Inman News Kicks off Global Connect in NY August 29, 2008
Posted by Great Services in Real Estate Tax, corporate housing, for sale by owner, fsbo, furnished rentals, real estate, student rentals.Tags: global connect, global connect new york, global connect ny, new york global connect, real estate connect, real estate connection
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One of the things that always struck me at the last couple of Connect conferences was the number of folks in the audience that came from outside the US.
Last month in San Francisco was no different. I met people from Canada, Mexico, Germany, Australia, Spain, France and many others, all walking the floors of the Palace Hotel.
Every day, I look at the Inman News Facebook and LinkedIngroups and there are requests from entrepreneurs and real estate professionals from every corner of the globe who want to participate in the conversation.
So this got all of us at Inman thinking, why not give them that forum?
Let’s get the folks from Booli.se, Zoomf, Immobilien Scout24, Igglo, Properazzi or Immobiliare.it and connect them with the people at Zillow, Trulia, Redfin and others and share the insights.
Let’s examine REALTOR.ca, a truly national real estate search site, MLS driven and controled by Realtors. Sound familiar?
Let’s look at markets in North America, Asia, Europe, South America and understand how the greater global economy can impact even the smallest local markets.
Let’s learn how brokers and agents around the world are retooling, relaunching and reacting to ever-changing global real estate markets.
Let’s understand how new technologies like smartphones, video and social media are knocking down traditional barriers and borders around the globe.
Global Connect will be all of that and more… Mark your calendars, we’re bringing the world to New York City, January 7-9, 2009. You can learn more on the Real Estate Connect NYC 2009 web site. With much more to come.
I’m also looking for speakers, topics and anything else FOREM readers can contribute. I’m honored that this blog reaches the far corners of the globe, and over the years I’ve had many conversations on line and off with readers from around the world.
So whether you’re in Rotterdam or Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town or Chennai, Tokyo or Toronto; if you’re working on a cool technology, doing something innovative with your business, writing a blog or just have a interesting new idea – let me know. I want to hear about all of it. I want to bring you to New York.
Please contact me at joel [at] inman.com or phone me at +1 (971) 228-5704.
This should be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there.
Can the Web Save the 6% Commission? August 29, 2008
Posted by Great Services in Real Estate Tax, corporate housing, for sale by owner, fsbo, furnished rentals, real estate, student rentals.Tags: agent commission, real estate agent commission, real estate agents, save agent commission
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In its September 2008 issue, alongside its reviews of tub cleaners and organic produce, Consumer Reports turns its critical eye on the real estate industry.
The publication polled a sample of 3753 readers who sold or tried to sell a home, 4029 readers who bought a home and 7368 readers who did both. The results are illuminating to anyone in the industry; especially some of its findings which will surely be controversial.
Let’s look a bit deeper at the numbers.
First, the good news. Only 1% of sellers tried to use an online web site (craigslist, forsalebyowner.cometc.) to sell their home. 80% chose to go with an agent. It suggests that any fears that online players may someday distermediate the Realtors seem overblown. Sellers want to work with a real estate professional.
The bad news is that CR concludes is that overall “higher commission didn’t always translate into more service or better results.”
Moreover, respondants who “paid commissions of 3 percent or less were just as happy with their brokers performance as those who paid 6 percent or more.” In fact, those who paid more were “more likely to say they had regrets about the selling process”.
More troubling, is that CR recommends that consumers continue to aggressive negotiate the 6% commission downwards.
Seems to me that the real challenge here is that, moving forward, the industry needs do a better job of communicating its value (beyond puff advertising pieces) and, more importantly, delivering that value to consumers.
There are many ways to turn this tide, but I believe one way to slow the downwards trend on commissions is if brokers and agents can demonstrate to consumers they have an aggressive multi-modal marketing package in place for each and every listing.
Unfortunately, despite overwhelming evidence that consumers are looking for homes on the Internet (about 80%), it seems some Realtors are still choosing to ignore the medium.
According to CR, 85% of Keller Williams agents advertised homes on the Web – compared to only 76% of RE/MAX agents and 75% of Century 21 agents. The numbers, while high, are still unacceptable.
Agents should be syndicating their listings across the Net, taking dozens of high quality photos of the home, creating single property sites, doing video tours, blogging about their listings’ key selling features. Any or all of these approaches can add value (either real or perceived) to the bottom line of the transaction.
Brokers aren’t off the hook either. They need to be educating their agents on what the 21st Century internet-savvy buyer is looking for and then provide platforms that can deliver those services to their agents.
The Internet is not the be all and end all to getting a home sold. But far from being a threat to the 6 percent commission, it may just end up being its salvation.
Utopria Brings Property Listings to iPhone August 29, 2008
Posted by Great Services in Real Estate Tax, corporate housing, for sale by owner, fsbo, furnished rentals, real estate, student rentals.Tags: iphone, iphone new jersey, iphone new york, iphone real estate, real estate new jersey, real estate new york, real estate nj, real estate ny
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Over the last couple of weeks we’ve seen a handful of companies launch real estate search tools for the iPhone, but Canadian company Utopriais the first out of the gates to take the listing flyer and single property web site and bring it onto the mobile platform.
I gotta say. I love this thing.
Here’s how it works. Punch in a single property website URL found on sign rider (e.g. www.262mapleview.com) using Safari on your iPhone. MediaPod (Utopria’s platform) then delivers a specially formatted version of the listing page to your phone.
The Mediapod flyer incorporates all the expected marketing elements, like a company logo and phone number but the first sign that this is something different is that rather than a static head shot, Mediapod gives agents the ability to embed a video that introduces themselves. Very slick.
(Another clever touch is that the agent’s contact information includes email and phone links that dump you directly into the respective application on your iPhone.)
Still pushing the multimedia angle, inside the property information section of the flyer, in addition to the standard information (price, square footage etc.) prospective buyers can listen to a pre-recorded audio introduction by the agent about the specific property.
Another slick touch is that buyers can also choose to view surrounding schools, restaurants, parks and shopping outlets from a drop down menu and then have those instantly mapped into the Google Maps application on the iPhone. (To which you could then get directions, using iPhone’s location awareness.)
If you don’t have an iPhone, you can see how it works watching this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BADS5uwuC-o
A few downsides however. The implementation of the property photos seems a little weak. I would love to be able to pull up the photos full-screen and be able to scroll through them using the beautiful touch screen interface of the iPhone. Though I suspect this may be due to the limitations of the iPhone SDK rather than the Mediapod platform.
Also, any existing virtual tours of the property are disabled – but this again is due to a limitation in the iPhone OS which has put the kibosh on Flash. Presumably though, if the home has a video tour associated with it, that could play through.
Finally – the basic design of the page could use a bit of a face lift… it didn’t knock me off my seat. But I guess that’s something that could be customized for each agent anyway.
All in all, Utopria’s offering is a fantastic demonstration of what makes the iPhone such a powerful consumer tool – and I suspect it is the first shot in a coming fusillade of iPhone-based property marketing tools.
I’d say it’s well worth exploring as part of your marketing tool set, especially for any agent who’s looking to establish a differentiating wow factor for their sellers or one who works in a tech heavy (Silicon Valley, Seattle, New York) area.
e-EuropeProperties: Rising Biggest European For Sale or Rent Properties Portal May 5, 2008
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e-EuropeProperties is rising as a Biggest European For Sale and Rent European Properties’s Portal. Europe Property are in good demand all over world.
UNIQUE Home on its OWN ISLAND – Great home to raise a Family OR as a SECOND (Summer) Home (Suffolk, Oakdale, Long Island, NY) March 6, 2008
Posted by Great Services in Real Estate Tax, corporate housing, for sale by owner, fsbo, furnished rentals, real estate, student rentals.Tags: for sale by owner, long island for sale by owner, long island fsbo, new york for sale by owner, new york fsbo, new york real estate
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This home could either be Summer/Vacation Home (great alternative to a home in the Hamptons), OR a idyllic home to raise a family. This 4,800 square foot home has 6 bedrooms (3 of which are currently used as offices and recreation rooms). You will have direct access to the Great South Bay and Atlantic Ocean from this home. Being just 55 miles from NYC and @ 27 miles from W. Hampton, getting to either is incredibly easy… or, you can walk to the LIRR from this home (< 1 mile!).
If you are looking for a home with water views from every room (it IS on an ISLAND!) – this is a MUST see.
Wrap around decks offer incredible sunset and sunrise views… various boat slips and docks are on this island, as well as across the car bridge on the main land. The largest boat slip recently had a 52’ boat docked there.
Buyer’s Agent Commissions are negotiable – this home is a MUST SEE for your Buyer!
You will be able to take a personal tour of this home starting in May. Until then, all inquiries will be answered within one day @: info@uniqueislandhome.com or via phone at 954-599-0166
Private Island Home offers Incredible Sunset and Water views – with direct access to/from Fire Island (Oakdale, Long Island, NY) March 6, 2008
Posted by Great Services in Real Estate Tax, corporate housing, for sale by owner, fsbo, furnished rentals, real estate, student rentals.Tags: for sale by owner, long island for sale by owner, long island fsbo, new york for sale by owner, new york fsbo, new york real estate
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Wait until you see this 4,800 square foot home – and it is on it’s OWN Island, originally owned by the Vanderbuilts. You will have direct access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great South Bay/FI Inlet. You will get to Manhattan in just 55 miles and the Hamptons in just 27 miles. The LIRR (Oakdale stop) is less than a mile (walking distance) from this home.
And, talk about water views… you will be able to watch sunrises and sunsets from just about every room of this renovated and custom landscaped home.
Wrap-around decking includes over 1,600 square feet of Multi level Trex®.
With the purchase of this home, you will also own multiple docks and boat slips (largest slip can handle up to a 52’ boat). Ownership also includes property and 6 boat slips on the mainland.
R.E. Agent considering this Home for your Buyer? Yes, a Buyer’s Agent Commission is negotiable.
This property is available for showing and sale from May, 2008.
Interested? Contact at info@uniqueislandhome.com or call us at 954-599-0166.
Be sure to check back, as a Website for this home will be up and running on March 10, 2008. Please visit this posting again.
Hamptons Alternative, for your 2nd Home – Your Own Private Island (Suffolk County, LI 11769) March 6, 2008
Posted by Great Services in Real Estate Tax, corporate housing, for sale by owner, fsbo, furnished rentals, real estate, student rentals.Tags: for sale by owner, long island for sale by owner, long island fsbo, new york for sale by owner, new york fsbo, new york real estate
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This 4,800 sf home is located just 20 minutes west of West Hampton, and is an incredible alternative to a Hamptons Summer Home.No only is on a historical island – but you will own the Home and the Island, which has been extensively renovated.
You can hop on the LIRR from Manhattan and literally walk to this home (less than 1 mile from Oakdale train station). You will have direct Ocean access without any bridges with which to contend.
Every room has water views… several docks are included on this island, as well as mainland property and addt’l docks.
If you are considering this Home for your Buyer, and you are a real estate agent, we will negotiate a Buyer’s Agent Commission.
This property is available for showing and sale starting in May, 2008.
A Website for this home will be up and running on 3/10/08. Check back!All questions will be answered w/in 1 business day at: info@UniqueIslandHome.com, or call 954.599.0166
Address: 1 Woodlawn Avenue, Oakdale, NY 11769
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Environment Hazardous Oil Tank Removal, Ready Mix Concrete, Make Environment Clean! February 17, 2008
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Spanish real estate agencies folding January 19, 2008
Posted by Great Services in Real Estate Tax, corporate housing, furnished rentals, real estate.Tags: government tax, housing tax reform, real estate, Real Estate Tax
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Half of Spain’s real estate agencies have folded in the past year due to a slowdown in the once-booming building sector, an industry association says.
Of 80,000 that operated at the beginning of 2007, only around 40,000 have survived and some 100,000 employees lost their jobs, according to the Superior Council of Real Estate Agents, a nationwide grouping.
However, many of the agencies that collapsed are small — sometimes just a person with a cell phone — that emerged to cash in on the Spanish construction boom over the past five years or so, the council’s president Santiago Baena told the newspaper El Pais.
“The ones that closed are the upstarts, the ones who came into this sector because they saw easy money,” Baena said. Larger, well-established companies have closed some branches but are still intact, he added.
In the heyday of the boom, real estate agents say buyers enticed by rock-bottom interest rates would line up to purchase homes. Builders did not even bother to construct model homes; they just showed customers crude blueprints.
Housing prices rose 17 percent in 2004 and 9.1 percent in 2006. But interest rates have jumped three points in as many years, there is a glut of housing on the market and banks spooked by the subprime crisis in the United States are now much tighter when it comes to lending.
The government says housing prices in 2007 will post a more modest 5 percent rise. Final figures are not out yet.
Baena said many more agencies will close in Spain in the next three or four months but that this is good because the sector had become “a joke,” with too many people trying to make fast money, sometimes with shady deals.
Gas and Oil Tank Removal & Abandonment January 19, 2008
Posted by Great Services in Real Estate Tax, corporate housing, furnished rentals, real estate.Tags: Gas Tank Removal, Home Construction, Housing Services, real estate, Tank Removal
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There are several reasons why you would want to remove your underground storage tank. If you are converting to natural gas or installing an above ground storage tank for your home heating needs. Most importantly, SREC strongly recommends removing your underground storage tank if you plan to sell your home. Selling your home is stressful enough even without any major complications.
However, having your tank removed, inspected and the soil tested will eliminate any potential problems you would have encountered if your tank remained on your property. Removing your underground storage tank and obtaining closure will satisfy the most stringent of home inspections or due diligence by future homebuyers. SREC can help, beginning with a free consultation.
If you choose to contract SREC to remove your tank, our helpful staff will acquire permits, obtain utility markouts, and make arrangements with municipal inspectors in order to prepare for your tank removal. Our experienced personnel will efficiently and properly complete your tank removal in four to five hours leaving you with Peace of Mind.
What you can expect:
• Safety is a primary concern for our company. Our team will confirm the location of underground utilities before beginning the tank removal process.
• Once the underground storage tank (UST) is located, a small track excavator will be used to expose the tank.
• The UST is then cut open and the contents, usually fuel oil and sludge, are removed with a licensed vacuum truck and transported to a certified liquid disposal facility or transferred, at your request, to a newly installed AST.
• Fully covered in protective gear, a representative from SREC enters the tank to clean it with absorbent pads and a squeegee.
• The UST is then removed with the excavator and inspected for holes or signs of corrosion by both SREC personnel and the municipal inspector.
• Upon completion of the inspection of both the tank and its grave, the excavation is filled to grade with certified clean fill. A 550-gallon tank removal typically yields a 6 foot by 8 foot excavation area roughly graded. A 1000-gallon tank removal typically yields a 6 foot by 13 foot excavation area roughly graded.
• A sales representative will provide a completed tank certification booklet to you. It includes:
• Copy of local permits
• Tank disposal receipt
• Tank contents manifest
• Certified clean fill receipt
• Certificate of removal and a copy of SREC New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection tank removal license
