What’s New from the NAR Tradeshow?

by Bernice Ross, Ph.D. MCC
Owner, Teleclass4U.com, LLC and RealEstateCoach.com

Copyright © 2007
RealEstateCoach.com and Teleclass4U.com
All rights reserved in all media.

The biggest surprise at the NAR Tradeshow this year was the lack of new technology. Nevertheless, there were a number of new products that can help you build your business in 2008.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the steady onslaught of new technology, it appears that current innovations are more about refining existing applications rather than the invention of entirely new technologies. The trade show at NAR was packed with vendors, but there was little new in the technology field. What appears to be happening is the consolidation of services among vendors. For example, Point2Agent.com announced that their syndication service now covers 30 different websites including Zillow and CyberHomes (which is the feed for AOL.com).

Here’s a look at some of what’s new for 2008.  

1.  Stazzle
The most interesting new technology comes from a company called Stazzle (www.Stazzle.com). According to the Stazzle website, their patent pending system allows you to generate “hundreds of leads” from just a few referrals. The system looks like a genealogy tree that traces where each of your referrals originates. Stazzle allows you to track birthdays, anniversaries, favorite ball teams, and favorite restaurants. More importantly, it allows you to track who referred clients to you and then allows you to mail or deliver your choice of cards, flowers, chocolates, gift baskets, etc for every holiday. The simple layout of Stazzle makes it easy to see who is sending you referrals while simultaneously giving you a strategy for tracking and generating new referrals.

2.  A New Mashup from RealBird
RealBird.com has a solution for one of the challenges faced by single property websites (i.e. www.333ElmStreet.com). Normally, if the listing has sold, web visitors surf to another site. The RealBird solution allows your website visitor to view other current MLS listings on a map, provided you have an IDX link on your site. According to Gabe Gross, this new tool allows the user to share not only the single property website, but the related search of other listings as well. Gross encourages the agents to keep these websites active, even after the property has sold. Single property websites can be “emailed to friends, shared via social book marking, or posted on Facebook.” More importantly, the links created through use of this strategy increase the agent’s standing on Google. “Over time, as more and more properties are sold and kept, there will be a significant cumulative effect on the agent's search engine standings deriving from the presence of all these websites.”

3. One stop shopping for television, radio, and messages on hold
For agents who would like to add television, internet radio, or XM radio to their services in 2008, Rainmakers International (http://www.rainmakersintl.com/) offers a number of packages where you can produce your commercial and distribute it using their media buying packages. The fee for a typical radio commercial runs in the neighborhood of $400. They will also assist you with the placement as well. This company also provides a number of solutions for people who would like to have an advertising message on hold rather than music on hold.

4.  Video and Bandwidth
One of the challenges with using video email or posting a number of video virtual tours to your website is bandwidth (i.e. storage and how quickly you can access the video.) A company called CoVideo systems (http://www.covideo.com/services.php) charges $95.00 per month to host your videos on their site. When you use video extensively and have high traffic to your site, your site can crash if it has insufficient bandwidth. The CoVideo system helps you to avoid that disaster. They also notify you when your videos have been viewed as well as providing a robust system for tracking visitors.

5. New Low Tech Products
In terms of low tech ideas, the KWNashgroup.com will lease or sell you a moving truck with backlit sides. This really stands out from conventional vehicles that rely on a painted message or decal to advertise your business. The back lighting on the ad makes the truck look as if it has a television screen on its side. It’s definitely eye-catching. 

Two other fun products are designed to minimize the dirt buyers may bring into your listings. One product was a door mat that had a picture of the property and/or the agent. No matter who walked into the property, it was clear which agent had the listing. My personal favorite from the conference, however, was from the Bootie Butler (www.BootieButler.com). For less than $100, you can avoid having visitors track up those new hardwood floors or those recently cleaned carpets. All they have to do is to put their foot into the Bootie Butler, and it automatically wraps their foot in a protective covering. That’s a lot cheaper than having the carpets cleaned a second time.