Real Estate Technology & Tools

Have you been following along in this rebooted YouTube Thursdays series? You can use that link if you want to catch up on the previous posts.We are going to take a break this week from teaching new editing skills. Have you started your homework assignments yet? You can use this week to catch up.Meanwhile, this week, let's take a look at the group of ActiveRain members that have been trail blazing a path in the video world. I may have missed some, and I'd like you to chime in by making a comment if I have!I also wanted to highlight the "Honorable Mentions" because that means there is at least some beginning important steps taken to promote yourself via video creation. Sometimes a YouTube channel is just a collection of listings videos that you get from the photographer that you pay for t... 02/22/2024

How to Read Google Search Console and Google Analytics.Google Analytics and Google Search console can be confusing but I want to show you the data you can get from each and how they can help your web presence.   02/18/2024

Today I was helping a client with their website and we discovered by they weren't getting any leads sign in. This is the second site I've worked on recently were the forced sign in was over-written by the bloatware scripts that are there to make the site look "pretty". This is the second site I've worked on where this happens. I'm not fond of scripts that take a fast, functional site and weight it down and destroy the strong points of the site.   Bob McCranie Texas Pride Realty Group -HomeSmart Stars972-754-0582 cell  Bob@BobMcCranie.com Copyright © All Rights Reserved My Sites: www.CoachBobMcCranie.comwww.TexasPrideRealty.comwww.TodaysDFW.comwww.FleeRedStates.comwww.AustinBestAgent.comwww.TodaysEastTexas.com   02/16/2024

Today I was helping a client with their website and we discovered by they weren't getting any leads sign in. This is the second site I've worked on recently were the forced sign in was over-written by the bloatware scripts that are there to make the site look "pretty". This is the second site I've worked on where this happens. I'm not fond of scripts that take a fast, functional site and weight it down and destroy the strong points of the site.  02/15/2024

Have you been following along in this rebooted YouTube Thursdays series? You can use that link if you want to catch up on the five previous posts.I'll be demonstrating editing techniques using the CapCut video editing app. This is a free app that works on both PC and Mac. Even if you aren't using this app (for instance you may be using iMovie if you are on a Mac), the principles of editing are still applicable.In this week's post, we are going to look at adding text to your video. In the previous post, the homework assignment was to shoot 4 or 5 video clips on your mobile phone camera and stitch them together in the editor. You learned also how to trim the clips down in length so that they were about 7-10 seconds each. That composition video project will be the basis for what we do toda... 02/15/2024

We are excited to present this PowerSite Pro single property Website: 108MonroeStreet101.com Marketed by REALTOR Marcus E. Turner, the Website highlights a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo in Rockville, Maryland.  Using our new PowerSite Pro platform, Marcus has added:  lots of high definition photos a detailed description highlights amenities documents a video/virtual tour office info a map links to his Website.   Having done it all — whether it’s working as a general contractor, subcontractor, wholesaler, flipper, investor, or landlord — the industry of real estate is very personal to Dr. Turner. It’s been over 45 years since the first time he held a hammer or assisted his father in surveying land for new construction.Now with his extensive 45+ years of real estate experience coupled with ... 02/13/2024

Top smartphones cost a lot of money. Not everyone has the kind of money to buy a new smartphone every year. Some people prefer repairing their old phones. This infographic from ElectronicsHub takes a look at the easiest and hardest smartphone brands to repair:  02/11/2024

We are excited to present this PowerSite single property Website: www.23John.com Marketed by Laurel Guy of Warren Real Estate, the Website highlights a $559k, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom brick home just five minutes from downtown Ithaca and Cornell.  Using our PowerSite platform, Laurel has added:  lots of high definition photos a detailed description property documents a print brochure office info an embedded Virtual Tour a property map agent contact information.  Laurel Guy is a top ranked real estate agent in Tompkins County and ​has maintained her status as a top listing agent at Warren Real Estate since 2007. Her listings have been shown on CNBC Million Dollar Listing, CNN & HGTV. Laurel was also featured on HGTV House Hunters. With her expertise in online real estate marketing and tho... 02/11/2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems capable of performing tasks that historically required human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and identifying patterns. It encompasses a wide variety of technologies, including machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP). When most people use the term AI today, they’re often referring to machine learning-powered technologies that enable machines to perform tasks previously achievable only by humans, such as generating written content, steering a car, or analyzing data AI has applications in various fields and continues to evolve, impacting our daily lives in areas like recommendation systems, chatbots, and more I will share post to the group from time to time and encourage you t... 02/10/2024

We are excited to present this PowerSite Pro single property Website: 10305BeachMill.com Marketed by Christie's Master's Circle REALTOR, Fouad Talout the Website highlights a spectacular $4.5, 8 bedroom, 7.5 bath, 12,000 square home on 5 acres in Great Falls, VA.  Using our new PowerSite Pro platform, Fouad has added:  lots of high definition photos a detailed description office info a property map links to social media accounts and Website.  Fouad Talout has cultivated a visionary strategy for connecting people to their dream homes in the Capitol Region. From his hometown of Casablanca, to 5th Avenue New York City, to Washington, D.C., Fouad combines his international luxury real estate experience with his extended sales background to expertly and effortlessly sell elegant estates and ... 02/07/2024

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this blog is a must-read for unlocking the full potential of social media in your real estate business. Transform your online strategy and boost your real estate success.Have a super fantastic week!Joe Jackson, Realtor-KWCP We live in a digital age and social media has become a vital tool for real estate agents that are looking to establish a strong online presence. This presence allows you to connect with potential clients and showcase your listings. Millions of users are actively engaging on different social media platforms every day so the opportunity to market yourself effectively is great. Let's look at the top 10 ways real estate agents should be using social media. Top 10 Ways A Real Estate Agent Should Be Using Social ... 02/05/2024

We live in a digital age and social media has become a vital tool for real estate agents that are looking to establish a strong online presence. This presence allows you to connect with potential clients and showcase your listings. Millions of users are actively engaging on different social media platforms every day so the opportunity to market yourself effectively is great. Let's look at the top 10 ways real estate agents should be using social media.Top 10 Ways A Real Estate Agent Should Be Using Social MediaCreate a Professional ProfileThe first thing you want to do is create a professional profile that looks polished. You can do this by utilizing high-quality professional photos and creating a great bio that highlights your expertise and unique qualities. You want to make sure your ... 02/05/2024

Have you been following along in our YouTube series? A quick recap, we have gained inspiration video creators like Charlie Dresen and Emily Berdon. We can learn from both in their quality of work and their successes. In last week's post, we looked at some essentials of video editing. First of all, you will need to pick the editing app that you want to use (my suggestions are CapCut or iMovie). In that post, we also did our first very basic composition of 5 video clips that we downloaded and trimmed down into a 35 second video.Now, for today's post, we are going to start thinking about getting video footage from our own phones. I titled the post "Your First Videos" - however, I know these are not really your first videos. You most certainly have taken video clips of some fun family times... 02/08/2024

YouTube Thursdays, how to launch a real estate video channel. Things to consider upfront using video marketing. Before even uploading a single one of your property listings, community events, whatever kind of YouTube channel videos, here are some valuable tips. This blog post, like the ones "down under" populating the Active Rain YouTube Thursdays group, all designed to help get the most out of your video programming. Let's dive in. I know you are all over booked and in one major hurry right? Think about your potential audience members. They are very busy just like you. Video sure would provide quick and easy instant property showings. Your local event videos help them taste the local community flavor too. All your buyers have hopes, dreams, fears, deadlines. Some are bored, others are... 02/06/2024

Craig's Classroom is renowned for its wealth of knowledge, and he generously shares his expertise with all of us.   We are incredibly fortunate to have Craig Daniels, a Technology Instructor/Project Consultant, as an integral member of our Active Rain community. If you're not already following him, it's high time you do. Craig's Classroom is renowned for its wealth of knowledge, and he generously shares his expertise with all of us. Recently, Craig has taken the initiative to revive YouTube Thursday, a series originally started by Debb Janes in 2011. With Debb taking a break from Active Rain due to life circumstances and the pursuit of a balanced work-life dynamic, Craig has graciously stepped in. Under Craig's guidance, YouTube Thursdays have evolved into a dynamic showcase, not just h... 02/05/2024

We are incredibly fortunate to have Craig Daniels, a Technology Instructor/Project Consultant, as an integral member of our Active Rain community. If you're not already following him, it's high time you do. Craig's Classroom is renowned for its wealth of knowledge, and he generously shares his expertise with all of us.Recently, Craig has taken the initiative to revive YouTube Thursday, a series originally started by Debb Janes in 2011. With Debb taking a break from Active Rain due to life circumstances and the pursuit of a balanced work-life dynamic, Craig has graciously stepped in.Under Craig's guidance, YouTube Thursdays have evolved into a dynamic showcase, not just highlighting individuals excelling in video creation but also exploring various types of videos prevalent in the real e... 02/03/2024

A lady deed maybe a usefull tool to transfer property to somone else after you die.A ladybird deed is a special kind of property deed that's pretty handy for homeowners who want to make sure their house goes directly to someone else when they pass away, without the hassle of probate court. This article by Emily M. Sullivan and Gregg A. Nathanson, published in the Michigan Bar Journal, explains the deed's benefits and how it’s used.Here's the simple version of how it works: When you use a ladybird deed, you keep full control of your property until you die. You can live there, rent it out, or even sell it without needing to check with anyone else. But once you're no longer around, your house automatically goes to the person or people you've chosen, called beneficiaries, without getting ca... 02/02/2024

When selling and listing Real Estate,  we also want to build relationships. Do we accomplish this by sending everything through DocuSign instead of meeting our clients face-to-face and explaining the paperwork? Was this the original intent of DocuSign, or did we get lazy? Yes, it is convenient, but translation needs to be recovered somehow. Do people understand what they are signing?  It is a magnificent tool; many people in specific situations cannot sign in person, so it is perfection. Is it necessary to use it in every transaction? Why have we lost the value of face-to-face contact with our clients and explaining contracts? Are we building relationships? Call me old fashion. I am sure there are many transactions where the clients only see the agent to see the property or the initial ... 02/17/2024

Wordless Wednesdays: Technology/AI is not your friend... I have been reading a lot of posts thanks to this month's Active Rain Challenge about AI. I wrote a diplomatic post about it. Well, this is not about the Challenge, this happened today.  To give you a background for those who do not know I was born in Communist Hungary where the government tried to control people's thought process and I see today technology is trying to do the same. So, with that said be forewarned and be careful. Look at the photos and I will just leave it at that.When Diane and I talk to each other there are times she is in the other room and does not hear what I said. Hence the joke has been I yell to her "Do you want me to tell you in Hungarian?" Keep in mind my phone is always in my hip pocket in case I get a... 01/31/2024

There are both pros and cons to using Generative AI tool such as Chat GPT, Bard, MidJourney and others. AI Tool ExamplesChatGPT by Open AI has a free version which is pulling content from the Internet through Nov 2021. So if you need output that considers information more recent than that you should use the paid version.The Paid version is connected to live Internet and is bundled into Bing search browser.Other tools to try are Bard by Google, Dall-e2 (text to image tool), MidJourney andTopaz Gigapixel.AI tools are quickly getting integrated into other platforms too. For example, the image above I created using the AI tool integrated with Canva using the prompt, "design a physical representation of an AI machine that's both angel and devil."AI for InspirationAs a marketing and public re... 01/31/2024