Hyperlocal is hot. Mobile is hot. Both have massive implications for real estate. And foursquare - a service that mixes social, locative and gaming elements to encourage people to explore the cities in which they live - is the most talked about company in this space right now.

Dennis Crowley, co-founder of foursquare, will deliver one of the keynote addresses at Real Estate Connect NYC, January 13-15 at the Marriott Times Square.

Previously, Dennis founded dodgeball.com, one of the first mobile social services in the US, which was acquired by Google in 2005. He has been named one of the "Top 35 Innovators Under 35" by MIT's Technology Review magazine (2005) and has won the "Fast Money" bonus round on the TV game show Family Feud (2009). His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Wired, Time Magazine, Newsweek, MTV, Slashdot and NBC. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program.

Register now to see Dennis and dozens of other innovators – only at Connect NYC 2010!

Kris Berg, broker-owner of San Diego Castles Realty, sympathizes with the plight of first-time homebuyers and the agents who would assist them in buying a bank-owned property -- if banks were just a little more human. Berg, whose wit is also on display in her Inman News columns, used Xtranormal, Web-based "text-to-movie" software, to make this animated short, "How to buy a bank-owned home." Follow Berg on Twitter or subscribe to her blog for direct notification of any sequels. 

What's exciting in real estate in "your world"?

I'm the new guy here at Inman News. I joined the team just days ago as VP of Business Development.  A primary focus for my new role here is engaging with lots of great folks in real estate - and launching new relationships based on what I learn.

For me, being on the team at Inman feels like being part of the crew of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek.  I get the feeling that we're on this exploratory mission to seek out new life and new civilizations.  uh, I mean, we're on a mission to seek out the best and the brightest in real estate - and then highlight what they're doing in the news channel as well as at Inman Connect.

There's two main catagories for "people in real estate" - those who in sell real estate for a living (including brokers and franchise) and those who have products or services that support the real estate industry.  In both cases there are amazing new things going on.  If you sell real estate for a living, I'd bet the farm that you've made some big changes lately in your business and in your lifestyle, etc.  If you have a product or service for which real estate people are a primary target market, you've probably noticed that the landscape has changed just a bit in terms of what folks are willing to pay for -- and how much they expect in terms of value.

If you've got a noteworthy business in or around real estate, we'd really like to hear from you.  You can tell us what you're doing by filling out this information or by reaching out to me directly (or just comment below).

Even better...  who do you know that's doing something awesome?  Would you let us know here?

Let's see who can come up with the most creative (and humorous) caption for this comic image. Submit your caption entry in the comments section of this post.

If you haven't already registered for Real Estate Connect NYC 2010, you'd better get moving. The early bird discount ends this Friday, October 2nd.

Take advantage of the $300 savings, register today.

We have some awesome things planned for Connect NYC 2010. More networking, more technology and more takeaways than ever before. Whether you're new to the Real Estate Connect scene, or you've attended them all, this is one event you won't want to miss!

Inman News is seeking your nominations for the most influential individuals in real estate, including the best and brightest real estate leaders, bloggers, Twitter users ("Tweeters") and all-around masters of social media.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, Oct. 9.

The nomination form is available online: http://www.inman.com/most-influential.

The annual list of 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders recognizes those who embrace leadership, innovation, ingenuity, power and persistence -- they are industry luminaries and also those outside figures whose actions influence the business of buying and selling homes.

NOTE: REPEAT NOMINATIONS FOR THE SAME INDIVIDUAL WILL BE DISCARDED -- ONLY ONE NOMINATION WILL BE ACCEPTED PER INDIVIDUAL. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A RECENTLY UPDATED LIST OF 2009 "MOST INFLUENTIAL" READER NOMINEES.

The lists of most influential real estate bloggers, Twitter users ("Tweeters") and masters of social media recognizes individuals whose rousing real estate insight can incite change -- they have a knack for stirring up lively discussion and debate on important, timely and relevant topics for the real estate industry.

Please send an e-mail to influential@inman.com or call (510) 658-9252, ext. 137, with any questions about the online nomination form or the nomination and selection process. You can also send attachments related to nominations to influential@inman.com.

If you have information related to the nomination process that is not in electronic form, feel free to send this information via fax, attention "Managing Editor," to (510) 658-9317 or by mail to: Inman News Most Influential, 1100 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 102, Alameda, CA 94501. Deadline: Friday, Oct. 9, 2009.

Click here to view the online nomination form.

Inman News wants to hear about the types of properties that are selling slowest -- or not at all -- in your market area.

Our question to you: Which types of properties are the most difficult to sell in your market area and why?

What makes these homes so undesirable? Why are buyers bypassing them? When did you notice this trend develop and what are your future expectations for this trend?

Send your comment (one or two paragraphs) by e-mail to future@inman.com or leave your comment at the end of this post.

Flickr image by Marionaire.

Inman News has released a 41-page case study, "A Changed Market: Short Sales and REOs: An In-Depth Look at Distressed-Property Trends," that is based on a survey of over 500 real estate professionals and analysis of the survey results.

Among the survey findings and revelations:

• A comparison of the selling price of REOs and short sales to the selling price of non-distressed properties;
• A comparison of listing agent and buyer agent commission rates for short sales, REO sales and non-distressed-property sales;
• An examination of the volume of short-sale and REO listings and sales in May 2009 and April 2009, as well as year-over-year comparisons with 2008 and expectations for the full year in 2009 and in 2010;
• A comparison of failure rates, response times for offers, and average days on market for short sales, REO sales and the overall market, and an exploration of the most common reasons for the failure of pending short-sale and REO transactions.

Click here for pricing and other information, and to view a summary and a full list of survey questions.

Inman News, an award-winning online news company that has chronicled the rollercoaster rise and fall in the housing market and innovations in real estate industry technology since the dawn of the Internet Age, is seeking an Editorial Intern to assist in researching and writing news and feature articles.

Based in Alameda, Calif., Inman News serves as an independent voice in its national coverage of breaking news, market trends, and pressing issues impacting the residential real estate industry. Our audience includes real estate agents, brokers, consumers, technologists, mortgage and title professionals, and investors, among others. Inman News has a roster of dozens of columnists who write on topics ranging from architecture to home improvement, and from financial markets to agent advice.

As an Editorial Intern, you will work in the Inman News editorial department for a minimum 20 hours per week. This is an unpaid position, though you will be compensated for travel expenses related to out-of-office assignments. The internship will last a minimum three months.

Duties will include:

• Researching and writing news briefs on a variety of real estate topics.
• Researching and writing in-depth news and feature articles as assigned.
• Participating in weekly editorial meetings.
• Contributing story ideas.
• Supporting editorial staff with research.
• Contributing multimedia materials to support news articles, including digital photography, online video and online audio.

The schedule can be flexible though it must be between the hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Job requirements:

• Experience in reporting and writing for a news publication.
• A college-level journalism degree is preferred though not required.
• Adherence to Associated Press Stylebook rules.
• Basic knowledge of HTML.

Please send no more than three of your best and most relevant writing samples, along with a one-page resume, to: jobs@inman.com.

If possible, please send the writing samples and resume as a single PDF file attached to your e-mail message. Your e-mail message should include a short summary -- no more than one paragraph -- explaining why you are the best candidate for this internship.

(CLICK HERE to view job posting at Inman.com.)