InvestmentRiches.com and Signil Wealth Consulting Group announced that they are hosting first Investor Summit 2007 – Real Estate Market Forecast in Las Vegas, NV, November 10-12, 2006.    The summit will guide investors toward the top real estate markets in 2007 and will offer the attendees advanced analytical techniques for statistical real estate data.   Article…..

Home price appreciation during the second quarter of 2006 was at it’s slowest rate since the forth quarter of 1999.  Nationally, home prices increased 10.2% from the second quarter of 2005 to 2006.  The East south central states had the highest home appreciation of 8.3% , while the New England States had the lowest home appreciation of 0.8%  Read more……

I read an interesting article in Classified Intelligence about a study which detailed the way that spending in real estate marketing is moving away from print and towards online. While realtors appear to be advertising more on free sites like Craigslist and Google Base, the main shift in spending was towards realtors personal websites and blogs.

This marks a departure from traditional online marketing channels such as paid search and online newspaper listings, and shows that realtors now realize that with a bit of time and effort they can become highly relevant in natural search and compete with bigger real estate firms.

This merely confirms what we have been saying for the last six months, which is that as a realtor you do not need to spend a lot of your budget on paid search, print, radio or tv. All you need is blog branding. The blog levels the playing field for smaller firms to be able to compete for the dwindling number of home buyers who are looking for something extra and want to work industry leaders.

When I discuss real estate podcasting, most people think that I am talking about something to do with the IPod. That is not a bad assumption as podcasts can be downloaded onto a portable device like an Ipod, but in reality most podcasts are viewed on blogs or websites. According to Wikipedia a podcast is a method of delivering multimedia files over the internet using syndication feeds. These files are then played back using a pc or mobile device such as an Ipod.

What that means in English is that realtors can use their blog to deliver video and or audio to potential clients. The podcast is an incredibly easy, effective and inexpensive way to create your own commercials. For realtors particularly, it is one of the huge side benefits of having a blog. The podcast enables them to show their personality to clients, and helps tremendously in creating a recognizable brand. Podcasting instantly differentiates the realtor from the competition and shows that they are willing to identify and embrace new ways of serving their clients.

Everyone has a story about how much of a pain it is to put together a website. Production delays, design issues, control issues, the basic functionality of the site; the list is endless. There are some good templates out there for real estate professionals, but for the most part getting a new site is a laborious and painful process.

In actuality, you don’t need a website. All you need is a real estate blog. The price point is low, and our company can deliver in a reasonable time frame. You get all the benefits of the blog; search rankings, podcasting, RSS, subscriptions without the high cost or hassle of having a website. We also add additional contact and information pages, profile pages, local resources, and can set up the blog/site so that you can import your mls listings.

So if you are thinking about a new site or a facelift for your old site, don’t use old technology. Use a blog. Blogs are the future of real estate marketing.

Real estate agents that go the extra mile for their clients should write about it. Here’s the thing….most real estate agent’s websites are the same. They list all of their credentials, showcase their awards but never display the hard work they put into earning them.

Real estate blog marketing gives agents the opportunity to tell their story. Agents can tell their prospects just how they have achieved what they have achieved over the years. Simply listing credentials and awards doesn’t cut it for todays knowledgeable internet searcher. With all the information they need to make a decision at their fingertips don’t miss the chance to showcase just what you can do for them.

If you aren’t telling your story online how are buyers and sellers supposed to know about your hard work ethic? Showcase your work ethic with your real estate blog and earn more business!

One of the stats that is often understated when we are discussing our real estate marketing programs with clients is how much traffic is available for those on the first page of search engine results. I think we just assume that the web is a powerful tool and source of business without actually taking a look at the numbers.

If you take a mid sized city like Raleigh as a barometer, there are hundreds of different keyword searches that will lead customers to your website. ” Raleigh real estate”, “Raleigh realtor”, “Raleigh nc relocation” etc.  If you take the top 10 search phrases, there are over 400,000 searches conducted on a monthly basis. That’s a lot of searches, translating into a lot of potential business. If you have a real estate blog, and you write three times a week, you will get your website and eventually your blog in front of these people, establish yourself as the expert and increase your business.

I was talking with a client today who had a for sale by owner website. He was talking about how the new buyers market would really have no impact on his customer base. Buyers would be less inclined to use a broker, and more inclined to list their properties on his site. Sellers are the opposite.

Real estate marketing professionals, on the other hand have to be more creative in attracting a shrinking amount of buyers. Traditional methods of word of mouth and referral have to be augmented by a strong presence online. A real Estate blog is the most effective way for a realtor to increase awareness of their brand online, increase listings and grow market share. Realtor blogs are popping up all over the internet, a trend that will continue to strengthen over time.

It seems that July was not a good month for the US housing market. Sales of existing homes hit a two year low, and the number of homes on the market hit a thirteen year high.

So what does this all mean for realtors and their real estate marketing plans? Well, realtors will certainly have to do more marketing to get in front of the available buyers. They will also have to be more creative, and tap into previously untouched markets.

That is why blog marketing makes more sense than ever. Call us and see how you can make our real estate blogs work for you.

In looking at the real estate market every day, it is immediately apparent that there are a wide variety of real estate marketing companies looking for realtors’ business. In the online arena you can spend your advertising dollars on SEO, paid search, affiliate marketing, mass emails, real estate directories, websites and portals…the list is almost endless.

The simple truth is you don’t need any of them. All you need is a professionally designed and business oriented blog. It may sound too good to be true, but our clients find that simply setting up a blog with Real Estate Blog Marketing, and writing about their city is all the marketing they need. So join the blogging revolution, start writing and increase your business.