Many website/blogging companies that cater to real estate agents charge a small fortune to agents to host their websites/blogs. This is partially because the companies know that agents have little choice but to pay it if they want quality, and the ability to display MLS data (home searches) on their websites, and partially because of the cost associated with gaining third party access to real estate listings through local REALTOR® boards.

One way Tech Realty tries to help agents is by giving them access to tools that are less costly than commercial competitors. This is why a new plugin for the WordPress blogging platform was developed for our agents. This will allow any agent of Tech Realty to easily integrate real estate search results onto their private blogs. This feature is included for our agents, with no additional charge, and is one of many new features planned to expand our agents ability to feature themselves as experts in the community as well as feature client properties across multiple websites.

The new plugin can be seen in action here and offers some great features for both agents and clients of Tech Realty including:

• Search Engine friendly URLs to help increase traffic to agent sites through major search providers and ultimately provide more prominent display of featured listings
• Featured listings which can be shown across numerous Tech Realty agent and brokerage sites so that all Tech Realty agents help showcase brokerage listings and maximize exposure to our clients’ properties
• Instant ability to gain information on listings with a contact form that automatically captures MLS data to send to agent on buyer request
• Ability to add additional descriptions and links for featured properties to really make them stand apart from other listings
• Much more…

This is a VERY feature-rich plugin designed for agents, by Damion (Broker) to help showcase agent listings and make agent sites stand out from the competition. This is the first revision of this plugin and more features will be added after an extensive testing period.

Stay tuned….

The average homeowner who has lived in their house for a few years may not know the best way to present it to buyers because it is hard for them to imagine things in a different order, but here are some tips to get you moving in the right direction:

1. Declutter Your House
In some houses it is easy to see where you can remove a few items, in others it may not be so easy. Removing some unnecessary items and arranging your necessary household items and furniture in a way that is more conducive to the flow of the home (think Feng Shui) could be one of the most important things you can do to improve the showings on your property.

2. Replace those light bulbs & Increase your Natural Lighting
Old, dingy looking light bulbs (or missing/burnt out light bulbs) can make a home look dark or dated. By replacing with some brighter bulbs or fluorescent bulbs, you can really open lighting up to the potential buyer. While I know you don’t like the glare of the sun on your TV, it is important to open those blinds and let some natural lighting show through. This will make the home feel more inviting and open.

3. Get your Projects out of the way!
Unless you are looking to give away your house, it is time to knock out that “honey-do” list. Remember that baseboard that is missing in the hallway? What about that hole in the wall where your teenager slammed the door open too far? Minor tasks that you can repair for pennies could cost you thousands on your bottom line and could also cost you a lot of time on the market. Make the repairs that you would not want to have to do when buying a new home. Even items that you consider to be minor could cost you big $$ in time and in your offer.

4. Stage to show
When your house is on the market, you have to have it show-ready almost all the time because you never know when you will get a call from another Realtor® who wants to show it because they are “in the neighborhood”. Making sure that your home has a nice flow to it is important. Your furniture should be laid out in a way that people can almost instinctively walk through the home. When someone walks through the front door, they should first be drawn to the kitchen, then to any special feature rooms, followed by bedrooms, and then back to the kitchen. Light furniture, well placed plants or floral arrangements are always a plus, and something that adds a pleasant aroma (avoid candles and incense unless they are non-alergenic such as soy candles. If you have carpet, a light deodorizer may do the trick (make sure you hit the closets too). Other items that may work are Febreeze or similar fabric spray, floral scents (honey suckle is great) or sweet food smells (cookies are almost always a sure winner).

At Tech Realty®, we know how to get the best results at showing homes – call us or email and we will gladly help you set your up to sell!

How do you know when it is the right time to buy? For less-volatile markets, you do not have to worry as much about your timing because there is a steady appreciation to help keep you in your comfort zone. In questionable markets, the answer may be more important than you think.

If you are in a downward cycle in the real estate market and you buy on the declining slope, you could have issues selling in the future if you have not reached the upward spike yet (imagine a roller coaster here). While the Mississippi Gulf Coast Real Estate Market has had its slight ups and downs, we have been fortunate enough to miss out on the huge spikes they are seeing elsewhere in the country.

Fortunately, many experts have agreed that NOW is the right time to buy. Real estate experts from all over the country have stated that the bottom has hit in most areas and is back on the upswing in others. If you are considering buying a home in the Mississippi Gulf Coast market, some of our areas are forecast to be the top appreciating real estate in the country over the next couple of years, which are tied into local market conditions, federal monies from Hurricane Katrina, and an explosion of investment dollars and new businesses in our area. Top it off with three military installations, numerous strong employers, some awesome improvements to the Port of Gulfport, and the Casinos, and it is no wonder we have such a strong local economy.

If you are wondering if the time to buy is here yet – well, you guessed it. Give us a call or email to let us assist you in finding the right home at the right price!

The real estate market is constantly changing. The local real estate market has not been hit very hard compared to other areas around the country. In fact, our market has seemingly stayed pretty stable over the past year. While sales are down slightly, it is also important to know that MANY people bought homes shortly after Hurricane Katrina. If the average family moves every 4-5 years, it would be safe to estimate that many people who bought then would be looking to move again over the course of the next year.

Currently, we are in a slight buyers market but sellers are already pricing low to compensate so it is unlikely that buyers are going to get any sort of special discounts below existing listing prices if the sellers are already priced competitively.

Sellers should note that pricing is one of the sole determinations of whether their house sits on the market for 6 weeks or 6 months. Buyers are actively looking for property and those sellers who live in desirable areas and are priced to sell will win.

My general opinion of the market over the next month is that we will see an increase in people looking, especially those that were waiting until the kids were released from prison, um.. school, for summer vacation. For sellers looking to get a jump on the market, give us a call. As always, we always look forward to helping buyers find their perfect home as well!

Tech Realty® has been a dream of mine since I received my real estate license back in 2003. after seeing how grossly inadequate the technology average real estate agents use, I felt compelled to create a brand and a backbone to push real estate into the technological era that we live in today.

The average real estate agent is fairly (some barely) able to use their email efficiently and talking any sort of advanced technology, no matter how easy it is to learn, just scares most. As a prior computer consultant and trainer, I have found it very easy to teach the basics to agents and am now vamping up Tech Realty to be a national brand in a couple of years.

Tech Realty will officially “take off” on, or about May 15th (2009) and will be the start of a whole new way of doing business for those that we are able to save from traditional brokerages, both agents and clients alike. Contact us today to see what we can do to help you.