Google expected to be #1 in 2007

Experts project that Google will become the most visited Internet site in 2007. Contributing to this projection is the company's acquisition of YouTube in 2006. That "assures" Google becoming number one in both worldwide and U.S. visitors.

USA Today showed the top 5 sites in 2006 to be:

Microsoft with 501.7 million visitors
Google with 475.7
Yahoo with 475.2
eBay with 250.0
Time Warner with 222.0

YouTube had 107 million visitors.

Buyer's agent bonus

One seller offer a bonus of $10,000 to the selling to be paid on top of commission. The reason? The seller reasoned that, rather than drop the listing price, he could entice REALTORS to bring someone in if there was an increased reward.

Commissions are typically split 50-50 between the listing agent and the agent who brings in the buyer. Some owners are now offering a little extra to the buyer's agent to accelerate the sale - especially in a slower market.

Some listing agents urge sellers to offer 3% to the buyer's agent while keeping their own at 2.5% to get property shown more by agents who may have numerous properties to offer clients. Such commision splits and other incentives are legal according to the California Association of REALTORS.

One broker-owner comments that he would prefer incentives being offered to the buyer rather than the buyer's agent for a quicker close.

CAMB forecast

The California Association of Mortgage Brokers (CAMB) issued their annual Mortgage Forecast. They are projecting that interest rates will likely remain within one percent (1%) of current low levels.

Technology spending

According to an NAR survey, REALTORS spend over $1,000 per year on technology items (mobile phones, Internet websites, PDAs, laptops, etc) with a significant spending over $2,000 per year.

The fact is there are a number of technology items to purchase. But only some of those items make sense to acquire. Consider these things as you plan your technology expenditures.

-will the investment be useful today, will it make you productive today, and will the technology continue to be used in the longer term? If the answers are "yes" then the investment will be worthwhile.

- integrate your technology. You will need products and services from multiple vendors because no one product does it all. Avoid redundancy. Choose vendors who are collaborative and willing to work with you.

- continue to invest in security. You should protect yourself from hackers, viruses, and spam.

- web-based technologies are good. This will enable you to access the "product" or "system" or "service" from any web-enabled computer.

- the investment should be made on technologies that will be widely used. It is fun to be on the leading edge, but it may not provides returns on your investment until a larger number of your peers buy-in to the technology.

A specific area where you should consider investment is online transaction management. The NAR reported that these systems are the fastest growing technology in real estate. 26% of REALTORS use them and another 72% are "very interested". You don't want to be left out.

Since the Internet has become a powerful and necessary tool for reaching consumers, you should also consider the use of Microsoft Virtual Earth or Google Earth. These interactive mapping tools provide aerial views of properties.

If you need technology advice, you should speak with your technology staff at your firm or with your website developer. Companies such as WebCubic (www.webcubic.com) are highly knowledgeable about Internet technology and often serve as technology consultants to their clients.

Post listings on Zillow

The popular website, zillow.com, tells visitors how much a house might be worth. Now, owners can post their listings on Zillow and state how much they want. These virtual "for sale" signs are available for FREE. Industry experts said that this new capability "provides consumers with more choices."

Until Zillow builds its inventory of "for sale" properties, visitors will likely continue to visit websites belonging to individual REALTORS or industry associations.

Zillow is currently among the ten most visited real estate websites.

Ideas for selling houses

We encountered a couple of ideas for selling houses and we'd like to pass them along.

A combined open house / art show. In addition to a traditional afternoon open house, the REALTOR arranged for a photographer (in another instance it was a local artist) to showcase their work. The photographer was eager for the opportunity to show her work (as was the artist). Exposure is a good thing for a home on the market and, in these cases, also for the artists.

A firm representing a small complex of several high end homes arranged for a "twilight open house". Like a cocktail party, the company provided food, drink, and music to attract consumers and other REALTORS to view the homes.

Microsoft's November 30 Vista announcement

On November 30, Microsoft "launched" its new Vista operating system, Office 2007 suite, and Exchange Server 2007 , for corporate customers. The consumer version is scheduled to be offered in January of 2007.