Redding CT Charmer offered by Sherri Steeneck

This adorable New England charmer sits on a grassy half acre lot and is perfect for a weekend getaway or as a year round home. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, it is nonetheless convenient to Route 7, the commuter train, and is walking distance to the quaint shops, restaurants, and music venues of Georgetown center. Built in the early 1900s, it features wood flooring throughout, including some original wide plank floors in several rooms. The recently updated kitchen is bright and cheery and opens to a cozy family room. A floor to ceiling stone fireplace is the focal point of the formal living room, while the walk-up attic with skylight, as well as the heated garage with skylight provide opportunities for easy expansion. Call Sherri Steeneck today to see this charmer at 203-395-2737.

Google is Popular with Real Estate Clients

According to Google's own data,

"Over 56% of all Internet searches on "real estate" and related terms are conducted on Google and our partner sites, and the majority of those searchers are actively looking for listings or referrals to brokers and agents."

So why not leverage Spartina Studios' expertise to get your listing seen by Google? We'll tag it properly and spread it across various sites on the internet so potential clients can find it. To cover our bases, we'll also attach your video to your listing at sites including mls and realtor.com, and we'll even host a custom webpage for you. A client can't buy a home he/she doesn't know about....it makes sense to put your listings where people are looking for them.

Prudential's 1Q Market Report on Connecticut Real Estate

PrudentialCT recently released its first quarter market report for Connecticut. Here's a highlight:

"If online search activity is an indication that people are thinking about buying real estate, than it looks as if it may get busy out there. Prudential Connecticut Realty shows a significant increase in online activity in the low to mid-price homes in all regions. With 87 percent of homebuyers starting their search on the Internet, online search numbers are worth watching."

Download the full report, complete with town-by-town statistics for Connecticut real estate, at PrudentialCT

Househunter Online Activity in Connecticut

It's no big secret that the weekend is the busiest time for househunters. But how does that compare with when they search for real estate online?

I looked at Google data for this past month to see when people in Connecticut searched for real estate online. Here's what I found:

Sunday is the big day online -- each of the past four Sundays saw a spike in searches. Sunday, April 19 was the most popular day to search online for real estate.

If you index that highest day at 100, here's how the other spikes fell:

Sunday April 12 (Easter): 94
Sunday April 5: 87
Sunday March 29: 99

Tuesdays and Wednesdays saw the least activity, with the exception of Good Friday, which was quieter than the other Fridays.

Of particular note is that the general trend shows people looked online for real estate in Connecticut more frequently as the month progressed -- an indication that the market is getting more active.

Online Video Gains Viewers -- Again

According to a recent article in Media Daily News, Neilsen Online figures show online video watching is up 40% in March 2009 vs. March 2008. The research further suggests that viewers are tending to watch longer-length videos now, too.

Video keeps getting more popular online, making it a good vehicle for real estate listings.

Internet Overdose

Have you ever wanted to clobber anyone who asked if you tweeted today? If so, the following video is for you:

Video is an Important Tool

A recent post over on the future of real estate marketing blog notes:

"video is an increasingly important tool to add to your marketing mix"

The author offers some examples of innovative agents who incorporate video into their branding strategy, and notes the distinction between animated slideshows and true video.

Just some Monday morning food for thought. It's close to the heart of the mission of Spartina Studios, a company that creates videos for real estate professionals.

Online Real Estate Searches Growing

According to Google, people are increasingly turning to the internet to look for real estate listings. No surpise, really, as other research shows the same thing. But it's interesting to see the numbers behind Google's growth assertion.

The term "real estate listing" not only popped up as the most searched term in the "real estate" category, as a search term it also grew 60% -- SIXTY PERCENT -- over the same period last year! People are looking online more than ever for real estate listings. Now that's good evidence that it make sense for real estate agents to make their properties as visible as possible on the internet. These days, it's not enough to have your listings on your own website.

Don't know where to start? Let Spartina Studios sweat the details. We'll create a smashing video for your listing, and then use our internet know-how to distribute it online -- with your branding info -- so buyers can find it.

First Time Buyer Advice

Lower home prices, great mortgage rates, and government incentives are luring first-time homebuyers into the market.

Here are a few tips to pass along to first-time homebuyers, courtesy of Yahoo Real Estate.

Help for Open House Anxiety

Not too many people like having strangers walk through their home, but that's exactly what happens at an Open House. Clients agree to it, of course, for the greater good -- it'll help sell their house.

But what about clients for whom an Open House is a true hardship? Perhaps they have small children, a reluctant pet, or the owners are elderly, and it's inconvenient to clear out for the day. Or maybe the homeowners are worried about security, as noted in this recent New York Times article.

Perhaps the reluctance is because the owners know the house doesn't look as good once the staging furniture, from an earlier open house, for example, is no longer there.

Whatever the reason, consider ordering a video tour from Spartina Studios. for your clients. This accurate 24/7 depiction of the home is the next best thing to an open house. They'll thank you for it.

How does Google See You?

It's no secret that Google dominates the search market -- more people look on Google for products, services, and information than anywhere else. So why not keep tabs on what Google thinks of, well, you?

Try this free service called Google Alerts.

You can ask Google to tell you when it finds a new entry that matches a word or phrase you select. Google will email you when it finds something new. Why not set up an alert for your company name, or your own name, or perhaps even a competitor?

It's not quite as good as the time in seventh grade when your best friend would eavesdrop on your crush-du-jour, but it's close.

Realtor Sherri Steeneck Offers Fairfield CT House for Sale

Real estate agent Sherri Steeneck of the Higgins Group offers for sale this classic colonial located in the sought-after University area of Fairfield, Connecticut. This 4-bedroom home offers a large family room, an eat-in-kitchen, a private fenced backyard, and gleaming updated bathrooms. Turn up your speakers!

This home seems particularly well-suited for a video approach. Many details shine through that otherwise might be missed by a potential buyer: The wonderful neighborhood, private backyard, great flow between rooms, and mouldings/wall treatments.

To Blog or Not To Blog?

Blog!

One of the most effective things you can do to increase your online presence is to create a blog and post updates regularly.

Why?

Every new blog entry is a chance to connect with potential clients. You can share your expertise in the local real estate market, the towns you cover, and the ins and outs of buying and selling. Best of all, each blog entry is a new item about you for Google, and other search engines, to find.

You can set up a free blog through Blogger (like this blog), Wordpress, or real-estate-specific site Active Rain.

Online use across generations

Research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project shatters some widely-held assumptions about online usage based on user's age. Their January 2009 report looks at internet usage among people in seven age categories, from 12 to 73+.

Here are a few highlights, showing that online marketing can target all age groups:

Teens and young adults were more likely to create blogs and play games online.

People in every age category over 33 were much more likely than younger users to use the internet to find health information.

People in all age groups showed little variation by age in the percentage who use the internet to get news, research products, and make travel reservations.

The bottom line is that online marketers can reach all age groups with targeted online campaigns.

Obama's Online Video Proliferation

Interesting read over at the New York Times today on the sheer volume of videos President Obama's team has released online. The article says he's on a plethora of video sites, including YouTube, Hulu, BarackTV, Eyeblast, Daily Motion, Hulu and Joost.

Writer Virginia Heffernan notes "Having recognized the power of YouTube during the presidential campaign, when the BarackObamadotcom account uploaded more than 1,800 videos to the site, Obama now maintains an entire staff devoted to new media. Making your own videos pays off."

Real estate video shows neighborhoods

Still photos are super for brochures and newspaper ads, but videos can give a buyer a better perspective of the neighborhood. Most of our videos offer a scene that shows what it looks like to drive down the street, on the way to the property.

When one of a home's greatest assests is its location, why not show it?

Internet Marketing -- Coverage is Key

Five years ago, it was savvy for a realtor to have a dedicated website in addition to a page on the office website. Now that's just a ticket to entry. In the game of online real estate marketing, it's important to have a large presence on the internet, and a website isn't enough.

One way to expand your reach is to maintain a blog. Every time you update it, you've increased your presence online. Remember to add links back to your website, and to link from your website to your blog.

Think about it: People look for agents and listings online, using search engines like Google. Doesn't it make sense for you to do everything you can to help Google find you?

Consumers Like Online Video

In a single month -- January 2009 -- nearly 77% of the total U.S. internet audience viewed video online. This data is from comScore, one of the premiere digital market research firms.

Savvy marketers will jump on that bandwagon; they know you've got to put your message where people will find it, in a user-friendly format. What's more user-friendly than watching a video?

Try a video for one of your listings from Spartina Studios.

Realtor Melanie Smith offers Fairfield CT Colonial House For Sale

Step into history when you peruse this true colonial home, built in 1759 and lovingly restored. View the video to see the surprisingly private and spacious backyard, given it's covenient in-town location. This home is located within walking distance of the library, the YMCA, and the train station.

Contact realtor Melanie Smith, of Prudential CT Realty, for more information at 203-319-3403.

For more details, see Melanie Smith's customized video page created by Spartina Studios.

Realtor Doris Ghitelman offers Fairfield CT Home for Sale

This 5 bedroom, 6 bath colonial home sits on more than two acres of wooded property in beautiful Fairfield, Connecticut. It offers gleaming kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, a stone fireplace in the family room, and lovely decks overlooking a wooded backyard. Check out the real estate video for more details.

Offered by Realtor Doris Ghitelman of William Raveis Real Estate in the Southport, Connecticut office. Contact Doris at 203-856-8022. www.askdoris.com

Further details available at Spartina Studios custom-created agent page.