A Week in NYC
As you know, I’m in New York city until the 27th. This past week has been a long one. When you’re used to drinking a couple times a month, and not usually having more than 3-4 in person meetings per week – socializing all day, and drinking all night – for multiple days in a row – is a bit of a shock to the body. That said, it was a fantastic week, on many fronts.
A few high level takeaways….
1. RE BarCamp New York. No surprise, it was full of amazing discussions and people. I’ve been a huge fan of Pat Healy for a long, long time. And still am. Thank you for organizing a great RE BarCamp, my friend.
2. Updater. I didn’t chat with anyone from Updater personally, but heard from numerous people that they were the most impressive startup at Startup Alley. The idea seems rock solid.
3. Zillow/Trulia/Realtor.com/Redfin have Won Search. Almost everyone I spoke with said that search was not a battle they were planning to compete in, particularly when it comes to mobile. The portals have already won that space.
A bit more about some of the people I had the pleasure of spending time with…
I got to spend a some time with Justin Britt at Hawaii Life. I can tell you, you’re going to hear a lot about them over the next couple years (even though they are on an island far away from the rest of the US). They are innovating in ways most of the industry isn’t even remotely thinking about.
Seth Siegler is definitely on to something. I saw a demo of his CurbCall app (prior coverage), which is a great way for agents to generate late stage buyer leads in their downtime. He’s lining up brokerage deals right now to get the app live in several markets around the country.
TG Gallaudet – an agent from California with a tech background who just got married to a New Yorker and moved to the Big Apple. We met at REBarCamp San Diego about 5 years ago, but haven’t spoken since. Smart guy, and I’m axious to see where he lands career wise in NYC.
As always, Jeff, Rivers, and Grier from BoomTown were a blast to hang out with.
Shalin Sheth and Mark Birschbach at Second Century Ventures. Was glad to find out they both read this blog already.
Rob Reuter at YPN is a class act. NAR is extremely fortunate to have him on staff.
Matt Dollinger is one of the sharpest minds in this industry.
Bill Lublin is still one of my favorite people in this entire industry.
Looking forward to chatting with a few folks from the travel industry early this week before I head back to the west coast.
Sam DeBord, SeattleHome.com
Posted at 09:15h, 20 JanuaryIt was a great week. The Updater guys did have a great, simple product.
You’re right, there was a lot of talk about the big boys already having “won” search. I gagged a bit every time I heard it, but if all of my competitors want to go along with that notion, I’ll be happy to watch.
While the MLS tracks weren’t as heavily attended as agent tracks, there was an amazing core of top dogs at every session. The topics (pocket listings etc) were really interesting when MLS heads were discussing with big broker/owners.
Drew Meyers
Posted at 09:20h, 20 JanuaryIn a mobile world, I really don’t see how an agent or brokerage can compete. At least not in traditional search, like what the portals are. Are there unique search scenarios to win? Absolutely. But will anyone have the right vision, technical chops, and money to invest in that opportunity, at the right time? Will they have the branding & marketing smarts to get it to market?
Sam DeBord, SeattleHome.com
Posted at 10:59h, 20 JanuaryIt’s this notion of “compete” that sends the conversation sideways. Most agents or brokers don’t need position #1 or #5 for that matter. Zillow can get 5 million leads, but the individual only needs 50. There’s no doubt that the big boys dominate.
The problem is the conclusion most take away: Quit your own search site, because it only gets you 10 leads a month. Since everyone else has “won”….. It’s crazy. Close one transaction/year and it pays for your site. Close one/month and you’ll never let it go. It’s still not difficult to get those kinds of numbers.
Drew Meyers
Posted at 12:05h, 20 JanuaryAgree getting those kind of numbers is doable. My point was that spending big bucks on search in a mobile world is something most are not planning to do, since the chances of winning that fight are minimal. Search on the web is a different beast that can be tackled by some at reasonable price points…right now. But eventually web search will need to connect to a mobile experience…and that won’t be cheap to pull off.
I think I’ll write a post in this as a standalone post. And maybe you can write one from your brokerages’ perspective?
Sam DeBord, SeattleHome.com
Posted at 12:09h, 20 JanuarySounds good. You’re right, mobile is far more expensive/labor intensive to do well.
mattdollinger
Posted at 10:11h, 20 JanuaryThanks for the big shout out buddy and it was great catching up with you. I too was floored by the awesomeness of Updater – taking a simple idea that has real-world needs and putting it in place. Loved those guys – also enjoyed the new take on the visualization of data provided by the guys at 10K research with their new platform “InfoSparks”. Super awesome.
Seth Siegler
Posted at 10:16h, 20 JanuaryGreat to finally meet you in real life too, Drew! And thanks for the continued support and shoutouts for Curb Call!
tggallaudet
Posted at 17:42h, 20 JanuaryWhat an amazing week! So great seeing you again, Drew and meeting everyone else as well. Thanks for the shout out. It was my first Inman and well worth it – just meeting and talking to the people alone is worth admission. I’ll keep you updated on my career pursuits on the right coast. 🙂
Thinking about Real Estate Search: Have the Portals Already Won? - GeekEstate Blog
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