photo credit: SchneiderMac

I love technology, a lot of people do, but what are our top picks? The reigning champion is Apple, for quite a while now. I guess if youre leading the pack you got to stay ahead of the pack, and Steve Jobs is doing a great job of it. Since the introduction of the iPhone mobile devices havent been the same. Apple has defined the industry. Other companies make fine devices, but they are trying to keep up with Apple, theyre not going their own way, they are following Apple.

The real estate industry seems to be in agreement because its the iPhone that most real estate agents use for their mobile needs. There are more and more apps for real estate agents and for the industry as a whole. Its amazing, if you want to know anything, any type of information at all, you have it right in your hand. How fun!

Of course Apple offers no shortage of devices. They seem to out do themselves every time they turn around. The iPad is another industry standard setter. Now other companies are following their lead, yet again. Even their software that comes as standard gear on their computers is setting standards. You are now a whole production studio if you own an iMac. How cool is that, (Thats rhetorical of course)?

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Posted in Education And Training, Technology And You, Buyer Resources, GenX GenY, Online Education, Metro Brokers Agents

photo credit: jacksnell

Every once in a while technology jumps forward and we all get to look on with chagrined amazement. Back in the 80s Star Wars gave us a glimpse into the future and we were all simply amazed. Dumb struck, we all looked at the screen with hopes of our own space ship in the near future, at least I did anyway. Apple Corporation has certainly given us a technological jump or two in the last decade. Looking at the iPhone and iPad, and even the iMac, it really feels as though we are in the new millennium, but our cars still have wheels. No floating around for us yet.

Well, one of those technology jumps forward is here. Its not ready for the public as of yet, but wow, its cool looking. I think it has a little ways to go, but it looks like well be floating around before you know it. This is almost better than one of those futurist sci-fi movies. The movements are what make this thing so cool. It looks like magic.

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Posted in Technology And You, Marketing, Press Room, Buyer Resources, GenX GenY, Online Education

Inman Real Estate Connect, San Francisco 2010; Mr. Guest on how technology has changed the face of the real estate work flow and experience. We need to get back to the business of actually showing properties and selling real estate.

Tom Guest: My thoughts are in the old days we used to have a real state book we would open up, we go and show properties and everybody were dependent on us. What I see now is that there is so much technology out there that I am just absolutely amazed its almost like you could do a full time job with just technology and do nothing else we wouldnt have time for real estate but you would have a lot of fun going through all these applications all these programs and all those research and you go through all these broker matrixes and you will not be an expert on everything real estate because you dont have the time. So my thought is, is that...

Mark Eibner: Get an assistant?

Tom Guest: You have to have an assistant but you have to take time to actually do the business of showing properties listing properties and going out there and doing the nuts and bolts and I guess you could supplement that with transaction broker have somebody be there for you getting assistant do that for you, you have somebody who is a lead assistant have somebody who does your Internet for you but there is so much more to doing nowadays that used to be really easy the old days where you would just go out so properties everybody was dependent upon but now they are not dependent on you so its a whole new world that I am just amazed not to be kept we could do it, we would have to do in the course of the day everyone in the US like with all the technology thats available

Mark Eibner: Absolutely great.

Tom Guest: Im amazed.

Mark Eibner: Thanks Tom. Tom Guest President Elect 2011 Metro Brokers, chow.

Tom Guest: Chow

Posted in Industry Events, Technology And You, Marketing, Press Room, Movers and Shakers, Industry Leadership, Giving Back, MBI News, Online Education, Metro Brokers Offices, Metro Brokers Agents, Metro Brokers Staff

Inman Real Estate Connect, San Francisco 2010; Mr. Goodman has discussions with brokers of all sorts about websites, lead generation, and how they distribute leads to their agents; a new concept, an agent concierge lead management system.

Mark Eibner: How about you Mr. Goodman.

Ron Goodman: Great stuff, got to participate in a broker session this afternoon talking different brokers, large brokers, small brokers talking about websites lead generation how they parcel out leads to their agents and...

Mark Eibner: Tell us about that how do they parcel leads through their agents?

Ron Goodman: Well a couple of them had a real interesting idea they basically have two licensed agents that they pay a salary and they operate a concierges type lead management the concierges agents get all the leads and initially and they nurture and over the consumer is ready to do something and they are constantly asking those key questions you know are you ready to go, are you ready to go and once they are, they get assigned to the agents their closing rate they said is well into the double digits for their internet leads.

Mark Eibner: Awesome. Thanks Ron, Ron Goodman.

Posted in Technology And You, Press Room, Movers and Shakers, Industry Leadership, Giving Back, GenX GenY, Metro Brokers Offices, Metro Brokers Agents, Metro Brokers Staff

Inman Real Estate Connect, San Francisco 2010; Joe Bennell: Technology, social media, mobile apps, and public records data seems to be the theme of this Real Estate Connect. Everythings going hand held...

Mark Eibner: Joe how is it going.

Joe Bennell: It's going awesome you got to love this thing at the conference its awesome.

Mark Eibner: So I could come up with a theme from time on what the conference is really about this time other than lots of vendors so we maybe you can help me out what do you think its been about this time?

Joe Bennell: This time its about mobile aps in talks about social media theyre still touching on that and also public record data that they had a big, pretty big question on the RPR deal there so that was that one was pretty good. So we are excited about that and I am just excited with the RPR stuff as well as the mobile aps so anyway thats where were all headed, I had everything has gone hand hill buddy.

Mark Eibner: You have been at iPads, iPhones, not as a band but a device.

Joe Bennell: iPads thats iPhones.

Mark Eibner: Thats a device.

Joe Bennell: Android market is huge its up and coming so they are predicting the Android is going to take over iPhone.

Mark Eibner: Part of 160,000 units every week.

Joe Bennell: Right everyday.

Mark Eibner: Hey Scott, 160,000 everyday I thought it was very week.

Mark Eibner: You know its 160,000 a day.

Posted in Technology And You, Marketing, Press Room, Movers and Shakers, Giving Back, MBI News, Online Education, Metro Brokers Staff