It’s incredible how much the Internet has grown and how much information is out there now! It has made looking for homes and even rental properties a breeze. It only takes a second and when it is all done you can kick up your heels and relax. However, keep the phrase “buyer beware” in mind.

There have been some properties going on sites such as Craigslist that are not legitimate. Sites like Craigslist can be a great tool in finding what you need but you should always use caution. If you see a home that is for rent or for sale you always want to make sure that you speak with either the real estate agent or the homeowner. This might take a slight bit of research. County Auditor websites make the research painless. CLICK HERE for a link to Areis for Lucas County. You can get all the information you might need so you can breathe easier!

The conference was an affirmation for the advancements that Danberry has made with Active Website over the last year.

Some items which were recommended at the conference that Danberry has already implemented are:

1. Individual Property Websites – each property listed with Danberry gets its own site such as 123main.danberry.com.
2. Danberry.com Mobile – No longer can we rely on just websites to deliver listing info.  Danberry Mobile has just been upgraded for the iPhone and Android users, but can be used with ANY web phone.
3. Share this – Allows the agent, seller and potential buyers to Share favorite listings to their Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, etc.  Look for the Share This icon on the details page of any listing.
4. Google Map Search – Use the Point of Interest tab on the map search to turn on all of the schools, coffee shops, restaurants or just about anything you are looking for.  Use the street view to take a “walk” down the street and see the neighboring properties.
5. Greater Search Engine Optimization – Danberry.com’s traffic is up 40% ytd over last year.  This is largely due to increased traffic from search engines.
6. Craigslist – Danberry agents can quickly create flyers with photos and lots of calls to action to post to Craigslist.  Because of this, Craigslist has become the number one referrer of traffic to Danberry.com outside of search engines.

What’s new and upcoming?

“As an industry, we need to move towards the mindset that our customers come first in order to truly embrace the new age customer and build a successful online brand.”  Ido Zucker, Managing Partner at Active Website.

Danberry could not agree more.  Going forward, we will be adding and evaluating several new improvements to Danberry.com such as:

1. Community Information for Every Listing – In the next 30 days, all listings on Danberry.com will have community information available.  This includes a breakdown of age of population, climate and weather, education, median income, crime, comprehensive school reports and mapping of nearby establishments.
2. Facebook – Bigger than Google? Facebook is approaching 500 million fans and has become Danberry’s number three referrer of traffic (a year ago they were not even in the top 50).  Danberry will evaluate advertising to select demographics of Facebookers.
3. “Like” to be added to all listings on Danberry.com – You’ve been doing it on Facebook for years – why not “like’ a property on Danberry.com?  This feature along with others will be discussed at Active Website’s September Conference.  Delivery date to be announced!

Valerie Suelzer, Director of Technology

Danberry Realtors

valerie@danberry.com