Tales from the Techside

A couple of weeks ago I went to Inman in San Francisco for those who are not familiar with the Inman Conference it is essentially a gathering of Technologists, REALTORS, Brokers, and innovators. Brad Inman the host of the conference does great job of putting speakers together and giving people an opportunity to share ideas and network.

I know this information may be a bit dated but I think it has value especially for those who actively participate in the real estate profession however it should still resonate with those on the periphery as well.

Bottomline: the industry has an influx of creative ideas and talent which is driving the creation of ”web 2.0″ solutions aimed at putting information in front of the consumer and the consumer in touch with a REALTOR.

Highlights:

• Blogging - REALTORS are becoming more aware of the power of blogging
• Video Sharing - More and more people are seeing the value that video is bringing to the consumer experience
• Podcasting - Not much interest yet but I think REALTORS are beginnings to see the potential value in it
• Listings are key to attracting users to these social platforms
  • resonating throughout was that people are turning more and more to the Internet when making a house purchasing decision.
• REALTORS and Brokers alike are recognizing the value in using emerging technologies to meet the younger consumers where they like to hang out. I heard a number of discussions regarding Facebook, MySpace, and Second Life
• Consumers drive the success of online communities, the companies that invest in developing a rich user experience are seeing more return on investment then companies that spend time focusing on “exposure” and “page views”
• The proliferation of online tools is making it easier and easier for REALTORS to reach the consumer it is also making it easier to reallocate resources when making spending decisions.
• I heard a number of attendees talk about using voice over IP and Instant Messaging to obtain constant communication.
• Virtual Assistants and online applications such as Google Spreadsheets, and Write were also popular
• Lead generation carries more impact when it is backed up by substance such as calls, or emails not when it is simply a page view.
• Mashups and Embeded content was looked at as positive things and are desired as an MLS service
• Reputation management “EDentity” is important to manage and something that people are not as aware of as they should be.
• REALTORS bring just as much value by connecting with people and doing offline marketing as focusing online one exposes them to a wider audience then the other but both depend on your business.

As stated earlier some of this information may be dated and even to some degree self evident but I think it still holds merit. What is your perspective is the information above on point or off? If you attended Inman did you get the same insights or were your insights different?

-Mark Flavin

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