Mobile search called 'next big technology shift' in real estate
By Jessica Swesey, Tuesday, February 19, 2008.Bookmarking Sites
If you're curious about how mobile technology can be used to help market real estate and reach potential home buyers, a new white paper from WAVGroup out today dives into the subject.
Not long ago, the notion of using mobile technology in real estate meant nothing more than agents toting around cell phones and wireless notebook computers. But new developments have opened up a lot more capability for mobile devices to be used to send out property information to buyers and make that immediate connection that's identified as the vital piece to converting leads to closed transactions.
According to WAVGroup's research, mobile search tools can also help improve the marketing value of off-line advertising such as yard signs, magazine ads, newspaper ads and other localized marketing programs.
"Providing buyers with tools to perform their own searches in the mobile environment will
be the next big technology shift in the real estate industry," WAVGroup says.
Realtors using mobile search technology are more likely to convert a drive-by consumer into a qualified lead, according to the research. And mobile search technology enables agents to provide more detailed information on a property, while also giving the immediate response consumers expect.
WAVGroup's white paper lists examples of problems and solutions that mobile search technology could potentially cover for agents. You can grab a copy at this link.
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Submitted by Anonymous on February 19, 2008 - 7:02pm.
This is a perfect example of media convergence. Every one seems to be so wrapped up in technology. Who's got the 'latest and greatest' seems to garner all the attention. My question has always been: How many of these great Web2.0 tools will survive into Media 3.0?
I'm not talking about some far off land many moons from now as this very post exemplifies. Media 3.0 is basically here now. Yes it's just beginning with mobile but just wait. Wait until your local cable shows are derived from Internet content.
I grew up in rural PA and I remember only getting a few channels before cable. Now my basic+ cable plan gives me 100's. At what point does it become 1000's? This programming will all come from people rather than from station owners (as Youtube is rather than Google). Your set-top box will meld directly into your Internet. What criteria will you use to choose your top 1000 channels? I bet location will be high on the list for the same reason you buy your local paper not USA Today.
How will offline advertising influence this convergence between the offline-online media? In exactly the same way it has influenced mobile convergence...by subject(real estate) and geography(local).
I thinks it's so funny how the Internet 'freed us from our local chains of communication'. No longer are we bound by the limitations of geography right? That's true. But what we are starting to see now is an evolution forward(not backward) where the Internet now recognizes that the human race does have innate geographic limitations. Our geographic limitations will never be removed from out human culture. There is no 'beam me up Scotty'.
We are moving past the 'cyber phase' that was cool but only half useful and into a more encompassing Media3.0 phase that includes both our 'cyber life' and our real life. It's not just that offline media is moving online, more importantly the opposite is also happening. The Internet is becoming an extension of offline media. Consumers are being first engaged offline as this post explains. Local media works because 'local' and 'people' are synonymous. Shopping carts and the Internet were born for each other.
Submitted by Joe Cline on March 15, 2008 - 3:29pm.
Smaller is usually better in the tech world, but I'll never use my phone to do any serious work. It's just too small and slow. Neat idea though.
Joe
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