In order to better serve their local community, Milestone kept the needs of the customer at the forefront of their redesign. Creating a more positive experience with their site, Milestone made several enhancements including: prominent placement of important call to actions on their homepage photo slideshow, multiple tabs to showcase Just Listed and Newly Priced properties, Open Houses and more, as well as hover-over features for photos giving quick access to basic property information.

The search results pages have been upgraded as well to include a refine bar of the most extensive filters available through the advanced search, allowing users to define their results further without having to return to the search form.

Additional enhancements include:

Advanced Search
Through this feature, Milestone is able to provide customers more filter options beyond the most commonly used fields. This allows users wanting to drill deep into the specific details of a listing the option to do so while not overwhelming those looking to do a quick search.

Property Picks/Driving Tour
Accompanying customers on the bottom of every search, search results and details page are the “My Property Picks” and “Driving Tour” tabs. These features allow users to add properties of interest to these baskets in order to compare the properties side-by-side or get turn-by-turn driving directions to each of the listings.

Quick View
Increasing the usability of search results page, the quick view feature allows customers to view basic property details without having to visit the property details page. The information appears within a light box application on the same page as the search results and includes a variety of property detail information including address, MLS #, price, list date, photos and more.

Upgraded Realtor Bios
The Realtor bios have been enhanced as well to incorporate a more sophisticated and streamlined design. By including tabs for the agent bio and agent listings, Milestone is able to keep important information above the fold for easy viewing. Call to action items are more prominent on the page as well, allowing a customer to quickly contact the agent for additional information.

Sticky Header
As an added detail, Milestone has chosen to include a static header that follows a user throughout the site. The header includes important call to action items such as their main contact phone number, quick access to email alerts and links to their social sites for increased exposure.

In addition to the features listed above, Milestone has also incorporated a Feedback form while their site is in Beta to ensure the site is meeting the needs of their online customers.

For more information, visit them online at www.milestoneky.com and click on the Preview Our New Site button at the top of the homepage.

Pinterest and real estate seem to be a natural fit. Pinterest has proven to be a great resource for those looking to design their dream kitchen, find DIY home improvement projects and browse boards for other inspirational ideas for interior decorating. And because Pinterest visits increased 4,000% in just six months landing them in the top 10 most visited social sites in Nov. 2011, this is one site you need to get on board with (no pun intended).

The above image is an example of how one member is using this social platform to their advantage. For more info check out Reinhart Realtors on Pinterest! They’ve done a great job inspiring their followers with pins ranging from restaurants in their area to housewarming gifts to master bathroom ideas and more.

A  Few Benefits Pinterest Provides to Real Estate Professionals Include:

Social Engagement: This social site is gaining substantial momentum and gives you another great opportunity to connect with potential home buyers and sellers. Users are sharing their likes, styles and favorite items with one another, giving you the opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest trends as they relate to your audience.

Become a Local Resource: Pinterest is a great way to provide helpful insight into the home buying process. If you’re a seller, what decorating tips or renovation projects will increase the value of your home? If you’ve recently purchased a home, how are you going to decorate your new master bedroom? Keep in mind; these are commonly-asked questions and interests of most homeowners. So even if they’re not in the market for a new home right now, you’re increasing the chances they’ll come to you when they’re ready to buy or sell a home in the future (it’s that whole top-of-mind awareness thing people are always talking about!)

SEO Link Building: We definitely cannot forget about the SEO love this site provides! Each pin links to a specific site where users can go for more information. If you’re linking to an Individual Property Website with an image of a new property for sale, every time that particular pin is “re-pinned”, the link will direct others back to your site as well.

These are all great reasons for real estate professionals to join Pinterest today. However, remember there is more to it than just sharing your listings. Be sure to provide value to your customers in addition to spotlighting featured homes on your site. Think about other factors that influence the buying or selling of a home. Buying a home is an emotional experience and often times lifestyle choices play an important role in the decision-making process. Include photos of the local community, things to do in the area, school information and more. Over time, you’ll have another factor helping you become the resource for your region. (Tweet this article!)

By Amanda Stephan

(Tweet this article!) Last week, we released our mobile Individual Property Websites (IPWs) and as a follow up, we want to discuss why we felt there was a need to release these mobile IPWs now.  As we all know, the usage of mobile is continuing to grow as more and more Americans are adopting Smartphones – which in turn is generating more mobile traffic to the internet and your website.

In a report released last October by comScore entitled Digital Omnivores: How Tablets, Smartphones and Connected Devices are Changing U.S. Digital Media Consumption Habits, they found that 6.8% of all internet traffic came from mobile.

After reading this, we wanted to see how this compared to mobile views across The Enterprise Network statistics. After reviewing our analytics, it turns out that as of December 2011, The Enterprise Network receives, on average, 14.42% of all traffic from mobile – double what the internet as a whole is experiencing.

With a large amount of mobile users coming to our sites, we wanted to dig further and see how they differed from our regular computer users. Surprisingly, they did not differ as much as we suspected. As a network, mobile users averaged 7.83 pages per visit compared to an only slightly higher 8.33 pages per visit from computer users. In fact, six network members average more pages per visit on mobile than computers.

When it came to average time on site we saw a similar trend. The Enterprise Network mobile users average 6:05 minutes on site compared to computer users that averaged 6:32. We even saw that three Network Members averaged more time on site with mobile than computers. These initial numbers gave us great insight into our mobile customers.

Additionally, we are up 170% in web visits from mobile devices compared to the previous year. 

This growth will only continue as more people adopt Smartphones, which further supports why we’ve dedicated much of our development hours to ensuring that our sites are mobile-enabled.

With the recent release of our mobile IPWs, we’ve again taken the necessary steps to ensure buyers have quick access to important property information on-the-go.  This will no doubt provide a more user-friendly and positive experience associated with your brand.

With mobile usage continuing to grow, what will your brokerage’s next step be?

(Tweet this article!)

By Dyana Gutierrez

By bringing together a total of 68 offices, more than 2,900 agents and 8,000 exclusive listings, these four brokerages are expanding their reach and offering a more comprehensive search experience for their customers. Each firm’s property listings will be made available across all four sites, providing customers a one-stop-shop when searching for their next home in the New York metro area.

In addition to increasing the visibility of their listings, each brokerage is increasing brand recognition in regions they were not previously exposed to through their combined resources. With roughly 90% of searches beginning online, this strategic move will help prepare these companies for future success as they work together to promote their listings, communities and agents while expanding their customer reach as well.

“We are excited to be a part of this wonderfully collaborative effort, the result of which is a comprehensive search tool that will prove invaluable to consumers in the tri-state region.  In addition to providing high quality listing data from the various regions we cover, each of our websites offers valuable resources like community profiles, property videos and helpful tips for navigating today’s real estate market,” states John Turpin, President of Turpin Realtors.

For more information, check out Turpin’s blog Tri-State Alliance Offers Unparalleled Exposure for Turpin Listings.

About Turpin Real Estate

Founded in 1960, Turpin Real Estate is an independent, family-owned agency with offices in northern New Jersey.  Our outstanding, full-time sales staff is dedicated to providing the highest quality service with uncompromising integrity. Strategic network alliances and extensive marketing systems provide us with unsurpassed coverage for our clients regionally, nationally and internationally. Global reach, unparalleled local expertise and the flexibility of an independently owned agency are the hallmarks of our organization.  To learn more, please visit http://www.turpinrealtors.com/.

About Halstead Property
Halstead Property is one of the largest residential real estate brokerage firms in the metropolitan area. Headquartered at 499 Park Avenue, the firm has nearly 950 sales and rental agents located in 21 premier offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Riverdale, the Hamptons, Hudson Valley, Hoboken, New Jersey and Fairfield  County, Connecticut. In addition, the Development Marketing Division of Halstead Property is the exclusive sales and marketing firm for many new developments in the tri-state area and through the Property Management Division, Halstead manages more than 18,000 residential units within 180 buildings. To learn more, please visit http://www.halstead.com/.

Houlihan Lawrence

Houlihan Lawrence is the largest area broker serving Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, and the 15^th largest broker based on sales volume nationwide.  Founded in 1888, the company has 24 offices and over 1000 agents. Houlihan Lawrence offers specialization in several key areas: Luxury Country Properties reaches beyond the local marketplace to attract discerning buyers from around the world; Global Relocation partners closely with local Fortune 1000 companies to provide full-service relocation assistance; Houlihan Lawrence Project Marketing works exclusively with and for developers of single family and multi-family projects. Houlihan Lawrence has a strong digital footprint and listing syndication to dozens of websites that offer local, regional and international exposure, reaching over 30 million buyers each month. To learn more, please visit http://www.houlihanlawrence.com/

Coach Realtors

Coach Realtors, founded in 1954, is a Long Island based residential real estate company with 18 office locations and more than 650 sales associates serving Nassau and Suffolk counties.  Family owned and operated, Coach Realtors is an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, a division of the famed auction house, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World ® and has been recognized by Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate for over 20 years. To learn more, please visit http://www.coachrealtors.com/

(Tweet This Article!)

By Amanda Stephan

Armed with their knowledge of the Real Estate Industry, members intend to bring awareness to current market trends that are impacting the industry, how technology is influencing these trends and what brokerages can do today to prepare for tomorrow.

Educating consumers and real estate professionals on the future of real estate, the following members are sharing their perspective on what the brokerage, agent and customer will look like in 20 years:

Hasson Company Realtors featured on the Tampa Homes for Sale blog

Windermere Tri-Cities Real Estate featured on the Northern Virginia Real Estate blog

Murney Associates, Realtors featured on the Fort Collins Real Estate blog

Smith & Associates Real Estate featured on the Providence Homes for Sale blog

The Group, Inc. Real Estate featured on the Springfield Real Estate blog

Residential Properties Ltd. featured on the Charlotte Homes blog

Charles Reinhart Company Realtors featured on the New England Real Estate blog

LandVest, Inc. featured on the Princeton Real Estate blog

Helen Adams Realty featured on the Enterprise Network blog

N.T. Callaway Real Estate Brokers featured on the Ann Arbor Real Estate blog

McEnearney Associates Inc, Realtors featured on the Portland Homes blog

Thank you to all our members who helped make this a successful event. The Holiday Blog Swap kicks off Real Estate Now!, a network-wide series that takes a real estate-related topic and creates a conversation around it each quarter in 2012. Stay tuned as we announce our first topic in the new year! (Tweet this article!)

Related Posts:

How Will You Sell Real Estate in the Year 2030?

Enterprise Network Members Participate in Holiday Blog Swap

Helen Adams Realty is a member of The Active Enterprise Network, a union of privately-held real estate companies across the country that share information and strategy as well as a unified technology platform.

How Will You Sell Real Estate in 2030?

(Tweet this article!) “Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. REALTORS should recognize that the interests of the nation and its citizens require the highest and best use of the land and the widest distribution of land ownership. They require the creation of adequate housing, the building of functioning cities, the development of productive industries and farms, and the preservation of a healthful environment.

In recognition and appreciation of their obligations to clients, customers, the public, and each other, REALTORS continuously strive to become and remain informed on issues affecting real estate and as knowledgeable professionals, they willingly share the for fruit of their experiences with others.”1

Humans are social. We gain knowledge by sharing knowledge. We are born ready to cooperate, and then we build cultures to magnify this trait. 2 Our Preamble charges us with the duty to share the fruits of our experiences with others and to become and remain informed. This idea of sharing knowledge is the essence of Eric Thompson’s statement that “we will become masters of the real estate sales process.” 3 We strive to become masters of the process by being informed about ALL issues affecting real estate.

How do REALTORS become and remain informed on issues affecting real estate? What knowledge do we have to share, and what exactly is a REALTOR?

Unfortunately most REALTORS don’t do enough business to be fully engaged in the business and fully informed on all, or even most of the issues affecting real estate. In fact, last year 62% of all REALTORS closed on just five or fewer transactions.4 Do the math. After commission splits, expenses, taxes and insurance on five sales at an average price of $212,300 5 roughly 62% of REALTORS earned less than $17,000. This annual income is hardly sufficient to support a fully engaged, well-trained, life-long professional expert in the field of real estate sales.

Yet, until the consumer asks more of us and/or until our National Association of Realtors becomes more focused on the quality of its membership vs. the quantity, we as an industry will remain at this level of mediocrity. Until one or both of these things happen we will remain in the land of the 40/80 rule where 40% of us do 80% of the production.6

So what is a REALTOR? A professional, full-time, fully engaged REALTOR is someone who, as Eric Thompson says, “is sort-of like a hybrid REALTOR – Attorney, but much more.” A full-time professional agent has the knowledge and experience to provide choices or advice and/or guidance in the areas of contract negotiations, design, education, mortgages, appraisals, inspections, remodeling, taxes, investment strategies, market history, market trends, marriage and family and on and on and on. The nature of real estate and its transaction is heterogeneous in the extreme.

No two pieces of real estate are exactly alike and no two pieces are in exactly the same location. The distinctiveness of every location, the variety of style, design, features… the different states of maintenance and upkeep; these are the primary dimensions of housing, and consumers, who are searching for homes must ascribe values to these dimensions. However, even the most experienced of consumers isn’t capable of assessing housing quality and value from a multi-dimensional perspective.7

And yet these value propositions still do not dictate the primary reason for buying a home. The most common reasons for buying a home are non-financial: a good place to raise and educate children, feelings of safety and greater control over one’s living environment.8 With these financial and non-financial considerations in mind it is only natural for the consumer to seek out a REALTOR who is trust-worthy, who can span the distance from one expert to another, and span the difference from one subset of facts to another, and who can derive the gist of the transaction and be the glue to hold it all together.

So again, how do full-time, professional REALTORS become and remain informed on issues affecting real estate? The answer is… “practical intelligence.” Practical intelligence includes things like “knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect. To use the technical term general intelligence and practical intelligence are ‘orthogonal’: the presence of one doesn’t imply the presence of the other. You can have lots of analytical intelligence and very little practical intelligence, or lots of practical intelligence and not much analytical intelligence.” 9

The only way for REALTORS to achieve practical intelligence is through consistent long-term training, hard work and experience. They achieve excellence because… “They don’t work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much much harder.”10 Three things: autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward, are, most people agree, the three qualities that work has to have if it is to be satisfying.11 And these are the qualities of the true real estate professional.

The internet has unleashed the information genie from the bottle and she will not return. This free-flow of information gives consumers the ability to make better, more informed decisions which will drive the real estate market to greater and greater efficiency. Ignorance cripples market efficiency, while sound data lets buyers and sellers make smart choices. In a choice-driven market, the consumers take the central role and become drivers of change.12

So how will we sell real estate in 2030? In the end our clients and customers will shape this answer through their quest for richer and more timely information, greater transparency and well-defined service and performance standards. As REALTORS we recognize these interests of our clients and customers, and we will adapt and join them in their quest.

By Jeff Adams, President of Helen Adams Realty, serving Charlotte Real Estate, a proud participant of the Holiday Blog Swap, presented by The Active Enterprise Network. (Tweet this article!)

Notes for How Will You Sell Real Estate in 2030?

1. National Association of Realtors Preamble
2. “The Social Animal,” David Brooks
3. Eric Thompson, The Group, October 2011 Enterprise Presentation
4. Real Trends, November 2011 Newsletter
5. www.census. gov, Median U.S. Sales Price in October 2011 was $212,300
6. Real Trends, November 2011 Newsletter
7. Eduardo Razmilic, “Information-Driven Housing,” Harvard, October 2010
8. “The State of the Nation’s Housing – 2011,” Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
9. “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell, pg 101
10. Ibid, pg 39
11. Ibid, pg 149
12. Eduardo Razmilic, “Information-Driven Housing

Follow Helen Adams Realty:

More article on Real Estate in 2030 found here: Smith & Associates, Residential Properties, Murney Associates, Windermere Tri Cities, Reinhart Realtors, The Group, inc., Hasson Company, McEnearney Associates, N.T. Callaway, and LandVest.

The Vision 2030 Project was developed to answer this question by reaching out to sales partners at The Group Inc., local developers and other agents in the community. Based on his extensive research and feedback from innovative thinkers in the industry, Eric shared his findings with The Active Enterprise Network in order to set the stage for further growth among members.

But what does the future of real estate look like?

With more and more people beginning their home search online, the roles have changed – and will continue to evolve over the next few years.

In 2000, 48% of people found their home through a realtor and only 8% found their home online. Fast forward 10 years and we find that only 38% found their home through a realtor in 2010 while 37% found their home online. The percentage of homebuyers who find their home online will only increase by 2030. Why is this?

Agents are no longer the keepers of the information. With the rise of technology and the online world, customers have more information at their fingertips than ever before. Customers are doing their research and won’t contact an agent until they’re ready and prepared to continue down the path of home ownership.

It won’t be long before customers can access even more information pertaining to a home – whether that’s sales history, liens, how much is still owed on a home and much more. With the steady growth in mobile technology, users will be able to take their “virtual agent” out on the road with them.

Additionally, they’re going to be able to quickly find information about an agent’s track record including sales history, customer service ratings and their success rate for pricing homes. Agents will need to adjust their position and provide the expected high level of service, backed by a high level of understanding to be able to thrive.

If consumers can find the information without an agent, what will we bring to the table?

As our industry becomes more and more transparent, it’s up to us to adapt to meet the needs of this new age consumer. While we don’t believe the need for agents will decline, we do see a shift in the way they conduct business. Communication between an agent and consumer won’t change, but how we communicate with one another will.

Consumers will still rely on agents to help them find their next home as it is a big decision and a complex process. However, the agent’s role will be to help these consumers make sense of the data already available to them, and as such will require a high level of knowledge.

In addition to being well-informed on the Real Estate Industry, the new, younger wave of buyers will expect a certain level of tech-savvy-ness when working with an agent as well. By utilizing cutting-edge technology and personalizing the online experience that customers have come to expect, you will be better able to market your brand online.

What can we do today to prepare for tomorrow?

As we mentioned earlier, the need for professional guidance will increase over time, so having a trained, educated and knowledgeable agent will need to increase over time as well. Establishing a strong training program will help increase the adoption of new technologies so your agents don’t fall behind the curve.

Obviously being the first in your market to implement the latest functionality on your site will help you win business. However, with the gap between new advances in technology getting smaller, it now comes down to who implements it better and focuses more on usability and consumer engagement.

The sales process is becoming more about engaging and building relationships with the local community. Customers want to interact with your brand and will likely choose a company that shares similar values. By engaging with your customers and humanizing your brand, your brokerage will be associated with a positive experience and increase the chances a customer will continue the home buying process with you. (Tweet this article!)

On December 15^th, The Active Enterprise Network will be hosting the first Network-wide Holiday Blog Swap. Stemming from a recent discussion at The Active Enterprise Network Annual Conference, 17 of the most influential brokerages across the United States are coming together to discuss the future of real estate by answering the question: what will real estate look like in the year 2030?

Trading blogs for a day, the Holiday Blog Swap will provide consumers and real estate professionals a full spectrum of “Real Estate in 2030” and how new technologies are changing the industry. As the year comes to an end, this national discussion is an excellent way to gain perspective and learn from some of the brightest minds in real estate.

This inaugural event launches on Thursday morning, December 15^th. Readers are encouraged to join the conversation by leaving comments or using Twitter with the hashtags #ENBlogSwap and/or #RE2030.

Get to know the participating brokerages for the Holiday Blog Swap

Charles Reinhart Company Realtors

Danberry Realtors

The Group, Inc. Real Estate

Hasson Company Realtors

Helen Adams Realty

Kentwood Real Estate

LandVest, Inc.

McEnearney Associates Inc, Realtors

McGuire Real Estate

Milestone Realty Consultants

Murney Associates, Realtors

N.T. Callaway Real Estate Broker, LLC

Residential Properties Ltd.

Skogman Realty

Smith & Associates Real Estate

Windermere Tri-Cities Real Estate

Wright Kingdom Real Estate

Be sure to check back with us tomorrow as we kick off the series with our take on the future of real estate!

Related Posts:

How Will You Sell Real Estate in the Year 2030?

By Katelyn Wheaton

With the changing landscape of real estate and the growing amount of competition, having an effective recruiting strategy is necessary to attract new agents. During his session, John discussed many tactics for their new recruiting strategy including targeted relationship building, regular meetings to evaluate the recruiting process and the review process for potential recruits – just to name a few.

On top of building relationships with new hires, they also focused on creating a business that others want to work for. By creating a culture that makes agents excited about the brand, the chances those agents will spread the word increase as well. Turpin uses these happy agents to their advantage by showcasing testimonials on their site.

Chances are, if an agent is thinking about switching brokerages they are looking at the competitors’ websites. Knowing this, Turpin Real Estate created a “Join Our Team” page. Here they were able to address potential recruits directly. The page features:

• Agent testimonials
• Videos focusing on Turpin’s beliefs on teamwork, the future and quality over quantity
• Technological advantages of working at Turpin Real Estate
• Call to action items so potential agents can contact the Turpin team

Below is an example of one of Turpin’s recruiting videos:

Results

Their new recruiting strategy had many results. The first being that they hired nine newly licensed agents and 12 experienced agents from other companies. These new recruits now represent 19% of Turpin’s total agent population. Turpin also unexpectedly found that through the creation of the videos, their agents re-examined the positives of working at Turpin Real Estate and created a sense of community among their agents.

By doing this, they have seen substantial success when it comes to brand recognition. Ebby has maximized their community relationships through a variety of different events and marketing campaigns that reach their local audience. A few of these campaigns were discussed in length at this year’s event including Ebby’s charity powder-puff football game, their sponsorship of the 2010 Super Bowl and video contests.

Today, we’d like to focus on one important aspect of Ebby’s campaign efforts for the Blondes vs. Brunettes charity powder-puff game. In addition to print and online advertising, social media outreach and more, all advertisements were aimed to promote and attract customers to their website to continue their home search through the recently released proximity search.

Proximity search allows customers to find properties within a certain radius to a desired location. Because buyers care about where they live, you often hear people say: “I wish I lived closer to work so I could save on gas,” or “If I lived closer to the gym, I would go more often.” Customers can remodel their home or add an addition, but they cannot move it, which is why location has always been an important factor in the home buying process.

Knowing this, Ebby tied their powder-puff campaign efforts back to their proximity search campaign. Here are a few examples of the advertisements created for the event: