The folks at 1000Watt Consulting debuted this video of people -- consumers we presume -- speaking frankly about their real estate needs. The jist is that people are people, not leads.

Marc Davison, a partner with 1000Watt and Inman News columnist, has addressed the topic of lead generation in past columns. (See "Lead generation is dead.") Davison's tongue-in-cheek satire of the death of lead generation appears to be a cry for a return to conversation and value, rather than numbers, clicks and drip e-mail.

From Davison's column: "Lead Generation is survived by Customer Engagement, its decidedly more social, open and confident offspring. Some industry observers familiar with Customer Engagement note that it also shows the influence of its grandparents, Conversation and Value."

The video raises some interesting questions about the future of automated lead generation, which seems to work wonders for some in the industry while leaving others frustrated and hostile. Which business model will work for brokers, consumers and agents?

See also, "Real estate, the Web and the great divide," by Steve Kropper.

Google this week poses the question in its blog: "What would your phone do?"

With an expanding list of features on cutting-edge mobile devices and a growing population of tech-advanced mobile users, what features are on the wish list for real estate professionals?

Phones are increasingly all-in-one multi-media communications portals, with users creating, viewing and sharing text messages, e-mails, photos and videos. With Google's news this week about an "Open Handset Alliance" to create a standard mobile software platform and prod the industry toward a faster pace of innovation, the incessant buzz of the iPhone, and the real estate industry's increasing reliance on mobile tools (see Inman News series), you can expect to see more real estate-relevant applications that fit snugly in the palm of your hand.

So what's missing for real estate professionals? What mobile innovations do you expect to see for the industry and which ones do you think will stick?

Let us know where you think the mobile market is boldly going.

Ellen DeGeneres has been making headlines lately for a real-life dog adoption drama involving a pooch named Iggy that she addressed during her talk show. Her love for animals is well known, and DeGeneres has also taken time during the show to talk about Realtors.

The show has a regular comedy bit, called "Real Realtors," that features actual promotional photos used by real estate professionals accompanied by some of DeGeneres' snappy one-liners. The segment opens up with "Movin' on up," the song more popularly known as the theme to "The Jeffersons" sit-com.

A recent "Real Realtors" segment (see video here) features a collage photo (see photo at left) of family members who all work  in the real estate business in Cottage Grove, Minn. Among the Ott family members are: Floyd Ott and wife Laurie Ott (the Ott couple?), Tom Ott, Pam Ott-Morse, Sandy Ott-Norblom, Rhonda Ott-Swenson, Tina Ott-Angell and John Angell. TheOtts.com Web site includes this family photo and the description: "Stack the Otts in your favor."

Another photo featured a Tucscon, Ariz., real estate agent outfitted in cowboy gear and a large moustache. DeGeneres had this comment: "Let's meet at the saloon at high noon and I'll show you some prospects I found for you."

The Web site for the talk show asks audience members to send in photos of their real estate agents. The site does contain a misspelled three-syllable version of the Realtor word (a variation that makes some Realtors cringe, whether it is spoken or typed): "realitor."

This is a funny video with a tragic ending. Ben Aaron Anglin, the young man featured in this video, was killed in a car accident shortly after filming this. Anglin left behind a wife and two small children. If you'd like to help support the family, a donation effort has been set up at the link below.

Rudy Mayer, a Realtor in Nashua, N.H., is inviting an Internet audience to virtually visit open houses, tour the neighborhood, ask him questions, and interact via a live video feed -- all from the comfort of their own computers.

Mayer, who is affiliated with ERA The Masiello Group, is offering these virtual open houses via his Web site, InteractiveOpenHouse.com.

Traditional open houses, he said in an announcement, "have been declining in attendance for several years -- they're a relic. With a record number of properties on the market, record gas prices and easier access to multiple photos and virtual tours online, buyers are less inclined to go out and drive around to traditional open houses."

"The virtual open house will allow the buyers to tour the home room by room, by high-definition video, as well as tour the neighborhood and ... drive down the street," according to the announcement. Mayer, who will be in the house, will communicate with virtual visitors via a live video feed.

Mayer's first open houses at InteractiveOpenHouse.com are planned from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23, and on Thursday, Sept. 27th.

Doug Lebda is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the online real estate space. He tells his story from start-up founder to selling his company to becoming an influential executive with Barry Diller's IAC.

If you missed Hugh MacLeod's keynote at Real Estate Connect in San Francisco earlier this month, here's a clip from RainTV interviewing him about some of the topics covered at the event.

You can check out MacLeod's blog and infamous cartoons at GapingVoid.

Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of Miller Samual in Manhattan and author of Matrix and Soapbox blogs, discusses the housing market and appraisal pressure issues with Brad Inman on Inman TV.

A USA Today article notes that there is no shortage of reality shows focusing on real estate, despite a downturn in the market. Consumers still apparently have quite an appetite for all things real estate, even if there are more looky-loos, window shoppers and armchair enthusiasts these days.

The article includes a sampling of the programming, such as A&E TV's "Flip This House," and "Sell This House,"  DIY Network's "Sweat Equity" and Bravo's "Flipping Out."

Home & Garden Television (HGTV) has a huge lineup of real estate reality shows, including "Bought & Sold," which takes a look at the challenges of real estate agents (see Inman News article).

Other HGTV shows include: "Buy Me," "Designed to Sell,"  "Get It Sold," "House Hunters," "National Open House," "Secrets That Sell," and "My House Is Worth What?"

The Learning Channel (TLC) has its share of real estate shows, too, including: "Flip That House," "My First Home," "Property Ladder," and "The Real Deal" (cast for this show is pictured at left).

Actually, this video is about "What makes a good blog." What did we miss?