New Technology Launches February 7th

(For those of you that were not able to attend at our annual Kick-Off Meeting earlier this week, here’s a copy of the information presented about our technology enhancements). 

Two years ago at the Prudential Convention I made a promise to you to begin blogging about the changes we make in regards to marketing and technology and why.  I wanted to make sure you guys knew were involved and updated.

This year I’m making a new resolution – to become a better listener.  I want to hear from you.  I want to know your needs and your wishlist in regards to your business.  Throughout 2012 the marketing department will be hosting Roundtables where you are invited to be involved and share your opinions.

My second resolution is to search for ways to streamline our systems.  As you know, you have dozens of sites you need to visit, learn, and manage to control your business.  I’d like to find ways to make this simpler for you.

As a first step in this direction, we are switching data and website providers to Real Estate Web Solutions. It’s a local company where we have a bit more input over the direction our system takes.  We’ve been with Reliance Network for almost eight years and while I have liked many aspects of their system I often felt we were at their mercy when it came to changes.  The changes they dictated were not always the changes we needed.   It felt like a product instead of a partnership.

On February 7, 2012 we will begin running both the current system and our new system side by side and transferring your contacts and the data associated with it over.  Below is our launch calendar:

• February 7, 2012: New Site Preview
  Your new site will be available for you to preview and access but will not yet be live.  This will give you time to adjust your site options and upload content.  You should be able to simply copy and paste custom pages and SEO from one site to the other since they will be running side by side.
• February 13, 2012: New Sites Go Live
  New sites go ‘live’ to your customers.  We’ll confirm lead logic is working correctly.  Old sites remain available in the background.
• February 14, 2012:  Contacts Added
  We will do a data dump of all your contacts and their information to your new site.
• February 20, 2012: Old sites taken down

On launch, we’re going to be delivering you all the same features your current sites have as well as quite a few exciting enhancements.

Core Features 

• Property Search of all MLS Listings
  Listing data still downloads to your website from MARIS – this includes all listing details, all photos and open houses.
• Multiple Search Options
  Search by map, address, zip code, city, mls# or subdivision.
• Ability to Edit Listing Options
  Ability to edit listings and add documents, floorplans, etc.
• Featured Property Control
  You can adjust your featured properties to whatever listings you want to showcase.
• Site Customization Options
  You can still change site options such as template, color and header as well as add unlimited custom pages and unlimited images.
• eCard and Campaign System
  We’re bringing over our entire eCard system and we’ll create a local campaign you can turn on for your clients.
• Seller’s Reports
  Daily or weekly reports showing the activity on our website system.
• Local and Updated Website Content
  Website content including local content such as wineries, attractions, and events will transfer.
• Community Info
  School data and demographic data will still appear on each listing.
• QR Codes
  QR Codes will still be available for every listing.
• Leads to Mobile Phone
  Leads will still go to your mobile phone for instant acceptance.

What’s New? 

• Geolocation Mobile Search
  Your clients can now browse homes and opens nearby them.
• Agent Branding on Mobile Search
  Your mobile search will now be branded with your name, photo and information.
• Time Stamp on Contact Notes
  Now there’s an automated user stamp and time stamp on every contact note or system change for better client tracking.
• Header Slideshow Option
  Set up a custom Flash slideshow on your site.
• Auto-Updated Marketing Message
  Promoting company marketing such as a Magic House events or Letters from Santa?  Now you don’t have to manually add the graphic to your website and link it out – we’ll be able to do it for you!
• Flyer On Demand
  Print flyers with just one click and skip the manual process of Publisher.
• Social Media Options
  Link your social media sites to your website AND share to Facebook and Twitter with ease.
• Campaigns by Source
  Now send email campaigns based on client’s source (Zillow, Trulia, etc.) and personalize their online experience.
• QR Codes for any Page
  Create QR Codes for any page, not just your listing detail pages! Link to your home page or any custom page.
• Marketing Tracking & Google Analytics
  Track your marketing efforts.  See details on what visitors are coming from QR codes, Facebook, search engines, etc.
• Unsubscribe by Email Type
  Before any unsubscribe by a client removed them from the system.  Now client’s can choose to unsubscribe from marketing campaigns, unsubscribe from new listing updates or unsubscribe from seller reports.
• Improved Auto-Prospecting
  When you set up Property Watch (a saved search of new listings) for your clients the system will email the listings matching the criteria to the client immediately and then email updates as needed.
• Redesigned Search, Listing Results & Listing Detail Page
  We’ve redesigned to bring you a cleaner, simpler search and listing result & details pages with more calls to action.
• Walkscore
  Each listing detail page now shows the property’s Walkscore with a list of nearby restaurants, grocery stores, attractions and more.
• Trip Map
  Clients can now easily map a tour of homes they would like to see.

In the first quarter we’ll be adding the following features:

• Listing Banners
• Gatekeeper Option
• Sellers Edge Enhancement
• Additional Flyer Options
• Craigslist Design with Calls to Action
• CC a Lender Option
• Do Not Call List Integration
• Email Trip Map Feature

In 2012 we’re going to be addressing forms management, contact management and even mobile and iPad applications to manage your business.  I’ll let you know about upcoming roundtables as we get further in the process – hope to see you there!

Santa Read Your Wish List. . .

Prudential Select Properties is premiering a new home search in January 2012.

On the second day of Christmas

“On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . ”  Ok, you definitely don’t want to hear me sing but I needed a (somewhat) clever way to present to you the second enhancement in our 2012 roll-out.

I hope you have all seen a glimpse of our new Mobile Search that debuts in late January.  I was recently asked to define what makes this enhancement so significant. In one word: geolocation.

If you’re shopping for a home from your mobile phone it usually means you’re . . . . well, mobile.  Geolocation doesn’t just allow buyers to search homes through a mobile friendly site, it allows them to search homes around them at the moment.  Instant access to opens in the area, homes for sale in the neighborhood, even directions. . .  simplifying the home search and most important branding it all to you.  Your photo, your name, your contact information, your leads.

And yes, it works on iPhones. It works on the Android platform.  It works on any smart phone.

The below gallery shows samples of materials to support your new mobile search.

Which brings me around to our next enhancement.

A few months ago I asked the manager’s to send a representative or two from their offices to a roundtable discussion of the search on our website system.   The overwhelming feedback boiled down to one request:

Simplify the search.  Make it clean. Make it easy.

So that’s exactly what we’re doing.

Debuting in late January 2012 we’ll be rolling out a new search, listing results page and listing detail page as shown below.  Click on any of the images to enlarge them to full size.

Search highlights include:

• Ability to search by  county, city, zip, address, school, subdivision and mls#
• (New!) Auto-fill fields to make searching easy
• (New!) Search by price or monthly payment
• (New!) Easy point-and-click features to narrow your search by amenities
• (New!) Search by ‘newly listed within’ to view the newest homes
• View as list or on a map

Search results page includes:

• (New!) Ability to refine the search directly on the results page
• Ability to save favorites and searches
• (New!) Ability to share listings to Facebook and Twitter
• Call to actions include ‘Set Appointment’ and ‘More Info’ forms.
• (New!) Trip Map

Listing detail page includes:

• (New!)  Two embedded contact forms. Studies show these open forms can increase the number of leads by almost 500%.
• Calculator with charted mortgage breakdown
• (New!) Walkscore community information
• School information (not shown)
• Directional map, birds-eye view map and street view map
• QR code link
• Price change and sold information
• Printable flyers

Two of my favorite new features are the Walk Score and Trip Map which you can see enlarged shots of below.

Walk Score gives each property a score between 0 – 100.  0 represents you need a car to get everywhere and 100 represents you can walk to everything you need.  It’s a great way to discover your community.

The Trip Map is a wonderful buyer’s tool.  The client can select properties they would like to view (up to 7) and enter their starting and ending location.  The system generates the best route to see all the homes!  Just print (or email) and they are off!

Expect more surprises by the end of the year.  We’re working hard to bring you a wonderful line-up of features and tools for 2012.

Sarah Grobe, Director of Marketing & eBusiness
Prudential Select Properties
sarah@discoverstl.com | DiscoverStL.com