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

Following Becky’s presentation, members participated in an open forum discussing new ways to increase communication with other brokerages in The Network. Due to the market exclusivity among our members, the session allowed us to come together in a non-competitive environment to discuss ways to drive innovation forward through the sharing of technology, ideas, best practices and more.

The following video ended the conference and reinforced the power of The Active Enterprise Network. By encouraging innovation and giving each member the resources needed to do so, we can work together and still maintain our independence within a network – because together, we are stronger. Our buying power increases, our costs are reduced and our learning curve is exponential as we collaborate and evolve together.

Related Posts:

Active Enterprise Hosts Annual Conference

Creating a culture centered on technology can be difficult due to the varying degrees of skill levels when it comes to your agents and staff. One of Ze’s main points, however, focused on getting agents back to the basics of communication when it comes to social technology. Agents have built a career based on communication and relationships, but they need to do a better job taking their offline communication skills and making the transition online through blogging, Twitter, Facebook and so on. Having a network of followers and providing content is not enough, you need to have your audience actively engaged with your content as well.

Getting your audience engaged in your content can be an intimidating task. Ze Frank noted that the fear of doing this often stems from the lack of face-to-face communication and losing behavioral contexts online. For these reasons, it can be hard to find your voice online when using social media.

To be successful today, agents need to re-position how they feel about these social platforms and focus on the social aspect rather than the technology. With the multitude of social technology available, our objectives have not changed, rather the channels we use to communicate them has. By going back to the basics of communication, agents will succeed online.  One way to do this is to start by saying hello and asking questions, just as you would in person.

Ze followed this by demonstrating ways to increase engagement online and shared many stories of how he was able to do this with his audiences. Below is a list of projects he mentioned throughout his presentation:

• Chillout Song
• Young Me / Now Me
• Scared Song
• Whip Ass Song
• Earth Sandwich

Ze’s discussion left the audience thinking of different ways to engage with customers following the event.  What were your ideas to spark engagement in your networks? And how do you think we can relay this messaging to agents who are still fearful of technology?

Related Posts:

• Active Enterprise Network Hosts Annual Conference
• Opening Keynote Speaker Announced for 2011 Enterprise Network Annual Conference

Broker → Broker

Collaboration on Business Logic & Best Practices: Utilizing the Collective Knowledge of Enterprise Network Members
A major benefit to members of The Active Enterprise Network is the ability to share ideas and best practices with others in The Network in a non-competitive environment. The result is an open, collaborative team of industry insiders that encourages progress and gives each member the resources needed to do so. However, we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to collaboration among members. This breakout session will give everyone a chance to discuss ideas for moving The Enterprise Network forward.

Breakout Session

Broker LifeCycle: What We’ve Learned and Where We’re Headed
During this session, Stephanie Streeter, LifeCycle and ROI Manager at Active Website, will give an overview of what we’ve learned with LifeCycle so far and how this information helps set the stage for future advancements of the system. She will also discuss plans for 2012 which will include building the next version of LifeCycle, as well as new tools such as social CRM, tracking and rating systems and automated processes.

Speaker:
Stephanie Streeter
ROI and LifeCycle Manager
Active Website, LLC

Related Posts:

• 2011 Active Enterprise Network Annual Conference: Bridging the Gap Between Broker and Market
• 2011 Active Enterprise Network Annual Conference: Bridging the Gap Between Active and Broker
• 2011 Active Enterprise Network Annual Conference: Bridging the Gap Between Agent and Customer
• 2011 Active Enterprise Network Annual Conference: Bridging the Gap Between Broker and Agent
• 2011 Active Enterprise Network Annual Conference: Bridging the Gap Between Broker and Customer
• The Active Enterprise Network Gears Up for 2011 Annual Conference

About Becky Carroll
Becky Carroll is a long-time customer advocate and someone who is passionate about social media, marketing, and the customer experience. In 2005, Becky founded Petra Consulting Group, a strategic consultancy helping companies grow through customer conversation leading to stronger customer relationships.  Currently, Becky is the Community Manager at Verizon, working with their online forums, blogs, and idea exchange. She is responsible for the strategy around Verizon’s community and how it interacts with the rest of Verizon’s social media properties.

Previously, Becky was the Director of Social Media for Brickfish, a social media advertising platform.  Brickfish helps create branded User Generated Content for some of the world’s largest brands such as Microsoft, Nike, Estee Lauder, and Intuit.

Becky is also an accomplished international speaker and a frequent contributor to industry conversations. She is a regular personality on the nationally-syndicated radio program The Big Biz Show, a contributing author on the business book Age of Conversation, and also teaches social media at UC San Diego. Prior to founding Petra Consulting Group, she was a senior consultant with industry-leading Peppers and Rogers Group.

Becky is a member of PRG’s 1to1 Faculty and does speaking and consulting on their behalf. Previously, Becky worked at Hewlett Packard, both in the UK and in the US, in the areas of customer loyalty, customer service, and marketing.

Broker → Customer

Usability Vs. Branding: Your Logo is Not Your Brand
This session will help clarify the difference between usability and branding. Because we live in a customer-centric world, we need to keep usability at the forefront of design – not our branding. By focusing more on usability, you supply your customers with a higher quality experience that will then be associated with your brand. Keep in mind, your brand encompasses more than just your logo and design. It also includes your strategy and communication tools, your employees and facilities and most importantly your customer service.

Speaker:
Tom Flanagan
Technology Director
Residential Properties Ltd.

Search, Mobile and Social: Their Impact on Real Estate
Last year, we defined search, mobile and social as the major trends that are revolutionizing the Real Estate Industry.  Tyler Olmstead, Active Website’s Director of Deployment, and Chris Chares, Active’s Mobile Developer, will discuss their impact on the Real Estate Industry as well as the functionality we have developed as a result of these trends.

Speakers:
Tyler Olmsted
Director of Deployment
Active Website, LLC

Chris Chares
Mobile Developer
Active Website, LLC

Getting the Most Out of Your Community Relations: Increasing Brand Recognition Through Community Involvement
An important component of your brokerage’s marketing strategy involves your ability to connect to your local community. By bridging the gap between your brokerage and your customers through community involvement, you can increase brand recognition. Randall Graham, Vice President and Director of Marketing at Ebby Halliday Realtors, discusses Ebby’s strategy for positioning their brokerage in the community through events, fundraisers and various other programs.

Speaker:
Randall Graham
Vice President and Director of Marketing
Ebby Halliday Realtors

Stay tuned over the next couple weeks as we release more details about the sessions at our annual event!

Related Posts:
The Active Enterprise Network Gears Up for 2011 Annual Conference

By Dyana Gutierrez

Why is Google so obsessed with the social space?
We have seen Google make quite a few attempts at breaking into the social space without success. With the recent launch of Google+, you might be wondering why they’re so persistent following so many failed attempts (Google Wave, Buzz, Dodgeball, etc.). The reason is that both spaces are slowly converging into one. A good search engine provides quick and accurate results (weeding out the masses of clutter, spam and “black hat” sites). Social interaction plays a very interesting role in the “accuracy” of results.

In the earlier days of search engines, very few factors were considered outside of the terms you were searching for. Since then, search has evolved to take into account as much external data as it can gather. For example, once Google realized it can decipher your geographic location, they started basing results on sites that may be more relevant to your search based on your location.

The same is now true for social sites. As social platforms evolved, the search industry realized that not only could you acquire all the same data about users via these sites, but that other important data can be captured including users’ opinions, taste and circles of influence. A dynamic profile for every user (and other entities) exists with all their personal details and interests. Search engines can now factor a searcher’s likes and preferences as well as their friends’ opinions when delivering results. This makes personal data extremely valuable and a significant motivator for investing so heavily in social platforms.

Seeing that most of the valuable data relates to opinions and taste, one of the most important features of a social network is the “like” button. Google realized this and has recently released the Google “+1” button. It’s really quite surprising that it took so long for Google to realize the importance of the “like” feature. For years Google has placed significant weight to the quality and number of domains linking to a specific site when determining its rank for a specific term. These inbound links are in effect acting as a “like” feature.

What can we expect for the future?
New social networks try and make their way online regularly, each offering a new spin/angle for their network (e.g. Twitter allows you to follow users’ short comments, LinkedIn focuses around business, etc.).

While some users make use of multiple networks, the majority stick to a favorite. This is often determined by a mix of the best functionality/fit for their needs as well as the platform most used by their real life connections.

To acquire significant market share, Google will have to get a substantial and fast adoption rate. They will also need those users to stick and recommend to peers. With over 10 million users already on the platform, it seems Google is on the right track. It also seems that this time round that Google really thought this through. They analyzed Facebook’s list of features and realized areas in which they lack. As a result, Google upgraded their platform to include such things as peer circles, multi-way video chatting and much more in the hopes of bridging the functionality users are missing from Facebook and allowing them to use their platform in multiple different formats (e.g. separating your business circles from your personal circles and thus merging LinkedIn, Facebook and others into one malleable platform).

The question is, will this be enough to convert the masses? The good news for Google is that they went about marketing this new platform the right way this time. Following in the footsteps of Facebook’s success, they made the initial entry point by invite only. As expected a tremendous amount of users lined up for this invite only registration. These users quickly invited many of their friends, ironically some of which happened via Facebook posts.

Another factor that favors Google is all the free services they offer including emails, search, analytics and all the apps in between. If both platforms matched in everything else, Google could better integrate it into other aspects of daily life. For example, imagine your social analytics tied into Google Analytics seamlessly and with as much detail as analytics typically offers. Imagine the search we are already so used to (Google Search) factoring our likes, and weighting our friends’ likes based on recent posts and interactions.

One decision I am not so fond of is Google’s naming for this project. “Google+” just doesn’t seem right. I would focus on the major strength they have over all other networks currently, “Google Circles”. More than that, the “+1” is even worse. As mentioned above, it is the most important portion of a social network from a data gathering perspective, but the naming is just not catchy. “I +1’d you” doesn’t sound as great as “I LIKED you”. I would think “I G’d you” could end up as popular as “I Googled you”.

My prediction is that one of these two giants will take a major percentage of this space, while the other takes a far second, leaving the smaller networks of today (e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) a very distant third. Who will take the top spot will very much depend on how fast they can make moves right now. If I was Zuckerberg, I would be taking apart the Google platform and making sure Facebook has every new feature covered and then some. While Google leads the search industry, Facebook has the current social loyalty of the masses; it’s their immediate war to lose.

How does this impact our industry?
New social networks appear regularly, the difference is not many of them are powered by a giant and likely to make major ripples. Gaining more exposure via these new mediums is important. Wasting your time making sure your voice is heard on each and every network might be overkill, but focusing on networks with your target demographics and any that have a substantial user-base are worth the effort.

The great thing is that this is not cost prohibitive like placing ads on older mediums like TV, newspapers, etc. Using a handful of apps, you can repeat your message and increase your exposure very inexpensively to a multitude of popular networks.

Bottom line, if Google succeeds this time around with breaking into the social space, we will all likely be preaching our messages through both (and some of the smaller) networks. We will also see the “+1” button appear on more of our sites, allowing users to “plus one” our sites and content.

By Ido Zucker

Who are these new domains aimed at?
It is a pricey investment, and as a result will reduce the potential buying pool to the larger corporations and resellers.

What main uses should we expect?
Larger corporations will utilize this opportunity to further enhance their online marketing campaigns.

We can expect to see gTLDs for trademarked brands like “.apple” and “.cnn”, with sites such as “buy.apple”,” iphone.apple”, etc.

With opportunities like these, you can always expect to find resellers chasing new income. In these cases, the main focus will be around generic terms (e.g. markets, business types, geographic areas, activities, etc.). These entities will register a new gTLD (e.g. “. golf”) and sell/lease sub portions of that domain (e.g. “pro.golf”).

How will this affect the Real Estate Industry?
Outside of specific brand names, the main point of interest will be the resellers that offer terms relevant to our market (e.g. “.realestate”, “.homesforsale”). You and your agents will be approached with offers such as your-broker-name.realestate or denver.homesforsale and many other variations. Area-focused suffixes will also be attractive to our market, giving us the ability to form slogans as our site addresses (e.g. thebestluxuryhomesin.tampa).

From an SEO standpoint, we know that Google gives credit to sites when ranking them for specific key terms if those key terms are present within the site’s domain. We predict, however, that as it becomes easier to control the use of these new gTLDs, Google will place less weight on this factor.

Is it worth the cost?
Owning your own gTLD without the intention of reselling subdomains is a very expensive proposition, one that I don’t think many of our readers are going to consider.

Buying with the intention of reselling subdomains, especially for terms that are relevant to your direct industry, may be a viable option and a wise investment for those interested. The risk is the rate of adoption of these terms by the masses. New gTLDs typically battle against the value of the prestigious “.com” suffix.  If priced too high or users do not see the value in your chosen gTLD, you risk getting stuck with a very expensive domain. If you are considering this option, make sure to act fast as many entities worldwide will be hoping to take advantage of this same opportunity.

When purchasing a subdomain from a reseller (e.g. “homes.forsale”), ROI should always be an important consideration. Estimating the increased exposure via sticky marketing campaigns and utilizing this new domain versus the costs will help in making this decision. With time, estimations will become statistics aiding us in making better decisions.

The Process
For companies interested in acquiring their own customized gTLD, it comes at quite a cost; $185,000 for the application fee and an additional $75,000 annually for this privilege. There is vast potential for those who can afford it, but it is expensive for a reason – to prevent domain squatters from grabbing gTLDs.

Applications for the new gTLDs will be accepted from January 12, 2010 to April 12, 2012. The application evaluation process could take nine to 20 months depending on the application, intended usage and other issues.  We will stay on top of this developing news, but are unlikely to see these new domains in action until 2013.

Further Reading
For further reading on the application process and what this means to the industry, check out these articles we found useful.

• 9 Things You Need to Know About ICANN’s New Top Level Domains
• Web Addresses Enter New.Era
• Global Internet body to unleash  domain names
• Google, ICANN’s Dot-Anything-Goes and Its Possible Effects on SEO

Every year, REAL Trends ranks the performance of residential real estate companies across the country by sales volume, transactions, mortgage, etc. This annual report is a trusted standard of measuring performance, so again, congratulations to the following members!

The 500 Largest Brokers in the U.S. (Ranked by Closed Transaction Sides for 2010)

• 15 – Ebby Halliday Realtors
• 98 – Murney Associates Realtors
• 102 – The Group, Inc. Real Estate
• 155 – Skogman Realty
• 166 – Hasson Company Realtors
• 178 – The Danberry Company
• 189 – Kentwood Real Estate
• 190 – McEnearney Associates, Inc.
• 210 – Charles Reinhart Company Realtors
• 312 – Milestone Realty Consultants
• 385 – Residential Properties, Ltd.

The 500 Largest Brokers in the U.S. (Ranked by Closed Sales Volume in 2010)

• 12 – Ebby Halliday Realtors
• 63 – McEnearney Associates, Inc.
• 87 – Kentwood Real Estate
• 106 – The Group, Inc. Real Estate
• 108 – Hasson Company Realtors
• 168 – Murney Associates Realtors
• 204 – Charles Reinhart Company Realtors
• 211 – Residential Properties, Ltd.
• 235 – Skogman Realty
• 332 – The Danberry Company
• 375 – Milestone Realty Consultants

Top Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Affiliates

• 9- Ebby Halliday Realtors
• 35- Murney Associates Realtors
• 44- Skogman Realty
• 47- Hasson Company Realtors
• 49- Kentwood Real Estate
• 50-McEnearney Associates, Inc.
• 53- Charles Reinhart Company Realtors
• 63- Milestone Realty Consultants
• 68- Residential Properties, Ltd.

The Largest Independents

• 10- Ebby Halliday Realtors
• 40- Murney Associates Realtors
• 42- The Group, Inc. Real Estate
• 52- Skogman Realty
• 55- Hasson Company Realtors
• 60- The Danberry Company
• 63- Kentwood Real Estate
• 64- McEnearney Associates, Inc.
• 67- Charles Reinhart Company Realtors
• 83- Milestone Realty Consultants
• 93- Residential Properties, Ltd.

Top Firms Ranked by Closed Sales Volume Per Sales Associate

• 3- Kentwood Real Estate
• 9- The Group, Inc. Real Estate

Top Firms Ranked by Closed Sales Volume Per Office

• 16- Kentwood Real Estate

Top Firms Ranked by Average Sales Price

• 24- McEnearney Associates, Inc.

The Billionaire’s Club! (Those who closed at least one billion $ worth of real estate in 2010)

• 12- Ebby Halliday Realtors
• 63- McEnearney Associates, Inc.
• 87- Kentwood Real Estate

Top 500 Firms Ranked by Mortgage Closings

• The Group, Inc. Real Estate

Top 500 Firms Ranked by Title Closings

• The Group, Inc. Real Estate

• The Danberry Company

Real Trends Market Leaders

• Ann Arbor: Charles Reinhart Company Realtors
• Dallas/Ft.Worth: Ebby Halliday Realtors
• Denver: Kentwood Real Estate
• Fort Collins: The Group, Inc. Real Estate
• Lexington: Milestone Realty Consultants
• Portland: Hasson Company Realtors
• Providence: Residential Properties, Ltd.
• Toledo: The Danberry Company