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Charting a real estate itinerary

By Kris Berg, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/mbiddulph/3087388964/" target=blank>Matt Biddulph</a>.

I was tidily tucked into my seat for the flight home from the Inman Real Estate Connect conference in New York City last week, boldly laughing in the face of the one-carry-on limit and buckling under the weight of my various travel "essentials" (random items that had somehow expanded in the subhuman weather and could no longer find a home in the more traditional, checked baggage environment), when I found myself sitting next to a very important man.  more...

Jan

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2009

Bloggers share their experiences from Connect NYC '09

By Daniel Rothamel, the Real Estate Zebra, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

Blogger's Connect kicked-off Inman Real Estate Connect NYC '09 one week ago.  I think it is only fitting that we share with you the blog posts from around the net from bloggers who attended Connect NYC '09.  This list probably isn't every post out there, but it should give you a great taste of what went on at Connect.  more...

Where everybody knows your name

By Matt Carter, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

This year is probably the last one you'll see national TV ads like this 2008 spot promoting April as open house month from Century 21 Real Estate.  more...

Refi applications soar as rates hit new lows

By Inman News, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

Applications for refinance loans jumped 25.6 percent for the week ending Jan. 9 as borrowers sought to take advantage of a continued free-fall in fixed-rate mortgage rates for borrowers with good credit.  more...

Fannie Mae won't evict renters

By Inman News, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

Fannie Mae will allow qualified renters to sign month-to-month leases and stay on in homes it forecloses on -- without requiring a security deposit, credit check or payment history -- while it markets the homes for sale.  more...

Searching beyond the ZIP code

By Inman News, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

Onboard Informatics this month announced a "Lifestyle Listings Engine" that is intended to assist clients with real estate searches that go beyond the traditional search paradigm of ZIP codes and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

"Let your users search for the best school system within their budget. Let your customers find homes in towns with a great nightlife, find neighbors they would get along with or a house within 20 minutes of their work," Onboard states in an announcement about its search platform.  more...

FrontDoor launches City Guides

By Inman News, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

FrontDoor.com, a real estate search and information portal affiliated with HGTV, today announces the launch of a City Guides section with a range of city-focused multimedia information.  more...

Defining real estate part-timers Premium Content

By Pooja Kumar, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

Necessity has driven some real estate agents to take up a second job or even a third job to make ends meet during these challenging economic times.

And some agents have relegated their role in assisting buyers and sellers to part-time status while awaiting a market recovery or weighing an exit from the real estate business.

Margaret Woda, an agent and associate broker at Long & Foster Real Estate in Maryland, manages several part-time agents in Crofton, Md.  more...

Century 21 bids adieu to TV ads Premium Content

By Matt Carter, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

Century 21 Real Estate will stop running national television spots in order to beef up online advertising such as display ads, search-engine marketing, and partnerships with real estate listing sites.

The company is confident the move will benefit brokers, agents and their clients, saying it boosted online lead generation by more than 237 percent in 2008 -- the cost per lead dropped 62 percent from a year ago.  more...