I don’t really know if this is just something that Trulia is testing or if this is something that they rolled out system-wide, but I received a lovely real estate update this morning
It is not a heavy piece, but it certainly popped into my inbox
18 New Listings, 2 open houses, 9 price reductions, download the mobile app, home value lead capture and median sales price.
Aside from my first impression of the execution being very positive, it made me wonder…… Where else would this type of daily email be a practical way to touch professionals or consumers?
For the MLS
The heart of any MLS is the agent’s hot sheet. It is a customizable widget that gives them a snapshot of what they are tracking in their business. The hot sheet recognizes pre-defined queries that the agent configures.
I am a big fan of push reporting, and to me, the Hot Sheet is a report. I would love to see MLSs send the hot sheet by email to every agent every day. Moreover, office managers could see a snapshot of their business every day. Broker-owners can get a hot sheet of all of their offices.
Better yet, think beyond email and integrate this as a notification on your mobile device.
For the Broker
I hate to admit it, but there are only a handful of brokers who are able to drive consumers to their website at a level that enables them to compete for the consumer share of voice. Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Homes.com and Homefinder have swiped the consumer away. Only the largest firms, MLS consumer sites, and franchises in America can live in the top 10 real estate websites in their area. Unless there is a significant event of disruption, third party websites will control the spread of real estate information to the widest audience of consumers.
Most of our clients who hire us to monitor the effectiveness of their online marketing are premium partners with some mix of Trulia, Zillow, Homes, and Homefinder. However, we also have a handful of brokers who have gone the other way and eliminated syndication. Both strategies work.
Regardless of your online strategy, you need to keep a watchful eye on features that will keep you competitive. Take a page out of Trulia’s playbook and send all of your registered users a market update. Trust me, if your customer gets a report like this, they are more likely to go to your website than a third party website.
For Trulia
Can a broker advertise in this email? I know more than a few that would be interested in getting pricing.
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