Is the Yahoo/Zillow Deal good for Agents?

The headline says “Yahoo Hands Over Property Sales Listings to Zillow” – hummm… “Hands Over” would conjure that they owned them in the first place – but do they? Aren’t those listings syndicated by you the Real Estate Professional?

In the world of Internet Marketing Scale means everything; Having a website is a necessity – having a Scalable Website is a MUST for survival. So how does the Yahoo/Zillow partnership affect agents…?

1. Let’s first confront the beast of Syndication; Listing Syndication is the process of allowing data to travel from a website, MLS, or Brokers to a portal such as Trulia, Zillow, and Yahoo. Some argue that Listing Syndication made sense in the early days of the Internet because it allowed those portals to aggregate all the Real Estate Searches in one place and offered an alternative to REALTOR.com; but think about it: Does Syndication really help the agents and the brokers?

2. Prior to the power of Google as a Search Engine finding localized information was difficult – so the consumer frequented Portals; think AOL and Excite. But with the advent of Search why are MLS Boards, Brokers, and Real Estate Agents Still Syndicating? Are they not feeding the beast of their competition?

3. Syndication has become a game of chicken – if you don’t syndicate and the other brokers in your MLS do you feel at a disadvantage… but why should you care? The Yahoo/Zillow cooperation will give Zillow over 4 million listings that have been syndicated to them – and that means Internet Scale and Reach…

4. What is Internet Scale Key? Simply put; when you perform a search, say “Nashville Homes for Sale” in Google you are faced with a Page 1 that is peppered by Homes.com, Trulia.com, Zillow.com, Yahoo.com, Realtor.com, – very few local firms can compete; you see all the above companies don’t have to belong to the MLS, and all the data is served up to them by Real Estate Brokers and Agents and therefore they have Scale.

5. Let’s take Trulia and lookup their Internet Scale – here is the Link: they have over 74 Million Pages Indexed and over 7 Million outside links pointing to them. Trulia or any of the companies mentioned above do not enter any of the Data for Real Estate – it is served up to them by Real Estate Brokers and Agents – all they do is present it…

PS: they will argue the point and tell you that they are in the business of helping consumers have access to unbiased Real Estate Information. But is that true? The agent got the listing and worked hard to market it… Think about: Who does Syndication Help? I am not sure the consumer wins in the end.

So What Do you Need to Do as Brokers, Realtors, and Brands?

1. To the National Brands and Regional Brokers: Stop waiting for Google to come to you… it is not! Create your own Syndication at the agent and Broker level… Design your own Hubs of Real Estate Information and concentrate it on your local Markets. How? Learn… and yes do it right… a knowledge of Internet Scale, SEO, and the Psychology of Real Estate Buyers and Sellers are crucial… Don’t let the Geeks make all the decisions.

2. To the Office and Local Real Estate Brokers: Raise the bar of expertise and stop just chasing Real Estate Buyers – Sellers will build your Brand. Is your website dedicated to Buyers Tools, IDX, and Search? that’s not enough – Teach your agents to Blog about their Listings and Community; Blogging is more powerful than Syndication.

3. To the Real Estate Professional: Are you waiting for your Broker to have the perfect website? then you are not helping yourself… You must have your own website; and again it is not just about Buyers and Leads… Take courses on Internet Marketing and Web Strategy and start taking care of your Sellers – Buyers hover around Inventory…

4. One more thing for the Real Estate Professional: Give more on your website about your Listings then you do in the MLS. When you enter a Listing in the MLS there are always limitations – say the number of pictures is 15 – in your website add 25. The Property Description in the MLS is say 100 words; in your website offer an additional paragraph on the neighborhood the listing resides in. Here is your philosophy – In my Website I will offer you more!

5. Finally stop thinking the Internet is about technology – the Internet is about Marketing… Learn that distinction and you will become more valuable to your Customers and Community.

Original Article:

Yahoo Hands Over Property Sales Listings to Zillow

The deal, whose financial terms weren't disclosed, will bring Zillow's approximately 4 million property sales listings to Yahoo Real Estate later this year, but it will not affect the way Zillow's own Web site works, the companies said on Friday.

The deal will benefit real estate advertisers, such as brokers, home builders and homeowners, by streamlining the ad purchase process for the two sites and offering greater exposure, the companies said.

The agreement between Yahoo and Zillow doesn't include rental properties. The companies first partnered four years ago when Yahoo began displaying Zillow's property value estimates on Yahoo Real Estate.

In May, Zillow, with 7 million unique visitors, and Yahoo Real Estate, with 6.1 million, ranked second and third, respectively, in the U.S. real estate category, behind leader Move, which drew 12.4 million to its network of sites, which also includes Realtor.com and Moving.com, according to comScore.

I designed the following Real Estate Trainings and Internet Strategies. Hi, my name is Key Yessaad and I love to train, motivate, and coach Real Estate Professionals triumph on the internet. I specialize in focusing Realtors on competing online and understand the key elements of Real Estate SEO Marketing. My Trainings and Internet Strategies intersect in my seminars with powerful ideas and Plans of Actions that produce results. Google or call me (910) 538-6610 and let’s discuss how I can help your Agents climb the Google Tree of Success.