Three ways to drive more Web traffic

The current real estate market seems to have induced some apprehension from real estate brokerages toward new technology, or changes in general.

Even if you might not be looking to invest in upgrades, there are still many ways you can utilize existing features/capabilities to improve leads and enhance your Web presence and local or online marketing.

Delta Media Group president Mike Minard has some great pointers on how to do so in the DeltaTalk E-newsletter, as well as on Delta Media Group's blog. His most recent article, "Drive More Web Site Traffic - Through Open Houses" has already had great responses from real estate brokers and agents alike.

Also, don't forget to check out Mike's other articles on improving Web traffic:
Drive More Web Site Traffic - Through Print
Drive More Web Site Traffic - Your Voicemail Greeting

Delta Media Group can help your brokerage drive more Web site traffic. Contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com for more details.

Sean Cutright

Blogging from Russell Real Estate training: Unique listing content

11:24am
Jonathan Blood hit on some great marketing pointers during the Upgrade marketing session, including the ability to customize listing information direct through the Delta Media Group website.

Listings that are submitted to the MLS are typically syndicated to all participating brokerage and agent websites via the IDX feed, meaning the listing info is replicated on each source. Delta Media Group gives real estate brokerages and agents the ability to customize unique listing info for each listing, thus improving the listing's Search Engine Optimization.


Unique content is key to improving SEO. Unique content on each listing, differing from that syndicated through the IDX feed, means that content will be captive to your website when customers are searching for homes through Google, Yahoo, and other search engines.

Consumers often browse multiple websites before choosing what brokerage or agent to work with. Providing additional info above and beyond what competing brokerages and agents offer will help those consumers stay on your site.

For more info, contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com.

Sean Cutright

Blogging from Russell Real Estate training

10:54am
Delta Media Group concluded their agent training session with a marketing session for Russell Real Estate agents using Delta Media Group's Upgrade agent system.

With Delta Media Group's systems, agents have their own customizable real estate websites featuring several of the most advanced tools in real estate technology. Among those discussed that provoked the most positive responses were the Delta Media Group Atlas Search, lead management system, E-cards system, and listing optimization.

The Upgrade system gives agents the Atlas Search, over 200 templates to choose from and change, up to 99 customizable pages, instant lead notification via E-mail and text message on their cell phone, the entire E-card database, and more.

The cost to upgrade is considerably small in contrast to the features the Upgrade system provides. Contact me for more info on the Delta Media Group Upgrade system at scutright@deltagroup.com.

Delta Media Group at Russell Real Estate training

10:10am
Delta Media Group is currently training Russell Real Estate Services' agents on their new website and lead management system, www.russellrealty.com.

The training session is the first of two sessions Delta Media Group vice president Jonathan Blood is holding--the second being a session on better marketing the real estate agent website. Each Russell Real Estate agent has their own unique agent website, which is customizable and offers an advanced back-end lead and contact management system.

Russell Real Estate Services is one of the oldest, largest and most successful real estate brokerages in Ohio, and a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.

More updates to come from the training.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group launches Russell Real Estate website

Russell Real Estate Services has just gone live on their new state-of-the art website and lead management system, built by Delta Media Group.

Russel Real Estate, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, has seven offices and over 400 agents. They are one of the oldest, largest and most successful real estate brokerages in Ohio.

Delta Media Group’s Jonathan Blood will hold a training seminar for Russell’s real estate agents tomorrow in Westlake, Ohio. Powered by Delta Media Group’s Web system, Russell will provide their agents with the most advanced website and lead management tools in real estate.

Russell Real Estate has real estate offices in Sandusky, Amherst, Medina, North Ridgeville, Strongsville, Parma and Westlake. They join several top-producing LeadingRE brokerages using Delta Media Group’s Web systems, including:

Cutler Real Estate
Zeitlin & Co., Realtors
Zeitlin Intown
Ridge Real Estate Enterprises
Patterson Realtors
Davis R. Chant Realtors
Results Realty Services
McCOLLY Real Estate
Cressy & Everett Real Estate
Hometown Realty Servives
Weidel Realtors
Bray & Co. Real Estate
House of Brokers Realty
Burgan Real Estate
And many more.

For more information on Delta Media Group or to schedule a meeting at the NAR Conference & Expo, please contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group at LeadingRE San Diego workshop

Delta Media Group vice president Jonathan Blood will be in attendance at the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World San Diego workshop today.

The San Diego workshop is the final of the four regional LeadingRE workshops, and will run through tomorrow. If you'll be in attendance, make sure to stop by and visit with Jonathan, who will have information on Delta Media Group's real estate Web site and lead management systems.

Delta Media Group is a preferred partner of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, and had attendees at each of the first three regional workshops (visit Sean Cutright's blog for updates and info from those). If you did not get the opportunity to attend or see Delta Media Group reps at any of those, make sure to stop by booth #3621 at the NAR 2008 Realtors Conference & Expo for more information on Delta Media Group. The NAR conference is only two weeks away, running November 7-10 in Orlando.

For more information on Delta Media Group or any of the upcoming conferences we'll be attending, please contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com.

Sean Cutright

Delta Media Group prepares for NAR conference

It's hard to believe that the NAR conference is just around the corner already, but it is.

The NAR 2008 Realtors Conference & Expo will be held in Orlando Nov. 7-10--two weeks from Thursday. Delta Media Group will again have a large booth at the conference, from which they will be unveiling some exciting new things I can't discuss just yet.

Given the current economic and housing uncertainties, some in real estate will look to wait things out while others will be looking to position their company and their agents to take advantage of the market as it turns.

Economists project the housing marketing is already turning. Brokers around the country have expressed to me that sales and interest are improving. The market is getting better, and Delta Media Group customers are seeing that, because having the top technology in ones respective market and energizing/exciting agents are two of the top things you can do to help your brokerage take strides when faced with a less than perfect market.

Agent levels may have bottomed out. The market of 2005 brought tons of new agents into real estate. The markets of 2006-7 weeded those out that should not have been in real estate, but were only riding the wave.

Less agents mean more inventory for those remaining, giving the agents that waited out the storm a head start for production.

This year's NAR conference may be the first in the positive turn in the housing market. If you'll be attending, make sure to stop by Delta Media Group's booth to view some of the latest advancements in real estate technology--those that the top brokerages and agents will use to carry themselves through the weaker real estate markets and into the improving ones.

If you won't be attending, please contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com for more information on Delta Media Group or the conference.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group and Web 2.0

Marketing real estate in Web 2.0 can be considerably different than traditional real estate marketing, mostly due to the different generations of consumers using Web 2.0 to find listings opposed to traditional real estate consumers many agents still work with.

Bernice Ross addressed this today in "Web marketing 2.0," an article that ran in Inman News. Bernice makes a lot of great points in the article on how to best market to the Generation X and Y home buyers.

This info adapts perfectly with Delta Media Group, which builds a Web system that is established to best draw new generation home buyers, and helps improve converting them to sales. Please let me know if you'd like more information on marketing with Web 2.0, or Delta Media Group's Web systems.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

LeadingRE Providence workshop: Day II

I just returned today from the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World workshop in Providence. It was a good conference, like the Chicago workshop, and I have a few more notes I'll be posting this week.

There's one more LeadingRE workshop left, in San Diego next week. Delta Media Group's Jonathan Blood will be there. Please stop by and say hi...he can provide a lot of great info on real estate technology and how Delta Media Group works in improving Web leads and transactions.

Let me know if you'd like additional info from any of the LeadingRE conferences. I know the folks at LeadingRE are updating info on their FutureTense LeadingRE Blog. This includes videos, PDFs of presentations, and more. I can fill you in on what was missed, and how Delta Media Group can help your brokerage on the Web technology side of today's real estate market.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

LeadingRE Providence workshop: Notes over dinner

I had a great dinner last night with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World’s Phil Edwards, Fillmore Real Estate president and CEO John Reinhardt, Fillmore Real Estate director of business development and relocation Zane Burnett, and Debbie Bindeman, of Pearl Insurance.

Among the topics discussed was blogging, which seemed to be a topic on everyone’s mind at the LeadingRE Providence workshop, with LeadingRE’s rollout of the Propopoly full-service real estate blogging system.

This was my first opportunity meeting John, but I’ve long heard how great of a mind he is in the real estate industry. It was refreshing listening to him discuss a Web 2.0/social media topic that many brokerages are currently shying away from. John has run Fillmore for 15 years, but knows his company needs to adapt to real estate trends, and that currently means updating technology to market through social media, among other things.

More info is to come on the conference and our discussion, all of which can be found at realtortechnology.blogspot.com. Please let me know if you’d like additional info from the workshop, or info on Delta Media Group.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

LeadingRE Providence workshop: Day I

The Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Providence workshop kicked off today, with approximately 140 attendees, mainly from the New England region, traveling for the 2:30pm opening session.

Steve Harney opened the workshop again with his presentation: 10% Different = 100% Better: Differentiating your Company in Today’s Environment. Harney’s presentation was as insightful as the first time I heard it in Chicago, and provoked an affirming response from the attendees.

A few observations from Harney’s presentation I did not previously highlight:

-Real estate brokerages need to brand themselves. The key term real estate brokerages and agent should be branded with is “Expert.” With the current confusion in the housing and mortgage markets, consumers are looking for experts they can trust.

-Part of being an expert is explaining why it makes sense to buy or sell now. In 2005, several people waited to sell their property because they wanted to sell when values were at the absolute top. Many waited too long. Today, many people are waiting to buy because they want to when prices are at the absolute bottom. Again, many will wait too long.

-The three keys to managing agents in today’s apprehensive market are:
1/ Making them feel significant.
2/ Making them feel safe.
3/ Making them feel certain.
Steve can provide more information on how to better execute these tactics. Visit his site at www.steveharney.com for more details.

More great info to come. Keep checking back at realtortechnology.blogspot.com.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group to be at LeadingRE's Providence workshop

Following a successful turn-out at the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Chicago and Atlanta workshops, Delta Media Group will be on hand at the LeadingRE Fall Workshop in Providence, RI this week.

The Providence workshop starts tomorrow and lasts through Wednesday. It will be held at the Westin Providence, which is downtown near Brown University.

The Providence workshop is the third of four LeadingRe workshops. The final workshop is next week in San Diego, and Delta Media Group’s Jonathan Blood will be there. Jonathan was at the Atlanta workshop last week, and I was at Chicago and will be in Providence.

If you’ll be attending the Providence workshop, please stop by and see me for more information on Delta Media Group. If you will not be in attendance, check my blog for frequent updates from the workshop. Also, feel free to contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com for more info on the workshop or Delta Media Group.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group at LeadingRE Atlanta workshop

The Leading Real Estate Companies of the World fall workshop in Atlanta kicks off today.

Delta Media Group vice president Jonathan Blood will be at the two-day workshop, held at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta.

If you will be in attendance at Atlanta, make sure to see Jonathan for more information on Delta Media Group, a leading real estate Web technology provider, and preferred partner of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. If not, contact me for more information at scutright@deltagroup.com.

If you didn't get the opportunity to attend the Chicago workshop last week, LeadingRE will host the Atlanta workshop, followed by workshops in Providence, RI and San Diego.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

Weidel.com news article on RISMedia

A news article on Weidel Realtors' new Web system was recently posted on RISMedia's Web site, and can be viewed by clicking here.

Real estate Web site developer Delta Media Group launched Weidel.com last month, and the Web site has already seen some enormous traffic. To no surprise, though...Weidel.com is one of the most advanced real estate Web systems in the Delaware and Eastern Pennsylvania real estate markets.

Weidel Realtors is a 500-agent member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, and one of the top 100 independent real estate brokerages in the nation. They're one of several LeadingRE brokerages Delta Media Group builds real estate Web site and lead management systems for.

Delta Media Group is a preferred partner of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.

Sean Cutright

Propopoly: A new blogging platform from LeadingRE

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World’s FutureTense group has long preached the importance of real estate blogging. Last week, they introduced a platform to make that more manageable for real estate brokerages with their new Propopoly blogging system.

Propopoly is a full-service blogging system aimed to make the sometimes timely and tenuous task of blogging much easier for busy real estate agents. As Neil Elver described at last week’s FutureTense break-out session at the LeadingRE Chicago workshop, Propopoly blogs are set up with a team of roughly 10-15 participating agents. Each agent can publish on the blog, and can save time doing so by sending an E-mail or voicemail to Propopoly’s blog system. The E-mail/voicemail will automatically be translated and converted to the blog, saving the agent the time of actually having to sit down, research and write all the info themselves. In addition, the system also takes care of links for SEO purposes, syndication, and other features LeadingRE's Elver and Eric Bryn better describe.

Propopoly’s blog system is available to members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, and is currently running in a handful of test markets. As blogs continue to grow in relevance to the real estate Search Engine Optimization game, Propopoly looks to be a great way for LeadingRE brokerages to enhance their SEO.

More information can be found at www.propopoly.com.

Delta Media Group is a preferred partner of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and a Web technology developer. For more information, contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com.

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group launches ERA Lambrecht website

Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group launched ERA Lambrecht & Associates' new real estate Web site yesterday, at: www.eralambrecht.com.


ERA Lambrecht & Associates has been a pillar in St. Petersburg real estate and Pinellas County real estate since 1943, when George Lambrecht started the real estate brokerage. Carl Lambrecht, his son, began his career in real estate in 1965, and serves as President and broker for ERA Lambrecht & Associates today.

ERA Lambrecht's new Web system features some of the most advanced real estate Web tools in the region, including custom design, Atlas Search map, agent Web sites, and one of the most profitable lead management systems in real estate technology. ERA Lambrecht's new national property search features listings in 47 states, as well as approximately 43,000 properties in Florida. In addition, ERA Lambrecht's listings will be displayed on over 300 real estate brokerage and 30,000 agent Web sites throughout the nation, maximizing ERA Lambrecht's listing exposure.

For more information on ERA Lambrecht & Associates, please visit www.eralambrecht.com.

For more information on Delta Media Group's Web systems, visit www.deltagroup.com, or contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com.

LeadingRE Chicago workshop: Day 2

Things got off to a great start, and they didn’t slow down at all yesterday at the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World workshop in Chicago.

As usual, Eric Bryn squeezed a plenthora of great info into his FutureTense break-out session: Marketing Property in the Web 2.0 World. Eric, who began the session by mentioning how he continuously pleads for a two-hour session, packed his 60 minutes with info on Web 2.0, blogging and social networking, improving Search Engine Optimization, and brought in Neil Elver and Kelly Roark to add to the topic.

Neil spoke on Leading Real Estate Companies of the World’s new Propopoly blogging service. Propopoly is a brand new full-service blog for LeadingRE brokerages. I'll post more on that later.

Kelly, of Scripps Networks' Frontdoor, spoke on video integration in Web 2.0. Kelly has a tremendous amount of experience in Web 2.0 mediums (she previously worked with Inman News and Trulia), and her demo was very informative. She spoke of Google’s search relevancy in today’s real estate market, how search engines are adapting their algorithms to include digital assets like video and images, and how search is becoming social, as consumers are increasing their use of search applications within social networks.

Kelly also mentioned another interesting statistic (which I didn’t write quick enough to jot down the source for): In 2007, Internet buyers spent 6.9 weeks researching homes and neighborhoods before contacting a real estate agent. That’s up two weeks from the previous year.

Considering that upwards of 75-80%+ buyers are starting their property search online, this makes it increasingly important for real estate brokers and agents to have a great, user-friendly Web site that can help them increase their business (I know a company that builds just that…let me know if you’d like more info at scutright@deltagroup.com).

Like usual when Eric presents, some real estate brokers seemed to be in touch with what they need to do to compete in an increasingly Web-based real estate market. Others seemed a little overwhelmed trying to keep up with it all, but still recognized that the topics presented were where the market is headed. If you're one of those keeping up on things, I'd be happy to give you info on Delta Media Group's leading Web systems. If you're feeling overwhelmed, please let me know how I can work with you to better get your brokerage caught up on Web 2.0.

More info to come on the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Chicago workshop.

-Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group