TechBytes: Voicemail Marketing, A Better Zillow, and The Blue Angels!

November 19, 2015

TechBytes are meant to be small bytes of easily digestible technology news as it relates (mostly) to the real estate industry. Curated by Jeff Bernheisel – WFG’s National Director of Technology Marketing.. We hope you enjoy!

In the “news that probably won’t be” section, LinkedIn is trying to become (more) relevant (again) in the real estate industry by providing a real estate agent matching service. Interesting idea. Not sure I’m sold on it though. That reminds me, I’m due for my quarterly log-in/connection accepting spree.

I was recently shown a pretty awesome tool if you ever want to blast a voicemail out to all your contacts. Slybroadcast lets you record, schedule and broadcast a voicemail to thousands of numbers at once. There are so many ways I could think that a tool like this could come in handy in our industry.

Another automation tool that is getting more and more popular with my clients is a tool called Bond. Bond is a robot that learns your handwriting, and creates handwritten notes (using a real ink pen) on custom stationery all from an app on your phone. They’re also offering a private, invite only, concierge version that will handle your contact addresses, special occasion reminders, custom delivery options, and optional gifting ideas. You can request an invite to the “Bond Black” service here.

Geekwire says Surefield is going to challenge Zillow with a new tool to figure out how much a home is worth. Instead of relying on an opaque formula, Surefield’s “Pricepoint” uses machine learning and data from the Multiple Listing Service to show users comparable homes in the area, then allows them to filter results to their liking. The company, which just focuses on the Seattle market right now, is trying to carve out a niche by offering virtual tours. Instead of clicking through a photo slideshow or bugging homeowners with in-person visits, Surefield uses 360-degree cameras to capture 3D models of the homes listed on its site.

Speaking of 360-degree cameras… have you seen some of the videos the new generation cameras are able to create for things like Facebook’s 360 video feature? If you have the most recent Facebook app and updated mobile device, the experience is pretty cool. This will not only change how we watch and interact with movies, sports, events, etc. but I think could have a pretty big niche in the real estate world too. This in flight footage of the Blue Angels is my personal favorite. Those dudes are crazy!