One of the easiest ways realtors can give themselves a competitive edge is to keep up with the latest technologies. Easy and cheap, iPhone apps can help any realtor understand the latest market trends, quickly get answers to their clients’ questions, and stay organized. With all the iPhone apps, a busy realtor may not have time to sift through them all to find the most useful. Fortunately, Crown has done some research for you!
Here are our five favorite iPhone apps for real estate professionals:
Evernote
For busy professionals, this app is a …

Stade Homes are beautifully unique and provide families with the foundation for luxurious living. In addition to being truly gorgeous, Stade Homes are green homes. The builder carries the “Certified Green Professional” and “Certified Graduate Builder” Certification” from the NAHB. These two Certifications give this builder the ability to build your home with energy saving green technology at a cost effective price that will save you money for years to come.
Stade Homes have taken the knowledge gained through 30 years of homebuilding excellence and applied it towards exemplary customer service …

You won’t want to miss out on these amazing incentives offered by DeMarco Custom Homes. The award-winning Caroline Model is being offered for immediate occupancy. Originally offered at $975,000, this home is now available for a limited time at $895,000!
That’s not all…
The original pricing did not include furnishings and electronics of $122,000. The new offering at $895,000 now includes the home, Thomasville designer furnishings, custom drapery, designer finishes, electronics, professional grade appliances all on a premium, waterfront lot! This offer expires May 15, 2010.
A Limited Time Special Offer of …

Realtor.com has released their iPhone App to help buyers search for homes on-the-go. Among the expected features, like the ability to pull all property details and prices from 4 million+ homes for a sale, a few app features and tips for how to deal with the smartphone home shopper are as follows:

Up to 25 photos can be shown per listing. This means you want to be sure to include all available photos for the properties you’re selling on your listings.
Listings are updated every 15 minutes, so you’ll want to keep …

The Center for REALTOR® Technology recently released their 2009 Realtor Technology Report, which analyzed the use of technology in the field of real estate among brokers and sales agents. The survey covers technology’s use for social networking, lead generation, relationship building, and mapping. The results of the survey are interesting, particularly in the realm of social media.
No one needs to tell you that the use of social media is skyrocketing: last year, in the 2008 survey, 67% of respondents claimed they didn’t use social media. This year, the number is …

According to the Realtor Technology Report, around January 4, (26%) of realtors surveyed post to their own blog for real estate purposes. Since blogging is growing in popularity, and since a lot of terms are thrown about relating to blogs, we thought we’d focus a post on one term in particular that seems to come up pretty often: the widget.
Most likely some of you are well versed in the widget and already make good use of them on your blog. But also likely is that there are a few people …

If you want to exceed at your job, you have to know a little bit about photography and perhaps even videography. As people increasingly turn to the web to gather their information, it is extremely important for Realtors to be able to take captivating photos and create virtual tours. This service is now an expected part of the industry and requires some element of skill and talent. REALTOR® Magazine has published a list of things you can do to improve your photos and learn how to highlight the selling points …

In the real estate business, there is a need to plan for the long haul. That is to say that Realtors should be prepared for all different scenarios both in the short and long term. In order to be prepared for anything, there are steps to take to ensure that your business remains strong and intact. Below is a helpful list of to-do items from REALTOR Magazine.
Solidify Your Sales Process
As the recent market has proven, customers are not always lined up out the door. Having a strong business means planning …

We recently spoke with Highland Woods resident Ryan Hamilton about his new home and new community, as well as his overall opinion about life in one of Crown Communities most desirable neighborhood. In addition to graciously allowing us to tour his gorgeous custom-built home, Mr. Hamilton spoke freely about some of the major attractions at Highland Woods and how they have positively influenced his family.
To take a tour of Mr. Hamilton’s unique home at Highland Woods, click on the link to the videos below. To learn more about the lush …

A web site can be one of the most useful tools for real estate professionals trying to drive more business. Online marketing has the potential to reach a large audience while it presents you as an expert in the industry. While the dissemination of information is important, many are missing the point with their web sites. Ultimately, the goal of any online marketing campaign is to generate leads; therefore, your web site needs to be collecting information, not just presenting it.
According to the National Association of Realtors, 95% of agents …