Point2 Newsletter Mar. 2012

Greetings!

It may be conference mania this time of the year, but we love the chance it gives us to see and meet with many of you. There is always a lot of new information to share and things to catch up on. So thank you for taking the time to meet with us during your busy travels.

Not to get outpaced by the racing events, we still managed to go live with many new MLS and Association syndication partners, which we're happy to introduce in this month's newsletter. In context, Saul Klein offers us a quick history on listing advertising on third party websites and how it is best managed today.

With technology central to your business, we hope you'll find Part 2 of our 'Marketing to the Google Generation' article informative. Many of you engaging in social media including our Facebook Page proves that technology evolution persists - and that prizes can be easily won online! See who won our 2nd MLS/Association offices photo contest, below.

And of course, the usual update to our Syndication Network list follows, topped by some humour from your account executives, to seal things off.

Until the next issue of the Point2 AE Newsletter, we thank you for your ongoing patronage and confidence.

MLS and Association Services

Point2

Welcome To Our Newest Clients

Point2's Listing Rights Management™ (LRM™) data distribution/syndication platform rolled out at seven more U.S. MLSs and Associations this past month. Please join us as we welcome:

- Pismo Coast Association of REALTORS® (California, CCRMLS)

- San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS® (California, CCRMLS)

- Scenic Coast Association of REALTORS® (California, CCRMLS)

- Santa Maria Association of REALTORS® (California, CCRMLS)

- Atascadero Association of REALTORS® (California, CCRMLS)

- Flagler County Association of REALTORS® (Florida)

- Jackson Area Association of REALTORS® (Michigan)

Syndication by Another Name - The Evolution of Listings on the Internet

By: Saul Klein, Senior Vice President, Point2

The history of listings on the Internet goes back to the mid-1990s. The real estate industry was one of the first, if not the first industry to share aspects of its inventory with consumers. It began with the likes of HomeSeekers, Microsoft HomeAdvisor, Homes Dot com and REALTOR® Dot com. Even then, few brokers, agents and MLSs restricted their listings to just one of these sites.

Early this century, we saw the birth of Zillow, Trulia, Oodle, and many more, each attempting to create commerce around the data. I refer to these as second generation real estate portals. Multiple portals means multiple points of entry from multiple data sources...Agents, Brokers, Owners, Franchisors, and MLSs. The result: a world of duplicate listings, outdated, and incorrect listing data.

The answer, Point2's Listing Rights Management™ (LRM™). Complete control and choice.

Conferences and Sponsorships

It was great seeing many of you at the AEI recently, in Louisville, and just prior, at the Clareity MLS Workshop in Scottsdale. Point2 once again proudly co-sponsored both events, as well as other industry conferences and trade shows held in March, both in the U.S. and Canada.

Facebook Photo Contest Winner Declared

Thanks to those of you who participated in the 2nd Point2 MLS/Association office building photo contest on our Facebook page! A few contestants went hard at it this time, with Terry Murphy and Brenda Rabbitt seriously dukin it out. It was a close fight, but the prize ultimately goes to Brenda Rabbitt, from the Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS®. Congratulations, Brenda.

Marketing to the Google Generation:

How to Use Real Estate Marketing Technology Effectively (Part 2)

By: Jacquelyn Bauer, Director, Point2 Customer Care

So how does technology change your game plan?

There will always be a need for technology basics: a domain name, branded email account, and a web presence. But what are the more specific needs of today, and more importantly, what will be the needs of the future?

Selective Online Marketing

The term "online marketing" is broad. It covers everything from having a website, to advertising via email, to pay-per-click search engine marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), to participating online in blogs and social media channels.

Because online marketing encompasses such a broad range of activities, it is essential to select the ones that optimally enhance your business.

Is money best spent paying top dollar for a custom-designed website? What about search engine optimization? Do the DIY advertising options available out there such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads deliver enough bang for your buck? There are no universal answers that apply to every agent. Fortunately however, most online advertising options are fairly inexpensive and provide analytics to help determine the effectiveness of your efforts and your reach.

Social Media Presence

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ - the list keeps growing, and will likely keep growing. Once a means to share photos and connect with friends, social networks have been rapidly expanding their reach into areas of business networking, media, and communications.

The advantage of using social media platforms as advertising mediums is that typically the only cost is a little elbow grease. Social media will continue to be a key channel for online marketing and advertising in the immediate future, and real estate professionals should look to this area for significant business growth opportunities in 2012 and beyond.

Generational and Niche Marketing

The preface to "Rocking the Ages" by J. Walker Smith and Ann S. Clurman states: "Understanding generational values and motivations has become essential because each generation is driven by unique ideas about the lifestyle to which it aspires. And it's these aspirations that determine the ways consumers spend and save their money."

The book continues, "Marketers who use the principles of generational marketing to understand the factors that influence the values and buying motivations of consumers stand a much better chance of spotting trends way ahead of the competition and reaching customers first in profitable new ways."

Niche marketing may be equally important to a real estate professional's marketing plan. Since many real estate professionals focus on very specific market areas (e.g. condos, commercial, vacation, etc.), their applicable audience needs to be identified and marketed to accordingly.

No longer can there be a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing. Get to know your audience and the various ways you can market to them.

In Part 3 of this series, we'll go over the use of technology to do more with less, and how to avoid getting overwhelmed by the endless influx of new tools.

Syndication Partner Updates

Here is the updated Point2 Syndication Network, as at March 20, 2012:

Live Partners

Adicio.com
Backpage.com (manual partner)
Builders Digital Experience
CLR Search
CampusHomesOnline (New)
Clickable Directories, Inc.
Craigslist (manual partner)
DataSphere (LandWatch.com and ResortScape.com)
DoDHousing Network (New)
eBay (manual partner)
eBay.ca (manual partner)
Foreclosure.com
FrontDoor.com
Google - Adwords options available
HarmonHomes.com
Homefinder.ca (Canada Only)
Homefinder.com
HomeGain.com
HomeHippo.com
HomeStat.org (New)
HotPads.com
HouseHitz.com
Househunting.ca
HousingBlock.com
Real-Buzz.com by Immobel.com
JunoDomains.com
Kazork
LakeHomesUSA.com
Mitula (Canada, US, France, Mexico, Portugal)
MoveThatBlock.com
New York Times (Paid placement)
NicheInvestments/MHBay.com
Oodle
Ovlix.com
Point2Homes.com
PropertyFeast.com
PropertyShark.com
Proxio (Subscription Service)
RE605.com (Specific to area code 605)
Real Estate Active
RealEstateChannel.ca
RealTown
RealtyShowcase.tv
RealtyPin.com (Formerly known as YourNewHome.com)
RealtyStore.com/Ultraforeclosures.com
Relocation.com
RentCompass.com
StreetSeed.com (Canada Only)
Trader Corporation (homeTRADER.ca)
Trovit.S.L. (United States, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Columbia)
Trulia.com
Vast
Zillow / Yahoo! Real Estate
Zoocasa (Canada plus launching into US markets with New York now launched)

Shout it Out!

Have you come across a great property portal that made you scream

"Our Listings Need to be HERE!"?

Tell us about it! We would love to see what we can do. Please contact your Account Executive or email us at feedback@point2.com with your suggestions.

Humor of the Month!

twitter

Point2 Information Kits and Handouts

If you are looking for custom content or materials on syndication or online marketing for distribution to your members, we would be more than happy to work with you and your organization to provide relevant, high impact handouts.

Just let your Account Executive know.

About Point2
Point2 (www.Point2.com) provides real estate marketing and lead management software to brokers and agents in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, as well as listing data aggregation and syndication solutions to real estate MLSs (Multiple Listing Service), Boards and Associations across the U.S. and Canada.

Point2's solutions also include the consumer real estate listings portal, Point2 Homes, as well as end-to-end property management software for small to medium size organizations managing up to 1000 units. Point2 is a Yardi Systems Inc. (www.yardi.com) brand.

IN THIS ISSUE

Newest Clients

Syndication by Another Name

Conferences and Sponsorships

Facebook Photo Contest Winner

Reaching the Google Generation

Syndication Partner Updates

Humor of the Month!

Your Publications

PLEASE NOTE

This newsletter is only emailed to MLS/Association Staff and Executives to keep you abreast of the continuous developments at Point2.

Should you wish to inform your members of the various updates, a Newsletter Archive page has been set up for convenient, easy access.