Comments on: Are You Syndicating Your Listings? http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:44:00 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Spencer Rascoff http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-126063 Spencer Rascoff Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:03:05 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-126063 We use Nielsen and Hitwise, but also occasionally look at Comscore. They all have various strengths and weaknesses (and costs). For most of our stuff we use Omniture which looks at our internal numbers rather than a representative panel. Those are the numbers I trust the most, and when we cite stats like "8.9M UU, 72% growth year-over-year", that's from Omniture. We use Nielsen and Hitwise, but also occasionally look at Comscore. They all have various strengths and weaknesses (and costs).

For most of our stuff we use Omniture which looks at our internal numbers rather than a representative panel. Those are the numbers I trust the most, and when we cite stats like “8.9M UU, 72% growth year-over-year”, that’s from Omniture.

]]> By: Swansonager http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-126037 Swansonager Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:41:42 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-126037 Spencer, do you guys use Nielsen? I've always used comScore/Media Metrix as the baseline for looking at data for sites within a niche. Spencer, do you guys use Nielsen? I’ve always used comScore/Media Metrix as the baseline for looking at data for sites within a niche.

]]> By: Spencer Rascoff http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-125963 Spencer Rascoff Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:32:19 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-125963 Kristen, Sorry to tell you but you're wrong. Zillow gets 9 million unique visitors per month. The CEO of Realtor.com (Erroll Samuelson) spoke at a conference today in San Diego with me and said they get 10 million uniques per month. Zillow is growing 72% year-over-year so it's just a matter of time before Zillow becomes the #1 real estate website. In addition, Zillow has the #1 real estate iphone application with over 400,000 downloads in the first 7 weeks alone. We think that's more than twice the #2 real estate app. 2/3 of our users say they're in the market to buy or sell a home either now or in the near future. 25% of our visitors say they use Zillow as their "primary home shopping site". We get over 15 pageviews per visitor and send millions of free clicks to our brokerage partners' websites each month. In addition, there's very little overlap between brokerage sites and Zillow -- there are two customer segments (those that use broker sites and those that use real estate search sites like Zillow). According to Nielsen, 3 out of 4 visitors to ColdwellBanker.com (the #1 brokerage site according to Nielsen) don't goto Zillow in the same month. And the overlap is even smaller with small brokerage sites. So don't assume that just because your listings are on MLS/IDX sites that Zillow's buyers are finding them. If agents want their listings to be seen by the millions of buyers using Zillow.com and Zillow on the iphone, they need to have their listings on Zillow. Also, remember that it's free for an agent or broker to put their listing onto Zillow. Kristen,
Sorry to tell you but you’re wrong.

Zillow gets 9 million unique visitors per month. The CEO of Realtor.com (Erroll Samuelson) spoke at a conference today in San Diego with me and said they get 10 million uniques per month. Zillow is growing 72% year-over-year so it’s just a matter of time before Zillow becomes the #1 real estate website. In addition, Zillow has the #1 real estate iphone application with over 400,000 downloads in the first 7 weeks alone. We think that’s more than twice the #2 real estate app.

2/3 of our users say they’re in the market to buy or sell a home either now or in the near future. 25% of our visitors say they use Zillow as their “primary home shopping site”. We get over 15 pageviews per visitor and send millions of free clicks to our brokerage partners’ websites each month. In addition, there’s very little overlap between brokerage sites and Zillow — there are two customer segments (those that use broker sites and those that use real estate search sites like Zillow). According to Nielsen, 3 out of 4 visitors to ColdwellBanker.com (the #1 brokerage site according to Nielsen) don’t goto Zillow in the same month. And the overlap is even smaller with small brokerage sites. So don’t assume that just because your listings are on MLS/IDX sites that Zillow’s buyers are finding them.

If agents want their listings to be seen by the millions of buyers using Zillow.com and Zillow on the iphone, they need to have their listings on Zillow.

Also, remember that it’s free for an agent or broker to put their listing onto Zillow.

]]> By: Kristen http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-125894 Kristen Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:26:18 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-125894 Drew: I suspect the national input system NAR just showed was designed to give them the option of syndicating to Trulia and Zillow and abandon Realtor.com. As MLS' consolidate, they will get into the business of licensing data in large geographic chunks. NAR is heading them off in this effort and abandoning a website, that despite massive amounts of display advertising, is not profitable. Drew:
I suspect the national input system NAR just showed was designed to give them the option of syndicating to Trulia and Zillow and abandon Realtor.com. As MLS’ consolidate, they will get into the business of licensing data in large geographic chunks. NAR is heading them off in this effort and abandoning a website, that despite massive amounts of display advertising, is not profitable.

]]> By: Kristen http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-125891 Kristen Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:19:12 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-125891 Spencer: The majority of those 500k unique visitors are current home owners checking the value of their own house. (Last I heard the average time on the site was under 30 seconds) The actual number of qualified buyers is much lower. Zillow launched with a premise it knew would attract the greatest number of users, zestimates. Because its advertising model was based strictly on total traffic numbers, it didn't care if visitors were serious buyers/sellers. Only recently has the company began to shift to offer information far more valuable that zestimates. This attracts a smaller, but more qualified audience. However, as long as Zillow leads its marketing with 'zestimates' as it does with it's iPhone application, the numbers will be highly misleading. Of the three major search sites, Trulia, Zillow and Realtor.com, clearly Zillow has the least qualified users. Then again, if you are using Zillow as one of many marketing channels as outlined in a listing presentation, the only thing that matters to your client is maximum exposure. Spencer:
The majority of those 500k unique visitors are current home owners checking the value of their own house. (Last I heard the average time on the site was under 30 seconds) The actual number of qualified buyers is much lower. Zillow launched with a premise it knew would attract the greatest number of users, zestimates. Because its advertising model was based strictly on total traffic numbers, it didn’t care if visitors were serious buyers/sellers. Only recently has the company began to shift to offer information far more valuable that zestimates. This attracts a smaller, but more qualified audience. However, as long as Zillow leads its marketing with ‘zestimates’ as it does with it’s iPhone application, the numbers will be highly misleading.
Of the three major search sites, Trulia, Zillow and Realtor.com, clearly Zillow has the least qualified users. Then again, if you are using Zillow as one of many marketing channels as outlined in a listing presentation, the only thing that matters to your client is maximum exposure.

]]> By: Kristen http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-125888 Kristen Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:07:46 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-125888 Brad: While it is unlikely you will be contacted by qualified buyers in need of a buyer's agent through Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com, most buyers DO use these sites for research. So, while I would not pay to display my listing on them, they are additional exposure. Furthermore, the framable content is free and reinforces my relationship with my clients as a trusted information resource. There is little reason NOT to syndicate (not taking advantage of maximum marketing exposure and attempting to drive traffic to your own website and capture both sides is a disservice to your listing client) I only wish we, as agents, demanded more for our listings. Tools such as free CRM and agent profile pages with SEO admin tools. Brad: While it is unlikely you will be contacted by qualified buyers in need of a buyer’s agent through Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com, most buyers DO use these sites for research. So, while I would not pay to display my listing on them, they are additional exposure. Furthermore, the framable content is free and reinforces my relationship with my clients as a trusted information resource. There is little reason NOT to syndicate (not taking advantage of maximum marketing exposure and attempting to drive traffic to your own website and capture both sides is a disservice to your listing client)

I only wish we, as agents, demanded more for our listings. Tools such as free CRM and agent profile pages with SEO admin tools.

]]> By: Real Estate News You Don’t See on the News – from The Cutting Edge - June 2, 2009 | Memphis Real Estate Buzz http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-122349 Real Estate News You Don’t See on the News – from The Cutting Edge - June 2, 2009 | Memphis Real Estate Buzz Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:02:29 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-122349 [...] Are You Syndicating Your Listings? | GeekEstate Blog - Real Estate Technology News and Analysis for Real Estate Professionals - http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you… [...] [...] Are You Syndicating Your Listings? | GeekEstate Blog – Real Estate Technology News and Analysis for Real Estate Professionals – http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you…; [...]

]]> By: Daily Digest for 2009-06-01 | Joe Spake - Memphis Real Estate http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-122124 Daily Digest for 2009-06-01 | Joe Spake - Memphis Real Estate Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:50:16 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-122124 [...] Posted an item Joe Spake: Are You Syndicating Your Listings? | GeekEstate Blog - Real Estate Technology News and An... [...] [...] Posted an item Joe Spake: Are You Syndicating Your Listings? | GeekEstate Blog – Real Estate Technology News and An… [...]

]]> By: Craig Mullins http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-119387 Craig Mullins Sat, 23 May 2009 00:11:31 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-119387 I feel like I just got scolded by my moms. :) I feel like I just got scolded by my moms. :)

]]> By: Spencer Rascoff http://www.geekestateblog.com/are-you-syndicating-your-listings/comment-page-1/#comment-119285 Spencer Rascoff Fri, 22 May 2009 19:37:42 +0000 http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=2125#comment-119285 One Zillion Dollars. OK, just kidding. ;) I think not syndicating your listings to top real estate sites is a huge mistake for any broker, and they risk losing agents and clients over that decision. Buyers and sellers don't care about the ins and outs of our industry. All sellers want to do is sell their home. And all buyers want to do is see listings. What's good for the consumer will eventually win out. CAR data says that 73% of sellers use Zillow (89% use R.com), while only 26% of sellers use real estate company websites. So sellers clearly use Zillow and will be upset at their listing agent if they don't see their home on a top site like Zillow. Case in point: Zillow now gets about 400K-500K monthly uniques in the Seattle area, so our "circulation" is larger than the Seattle Times' print circulation. And all of our traffic is real estate related! Putting listings in the paper costs a lot of money; syndicating listings to Zillow is free. My adamant opinion is that brokers and agent should put their listings on sites that have consumer traffic. They should only make exceptions when those sites do things that they find so egregious or unreasonable from a business standpoint that they just can't come to terms with a partnership. One Zillion Dollars.

OK, just kidding. ;)

I think not syndicating your listings to top real estate sites is a huge mistake for any broker, and they risk losing agents and clients over that decision. Buyers and sellers don’t care about the ins and outs of our industry. All sellers want to do is sell their home. And all buyers want to do is see listings. What’s good for the consumer will eventually win out.

CAR data says that 73% of sellers use Zillow (89% use R.com), while only 26% of sellers use real estate company websites. So sellers clearly use Zillow and will be upset at their listing agent if they don’t see their home on a top site like Zillow.

Case in point: Zillow now gets about 400K-500K monthly uniques in the Seattle area, so our “circulation” is larger than the Seattle Times’ print circulation. And all of our traffic is real estate related! Putting listings in the paper costs a lot of money; syndicating listings to Zillow is free.

My adamant opinion is that brokers and agent should put their listings on sites that have consumer traffic. They should only make exceptions when those sites do things that they find so egregious or unreasonable from a business standpoint that they just can’t come to terms with a partnership.

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