Seth's Huntsville Blog » Marketing

Huntsville Times Feature w/Level 10

Seth Parker — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:56:07 +0000

For the third time in the past few months, Level 10 Realty’s Seth Parker was featured in a story about the local real estate market in the Huntsville Times. Sunday, Novemeber 30th, 2008 edition. We’ll post a link as soon as it’s available.

Memo to Home Sellers! Pick an Agent the Knows How to Take Pictures!

Seth Parker — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 05:04:44 +0000

You would think that this would be a given, but I think it has come time for sellers to ask for a portfolio of an Agent’s previous home PICTURES.

Today, I am starting a new category. “Disastrous MLS Photo(s) of the Week” Home searches start online, and any of you that search online, know that bad pictures seriously hurt the chances of you wanting to continue to look at a home.

Here are some tips for these agents:

Never take a picture where the camera flash, or your body can be seen in a reflection, no one cares, and it distracts the view.

Please, for crying out loud, stand still when snapping a photo.

Keep your cell phone camera IN YOUR POCKET.

If the MLS allows 9 photos…um, use 9 photos.

Here are a few gems to get us started:

Here is a beautiful picture of a…umm…railing. This one isn’t too bad, if you take it as the agent showing some details of the home. Unfortunately, according to the description, this is a great view of “The Loft Area”

Ok, you’re listing your $489K home. Your agent doesn’t even have enough time to turn on the lights before taking a photo? Notice we have another awesome view of a railing though!

This is the same $489K home. Agent, Please see rule number 1 when taking a home photo.

This is a $500K home. Why does the agent even put this in the MLS? Go back and take another, non-blurry photo, or better yet, make sure to take a couple of pictures of each area! By the way, agent, see rule number 2 above to keep this from happening again. (Keep in mind, this is scaled down, and is not NEARLY as bad as the full size.)

I may just have to start advertising myself as “The agent that takes decent pictures!” Next time you hire an agent, forget about asking them how they intend to market your home, ASK THEM IF THEY KNOW HOW TO TAKE A GOOD PICTURE!!!

What is Real Estate 2.0?

Seth Parker — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:23:48 +0000

There’s no real definition. Real Estate 2.0 is a derivative of Web 2.0, which also doesn’t exactly have a definition. The best “overall description” according to Tim O’Reilly (of O’Reilly Media - a service that spreads the knowledge of innovators all over the world) is this:

“Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.“

All that, to say this: everything is going online. The way everyone searches for real estate now is different that it was just ten years ago, almost all searches begin online. That is the essence of Real Estate 2.0; You, as buyers/sellers, need to be able to cut through all of the bull, and get what you need to know, and move on.

By the time I get most of my calls, you have narrowed your choices to two or three homes, and call me to go see the inside of them yourself,

STOP! READ NO FURTHER - SHAMELESS PLUG COMING ON IN 3…..2….1…..(sellers, this is where I prove my worth by making sure that your home is put in front of my online crowd! - Call me if you want to see how I do this better than ANYONE)

Real Estate 2.0 is also a way to give you, the client, more interactivity with listings, and with me. (Home search, my maps, my blog, etc.) Real Estate 2.0 really is a great thing, unfortunately, a lot of REALTORS are going to be left behind.

Any more questions? Please let me know!