Coming Soon, Google Voice will be available.  The service has launched, but only available to a selected number of alpha users.  Google Voice is simple to understand.  Google will issue you a phone number.  You can give that phone number to anyone – friends, family, work – everyone.  Then Google Voice will allow you to configure your preferences for which of your phones rings depending on the caller, time of day, or however you like.  Google will either ring all of your phones at once, or ring different phones for different types of callers.  This will be great for real [...]

Reading agent conversations in the Real Town and Active Rain communities has suggested that many real estate agents may be at a crossroads in mobile technology.  Real Estate practitioners have embraced the Palm Treo for years because of a single unique feature - the ability to use the Treo’s Infra Red port to open GE Supra Lockboxes. Now that the Treo has outlived its useful life, what will be replacement? Blackberry’s parent company, Research In Motion (RIM) has worked with GE to develop a work around called eKey for Blackberry, you can pair a key fob with your Blackberry to behave [...]

I reviewed a report today conducted by the Online Publishers Association in cooperation with web traffic analytic company comScore. The report finds that display advertising on websites increases consumer engagement.  This may substantiate that Brokers may actually be able to convert more consumers on their websites if they offer advertising.  As a secondary benefit, brokers may also pick up a few extra dollars from advertisers. Historically brokers have believed that advertising cheepens thier site, and have recoiled from the concept of selling online advertising.  Companies like Cyberhomes have developed ad networks that allow brokers to choose who advertises on the [...]