Comments on: The Card Trick that is American Real Estate on the Web http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/ Videos Connecting People & Places Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:35:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Dave Platter http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5311 Dave Platter Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:36:27 +0000 http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5311 Dave from the REA Group again. Thanks about that. Take care. Dave from the REA Group again.

Thanks about that.

Take care.

]]> By: WellcomeMat http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5307 WellcomeMat Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:38:34 +0000 http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5307 Dave, I forgot to mention that I agree 200% with your last comments: "The best test for a real estate site of whether it’s simply doing card tricks or if it’s really serving a purpose is the revenue it can generate. Are people willing to pay for this? A good revenue stream will be more useful to any business than an innovative website that many people find confusing." You are absolutely right about that. Dave,

I forgot to mention that I agree 200% with your last comments:

“The best test for a real estate site of whether it’s simply doing card tricks or if it’s really serving a purpose is the revenue it can generate. Are people willing to pay for this?

A good revenue stream will be more useful to any business than an innovative website that many people find confusing.”

You are absolutely right about that.

]]> By: WellcomeMat http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5306 WellcomeMat Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:32:32 +0000 http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5306 Hey Dave...thanks for dropping by! Actually no...this post is about the fact that, in the U.S., pay-per-list rarely works, even though it is the most straight forward way of determining success/failure for all parties involved. Hey Dave…thanks for dropping by! Actually no…this post is about the fact that, in the U.S., pay-per-list rarely works, even though it is the most straight forward way of determining success/failure for all parties involved.

]]> By: Dave Platter http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5305 Dave Platter Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:14:44 +0000 http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5305 Dave from the REA Group here. It sounds like you're questioning the value of innovation for its own sake (as opposed to for the sake of better serving agents and users). And, in my personal opinion, you're right. At the REA Group we've seen proof. Real estate is such a wide-reaching category. So real estate websites have to be easy for everyone to use: from the person who has trouble figuring out Google to the Web2.0 fanatic. When we try out innovations on our test site, property.com.au, like slider bars that let you dynamically change the listings that appear on a search-results map (by adjusting, say, the price range of properties you want to see) we find that the "advanced user" loves them. But, the more typical user prefers the simple, if clunkier, old way of doing things. I think that often us insiders get excited by the innovations that technologies make possible today. And we sometimes forget that the user and real estate agent might prefer a slower, steadier rate of change. The best test for a real estate site of whether it's simply doing card tricks or if it's really serving a purpose is the revenue it can generate. Are people willing to pay for this? A good revenue stream will be more useful to any business than an innovative website that many people find confusing. Dave from the REA Group here.

It sounds like you’re questioning the value of innovation for its own sake (as opposed to for the sake of better serving agents and users). And, in my personal opinion, you’re right.

At the REA Group we’ve seen proof.

Real estate is such a wide-reaching category. So real estate websites have to be easy for everyone to use: from the person who has trouble figuring out Google to the Web2.0 fanatic.

When we try out innovations on our test site, property.com.au, like slider bars that let you dynamically change the listings that appear on a search-results map (by adjusting, say, the price range of properties you want to see) we find that the “advanced user” loves them. But, the more typical user prefers the simple, if clunkier, old way of doing things.

I think that often us insiders get excited by the innovations that technologies make possible today. And we sometimes forget that the user and real estate agent might prefer a slower, steadier rate of change.

The best test for a real estate site of whether it’s simply doing card tricks or if it’s really serving a purpose is the revenue it can generate. Are people willing to pay for this?

A good revenue stream will be more useful to any business than an innovative website that many people find confusing.

]]> By: Simon Baker http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5304 Simon Baker Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:10:18 +0000 http://realestatevideo.wellcomemat.com/2008/04/14/the-card-trick-that-is-american-real-estate-on-the-web/#comment-5304 Thanks for bringing this issue up. One of the major differences between the US real estate market and those of most of the rest of the world is the commission rates charged on the sales of properties. In the US, the average commission rate is between 5% and 6% of the sale price and this is split between the buyer and seller agents. In most of the rest of the world, they charge around 3% commission rates. In the UK, where we operate www.propertyfinder.com, they charge Thanks for bringing this issue up.

One of the major differences between the US real estate market and those of most of the rest of the world is the commission rates charged on the sales of properties.

In the US, the average commission rate is between 5% and 6% of the sale price and this is split between the buyer and seller agents.

In most of the rest of the world, they charge around 3% commission rates. In the UK, where we operate www.propertyfinder.com, they charge

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