Last month I came across a post on ActiveRain by a developer using the Cyberhomes Application Programming Interface (API). His name is Murali Vasudevan, and I thought he did a great job implementing our API. It got me thinking of how many real estate agents would love the functionality he created on their website or blog. So I reached out to Murali last week and asked him a few questions, including how an agent can get his custom work on their site. See our interview below.

1. What first made you want to build off the Cyberhomes API?
   I look for opportunities to enhance customer experience by solving real life issues using tools available for free! In the past I have integrated APIs from Amazon and Google which can be seen at http://www.elixiraddons.com. Recently came across your web service API from an article on realtor web site www.realtor.com. After reviewing it I thought that it could be used for realtor sites to provide useful information for the visitors helping to increase the traffic to these sites. First I created an addon http://www.elixiraddons.com/cyber to show comparable sales for any property within the continental US. I enhanced this by showing the properties on Google Maps.
2. How does the Cyberhomes API compare to other API’s you’ve implemented?
   Cyberhomes API is on the top of the list based on my experience. Especially I like the fact that you provide the distance of comparable properties from the primary property in your response. The latitude longitude info also looks more reliable which is essential to show the properties on Google Map.
3. Recently one of your add-ons was enhanced with a property tax appeal feature.  What’s your goals here?
   Glad you asked this. Recently I read an article in our local news paper (www.latimes.com) about the scam artists trying to exploit the home owners who have already hit hard by the current financial turmoil. These agencies seem to be charging the homeowners hefty amounts to appeal their property taxes with the county assessor. I thought that Cyberhomes API has all the details required by the appeal process and have come up with this tool (http://www.elixiraddons.com/cyber)  to generate the form ready to be printed and mailed to the assessor. I thought this will be a timely help for lot of the hard hit homeowners in California. Initial feedback is very encouraging so far. So far I have automated the appeal process for Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Orange county. Will be adding more to this list soon. Read the full story

If you’ve been wondering how Twitter can help augment your real estate marketing initiatives, you’re in luck! Nicole Nicolay (@nik_nik) recently finished writing an eBook entitled “Twitter for Real Estate Twits.”

Now, you may think I’m a little biased since Nicole IS my wife. But I’m not the only one who thinks real estate agents can benefit from using Twitter. Just today, Bernice Roberts wrote “It’s Time To Take Up Tweeting” over at Inman News.

So I sat down with @nik_nik (which wasn’t all that hard since we cohabitate) and asked her a few quick questions about her new ebook and Twitter in general. Here are her responses in 140 characters or less!

1. What can a real estate professional expect to learn from “Twitter for Real Estate Twits”?

@nik_nik:  I think this ebook will help break down the barrier to entry and provide Twits with the know-how to build relationships that lead to biz.

2. What is the best way for a real estate professional to utilize Twitter?

@nik_nik:  Drive traffic to your RE blog by broadcasting posts & target your future clients by becoming their trusted advisor.

3. What do you think are the biggest hurdles an agent faces with using Twitter?

@nik_nik:  Time management and communicating (tweeting) effectively

4. What advice do you have for a Twitter newbie?

@nik_nik: Be yourself, share what you are passionate about and NEVER EVER hard sell or spam Twits with bulk DMS.

To get started tweeting today, download your FREE copy of “Twitter for Real Estate Twits” here.

This will be the first of many posts on target marketing your real estate business.  Let’s start by identifying why a niche is important, what questions you should be asking yourself and how you can complete the corresponding research.

When the topic of target marketing comes up, most will agree it sounds like a great idea.  But I have a hunch that many real estate agents will not go the extra steps required.  Now obviously once you’ve identified a niche, you’ll still except business from other sources-especially given the current economic and housing turmoil.  But rather it will enable you to optimize your marketing efforts and bring a consistent message for a particular age group or lifestyle type.

Ask yourself who’s the perfect customer? Is it a first-time buyer or seasoned homeowner looking to buy their next home? Do you cater to young families? As you identify these demographics, look at your market to see if there’s a fit. Does your local market have more of a particular type of client? Does your skill set have more to offer a particular type of buyers or seller?

Researching Your Local Market Segments

Using the “Maps” section of Cyberhomes.com you can segment your local market.  For example, start by selecting “Maps” from the search dropdown, then enter the zip code you think generates most of your business.  Now on the Maps page, look to the left-hand side and you’ll see various demographic and market groupings.  Segment your market area by age group, lifestyle, type of neighbor or neighborhood characteristics.  As you review the maps, look for high concentrations of your target customer. Zoom in and out as needed; also click on any area to see the actual percentages. Repeat as needed for each market area.

Coming up next, we will uncover strategies for researching your closest competitors.

I was talking with a seasoned real estate professional recently about jumping into the social media scene with her business.  I wasn’t surprised to hear that she was very anxious and unsure about how to best get started. So I thought I would share my thoughts on getting started with social media in 2009!

To start, before you get to deep into any social media plan you need to think about your goals and what you want to achieve. For example, who are you trying to reach specifically? Where do those consumers hang out online? How much time do you have to focus on social media each initiatives week? Once you have the answer to these key questions and have set goals, you can move forward knowing that you have something to gauge your success.

Monitoring
Now that you’ve established goals, it would be a good idea to establish a pulse or monitoring system for your brand and market.  Remember that it’s not just mainstream media you’re listening to. With current technology you can easily track individual conversations online. Ask yourself what type of content a prospective client would find if they search you online. This exercise will also help you identify new emerging topics early so that you can implement them into your business, communication plan, or social media objectives.

If you want to setup automatic alerting, one of the most popular free services is Google Alerts.  It’s a free email update service offered by Google to help you stay on top of developing news by setting specific keywords to track.  (i.e. your name, business, competitor).  I would also suggest using tools like SocialMention and WhosTalkin to search user-generated content like blogs, comments, forums, bookmarks, events, and videos. To learn more about monitoring tools, read 7 Ways to find out who’s talking about you.

Read the full story