eProspecting says its EMC Plus, the latest version of its Email Marketing Center, provides an easy and inexpensive way for real estate agents and brokers to keep in constant contact with clients and prospects and generate more business. The automated e-mail marketing program enables agents and brokers to send e-mail campaigns, holiday eCards, and property alerts with just a few mouse-clicks. According to RE/MAX of California & Hawaii special projects director Indira Kleen, "The Email Marketing Center turns the Internet into a prospecting machine for our 10,000+ agents by automatically scheduling and delivering high quality, pre-written emails to their clients."

Property professionals who obtain the Senior Real Estate Specialist designation from the National Association of Realtors equip themselves to meet the needs of retirees, and they increasingly are in demand as the over-50 population expands. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that one American hits age 50 every 7.5 seconds. According to Long Island Board of Realtors President Linda Bonarelli, the program "helps the Realtor understand our aging population and what their wants and needs are compared to the general population." Topics covered by the program include the variety of housing options available to seniors, their evolving needs, capital gains and other real-estate taxes, and different mortgage programs suitable for older buyers. Senior real estate specialists are not experts in all matters of interest to the over-50 market; but they have the ability to explain to elderly clients and their families such issues as living wills, living trusts, and healthcare proxies, directing them to elder-care attorneys as necessary. Baldwin, N.Y.-based Realtor Patrick White of Home Driven Realty Inc. even directs seniors to mortgage bankers to discuss reverse mortgages if staying in their long-time homes is an option--despite the fact that such a move wipes out any promise of commission.

With a majority of home sellers researching the sales process online, Reply.com founder and CEO Payam Zamani says Internet lead-generation services are the best way for real estate agents and brokers to generate business and measure their return on investment (ROI). Zamani says ROI is clear for online leads because agents can see exactly how many resulted in closed deals, while those whose marketing strategies rely heavily on print advertising can never be sure how many readers actually saw an ad. Although only 5 percent to 15 percent of online leads are worthwhile, Zamani says agents just need one lead out of 10 or 20 purchased to become a closed deal in order to earn enough commission to cover lead acquisition costs and still realize a hefty ROI.

Many real estate professionals refuse to discuss commissions for fear of sparking an antitrust investigation, but property attorney Robert Butters of Chicago-based Arnstein & Lehr LLP says discussing compensation with clients and advertising rates for services are completely legal. While agents working in the same office can talk about commissions and even agree to levy an identical minimum price, Butters says forging such agreements with competitors is considered engaging in illegal price-fixing schemes. He notes that talking about prices and trends "in an aggregate sense" is legal, but that "it's actions to equalize pricing among competitors that violate antitrust laws." Caleb Mardini of ActiveRain--an online community of real estate professionals--urges forum users who notice price discussions to announce that they will not engage in the conversation and flag the post so that the matter can be dealt with quickly. Mardini says a U.S. Federal Trade Commission antitrust official spelled out the rules: "Do not discuss prices with your competitors. Anything beyond that opens you up for an investigation for possible criminal conduct."

Using the Talking House technology from Austin, Texas-based Broadcast Marketing LLC, Realtors can make it easy for passers-by to learn more about a particular property listing. Lawn signs designate these "Talking Houses," and drivers need only turn on their radios to the specified AM station to hear the property description, price, sales incentives, and other information. Broadcast Marketing's Sush Bharani says the technology saves Realtors time, considering that only serious buyers will take the next step and contact the listing agent.

Technology has dramatically changed the way that real estate agents market properties. According to David Johnson of Keller Williams in Tennessee, "You can't depend on the mass-mailing techniques anymore. People get their information via computer, television. That is the way marketing for real estate is moving, too." Johnson notes that many real estate professionals have embraced virtual tours, which allow prospective buyers to get an inside view of an available home and save time for both themselves and their agents by narrowing down the number of homes they want to see in person. Sales centers also are being outfitted with the latest technologies. Agents advertising Jamison Station in Franklin, Tenn., for instance, have touch-screen computers available to prospective buyers, who can move through the various options to customize floor plans.

The Real Estate Book, a subsidiary of Network Communications, has updated RealEstateBook.com to provide even more qualified leads for the Realtors behind the more than 750,000 property listings on the site and make it easier for prospective home buyers to conduct searches. "Our advertisers will benefit from the high-quality, pre-qualified traffic we will generate for their properties," said The Real Estate Book Vice President Todd Walker. The enhanced site enables users to input the code associated with a property advertised in The Real Estate Book magazine to instantly view its online listing. In addition to faster, more sophisticated search and sorting tools, the site boasts numerous photographs, virtual tours, and interactive maps, among other features. Users also can search by city or neighborhood to locate properties via Microsoft's Virtual Earth mapping program.

New Web sites are emerging that aim to connect consumers seeking discount property brokers to full-service real estate agents who are willing to provide rebates but do not necessarily wish to promote themselves that way. "Most Realtors don't want to advertise themselves as rebate agents because it cannibalizes their other business," notes Daniel Ruben Odio-Paez of RebateReps, who says his company's service allows agents "to have their full-service brokerage and to service our [discount commission] leads." Meanwhile, more than a half-dozen discount brokerages in Wisconsin have joined forces to beef up marketing and provide consumers with a one-stop shopping experience. Discount Real Estate Brokers of America--consisting of select brokers who charge 5 percent or less in commissions--gives discount brokerages access to video tours and mapping tools, among other resources; has launched a regional marketing campaign; surveys consumers to ensure that member brokerages adhere to customer service standards; and has affiliated mortgage and title insurance businesses. Rebates--though challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice when prohibitions are imposed by state real estate commissions--are banned in 10 states.

While exact numbers are not known, the National Association of Realtors says it is fairly common for husbands and wives to sell property together. Husband-wife teams believe they benefit clients by providing complementary skills and also because they are better able to juggle the demands of family. However, a housing downturn could toss the family into financial turmoil due to the absence of a second income from employment in another industry. Fairleigh Dickinson University's Family Business Institute professor Leonard Green says husband-wife teams are most successful if spouses have different responsibilities and respect one another's skills. For instance, one spouse might work directly with clients, while the other handles marketing and Web-related tasks.

A National Association of Realtors survey reveals that 83 percent of home buyers find online photographs "very useful" in their searches. Photos have taken on the importance of curb appeal in recent years, requiring a high level of quality to make a good first impression. Real estate agent Kenny Bellini of Coldwell Banker in Santa Monica, Calif., says, "If you can't get them in the door, you can't sell the house." While most agents snap the photos themselves, some aim to get an edge on their competitors by including professional shots in their marketing plans. For those remaining behind the camera, veteran photographer Nick Springett--whose photos of listed homes have been featured in Unique Homes and Leading Estates of the World magazines--offers some suggestions. According to Springett, agents should put fresh flowers on the dining room table, make use of the chandelier and put out ironed linens to create an inviting look. Even lighting is best, and he says it is wise to make use of fireplaces and views. Additionally, electrical cords, messy bookshelves and flat couch pillows should not be in the background. Personal photos and clutter should be eliminated as well. Outside, Springett suggests wetting brick patios and concrete pools to bring out colors and avoid glares.

There are several ways for real estate companies to offer mortgage services. Some firms operate separate mortgage shops, where sales representatives also perform the tasks of mortgage brokers in weeding through the home-loan products offered by different wholesale lenders. Such a structure provides a one-stop shopping experience for borrowers. Consumers have the right to obtain a mortgage from another source to get a better interest rate, but some realty firms with mortgage brokerage arms attempt to match the best rate they can find elsewhere in order to secure the customer's business. Property companies also have the option to create their own lending divisions, in which they compete with other lenders directly and handle originations. While running a lending company alongside a property brokerage can be profitable, realty firms must put up money to make the loans. Regardless of which model is followed, customer service should be a top priority. Realty firms with mortgage brokerage or mortgage banking arms can make loan officers available at open houses and market both companies and any special financing deals through yard signs.

With over 70 percent of home buyers and sellers going online for information, according to the National Association of Realtors, more and more real estate agents are embracing technology and freeing themselves from the confines of the office. A recent NAR survey reveals that over 50 percent of Realtors polled shelled out $1,000 or more on technology in 2006, and one-quarter invested over $2,000. Many agents carry laptops and digital cameras, and even lockboxes have been computerized. Web sites detailing properties for sale and providing information about the buying and selling process also are popular. Some sites allow clients to weed through listings and mark the properties they want to see, and the information is made immediately available to their agents. Some firms are going virtual, meaning agents no longer go into the office; instead, they communicate with one another and their clients via video messaging and Blackberries and use online services to share documents. "If you don't adapt to new technology, you can still operate your business, but you are going to hit a ceiling," says Douglas Devitre, a Ladue, Mo.-based broker who also teaches technology classes to property agents. "If you want to take your business to the next level, you have to improve your skill sets and incorporate new technologies."

RealtyMadeEasy.com's WebAgentPro will help property practitioners create Web sites to display their listings. With WebAgentPro, real estate agents and brokers can develop Web sites in Spanish, as well as English, enabling them to more effectively reach the Hispanic community--particularly in markets such as Florida, California, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. RealtyMadeEasy.com co-founder Greg Angelillo says Realtors using WebAgentPro also will have access to blog, live chat, and mortgage tools; and they can link to the Multiple Listing Service and post listings on RealtyMadeEasy.com. In the near future, the company plans to offer video listings and the ability to send listings to clients' cell phones.

Many Realtors are supplementing traditional forms of marketing with podcasts, which are audio files that can be downloaded onto MP3 players and iPods. The files can showcase particular properties and communities or highlight the marketing skills of an individual agent, and they can be merged with virtual tours or used to inform consumers about issues related to home transactions. Partnerships among real estate and podcasting companies are making it possible for Realtors to expand their marketing strategies to include podcasts. Adding the technology to real estate Web sites will boost their position in search engine results. Also, consumers are more likely to download podcasts and listen to them while they drive, exercise or go about their daily routines rather than tether themselves to the computer and read numerous e-mails.

To make it easier for Realtors to conduct business away from the office, all agents employed by Stuart, Fla.-based Patrick Stracuzzi Real Estate now carry tablet computers. The PCs enable agents to input and access information via keyboard as well as make notes, draw up floor plans, and sign documents using a stylus pen. Additionally, a wireless card makes it easy to send and receive emails. According to Patrick Stracuzzi Real Estate Chief Technology Officer Patrick Zeigler, productivity gains tied to the tablet PCs enable property agents to complete in a matter of minutes tasks that once took almost an entire day. Depending on the bells and whistles, Zeigler says tablet PCs--which are being used by more and more sales agents--typically cost $1,500 to $3,000.