Real Estate 2.0
Categories: Real Estate — 
omuoto @ 10:28 pm
omuoto @ 10:28 pm
Real Estate 2.0: Web 2.0 Companies Realtors Should Care About!
At vFlyer we very much see ourselves moving steadily towards a new paradigm of classified ad distribution, and as a result, many times we find ourselves labeled as a “Web 2.0” or “Classifieds 2.0” company. Earlier this year, I started to identify and understand how other companies, particularly in the real estate space, were extending or introducing new paradigms of their own. Sometimes it’s convenient to try and divide companies (Web 2.0 companies in this case) into meaningful categories. For example, Pat Kitano talks about self-expression, relationships and collaboration in the Web 2.0 social networking space as potential groupings. This is my attempt to identify and communicate the functional categories that I think matter most to real estate professionals.
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I am sure some of you are asking “What is Web 2.0?” Unfortunately, there is no one good definition, but to paraphrase the wikipedia: Web 2.0 is a term often applied to a perceived ongoing transition on the Web from a collection of static websites to a full-fledged computing platform serving web applications to end users. The companies I mention below are provided as representative examples only and are not necessarily comprehensive: |
| Aggregation | |
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Real estate search engines and aggregators help buyers find homes for sale or rent by collecting (or aggregating) listings from multiple sources into a single location. By crawling, indexing and then conveniently organizing and mapping listings, aggregators simplify and speed up the search process for online buyers. Trulia and PropSmart focus on homes, while HotPads focuses on apartments and rentals and MyNextDeal on commercial properties. |
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| Blogging | |
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Blogs originally started as personal journal sites but have evolved into powerful business tools. Real estate blogs allow real estate professionals to communicate local real estate information as well as share knowledge and opinions. Companies in this category enable agents to manage and promote their blogs. ActiveRain, the 800-pound gorilla in this category, does this in the context of a great real estate community, while Blogging Systems, TomatoBlogs and RSS Pieces are blogging platforms and solution providers. |
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| Community | |
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Real estate Communities allow real estate professionals to connect with each other on the Web. Second generation communities like ActiveRain allow users to collaborate and share information online through blogs, forums, and other forms of interactive communication. Others with an eye on building online real estate communities include Zillow, which has added Home Q&A as a community feature aimed at home buyers, owners, and sellers to its site, and is continuing to move in that direction. Inman’s Real Estate Connect is perhaps where online real estate community started and still thrives. |
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| Communication | |
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Communication offerings range from instant messaging (IM) service aggregators like Meebo to click-to-call service providers like Jaxtr and ZiffTalk. These services make it easier for prospective buyers to contact real estate professionals via IM, phone or email. Most have widgets that can be embedded on websites or blogs to facilitate the communication process. |
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| Distribution | |
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Distributors and syndicators like vFlyer, enable real estate professionals and online sellers to distribute their listings and classified ads to leading online marketplaces like Google Base, Oodle, Vast, Trulia, Edgeio, Propsmart, Hotpads and others. Point2 also has distribution tools for property ads, but vFlyer supports significantly more “delivery endpoints” including email, widgets, mobile and PDFs for offline use. |
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| Mapping | |
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The companies build value-added service on top of mapping technology to deliver innovative, interactive or unique information that is interesting or important to prospective home buyers. Zillow maps home valuations on satellite maps, Neighboroo visualizes area demographics using color-coded “Information Maps”, Trulia uses “Heat Maps” to show pricing trends. Hotpads also uses heat maps to display census data for neighborhoods. |
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| Reviews | |
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These sites either allow consumers (online buyers) to review or rate real estate agents or provide other metrics (such as homes sold, i.e.) to help home buyers find, evaluate and select a REALTOR®. Homethinking provides customer reviews, as well as current and past listings as indicators of performance. Realty Baron provides REALTORS with an AgentRankTM based on professional experience, recent home sales, and endorsements, while Incredible Agent provides a “unique rating system” designed to help “incredible agents” stand out. |
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| Social Bookmarking | |
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Social bookmarking allows users to store, organize, share, search and most importantly rank bookmarks or links. Real Estate Voices is a real estate social bookmarking site that help users discover the most interesting articles of the day, as voted and suggested by fellow users, saving users time and exposing valuable knowledge quickly. |
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| Social Networking | |
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Social networks build on community sites by highlighting individual user profiles, enabling and encouraging the adding of “friends,” contacts or associates, and balancing user interaction with group interaction. InmanNews probably best describes their true potential when it says “Social Networking websites present new opportunities for real estate brokers to find and recruit new agents, or find fresh sales leads. New agents might find them useful for gleaning business advice from other agents. Home buyers and sellers could tap them as a resource to find a real estate agent.” ActiveRain is the “MySpace of Real Estate,” while MyBlogLog connects users through their blogs. |
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| Widgets | |
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Widgets allow real estate professionals to embed elements of core functionality directly on their websites, social networking sites, or blogs by simply copying and pasting HTML code. vFlyer’s listing widgets enable REALTORS® to list one or more properties for sale on their blogs, Trulia’s TruliaMap shows all the listings in a given location and WidgetBox is a general marketplace for widgets with several interesting categories. |
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| Wikis | |
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Wikis are a shared central source of knowledge and information that usually anyone can contribute to. By allowing contributors to collaborate and by combining knowledge from diverse resources, the goal of a real estate wiki is to become an authoritative source of real estate information. Zillow Wiki was one of the first, InmanWiki which aims to be the “world’s largest real estate encyclopedia.” |
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| Valuation | |
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These companies allow consumers to get, provide or understand real estate property valuation information. Zillow, eppraisals.com and HomeGain provide property valuation information. My-currency.com provides community-driven price predictions for homes, while others like Altos Research provides real-time market trend analysis. For real estate professionals, these services can help provide a “pricing context” and comparables for prospective buyers and lead to more educated decision-making. |
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| Video | |
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These companies provide services that allow real estate professionals and online sellers to upload, manage and host video tours or other business videos. YouTube simply provides hosting (and in some cases, marketing exposure), while others like TurnHere and WellcomeMat provide other value-added services, including the ability to locate videographers or help with product. |
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To give credit where credit is due, I did get some early input from Kevin Boer of 3 Oceans, Pat Kitano of Transparent Real Estate, and Erik Hersman of RealtyThoughts.
If you think I’ve missed a category, let me know. I will do a follow on posting with your ideas and suggestions. Hope you find this list useful (or at least interesting).
[...] VFlyer has assembled an excellent view of Real Estate 2.0. Twenty-six “representative†companies are spread out over thirteen different categories. Zillow tops everyone with four category appearances while Trulia and ActiveRain tie for second with three. [...]
Pingback by » The Many Flavors of Real Estate 2.0 — May 9, 2007 @ 10:33 am
I consider myself eSavvy but these are some great websites to bookmar, Thanks for sharing!!!
Comment by Ross Willingham — May 9, 2007 @ 3:22 pm
Great information, Thanks for putting this all togethor.
Comment by Vicky Carlton — May 9, 2007 @ 3:22 pm
I like the web 2.0 for dummies format. Very useful to have all these in one post. Thanks for putting it together.
Comment by Debi Braulik — May 9, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
Great resource you’ve put together. It’s exciting to see all the innovation occurring in the real estate industry recently.
Comment by Drew M from Zillow — May 9, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Go 2.0! Thanks for the solid summary guys.
Comment by Christian Sterner — May 9, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Thanks for the props, Oliver!
Comment by mike simonsen — May 9, 2007 @ 10:50 am
[...] vFlyer Blog » Real Estate 2.0 [...]
Pingback by Web 2.0 Your Mortgage Business « Better Closer Blog — May 9, 2007 @ 6:03 pm
You guys seem to be missing propertyshark.com – they are the kings of property data aggregation.
Comment by P Derr — May 9, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
Thanks for the mention. We appreciate it very much!
Comment by Paul Chaney — May 9, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Thanks for putting the list together. I haven’t had a chance to really check it out yet, but Sellsius just launched.
Comment by Andy Kaufman — May 9, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
You seem to have forget about Redfin.
Category : Real Estate Broker
Maybe ?
Comment by Alain — May 9, 2007 @ 10:42 pm
Fantastic List…
I’m sure this is one that will grow on the backs of these giants.
Comment by Jim Cronin — May 9, 2007 @ 10:42 pm
Besides HomeGain, are any of these sites making money? I didn’t think so…
Comment by John — May 9, 2007 @ 10:42 pm
John – Many of these companies are making money: vFlyer, Blogging Systems, RSS Pieces, Inman and others charge for their services while otherse on the list have large amounts of traffic and ad-based models that work for them.
Comment by omuoto — May 9, 2007 @ 10:53 pm
[...] To see the article by Mr. Muoto of vFlyer click here. [...]
Pingback by Real Estate 2.0 « McInnovator- McGMAC agent blog — May 9, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
I found a new Communication Web 2.0 tool/widget/wutever it is
Its like meebo but in my opinion its better.
Meebo requires you to keep a webpage open so you can stay signed in.
This new one I found does not require a webpage to be open at all times.
Check it out here http://www.plugoo.com . With this IM connection tool you actually chat with you desktop IM client directly to a visitor on your website.
Looks good and i’m running it now
Comment by Loren Nason — May 10, 2007 @ 5:22 am
[...] http://www.vflyerblog.com/blog/2007/05/08/real-estate-20/ http://blog.inman.com/inmanblog/2007/05/real_estate_20_.html [...]
Pingback by Real Estate 2.0 - Companies and Technology You Should Know — May 10, 2007 @ 5:25 am
[...] Oliver Muoto at vFlyer has compiled quite a list of Real Estate 2.0 websites. This list will continue to grow of course, but it’s a great starting point for people who want to get a snapshot of what’s available within the industry. It’s definitely worth bookmarking for future needs. [...]
Pingback by Realty Thoughts » Blog Archive » vFlyer’s Real Estate 2.0 List — May 10, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
Very concise with plenty of examples.
I am curious, are any of the site mentioned making money?
Keith Sorem
I also blog on Activerain.com
Comment by Keith Sorem — May 10, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
[...] The vFlyer folks published a huge list of Web2.0 sites… There are some obvious omissions (I would have found a place for sites like Cyberhomes, Sellsius, PropertyShark, RealEstateShows, HomeHugg and, of course, Shackprices), but overall, it was a valiant effort to capture the cutting edge of the online real estate front… [...]
Pingback by Tech Thursday: Are you addicted yet? | Rain City Guide | A Seattle Real Estate Blog... — May 11, 2007 @ 7:31 am
[...] Eine schöne Übersicht von Web2.0 Diensten für die Immobilienbranche gibt es im Blog von vFlyer. Aufgeteilt in 13 Kategorien werden die wichtigsten Portale und Dienste kurz beschrieben. Wer einen kleinen Überblick bekommen möchte, sollte sich diesen Beitrag mal durchlesen. Diesen Artikel bookmarken Diese Icons verzweigen auf soziale Netzwerke bei denen Nutzer neue Inhalte finden und mit anderen teilen können. [...]
Pingback by immobilienportale.com - Immobilien Blog » Real Estate 2.0 Companies — May 11, 2007 @ 7:47 am
[...] Related: VFlyer posts a round-up of all the “Web 2.0″ real estate sites. [...]
Pingback by Trulia Adds Community « Screenwerk — May 11, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
I just started house-hunting, and being a web2.0 junkie I went to places like programmableweb, ehub, techcrunch to see what new services are out there. Lo and behold, I found Trulia, which is just awesome. Exactly what I’ve always wanted when hunting new digs — map-based aggregation of listings from all sorts of sources.
Comment by Ian Wilker — May 11, 2007 @ 11:31 pm
[...] Thanks for all the responses and input to my original Real Estate 2.0 posting! As I mentioned in my post, the companies listed were only representative of the categories but since then I have started to compile a more comprehensive list of categories and companies which i will share in the next couple of weeks as time allows. There were a couple categories I missed (podcasting for example) as well as entries into categories like community that have been announced since (Trulia for example). [...]
Pingback by vFlyer Blog » Real Estate 2.0 Follow Up… — May 13, 2007 @ 4:07 am
Oliver, thanks for the mention. Really great list – its a privilege to be among so many great companies and entrepreneurs. Whats interesting to me about your list is that when I look at the categories, half of them have to do with the socializing or connecting people. This is the broad promise of the web and is certainly what is changing in real estate. People talking to people. People sharing information. People collaborating. If we get this right, the pie grows for everyone.
Comment by karim tahawi — May 12, 2007 @ 10:07 pm
I found two web 2.0 resources that I was not aware of, thanks for the list.
Comment by Steve Dalton — May 14, 2007 @ 5:23 am
[...] Real Estate 2.0 Round-Up http://www.vflyerblog.com/blog/2007/05/08/real-estate-20/ [...]
Pingback by Deep Links - 05-11-07 at Center for REALTOR® Technology Web Log — May 14, 2007 @ 8:08 am
Thanks for taking the time to compile this comprehensive list of resources. My target client – the under 30 tech junkie – keeps me on my toes, for sure. Your article might actually put me one step ahead.
Comment by Kathy Drewien — May 16, 2007 @ 7:26 am
[...] Aber noch viel wichtiger als technische Definitionen ist uns wie immer das Immobilienmarketing. Machen Sie auch schon mit im Web 2.0? Nein?! Dann wird es aber langsam Zeit! Ein (nicht unerheblicher) Teil der vielfältigen Vermarktungswelt unserer Branche macht sich nämlich, wie es aussieht, zunehmend im Web 2.0-Bereich breit. Mal wieder an der Pole Position: die USA. Omuoto vom Vflyerblog >> (Danke!) hat den Web 2.0-Trend im Immobilienbereich unlängst einmal visualisiert und sich an einer Kategorisierung der US-Immobiliendienstleister versucht. Zwar führt er nur einige Serviceanbieter als Beispiele auf, trotzdem wird in den insgesamt 13 Kategorien die Bandbreite der „Web 2.0â€-Angebote im Immobilienbereich deutlich: [...]
Pingback by DER|FROGBLOG — May 21, 2007 @ 9:51 am
This one makes sence “One’s first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything – and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”
Comment by Tayshaun Connon — June 14, 2007 @ 2:23 am
A little known fact about HomeGain’s homevaluation tool -it was the original web based consumer free instant homevaluation tool.
It was on HomeGain’s web site from 1999-2001.
It recently was relaunched and you can try it here:
http://www.HomeGain.com
Comment by Louis Cammarosano — June 28, 2007 @ 5:43 pm
[...] Real Estate 2.0 InmanNews probably best describes their true potential when it says “Social Networking websites present new opportunities for real estate brokers to find and recruit new agents, or find fresh sales leads. New agents might find them … http://www.vflyerblog.com/blog/2007/05/08/real-estate-20/ [...]
Pingback by Directories Blog » Blog Archive » New York real estate market — July 9, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
[...] Real Estate 2.0 InmanNews probably best describes their true potential when it says “Social Networking websites present new opportunities for real estate brokers to find and recruit new agents, or find fresh sales leads. New agents might find them … http://www.vflyerblog.com/blog/2007/05/08/real-estate-20/ [...]
Pingback by Directories Blog » Blog Archive » Bad Credit Mortgages to Give You a New Lease on Life — July 9, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
[...] Real Estate 2.0 InmanNews probably best describes their true potential when it says “Social Networking websites present new opportunities for real estate brokers to find and recruit new agents, or find fresh sales leads. New agents might find them … http://www.vflyerblog.com/blog/2007/05/08/real-estate-20/ [...]
Pingback by Directories Blog » Blog Archive » Birds of a Feather will get back Together for the Final Jihad! — July 9, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
I submitted a feature request because I didn’t see that we can choose Splashcast Media as an option for video on our flyers. Because Splashcast has an easy way to integrate video, audio, pdf files, etc. into a podcast, I plan on using them on my site. I just thought about it today and would love to link my Vflyer to a Splashcast presentation for some new construction that I am listing this week.
Comment by DeeinAustin — July 29, 2007 @ 8:28 am
[...] In my last post I included a link to a pdf of Web 2.0 companies compiled by Jamie Glenn of Trulia. Tonight I came across a similar list at the vFlyer blog: http://www.vflyerblog.com/blog/2007/05/08/real-estate-20/. [...]
Pingback by Union Street Media Real Estate Technology Blog » Blog Archive » Web 2.0, Social Networking, Blogging, and Real Estate — August 7, 2007 @ 10:37 pm
[...] In my last post I included a link to a pdf of Web 2.0 companies compiled by Jamie Glenn of Trulia. Tonight I came across a similar list at the vFlyer blog. [...]
Pingback by Union Street Media Real Estate Technology Blog » Blog Archive » Web 2.0, Social Networking, Blogging, and Real Estate — August 7, 2007 @ 10:40 pm
[...] My podcast with Drew earlier today, as well as my recent exposure to real estate podcasting solutions (this was one of the categories I missed in my original Real Estate 2.0 landscape post), got me thinking about one of the great features that all vFlyers have – the ability to “integrate content via external linksâ€. [...]
Pingback by Adding Podcasts to Real Estate Flyers - vFlyer — October 9, 2007 @ 10:47 pm
My goodness, where on earth is http://RealTown.com? RealTown is home to the OLDEST online real estate community in the country!
Comment by Frances Flynn Thorsen — October 16, 2007 @ 9:58 am
[...] Whether you’re looking to extend your reach online, get free exposure for a listing, network with your peers, or what have you, an outstanding starting point is Oliver Muoto’s list of Web 2.0 Companies Realtors® Should Care About. [...]
Pingback by Real Estate Internet Marketing Week In Review — October 26, 2007 @ 12:10 pm
I like the web 2.0 for dummies format. Very useful to have all these in one post. Thanks for putting it together.
Comment by Sacramento Luxury — February 25, 2008 @ 9:55 am
Great Informations, thank you very much dear.
Comment by Arizona MLS — February 25, 2008 @ 9:56 am
The vFlyer folks published a huge list of Web2.0 sites… There are some obvious omissions.
Comment by Brookyn apartment rental — February 25, 2008 @ 10:19 am
Well establishing a relation with vertical realestate market index will require lot of experience and day to day notifications
So lots of requirements are to be met
Comment by Sacramento Luxury Homes — March 6, 2008 @ 9:07 am
Thanks for taking the time to compile this comprehensive list of resources. My target client – the under 30 tech junkie – keeps me on my toes, for sure. Your article might actually put me one step ahead.
Comment by brooklyn real estate agents — March 6, 2008 @ 9:31 am
[...] agent ratings, social networking, marketing tools, blogs, and more. It was very similar to a list posted on the vFlyer blog back in May. As you already know, the Internet changed the way we market [...]
Pingback by The Web 2.0 Machine and It’s Impact on Your Real Estate Marketing Efforts : Real Estate Remix | Marketing & Branding — June 16, 2008 @ 12:04 am
Great resource! The web is huge for real estate marketing. I have completely stopped print marketing in favour of the web and its working.
Comment by Downtown Vancouver Realtor — December 5, 2008 @ 9:17 am
Very nice article. Love it, love it, love it. I’m subscribing to the feed.
Thanks!!!
Comment by Sunnyvale Real Estate — December 9, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
Good job getting all these resources together. I sometime wonder what to do with them all. I think they will eventually consolidate a little, kind of the survival of the fittest.
Richard
Comment by Richard Stabile — December 9, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
Thanks for this article. I cherish it.
Comment by Dale Corbett, Frisco — December 12, 2008 @ 12:39 pm