Archive for August, 2008

First Look - Blog Tour USA RV

While ALL YOUR PLACE might belong to WellcomeMat, ALL YOUR FACE certainly belongs to BlogTourUSA. And what place might your face belong? How about on the back of an RV?

The Sellsius boys swung by our ‘NY Office’ this afternoon and showed off the freshly wrapped RV. Man is this thing a chick magnet (I use that term very loosely).

OK it’s no magnet, at least not for those particular purposes. But it certainly commands attention. Complete with the aforementioned faces, a few sponsor logos (Inman News, Trulia, etc.), their phone number, and (my favorite) a ‘Honk if you like Blogs!’ banner strewn across the backside. Come on now, who doesn’t like blogs? Answer: most of America. But it’s not so much that we don’t like them; it’s just that many of us still don’t know what exactly they are or, more importantly, why they matter. And therein lies the core mission of the BlogTourUSA. Rudy and Joe will get away from the computer for one month, head out on the open road, and meet the people who make up the good ole’ U S of A. They’re out to spread the word. Look for them in a city near you. And if you pass them on the road, well you know what to do.

NOTE: If you’re a Videographer and interested in either participating and/or shooting one of the BlogTourUSA networking events, keep reading. In the next day or two, we’ll post info on how you can sign up and get involved.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Tough Love

What do Fred Light, Virginia Engelsman, Mike Bond, Philip Fay, Jay Williams, Dave Herring, Tim Kent, Lucas Lechuga, Chris Staples, Michael/Kris Schneider, Doug Heddings and Markus Azadeh have in common? They are WellcomeMat’s most militant members and some of our most valuable players. They never take it easy on us, never miss a bug, and stick with us while we collectively fix their problems. The rest of our members (and we missed quite a few in our short list I am sure…apologies if we left you out) benefit hugely from their attention to detail, and tough love. This post is about saying a big THANK YOU to everyone that, in a respectful way, never takes it easy on us. We are a better company, team, and website because of you.

You’ll notice that The Neighborhood (”The Hood”) has unintentionally become a support mechanism of sorts. New visitors might think to themselves, “wow…WellcomeMat has a bunch for issues with their system.” I’d love to say that this statement is incorrect (it’s not). But, The Neighborhood is all that is beautiful, and ugly about WellcomeMat.com. It is where our shining stars hang out, and where our team keeps it real with our members. There is not a single technology company worth talking about that doesn’t have their share of bugs. And, in the end, the companies that win are the ones that listen to customers/members, and take action with the most diligent level of urgency. If you don’t have a healthy feedback mechanism, you don’t have a solid company. We thank whatever God we pray to individually every day for our toughest users. You are part of our team, part of our family, and-when we have our way-part of something beyond any of our imaginations. Thank you.

Popularity: 5% [?]

3 Quick Reasons Why You Should be Using Video

1. Video is not just another marketing tool.
Internet video is the most effective tool for cost-efficiently generating leads and driving business over the Web. Video can be your marketing. Online video combines the emotional power of film with the ability to broadcast your properties to a mass audience. Brand yourself and business.


2. Video offers a major competitive advantage.

All things being equal, if you were to choose between two agents, one that markets with the standard toolsets (VT, photos, etc.)and one that uses video, who would you choose? Who will your clients choose? As an agent or broker, you can provide a level of service for your customers that gives you major competitive advantage over your peers.

3. Video saves you time.
Because they’ve already seen the property, prospective clients walking into your open houses are far more likely to by/rent/lease AND you spend less time dealing with uninterested customers.

Popularity: 6% [?]