and Lead Generation, or explore more Online Marketing and Lead Generation solutions in our Product Directory Watch more webinars
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