Technology Social

While many associations are focusing on the use of social networking/media as a way to communicate with members, the most powerful benefit may be in learning to leverage social tools to build powerful rivers of information. Very few organizations have really institutionalized this powerful aspect of Web 2.0 interactivity-a shame because there is zero cost, and huge upside when done right.

We live in a knowledge economy, and a big part of the value that associations provide is the discovery, aggregation and distribution of information about an industry to group members. In a knowledge economy, smart people win, which also means smarter organizations have a better chance of prospering. We get smarter by improving the volume of knowledge we can jam into our brains. Accept that simple formula, then you will understand that the Internet and social tools now supply the most powerful way to feed the brain that we have ever seen. Read the rest of this entry »

According to the National Association of Realtors, the average work week of all realtors nationwide ranged from 40 to 59 hours. No doubt most of those hours are during afternoons, evenings and weekends. Plus, does it include time on the phone, traveling between appointments and fighting with a fax machine? The real estate business is definitely not for the faint of heart. It takes tenacity, stamina, creativity, patience and an eternally positive attitude. Then again, if you want to be one of those agents who makes more than the average $48k annually, you will need to have a firm grasp of technology and a willingness to go the extra mile.

For now, we will skip the lecture on finding new clients 24/7 and the endless pursuit of market statistics. Let’s focus on the technological tools available to make a realtor’s job more efficient, less stressful and more client focused. The first thought that may come to mind is a website. A simple web page with contact information, credentials and a bit of a personal prospectus would be good for some business, but do not rely on it. The National Association of Realtors reports that 37% of all realtors have had zero business generated from a website. That is an important figure to consider, but keep in mind that having your contact information online is still very important for existing clients and other agents. Read the rest of this entry »

Today, even during a recession we’re pampered with amenities enabling us to keep up to date with each others goings on. Mobile phones adorn almost everyone’s pocket and high speed broadband is the norm in most households. Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace as well as other file sharing websites such as YouTube and Flickr are some of the most visited sites on the net. Now, mobile computing and mobile broadband are becoming a more and more common trend as people want to stay connected whilst they move around. But what’s the real cost of the all?

Did you know: YouTube is the world’s 2nd largest search engine after Google?

Surprisingly, companies such as Facebook and YouTube are set to lose big money this year, the latter an estimated $470 million. Companies benefiting from user-created content or Content 2.0 generally look to monetize via advertising, but at the end of the day if you’re on YouTube looking at your Uncle Joe dancing at a wedding party, your not going to be that receptive to ads – and nor are the advertisers, who need their ads targeted to make it worthwhile for them. At the end of the day, that is their true customer and clientele not the visitors. Unhappy advertisers, unhappy balance sheet and unhappy shareholders. Read the rest of this entry »