The Future of Real Estate Marketing blog is a very special place for me. When I was getting my feet wet in this industry, FOREM was one of my go-to daily reads. The content that Joel Burslem created was no where to be found in 2006, 2007, and 2008 – back when people were saying, “Facebook – what is that?” When I came on board with Inman News in November of 2009 and was asked by Brad Inman, founder and publisher of Inman News to take over managing editing duties and become the primary writer for FOREM, I was honored, excited, and a little nervous.

I knew I had big shoes to fill, and had several conversations with Joel about why FOREM had the success and audience it did. A big part of it was the content – offering a fresh eye, talking about what was new and exciting and also looking at other industries to see the parallels to the real estate technology space. The other part of FOREM’s success was Joel’s personality. Anyone who knows Joel knows that he is a great guy – down to earth, super smart, and one of the nicest people you’ll meet.

So for the first couple of months, I tried to be like Joel and what I quickly realized, and any blogger reading this can relate, is that I needed to find my own voice. It wasn’t soon after January 2010 that I really found my rhythm. I started writing about things that I knew real estate agents wanted to know more about and things I was passionate about. I talked a lot about Facebook and Twitter – do’s and don’ts, getting started, and taking it to the next level. We also talked a lot about mobile technology – especially with the iPhone and the iPad. It’s hard to remember a time before those two devices!

In the fall of 2010, I started to bring in some fantastic guest bloggers to talk about technologies they were working on or to offer another point of view. Over the course of 2010 and now 2011, our readership grew and grew. I’m very proud to say that we increased our RSS readership ten-fold – literally growing from a couple thousand RSS subscribers to now almost 12K and quadrupling our number of page views. We also won the coveted “Best Blog Award” from NAREE (National Association of Real Estate Editors) this year – taking home the second place award – competing with blogs like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal real estate blogs. I say all this not to pat myself on the back, but to really give credit to you – our readers. It is our readers and our devoted audience who have helped form and grow FOREM; and through your feedback, comments and sharing – have made FOREM what it is today.

So what is next?

I think there is a huge opportunity to take FOREM to the next level and offer a larger variety of content, have more contributors, and reach a broader audience. I am excited to announce the official launch on Monday 7/11/11 of Inman Next, produced by Inman News. Inman Next will be a place for real estate agents to learn about the latest tips and tools in social media, mobile, tech & gadgets and events. FOREM will play a big part in Inman Next.

You will be able to find all of the content from FOREM on Inman Next – it will all be marked “Future of Real Estate Marketing.” Going forward, you will continue to see longer form posts and more in-depth articles marked as “Future of Real Estate Marketing” articles on Inman Next. I am collaborating with Chris Smith, co-founder of Tech Savvy Agent and now Chief Evangelist with Inman News to launch this exciting new channel. In addition to Chris and I, we have a fantastic list of contributors who will be submitting posts regularly to Inman Next.

Special invite

We will be launching Inman Next this Monday, July 11th at 11 am (PST)/2 pm (EDT) and I would love for you to be a part of our special launch event. Please go to Inman Launch and enter your email to receive a special invite to our launch event this Monday, July 11th.

Thank you for all of your continued support and contribution to FOREM. Please join me on Monday the 11th as we usher in one of the most exciting things to debut for real estate agents in a long time. I’ll see you there!

Katie Lance, Social Media Director, Inman News, @katielance

Share on Facebook

At Inman News, we talk a lot about workstyle and how much has changed in just the last few years. How real estate professionals work, has been a fundamental theme of Agent Reboot and Real Estate Connect.Why? There is an absolute fundamental shift in how we do business, that has occurred because of technology, mobile and social media.

I wanted to share this awesome infographic I found on one of my favorite sites, Gist.com. This infographic really outlines so well how we (especially in the real estate industry) have changed how we do business.

Enjoy the infographic and thank you to our friends at Gist! (view the original post here)

Katie Lance, Social Media Director, Inman News, @katielance

Share on Facebook

Facebook doesn’t make many big changes quickly. Since it’s launch in 2004, with each new change comes a wave of people complaining or asking for it to go back to “the old way.” It looks like it may be that time again.

According to VentureBeat, Facebook’s developers are currently in the process of testing a new change that is probably going ruffle some feathers!

What is it?

Facebook’s new site design will prominently feature advertisements.

Who likes ads? Not too many people except for advertisers and Facebook!

However, check out these two key parts of the redesign:

• Static elements. The new redesign would keep the placement of advertisements and the menu navigation window static. As the user scrolls down the page, scanning their News Feed and checking in on friends, these elements would follow them. The navigation bar at the top of the screen and even the site’s footer would also remain static.
• Limit the number of ads. The other interesting change is that it will only allow Facebook to display a certain number of advertisements on each page.

I think this could be a huge game-changer for real estate agents and brokers who invest in Facebook ads. Why? Facebook ads already rock because of the laser focus you can choose when creating them, but this new redesign offers agents better ad positioning, an ad that is more likely to convert, and an ad which could turn more likes into leads.

Imagine an ad that you see (on YOUR page) that is targeted to you, and your likes and interests. Instead of seeing it once as you scroll by it, it follows you where you go throughout Facebook. If it’s done in a non-annoying way, this could be a great way to get your ad in front of the same people but for longer periods of time. Most people when they see an ad don’t react to it – they have to see it over and over and perhaps this new redesign will breathe new life into ads and give real estate agents one more reason to invest time and money into a Facebook marketing strategy.

What do you think? Hate it? Love it? I’d love your feedback, leave me a comment below!

Katie Lance, Social Media Director, Inman News, @katielance

Share on Facebook

Please join us for a FREE Webinar this Thursday, hosted by Chris Smith!

Topic: “Make More Money with Mobile”

Sponsored by: DocuSign

Date: Thursday, June 30th

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (PDT)

Mobile technology is changing the face of real estate. It has changed the way real estate professionals communicate and how they market themselves. A whole new generation is being brought up with the entire Web in the palm of their hand.

Inman Chief Evangelist Chris Smith, one of the leaders in real estate mobile technology, will show you the top 15 mobile apps that will help you make more money, improve your productivity and your consumer experience. Chris will detail some of the hottest and most effective apps that real estate agents can begin using everyday to generate more leads and help them work smarter and faster.

Don’t miss out on this free webinar! See you there!

Register now >>

Katie Lance, Social Media Director, Inman News, @katielance

Share on Facebook

Note: I’ve asked several people to share their thoughts and experiences about what Real Estate Connect has meant to them with our FOREM readers. Look for these special “Connect Stories” here on FOREM leading up to Real Estate Connect San Francisco, July 27-29, 2011. Our seventh Connect guest post is from our friend Krisstina Wise, Principal, The GoodLife Team (@krisstinawise on Twitter). Thank you Krisstina! – Katie

@InmanConnect #ICSF

If I could only choose one real estate conference to attend, it would be Inman Connect.

Why?

Well, if you haven’t noticed, the marketplace as we’ve known it has shifted. And, that means the real estate industry, too, is changing. The future does not look like the past as far as our careers are concerned — which means we must prepare for a different future.

Connect is the ONLY conference I know that brings the future to the present
As agents and brokers, there are countless conferences and educational events we can attend. Yet, out of all of them, Connect is the ONLY conference I know of that looks into the future and then brings it back to our industry so that we can prepare for the future of real estate NOW!  Since it’s imperative to our future success to know of the imminent changes quickly approaching our industry and careers,  I can’t imagine another conference that is as important to attend than Connect.

The GoodLife Team’s secret is: Inman Connect
The GoodLife Team is known to be technologically advanced for the industry and is also recognized as being an early-adopter and innovator. People ask how we continue to do this? Here is our secret … we attend Connect!

Inman Connect offers us a glimpse into the future by bringing together the most advanced and brightest thought leaders from around the globe that bring first to the industry the emerging tools, technologies, and trends that are on the horizon. The entire conference is oriented around what the future of the marketplace looks like, what changes are coming and what we, as real estate agents and brokers, need to know in terms of technologies, tools and people in order to prepare ourselves and our businesses for the future of real estate. At The GoodLife Team, we take full advantage of this opportunity to foresee what’s forthcoming and then put the competitive knowledge into practice by innovating, adopting and/or reinventing our operations in order to be on the cutting-edge of real estate brokerage.

Connect is Unconventional, Untraditional and Unstereotypical
It goes without saying that Connect is uncommon, untraditional and unstereotypical. Those characteristics are a given for any conference delivering the future to us now. But, what really makes Connect unique, and my favorite conference, is the people!

I love Connect because it attracts and brings together the most innovative, passionate and knowledgeable thought leaders and actors in real estate! From the great keynote speakers from companies like Google and The New York Times, to each and every session speaker and panelist — you will meet and learn from the true leaders of change. Combine these people with the  entrepreneurs you’ll meet at Start-up Alley and you have the BEST line up you will find at any conference. You will meet the most inspiring, passionate and knowledgeable innovators, entrepreneurs and practitioners who, no doubt, become new friends and colleagues.

The New Reality of Realty
So, sign up for Connect today and I look forward to seeing you there. Please drop by my session on the 28th at 9:25 where we will be discussing the new Realities of Realty.

Do you have a Connect Story you’d like to share? Did coming to Connect profoundly change you, your outlook, your team or your business? All of the above? If so, I want to hear from you and possibly feature you here on FOREM. Leave me a comment below or email me katie (at) inman (dot) com.

Join the Connect conversation on Facebook and Twitter (#ICSF)

Katie Lance, Social Media Director, Inman News, @katielance

Share on Facebook

In the last few weeks, Facebook has made some great new updates available to page admins. They are definitely making it easy for page admins to get the help and assistance they need, get their questions answered, and make their page as successful as can be. In the past, when a page owner was looking to advertise on Facebook, or install a certain app, it took a little bit of “hunting and pecking.”

Now, on the new admin panel interface, there are a number of extremely helpful links to help you develop your page.

Here is a screen shot of the back-end of the Inman News page:

Once you click on “resources,” you can see there are 11 links and resources available to page admins. Many of these were available to Facebook users – and were in various places on Facebook – but to have them in all one, organized list just makes sense!

Here are some of my favorite key hightlights out of the 11 links:

The 1st is the top link: “Best Practices Guides to Make Your Page Engaging” – which takes you to this page:

This is a page that I refer to often on Facebook to find out about the latest changes and updates to Facebook pages. This page is chock-full of awesome tips and tricks like the pages manual, the insights guide, bloggers guide, and so much more. If you are a real estate agent just building your Facebook page, or need to spruce it up, I can not recommend enough checking out these resources!

Additional links on the back-end of your Facebook page include a link to set your username, add a social plugin to your site (i.e. adding the “like” button and other options) and the ability to send an update to everyone who has “liked” your page. By the way – are you sending updates to the people who like your page? This is a quick and easy way to send a custom message to a select group of people who like your page (geographically) or to all of the people who like your page.

Overall, I love with the new interface of the admin panel. I can find what I am looking for quickly and easily.

Facebook is smart – I’m a lot more likely to engage and add on additional resources to my Facebook page if they make it easy for me! This is a great tip for real estate agents – make it easy for people to contact you, to navigate your site, etc. Keep it simple, right?

What admin tools do you use the most from Facebook? I’d love to hear your thoughts – please post a comment below!

Katie Lance, Social Media Director, Inman News, @katielance

Share on Facebook

Foursquare just surpassed the 10 million user mark. Facebook Places has become extremely popular quickly. Whether you “get” it or not people like checking in. A lot.

Quora has recently exploded onto the scene as a new breed of Q and A site with a social and transparent approach. People go to the web with questions, Quora has answers, from real people.

What if you wanted to ask a Quora type question to someone who is checked in at a specific location RIGHT NOW?

Possibilities abound.

Thinking of going to the DMV and want to know how long the wait is? Heading to Applebee’s on a Friday night but don’t want to even think about stopping by if the wait is over an hour? Have a plane to catch and wondering how traffic will be along your path?

Localmind has created an app for that. There is an iPhone/iPad version as well as a web app [iPad version is AMAZING]. By accessing the location based data available via check in sites like Foursquare and Facebook, Localmind can actually connect you with people who are currently at a venue so that you can ask them a question in the moment. Questions can also be left at locations and will be pushed to the next patron to check in where the question is waiting. The video below gives a great visual explanation of the practical uses of Localmind in under 40 seconds. The quote below is by Localmind’s co-founder and upcoming Inman Connect San Francisco speaker Lenny Rachitsky:

Anytime I come across a new technology like this I immediately try to wrap my mind around the possibilites within the real estate space. Shiny object or viable platform moving forward?

My first thought is that the early adopters in the real estate industry on Foursquare/Gowalla/Facebook Places may see some reward here. Being checked in all over town is great, but many would argue that just isn’t enough to generate legitimate business. Especially in a relationship business like real estate.

Where Localmind can be of additional value to the already geo location savvy is that it REALLY encourages engagement with strangers (some would call those leads/prospects/etc). By asking and answering questions you are not only interacting with potential new clients and being helpful, you are also doing it in the moment they need it most while at the same time sharing your local expertise. There are a lot of unanswered questions on the map in Localmind right now in most metro markets.

I can see some genuine connections being made through Localmind and I know that I for one would be much more inclined to want to be connected on the social graph with those that bring value versus those who simply shout about where they are all the time.

A Foursquare check in is talking, Localmind shows that you are listening.

Seems to me that the listeners are winning at the social media game right now, even though most folks are just blabbing away.

Would love your thoughts on Localmind below and the possible uses for the real estate industry.

Written by: Chris Smith, Chief Evangelist, Inman News, @chris_smth

Share on Facebook

It is simply impossible to avoid. Buyers remorse seems to be ever more cruel when it comes to technology.

Picture this. You have made up your mind that it is finally time to buy a new camera/phone/laptop. You are done photographing your listings with your 5 megapixel point and shoot. Fed up with taking the battery out of your Blackberry four times a day? Once and for all you are going to get rid of that spam and virus filled PC you have been chugging along with for many too many months.

Often when we buy new hardware it is an emotional and rash decision. It shouldn’t be. Yes, you may be ready for that new tool for your business, but what if the newest, hottest, shiniest model is coming out in two weeks? A model that will surely be smaller and faster and maybe even worst of all cheaper?

Enter Decide.com.

Decide.com has created an algorithm based on 1′000’s of data points to make sure that you not so much buy the right device, but more so that you buy it at the right time!

As someone who has purchased far too many Apple products in the last 3 years I can tell you that having a service and information like this can literally be priceless.

Upgrades are happening so quickly with hardware as are price reductions on older models. Normally you would never see in a Best Buy ad “Great model, but you should wait four weeks until we mark it down or for the new one to come out”.

Decide.com even has a great mobile site so that you can access suggestions like “wait for new model” or “wait for price to drop” while at the store. Talk about transparency and giving the sales guy a truly difficult objection to overcome.

From what I can tell Decide is currently focused on cameras and laptops, both of which many real estate agents are either in the market for or will be soon. If you decide, pun intended, to browse around Decide.com and happen to find an item that should not be purchased due to the data they have complied you can set alerts as to be notified when the time is right.

My first reaction? Super cool site worth spending a few minutes on and remembering for your next purchase.

My second is that what if a site like Trulia or Zillow decided to add a similar algorithm to homes consumers were browsing on the web? Can you picture a buyer standing in front of a home with their phone out getting a “Wait 3 months to buy” recommendation? I can…

Written by: Chris Smith, Chief Evangelist, Inman News,@chris_smth

Share on Facebook

Have you been Zapd yet?

One of my favorite new apps is one that allows you to create a completely mobile optimized website from your iPhone in literally seconds.

Zapd (a new service from Seattle-based Pressplane) is a free app and is available from the Apple App store. Snap some photos, pick a theme, add a little text and then voila! Your site is done. Zapd reminds me a lot of Posterous and Tumblr, but the biggest difference is that you can create the entire site from your iPhone. Once a site is published you can share it directly to Twitter or Facebook or via email. Every website created with Zapd is optimized for smartphones and tablets.

I’ve been chatting with Pressplane CEO and founder Kelly Smith for a few weeks now about this new application and personally, I think Zapd is an awesome application for real estate agents.

Here are some ideas on how to use real estate agents could use Zapd:

1. Property websites
2. Neighborhood websites (photos of types of homes, schools, parks, restaurants)
3. Buyers tour (i.e. “10 great homes to check out” – great if you are previewing a number of homes for a client)
4. Landscaping ideas
5. Home improvement ideas
6. Before and After (for staging)
7. Educational events and conferences (a quick and easy way to share photos)

Here are some examples of real estate professionals and Zapd sites they have created on the fly:

• 28490 Florence, Garden City, MI
• Real Estate with Allisa D. Young
• Park Avenue Properties

Here is a video from Zapd that explains how quick and easy it is to use:

What do you think? Have you used Zapd yet? I’d love your feedback, leave me a comment below!

Katie Lance, Social Media Director, Inman News, @katielance

Share on Facebook

Note: I’ve asked several people to share their thoughts and experiences about what Real Estate Connect has meant to them with our FOREM readers. Look for these special “Connect Stories” here on FOREM leading up to Real Estate Connect San Francisco, July 27-29, 2011. Our sixth Connect guest post is from our friend Chris Nichols, 2011 President, Utah County Association of REALTORS® (@utahREpro on Twitter). Thank you Chris! – Katie

@InmanConnect #ICSF

In my life prior to real estate I was in sporting goods retail. It was always drilled into our head the 3 P’s of Marketing – Product, Price, and Promotion. If you had a good product, priced well, and promoted properly, you’d have success! Well, Inman News has found success with their own 3 P’s for Inman Connect San Francisco – PROGRAM, PEOPLE, and PLACE!

PROGRAM

I attend many real estate conferences throughout the year, and I can say without a doubt that Inman Connect is the one that I look forward to most. It’s due in large part to the phenomenal program that they put together year in and year out. This year is no exception as they have lined up an incredible group of speakers. Some of the highlights this year for me will be: Brian Solis, author of “Engage!”; David Pogue, personal technology columnist at the New York Times and Ryan Holmes, CEO of HootSuite.

But it doesn’t just end there with the headliners! Inman has lined up an amazing supporting cast of breakout session facilitators. Trust me when I tell you that you will struggle to decide which sessions to attend! This is where it’s good to have some friends to divide and conquer and then share notes… or you could also keep on eye on the live Twitter stream (#ICSF) to catch anything you might have missed!

PEOPLE

While a great program is just one ingredient for a successful conference, the attendees are quite possibly even more important! Inman Connect has a proven track record of attract the highest quality people to attend their conference. This will be three days you will never forget, as you rub shoulders with some of the greatest people in the real estate industry. Friendships will be forged, ideas will be shared, and opportunities will abound to network and truly CONNECT like you never have before.

Already on Twitter with the #ICSF hashtag – conversations are happening, plans being laid, and new friendship are being created! I already have a list of amazing people I am looking forward to meeting and interacting with, whom I have never met before. If you don’t leave Inman Connect with a new group of friends from all over the country, you are missing out!

PLACE

San Francisco! Do I really need to say more? One of my favorite cities, and not just because I was born there! Opportunities abound as you meet with your new CONNECTions in the various restaurants, cafes, and historical sites that surround this wonderful venue that Inman calls home. So grab a new friend, hop on a trolley and go experience something new.

One more “P” for the road – PREMIUM!

In closing I have to share one more great thing with you about Inman Connect. As I mentioned earlier, I attend A LOT of conferences! As I leave each conference, I find I am lucky to have a handful of good ideas to implement in my business. At Inman Connect I find I am overwhelmed with great ideas!

Be sure to get a premium membership to Inman News as part of your premium registration. You’ll find it easier to keep track and implement all of those great ideas when you get home as it includes video archives of Inman Connect sessions! Plus it’s a year’s worth of incredible content that will remind you why Inman Connect San Francisco was one of the best investments you ever made in your business!

I look forward to seeing you at Inman Connect!

(Here is a video Chris filmed about Real Estate Connect)

Do you have a Connect Story you’d like to share? Did coming to Connect profoundly change you, your outlook, your team or your business? All of the above? If so, I want to hear from you and possibly feature you here on FOREM. Leave me a comment below or email me katie (at) inman (dot) com.

Join the Connect conversation on Facebook and Twitter (#ICSF)

Katie Lance, Social Media Director, Inman News, @katielance

Share on Facebook