Friday, January 30, 2009
Delta Media Group Webinar for Leading Real Estate Companies of the World
We hosted ONE more Webinar, at 1pm Eastern today. It was about online marketing for your real estate website, and was exclusive to members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.
Delta Media Group is a preferred partner of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, and we had a good response from those that could attend. I hosted the Webinar, and spoke on Web 2.0 tools for real estate, like blogging, Social Networking, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, and more.
If you were able to attend the Webinar, please let me know your thoughts. Was it effective? What can I do to make it better?
If you were unable to attend the Webinar, please let me know if you'd like more information on these topics.
Sean Cutright can be reached at scutright@deltagroup.com or 330-491-2003.
Delta Media Group Webinar aims to help boost real estate SEO
The Webinar, which runs from 11am-noon Eastern, is designed for agents and brokers looking to improve their Search Engine Optimization using the HTML editor built into their real estate website and lead management system.
The Webinar bio reads:
An overview of how to use the built-in HTML Editor in the Delta Media Group system with Search Engine Optimization tips, tricks and suggestions. During this session I will show agents and administrators how to adjust fonts, place images, insert links and more.
Click here to register for the Webinar
Delta Media Group is scheduled to host six Webinars next week. For the complete schedule, click here. If you have any questions, contact Sean Cutright at scutright@deltagroup.com.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Weighing required and voluntary real estate website registration
If you're using Delta Media Group's real estate website and lead management systems, you can easily change your website registration preferences. Most real estate brokerages and agents do not require registration, as Delta Media Group's systems are already designed to encourage it. However, if you would prefer mandatory registration, you can choose to require registration at the listing details page, the search results page, or the property search page.
Personally, I've heard more bad stories about requiring registration. Real estate websites that do so seem more prone to receive portfolios from "Mickey Mouse" and "Abraham Lincoln." But each market and real estate brokerage is different, and I've also spoken with brokers who swear by making registration mandatory.If you'd like to learn how Delta Media Group just helped a prominent real estate brokerage increase their online leads and registrations in January by nearly 50 percent, contact Sean Cutright at scutright@deltagroup.com.
Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group
Good resource: Websites that help save money, find contacts
Frances is Community Manager at Trulia, and her blog entry, "25 Web Sites to Help You Find Customers and Save Money in Downtown," can be found by clicking here.
Delta Media Group hosting three real estate Webinars today
The first, "2009 Online Marketing," is starts at 11am Eastern. Its bio reads:
Delta Media Group will look at the top ways to improve your online marketing opportunities, including improved Search Engine Optimization, enhanced online marketing, blogging, custom area and bio content, improving hot leads, and more.
Delta Media Group will host an in-depth agent website training Webinar at 1pm Eastern. The bio reads:
Associates will become familiar with DeltaNet site design tools. Topics covered during this session include: Updating Photos, phone numbers, email addresses; Verifying MLS ID's; Entering Designation, Titles, and Slogans; Changing the About You Paragraph; Entering External links; Linking a personal Domains (URL) to the Delta web site. This session is recommended for all agents that are new to the Delta Media Group System.
The third Webinar is new, and is titled "Attracting Visitors with Website Content and Blogging." This is scheduled for 3pm Eastern, and aims to do the following:
During this session we will discuss Search Engine Optimization (SEO), web site content, and how your web site content helps to drive more visitors to your web site. Blogging is also discussed, learning what the purpose of blogging is, how to effectively blog, and how often to blog to attract more visitors.
Click here to register for any of today's Webinars, tomorrow's Webinars, or any future Webinar.
For more information on Delta Media Group's Webinars or real estate website and lead management system, contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com, or 330-491-2003.
Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Trulia blog: Twitter tips for real estate
I'll still be releasing my own blog series on Social Networking tools and benefits to real estate professionals, as mentioned in yesterday's blog post. In the meantime, I'll keep you updated with other valuable resources on how to market your real estate website through Social Networking.
Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The benefits of Social Networking: A blog series in the making
I was doing some research later in the day and happened upon a great article about Twitter in the Columbus Dispatch. I had set up a Twitter account months back, but never used it or explored its possibilities. The notion of following what all of my friends are doing at all times seemed a little too creepy for me, and I saw no true value. Besides, if I really cared to see what my friends are doing, I could do so through Facebook.
After reading the article, I decided to dive into Twitter a little deeper and report my findings to the real estate agents and brokers looking for effective Social Networking tools. Upon doing so, I will soon release a series of blogs on each major social networking website, and effective ways I've found real estate agents and brokerages use them to draw more business.
If you have any questions or recommendations, contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com
Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group
No surprise here: Reuters releases more bad news for real estate
Now, this report should come to the surprise of NO ONE that at least semi-regularly follows the mainstream media. However, it's borderline absolutely ridiculous to see that the report reached over two months back to find negative news on the housing market, especially when the very next month brought us GREAT news on the housing market (For the theorists that believe the mainstream media is out to get the real estate industry, this should serve as a cache of ammunition).
There's no doubt that median real estate prices are dropping. They may even continue to do so before leveling out. But, as I blogged about in September, that's only because prices increased from 2000-2006 at several times their average rate.
I wrote then (and I have to attribute this to Steve Harney, who originally reported the information at the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Chicago workshop):
In each five-year interval from 1980 to 2000, homes appreciated 25-29 percent. From 2000-2006, they appreciated 89 percent, according to a September 2008 Brookings report. The market has already begun to turn around, but will do so much slower so long as homes are overpriced.
On the flip side, check out the last two paragraphs from today's Reuters article:
"As of November, average home prices are at similar levels to what they were in the first quarter of 2004. From their peak in mid-2006, the 10-city index is down 26.6 percent and the 20-city Composite is down 25.1 percent.
The battered U.S. housing market is critical to the U.S. economy, with a wide-ranging impact from the construction industry to the sale of appliances and furniture. After hurting growth for multiple quarters, a continued deterioration could prolong a turnaround for the world's largest economy, which has been in a recession since late 2007."
If only Reuters could speak with Steve Harney...
Here's the bottom line: home sales improved last month, and did so in the midst of scathing skepticism. At the same time, home prices have dropped.
Most of the real estate trainers, consultants, brokers and owners I've spoken with have agreed on one thing: in order for the real estate market to recover, home prices need to fall to the level they should have been at had we not seen the over-inflation of the mid-2000s.
So just maybe, even though they'd never know it, Reuters' article is the best news the real estate market has seen in a long time...
Monday, January 26, 2009
Delta Media Group foresees home sale increase, despite pessimism toward the idea
I mentioned how, in the midst of a large decline in real estate sales in November, a few brokerages using Delta Media Group as their real estate website and lead management developer had managed to increase their online leads, portfolio creations and Web traffic (Read the blog entry here).
Trulia users can comment on blogs, and I have to admit, the few responses I received were unexpected and a little less than friendly. One tore into me for assuming that leads were the same as sales, and they obviously aren't. Another ripped my company for building a system they claimed was "the same as everyone else's," and it obviously isn't.
I deleted the comments to save from provoking a negative debate, and left it at that.
Now, exactly one month and three days later, the National Association of Realtors said in Washington that existing home sales rose unexpectedly in December (Read my blog on the announcement here), thus proving the exact trend Delta Media Group was able to see in November from the traffic patterns on the real estate websites Delta Media Group builds around the country.
Responding to this news, the fatalist might say: "Home sales only increased because of record-setting declines in median home prices. This means nothing positive for the real estate market!"
The optimist might say: "Median home prices declined significantly and are staying there, meaning home sales might continue to increase!"
Even if we find the market somewhere in between those two viewpoints, that means things aren't getting worse. Median home prices, even after decline, are still above where they would be had they increased by the average annual percentage this decade that they had the past two to three. So prices may not be declining right now, so much as "readjusting" to where they should have been if not for the over-inflated price increases we experienced in the early-to-mid 2000s.
Still, if a lower median home price equates to an increase in existing home sales, that, combined with a reduction of active licensed real estate agents, should mean more current business for the active agents in the industry.
Sean Cutright
Home sales rebound unexpectedly in December
Following a lower-than-expected November, home sales rose 6.5 percent in the final month of 2008.
The home sales increase is consistent with an increase in online real estate leads we have seen nationally on Delta Media Group's real estate website and lead management systems.
The jump could be a sign of a gradually-recovering housing market, or simply the result of a vast decrease in median price--the largest decline in price recorded since records were first kept in 1968, to be exact.
On a positive note, even if the sales increase is due to the drop in median home price, the market may continue on that path as median home prices remain low.
Click here to read Bloomberg's report on the home sales rebound
Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Google "GDrive" and potential implications
The GDrive is a Web-based hard drive that can store a personal computer's operating system and files on Google's servers, thus demoting the PC to a piece of hardware from which to access the Internet.

Though this isn't specifically real estate-relevant, it may change the way the Internet operates, and with it, the way the world does business as we know it.
On one end, imagine the possibilities of accessing all of your files from any computer or phone connected to the Internet. Imagine never having to worry about backing up your hard drive, or losing important information if your computer crashes, or is lost or stolen.
On the other end, imagine the privacy and hacking concerns the GDrive would create. Imagine the control Google could have over the personal data of individuals around the world.
Google is quickly becomming the top source of business advertisement available, particularly in the real estate market. Real estate Search Engine Optimization will continue to grow, but this could increase the benefit of pay-per-click advertising as well.
No doubt, Google would likely use their new database of personal info to better direct advertisements to specific people. So, in much the same way that you might see a commercial for sports gear during a televised sporting event, Google could potentially create advertisement bars displayed when someone uses the GDrive to access a personal document. If that document were a tax file, the pertaining advertisement might be for real estate in the township mentioned in the file, or even for local real estate in townships with lower tax rates.
Google is already applying this technology in their Gmail service. Just try sending an E-mail to your Gmail account about real estate and see what advertisements appear in the right-hand column.
Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com
Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group
Friday, January 23, 2009
Delta Media Group releases Webinar recordings
Yesterday, Delta Media Group launched their training schedule page, which has since been updated with links on the right side to recordings of past training Webinars.Last week's Webinars have not been linked to the page, but yesterday's training, "The Agent Website System in Depth," is currently available for viewing (Click here to see the video).
Delta Media Group held a Webinar this morning on using the built-in HTML editor on the Delta Media Group real estate website and lead management system. The recording of the Webinar should soon be attached, as well as today's Webinar on online marketing in real estate, which begins at 11am Eastern.For more information on Delta Media Group's training Webinars or real estate website and lead management systems, contact Sean Cutright at scutright@deltagroup.com.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Delta Media Group launches Webinar Training Schedule page
The Delta Media Group Training Schedule page was just added to DeltaGroup.com due to the increasing demand for information on Delta Media Group's training Webinar series.
The schedule gives the dates and times of each up-coming Webinar, a brief statement on the Webinar topic, and allows real estate brokers and agents to register directly from the website.Delta Media Group's real estate Webinar series kicked off last week with two Webinars on how to drive more online opportunities with your Delta Media Group real estate website and lead management system. The Webinars were instantly successful, and hundreds of real estate agents contacted us requesting more training Webinars and information.
If you have any questions on Delta Media Group's Webinars, contact Sean Cutright at scutright@deltagroup.com, or 330-491-2003.
Don't forget! Delta Media Group Webinars scheduled for today, tomorrow
The Webinar, scheduled for 1pm Eastern, will be hosted by Ray Lester, Delta Media Group's national trainer. The Webinar will focus on utilizing the design tools on the Delta Media Group agent website. The session will cover updating photos, phone numbers and E-mail addresses; Verifying MLS IDs; Entering personal title, slogan and designation information; Entering external links; and linking personal domains to the Delta Media Group website.
The Webinar is designed specifically for real estate agents that are new to the Delta Media Group website and lead management system. Click here to register for the Webinar.
While today's Webinar is aimed to train agents on using the Delta Media Group agent website, tomorrow's is designed to help real estate agents better market themselves online.
During the Webinar, Delta Media Group will look at the top ways to improve your online marketing opportunities, including improved real estate Search Engine Optimization, blogging, enhanced online marketing, custom area and bio content, improving hot leads, and more.
Click here to register for Delta Media Group's Agent Online Marketing Webinar.
If you can't attend the online marketing Webinar, there will be another Thursday, January 29 at 11am Eastern.
If you have questions on either Webinar, contact Sean Cutright at scutright@deltagroup.com, or 330-491-2003.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Delta Media Group launches training Webinar series
Ray Lester, Delta Media Group's national Web trainer, hosted the first training Webinar, titled: "Introduction to the Agent Delta System."The Webinar bio read:
Associates will become familiar with DeltaNet features, functions, and navigation. Topics covered during this session include Agent Log-in and Navigation, Lead and Contact Management, Listing Management, Preferences and Passwords, and key system features that are important to buyers and sellers. This session is recommended for all agents that are new to the Delta Media Group system.
Delta Media Group will host another website training Webinar tomorrow, titled "The Agent Web site System in Depth." Tomorrow's Webinar is listed to do the following:
Associates will become familiar with DeltaNet site design tools. Topics covered during this session include: Updating Photos, phone numbers, email addresses; Verifying MLS IDs; Entering Designation, Titles, and Slogans; Changing the "About You" Paragraph; Entering External links; Linking a personal Domain/s (URL) to the Delta web site. This session is recommended for all agents that are new to the Delta Media Group system.
To register for tomorrow's Webinar, scheduled for January 22 at 1pm Eastern, click here.
For more information on Delta Media Group's Webinar series, contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com, or 330-491-2003.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
New features on Delta Media Group's real estate website, lead management system
Delta Media Group's programming team has been updated these features so rapidly, it's easier to organize them under one blog post for you. I will add more blog posts in the near future on the specific functionality these updates provide your real estate brokerage and agent websites.
Updates to Delta Media Group's lead management system include:
- Updates to the lead management system for Web administrators
- Lead management update to track all real estate lead sources
- Programming updates to Delta Media Group's Lead import system
In addition, Delta Media Group has added such features as:
- New rotating featured listing capability on agent websites
- A free virtual slide show on Delta Media Group websites
- The ability to feature Sold listings on your real estate website
Sean Cutright
Monday, January 19, 2009
JUST ANNOUNCED: Delta Media Group to add two Webinars
Following the success of last week's real estate agent Webinar, "Drive More Online Opportunities," which was held Wednesday and Thursday and attended by hundreds of real estate agents and brokers across the country, Delta Media Group is adding a Webinar on the same topic this week, and one next week.
This week's Webinar will be held Friday, January 23 at 11am Eastern.
Next week's Webinar will be held Thursday, January 29 at 11am Eastern.
During the Webinars, Delta Media Group president Mike Minard and vice president Jonathan Blood will discuss how to maximize online exposure and increase hot leads and Web marketing via professional real estate Search Engine Optimization, blogging, custom content and bios, regional and service-oriented content, and more.
Delta Media Group is releasing a service that professionally caters to this, and holding Webinars to help agents that may consider doing it themselves.
I'll release the registration links to these Webinars as soon as I have them. For more information, please feel free to contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com or 330-491-2003.
Sean Cutright
A valid real estate lead or a shady referral service?
The voicemail, which came from 406-329-7652, not the one listed below, stated:
Hi Sean, my name is [name deleted]. I had a client looking to relocate to Stark County. Been pre-approved, she's looking for something around 260. If this be a client you'd be interested in working with please give me a call. My direct line is 406-532-3756. Thank you.
A quick Google search of both the phone number of origination and the one left on my voicemail led me to a few online comments...none of them good. I might also add that upon returning the call, the 406-532-3756 number was not the direct line of the person who called me.
It looks like the call is from a lead referral resource, as mentioned in the RealTown blog found here.
Despite the fact that the online commenters didn't seem too happy with this type of call, I'll reserve my judgment for agents in the industry. I found it strange that I was called for a lead referral when I am not even a real estate agent, but I do use the same real estate website and lead management system that Delta Media Group builds for real estate agents, so I can understand the confusion.
If you've received a call from this number or had experience working with this company or lead referrals like this, please let me know. If you've had positive experiences, maybe it's something worth checking out. If not, I won't recommend it to real estate brokers and agents. Either way, I'd be interested to hear.
Sean Cutright can be reached at scutright@deltagroup.com or 330-491-2003.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Recapping today's Webinar
The second day of Delta Media Group's Webinar, "Drive More Online Opportunities!," went even smoother than the first, as Delta Media Group president Mike Minard was able to join in on the call alongside vice president Jonathan Blood, and we could specifically address the topics we received the most feedback from following yesterday's Webinar.
I have talked to several real estate agents that were busy or received notification of the Webinar too late to clear their schedule, unfortunately. Due to the Webinar's success, we will be hosting several more in the near future, and on many specific topics to help real estate brokers and agents drive more online opportunities to their real estate website and lead management systems.
If you did not get the opportunity to attend today's Webinar, please let me know. I'd be happy to get you some information on the topics discussed.
If you're a real estate broker or agent not using Delta Media Group as your real estate website and lead management partner, please contact me for more details on how Delta Media Group can help improve your online profits.
Sean Cutright can be reached online at www.seancutright.com, at scutright@deltagroup.com, or 330-491-2003.
Delta Media Group Webinar a success, another scheduled for Thursday
With several dozen attendees, Delta Media Group had a lot of positive responses about their Webinar, "Drive More Online Opportunities!"
In the Webinar, Delta Media Group Vice President Jonathan Blood discussed how to improve online opportunities and leads through improved Search Engine Optimization, blogging, custom biography and market content, and more. These topics are some of the most widely discussed among real estate agents in 2009, and Delta Media Group's Webinar was designed to show agents how to take full advantage of them.
For those agents that don't have the time, or would prefer to have a these services professionally facilitated, Delta Media Group has proposed their Agent Marketing program, also discussed in the Webinar.
Delta Media Group will host another Webinar on the same topic Thursday, January 15 at 11am Eastern. Click here to register.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions at scutright@deltagroup.com or 330-491-2003.
Sean Cutright
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Don't forget! Exclusive Webinar today
The Webinar, titled "Drive More Online Opportunities!," is designed to maximize online exposure and increase hot leads and Web marketing via professional real estate Search Engine Optimization, custom content and bios, regional and service-oriented content, blogging, and more.
Delta Media Group is testing to gauge interest in the program, which is a limited-time offer made available to a select few top-performing agents.
The Webinar is on an invite-only basis, but if you did not receive a personal phone invitation, please contact me for more information, or register here:
For Wednesday's Webinar, click here.
To sign up for Thursday's Webinar, click here.
If you have any questions, please contact Sean Cutright.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Delta Media Group announces exclusive agent Webinar on driving online opportunities
The Webinars, titled "Drive More Online Opportunities!" will be catered to real estate agents looking to tremendously increase their real estate sales and profits in 2009 through improved real estate Search Engine Optimization, driving more hot leads, blogging, writing custom, key-driven area and bio content, enhancing online marketing, and more.The information discussed has been attained through hundreds of hours of case studies Delta Media Group has recently conducted, and will be part of a top-tiered Agent Marketing program Delta Media Group will soon launch exclusive to top-producing real estate agents.
Both Webinars have limited space available, and only invited agents can attend. Delta Media Group is contacting the top echelon of agents that use Delta Media Group's Web system, in addition to a handful of "up-and-coming" agents that are just outside the top category.
Because space and time are limited, several agents may not have received an invite to this series of Webinars. If you did not receive a personal phone call but would like to be considered to attend the Webinar, please contact me at scutright@deltagroup.com, or sign up by clicking here.
The Webinars will be held Wednesday, January 14 at 2pm Eastern, and Thursday, January 15 at 11am Eastern.
For more information, contact me at 330-491-2003.
Sean Cutright
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Delta Media Group launches Kansas City Regional Homes, Inc.
It's one of the slowest times of the year for real estate, but try telling that to Delta Media Group.The real estate website and lead management developer has recently launched several real estate brokerage websites, including that of Kansas City Regional Homes, Inc., a brokerage specializing in Kansas City real estate.
Kansas City Regional Homes is owned and operated by husband and wife Ronald and Carmen Byron, and son Parker Byron, who serves as Vice President and Director of IT. Ron and Carmen previously operated as Team Byron, alongside sons Parker and Brad. Together, they averaged over 125 homes sold per year, and ranked among the top 1 percent of all REALTORS® working in Kansas City real estate.
Kansas City Regional Homes' new real estate website and lead management system helps position the brokerage to potentially grow to over 300 real estate agents. The website was custom designed by Web developer Delta Media Group, and applies the acclaimed DeltaNet real estate lead management system--among the most profitable in the industry.
Check out Kansas City Regional Homes' website at www.kcregionalhomes.com.
You can see additional info on Delta Media Group at www seancutright.com or www.deltagroup.com, or by contacting me at scutright@deltagroup.com.
Sean Cutright
Friday, January 02, 2009
Welcome to 2009!
And for many real estate brokerages and agents, among other businesses, 2009 could not come soon enough.
But just because it's a new year does not mean things have changed. Sure, the stock market is showing a slight recovery and a new president will take office in a few weeks. Both circumstances, along with any new policies, changes in interest rates or tax cuts, may have an impact on the housing market. But the year itself will not.
That being said, what does your brokerage plan to do in 2009 to best position yourself and your agents in today's market?
If you have any unique ideas, I'd love to hear them. They can be E-mailed to me at scutright@deltagroup.com, and I'll select a few to post over the next couple weeks.
If you're looking in 2009 to upgrade your real estate website or lead management capabilities, please let me know. Delta Media Group can help.
Sean Cutright
Delta Media Group