While the need for Realtors to use the Internet is well-established, based on the fact that over 77% of prospective home buyers use it as a research tool, the need for real estate developers is less well documented.

According to this article, developers are faced with a different set of circumstances so far as making use of the Internet is concerned.

RIS Media included an advertising supplement along with their latest edition of Real Estate magazine dealing with major technology trends that will impact the real estate industry this year. While I've already written on this subject, I thought this list was worth referencing, even though it is an advertising piece (featuring IMPREV, the company powering the new Real Estate magazine site).

Another question often asked of us at tradeshows and conferences is, "What do I blog about?"

To answer that question, we have to step back for a moment and determine the job of the Realtor. While it is to list and sell homes, is it not also to establish yourself as a neighborhood expert or representative? I mean, who should know the neighborhood(s) he/she represents better than the agent?

One of the questions often asked by Realtors who are considering using blogs for marketing purposes is, "When will I find the time?" That's a valid question. Here's a valid answer: "When you have the time."

Here's some interesting statistics gleaned from an article at Inman News...

In the latest National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, based on a survey of 7,500 home buyers and sellers, 80 percent of home buyers used the Internet in searching for a home, up from 77 percent in the 2005 survey and 74 percent in 2004.

Meanwhile, a 2006 survey by media research firm Borrell Associates Inc. found that 61 percent of real estate agents do not advertise on the Internet and 87 percent of agents do not buy keyword advertising from the Google or Yahoo search-engine companies.

To say lead generation is important to real estate professionals is tantamount to saying sunshine is important to plantlife. (No, I'm not comparing Realtors to plants! It's just an analogy.)RIS Media has a great article that outlines six strategies you should consider deploying this year to increase or enhance your online presence with a view toward accruing more leads.

I have to admit I'm a little late to the dance with this one, but a few weeks ago (three in fact) Inman ran a story about an audio conference that was held dealing with advertising strategies.

The thrust of the story was that Realtors are still spending the lion's share of their dollars in traditional offline marketing, despite the fact that consumers are moving more and more toward the Internet for homebuying information.Coldwell Banker is spending about 30-35% of its budget online and Real Living about 20%, according to the article. But the yard sign is "not going away" anytime soon it adds.

If you are an agent (or broker) and don't have a strong presence on the Internet, you're missing out on a significant amount of new business, plain and simple. Don't believe me? Read on...

A lot has happened since we started Blogging Systems Group just over a year ago, November of 2005. It has been a whirlwind experience and we've been very fortunate as a company to have made some inroads into the real estate industry, with many good things coming as a result.

I dare say none of it tops what just happened. Blogging Systems Group has been included in the Swanepoel Real Estate Trends Report 2007 as one of the Top 10 Trendsetters in the real estate industry for 2006!

You know, the usual suspects...eat less, exercise more, spend five minutes a day in silent meditation, that kind of thing. I've managed to do none of the above."?I mean, I have six kids and a business to run, so I wouldn't know where to begin to find five minutes.

A friend who was having some trouble keeping resolutions of his own was kind enough to send me a link to a U.S. News and World Report article on ways to improve your life in 2007. To my pleasant surprise, I found one of those"?is to start a blog. I'm not kidding.