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. The company says it's pulling the plug on national TV ads and putting the money into online advertising and marketing instead (see story).
Century 21 says it was the first franchisor to start running national TV spots in the 1970s. But the main benefit of ads like this one -- building brand awareness with consumers -- is perhaps less important when you've already got the name recognition Century 21 has achieved over the years.
There are more innovative ways to use television than conducting national brand building ad campaigns. ERA Franchise Systems has built an integrated national and local campaign around its sponsorship of "Ask This Old House," an online Q&A for consumers tied to the popular home remodeling show.
A Wall Street Journal article catches up with David A. Lereah, the former chief economist for the National Association of Realtors who was known for talking up the housing market well into the downturn.
Lereah left the association to participate in a secretive project at Realtor.com-operator Move Inc. in mid-2007, and that project was canceled last year (see Inman Blog).
The Wall Street Journal reports that Lereah, 55, "says he was pressured by executives to issue optimistic forecasts -- then was left to shoulder the blame when things went sour. 'I was there for seven years doing everything they wanted me to.' "
A NAR spokesman, meanwhile, said in the article that Lereah used similar forecasts in his book, which was not published by the trade group.
The article includes a link to a sidebar article with statements Lereah made about the market from January 2006 through January 2007, as well as a link to a real estate newsletter that he now produces, titled the Reecon Advisory Report.
At Inman News' inaugural Digital Video Summit last week in New York, we were honored to have Channing Dawson, the Emmy award winning adviser from Scripps Networks Interactive, deliver a keynote address that gave us a peek at some next generation interactive video strategies and their application to real estate.
Many attendees requested links to the videos contained within Channing's presentation, which we've posted below, as well as how it related to his talk, which will we have available shortly on Inman.com.
In the meantime, enjoy these fantastic videos and let us know if you'd like us to host another Video Summit this summer in San Francisco.
Marshall McLuhan (predicting the rise of social media online):
Google Chat (video collaboration):
Neil's Home Cinema (user-generated media):
Bruce Lee Ping Pong Nunchunk (viral video for marketing):
Obama (one-to-many communication via video):
Facepaint by James Kuhn (new forms of art):
YouTube Symphony (collaborative music):
Redfin (video marketing as education):
PlayStation 3 Home Edition (video embedded in virtual worlds):
Wii Bowling (video marketing as entertainment):
CNN Hologram (new video technologies):
Blendtec (video brand building):
Loreal Not for Women (user-generated advertising):
Perceptive Pixel Wall (new ways to interact with video):
Children at SmartBoard, Edusim (immersive education):
Mankind is No Island (short-form cellphone video):
There is little doubt that the real estate industry professionals attending Inman Connect NYC '09 have gotten their year started on the right foot. The conference kicked-off yesterday with information packed workshops about Blogging, Internet Marketing, and Video. The afternoon was highlighted with an address by Inman News Publisher Brad Inman, and a series of very informative panels and presentations. Attendees ended day one informed, enlightened, and wanting more.
Today, attendees were treated to an energetic and dynamic keynote presentation by Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary shared his own personal story and his insights on the need for real estate and mortgage professionals to focus on personal branding. It was a presentation that will surely be talked about for many Connects to come.
It is hard to believe that there is still more program left. I know that many attendees share the feeling I have-- one of being stuffed with information that has left me energized and inspired.
In case you weren't able to attend Connect NYC '09, you can still follow along. You can see what folks have been talking about on Twitter, or check out the first round of Flickr photo uploads. Of course, if you are a premium Inman member, you can look forward to all of the great video and audio content from Connect NYC '09 in a few weeks. Keep checking back to the blog and the Flickr group, as there is sure to be a flurry of activity once attendees have time to process everything they've learned and share their experiences.
Gary Vaynerchuk of WineLibrary.tv spoke at Real Estate Connect earlier today in New York City and offered the following advice on how to embrace social media.
One of the major benefits of attending Real Estate Connect is the opportunity to meet with and learn from the brightest minds in the real estate industry. Real Estate Connect is, and always has been, about connecting with other professionals.
Your first opportunity to connect with others at Connect is at Beer with Bloggers, Sponsored by Zillow. Join everyone for networking on Tuesday, January 6th from 6-8pm in the Marriott Marquis Atrium Lounge. There is sure to be plenty of great conversation, so don't miss out on this opportunity to get your Connect NYC '09 experience started on the right foot.
So, don't forget:
Beer with Bloggers, Sponsored by Zillow
6-8pm Marriott Marquis Atrium Lounge (8th floor)
And don't worry if you don't consider yourself a blogger. You still like beer and good conversation, don't you?
The nature of Inman Connect events is that not only are they great learning opportunities, but they are very social events. There is a lot of meeting, greeting, networking, and discussing that goes on. One of the great things about the emergence of new media is that it allows just about anyone to participate in all of this social activity. Whether you are there meeting people and shaking hands, or back at the home or office, there is no reason to feel left out. Here are some of the great ways you can use the power of new media to "connect with Connect:"
Facebook: For those of you using Facebook, there is a very active group of folks in the Inman News Facebook Group. There are sure to be lots of wall posts and pictures during Connect NYC '09, so be sure to stop by and check things out.
LinkedIn: There is actually an Inman group on LinkedIn specifically for networking before, during, and after Connect. The group is called Real Estate Connect. With thousands of members, you are sure to make some valuable new connections.
Flickr: There is now a group for Real Estate Connect photos on Flickr. Since so many folks take great pictures while attending the Connect events, it seemed like a good idea to have a central place for all of the pics. The Flickr group is that place. All you have to do is upload your Connect pics to Flickr, become a member of the group, and then submit the pics to the group.
Twitter: There is bound to be plenty of Twitter activity around Connect NYC '09. If you want to follow the action on Twitter, one of the best things you can do is to use hashtags. The official tag for Connect NYC '09 is: #icny For those of you who are tweeting, please tag your Connect-related posts accordingly. If you are just trying to follow along, you can go to search.twitter.com, and then enter a search for #icny. That will show you the latest Connect-related tweets.
There are sure to be tons of Connect-related blog posts during and after Connect NYC '09 as well. Technorati should be able to help you find some of them, and if people use the "icny" tag on their blog posts, it will make it even easier. The same holds true for photos. The more people use the tag, the easier it is to connect with the right content.
So those are the main ways you can connect with Connect this January. So if you are going to be joining us in Times Square in January, these are great ways to catch up on anything that you might have missed, and if you aren't going to be able to join us, these are great ways to live vicariously.
About a month ago, I put out a call for folks to send me their video introductions for Connect NYC '09. Stacey Harmon was the first to take me up on the offer. It is pretty obvious that Stacey must be excited to meet and learn from the brightest minds in the real estate industry at Connect NYC '09-- why else would she leave the beautiful beaches of Southern California to fly across the country?
So, if you are going to Connect NYC '09, make sure to say hello to Stacey if you see her around. And if you want folks to be able to say hello to you when they see you, send me a link to your video introduction: daniel.rothamel@inman.com
For the last couple weeks, part of our promotion for Real Estate Connect NYC included the chance to win 3 nights at the Marriott Marquis where Connect is being held. Anyone who registered between December 8th and December 21st was entered into the drawing. So this morning, I received the list, jumped online where I then googled "random number picker" and the rest is history.
So, without further adiue...
I present to you lucky # 39: Derek Overbey! Derek is the Senior Director of Marketing and Social Media at Roost.com.
There is little doubt that the real estate industry professionals attending 
One of the major benefits of attending Real Estate Connect is the opportunity to meet with and learn from the brightest minds in the real estate industry. Real Estate Connect is, and always has been, about connecting with other professionals. 