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So far THE WAV GROUP has created 603 blog entries.

Microformatting enhances SEO for real estate

Microformats in plain english: Microformats is specific website coding standards (called Semantic information) that allows search engines to “read” the addresses and categories of inforamtion on your website, display the information in search results (like google maps), and allow the consumer to quickly download a vcard or address book card directly from the search result using a browser extension like Operator for firefox. As mentioned in the WAV Group White Paper on Localism - Geo Targeting strategies for real estate websites - search engines are often unable to view listings on most IDX Property Search solutions.  Companies like Trulia, Zillow, Loopnet and others real [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:28-07:00May 19th, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Microformatting enhances SEO for real estate

Social Brand Marketing for Real Estate Brokers

Last week the WAV Group launched the first of its kind Broker Social Brand Marketing effort in Vancouver Canada.  We believe that any brokerage with 100 or more agents has a tremendous opportunity to command a sigificant voice in the Social Networks that surround the communities they serve. As this chart shows, Real Estate Broker Brands are lagging behind other consumer brands on making an online social statement.  Amazingly this is happening at a time when Real Estate is among the top news makers.  If you are a brand marketer, you must be astounded that there is no mention of [...]

By |2017-06-23T01:34:34-07:00May 8th, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on Social Brand Marketing for Real Estate Brokers

Microsoft Virtual Earth plus Photosynth is good for MLS and Real Estate

In a move that may separate Microsoft Virtual Earth from Google maps, Microsoft announced integration of Photosynth - an application that allows you to automatically stich groups of photos togethers into a three dimensional viewing experience.  This has tremendous implications for the mapping functionality imbeded into MLS systems including Cyberhomes (FNRES) and Marketlinx and others. Although Virtual Earth is much less popular than Google Maps, it is vastly superior on many levels - which is why leading technolgoy companies are opting to pay for Microsoft over Google.  This combination essentially combines mapping with virtual tour experiences.  This combination will have relevance for agents working within the [...]

By |2021-06-01T13:58:16-07:00May 7th, 2009|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Microsoft Virtual Earth plus Photosynth is good for MLS and Real Estate

tweetopics: Twitter for Real Estate – twitterstate continued

On the heals of helping nearly every member of a brokerage in Brittish Columbia register on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail I found myself listening to @cyberhomes and @nik_nik deliver a webinar on using twitter for real estate As a continuation of our popular blog post – twitterstate: Twitter for real estate, I thought that I would add a new post that lists some helpful tools that twitter bloggers in real estate should consider usiing Websites offering Twitter tools, and tips http://www.twitterlocal.net http://www.twello.com http://www.wefollow.com […]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:28-07:00May 6th, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on tweetopics: Twitter for Real Estate – twitterstate continued

WAV Group Releases Virtual Tour Whitepaper

There is a tremendous opportunity today for brokers and agents to differentiate themselves  and, as a result, grow their market share through better use of virttual tour technology.  According to the NAR 2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report 41% of the people that bought homes in 2008 were first time buyers.  Their average age was 30 versus 47 for repeat buyers.  This growing base of home buyers and sellers, with less wrinkles,  look for visual information first in their Internet searches.  Unfortunately our sources tell us 75% to 90% of listings on MLS systems today do not have virtual tours.  This means, listings [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:29-07:00May 4th, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Virtual Office Website Series|Comments Off on WAV Group Releases Virtual Tour Whitepaper

Intermountain MLS Joins Twitter

Although they are just getting started, the Intermountain MLS of Boise ID has joined twitter to communicate with members, and probably consumers. You can follow them at http://twitter.com/imls Here are a number of thier posts – I especially like their process of announcing market statistics – this information is valuable to both the members and consumers – reinforcing the authority of the relationship between organized real estate and consumers. IMLS is proud to be hosting Rick DeLuca once again June 11th.#fb14 minutes ago from web   March Statistics are Now Available. Visit http://tinyurl.com/d7klpf11:23 AM Apr 14th from web [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:29-07:00May 2nd, 2009|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Intermountain MLS Joins Twitter

WAV Group 2009 Transaction Management Adoption Study – Coming Soon!

In 2005, WAV Group looked at Transaction Management adoption and wondered why it hadn’t taken off.  Everyone was saying they wanted it and everybody said it was a good idea, yet, the more we delved into it the more we found a lack of real adoption.  The study, which is still available for download here. identified many of the issues affecting adoption and why there was a gap between what the industry was saying and what the industry was doing. The study also made recommendations on the best ways to create adoption by rolling technology out in a series of steps [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:29-07:00May 1st, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on WAV Group 2009 Transaction Management Adoption Study – Coming Soon!

WAV Group Releases Localism Whitepaper

For more than two years, WAV Group has been doing research that provides insight for real estate companies to focus on strategies that will accelerate their online business opportunities. We have studied consumer and broker opinions of MLS Consumer Facing websites, Broker websites, the effectiveness of listing syndication, broker lead response and even mobile search. All of these studies were focused on measuring components of online strategies deployed today around the real estate industry. In this new report, titled Localism - WAV Group endaveours to look outward into the future of online effectiveness. We look forward to getting feedback from [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:29-07:00April 30th, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on WAV Group Releases Localism Whitepaper

Stop Advertising and start “EDUtising”

Most of us tune out when we hear companies telling us how great they are in commercials. We have become pretty cynical about advertising. Traditional advertising like radio and TV have gotten slammed as ineffective tools for generating leads. There are whole technologies that have been built to help us zap advertising so that we can get to the content we are really interested in. Well, what if our advertising could become the content viewers are interested in? While in Orlando last week I heard a radio ad that got me thinking about a new way to make advertising relevant [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:29-07:00April 29th, 2009|Main category|Comments Off on Stop Advertising and start “EDUtising”

Virtual Office Website in the New York Times

If anyone has doubts about the power shift that is taking place as a result of Virtual Office Websites - think again.  Virtual Office Websites are putting real estate agents back into the center of the conversation between consumers and the property information in the best possible way. Check out the fantastic article from Sundays NYT entitled “Brokers Enrich Their Web Tactics.” This is what one broker had to say about Listingbook: Kathy Engel, an associate broker with Re/Max Shores Oceanside and the president-elect of the Long Island Board of Realtors, said that although she had been in real estate 23 [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:29-07:00April 25th, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Virtual Office Website Series|Comments Off on Virtual Office Website in the New York Times

Luxury Real Estate gets Social in Las Vegas

Victor Lund of the WAV Group will be joining Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty, Jon Larrance of Perry & Company, Bruce Hiatt of Las Vegas’ Luxury Realty Group, and Michael Marquette of Marquette Turner of Australia to produce a seminar on Social Networking at the Luxury Real Estate Conference in Las Vegas next week. The Seminar topic is titled “The Power of Social Networking: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Blogging Tactics of Top Luxury Professionals” The success that these Luxury Real Estate brokers are having from leveraging web 2.0 social technologies has been outstanding.  It will be a pleasure to gain insight from professionals that have laid the [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:29-07:00April 23rd, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on Luxury Real Estate gets Social in Las Vegas

European Model Gaining Ground in U.S. Despite Tough Market

We think it is interesting to note that during these very difficult times in real estate a new comer to the U.S. real estate market is successfully expanding their franchise operations. As Stefan Swanepoel reported today in Inman news (http://www.inman.com/node/94265)  Engel & Völkers announced that it signed its 555th license, worldwide, with the signing of the license region for Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Westwood in California. By way of background, Engel & Völkers is a luxury real estate company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany that has a unique international property shop concept.   All Engel & Völkers franchises must be built [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:30-07:00April 17th, 2009|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Our Services|Comments Off on European Model Gaining Ground in U.S. Despite Tough Market