If you read this blog, you likely know I’ve been working on Horizon for the better part of a year. The starting point is Couchsurfing/AirBnB within your own trusted network; but the long term vision is trusted contacts by location. We may be crazy, but we believe Horizon is…

Zillow is in negotiations with MRIS to establish a direct data feed of broker listings ahead of the looming cancellation of Zillow’s ListHub syndication contract. “It is the sole prerogative of the Listing Broker to decide where their inventory appears,” said Jon Coile, MRIS Chairman…

Elba’s dream was to own a home with a real floor and a front door so her children could sleep in safety and comfort. Thanks to the passion of Giveback Homes Members and our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Nicaragua, that dream became a reality. Last month,…

Here’s a rough prediction for what will take the place in the listing syndication arena after the “ListHub-Zillow divorce” (for more analysis on the deal, read Rob Hahn’s thoughts here and here): Zillow will continue to invest in their listing management and reporting dashboard. Brokers & MLS’…

In my recent post about Responsive Design, I received an interesting comment from one reader. He said that my point is misleading, has no technological merit, I have no idea what I am writing about, and I should delete my post. Despite this not so…

In my opinion, Responsive Design can be dangerous. I design based on what I feel the user wants to see, not based on making sure I can fit it on a smaller screen. Yes, my site works great on a smart phone, but I did…

Some of you may have seen this NBPP (National Broker Public Portal) proposal: http://thedataadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/NBPP-Tech-Committee-Report-Saul-Klein.pdf A few thoughts: This just sounds like rebuilding Zillow, 10 years late. How exactly will such a portal attract buyers away from zillow/trulia? What’s different/unique? Note Cyberhomes for an example of how that…

Just in time for the holiday season, Redfin completed a $70.9 million round.

When I was thinking of what would be helpful to readers of geek estate I came across Sam’s article about ReelGeeks and I thought why not tell everyone my recent experience with Real Estate Webmasters (REW).  I will preface this with I finally brought my…

To build a real estate portal, the standard strategy is collect lots of listing data. Or you could try the “AVM abroad” strategy (Zillow for country X). I’ve written about data sources before (MLS listing data, public property data, and other free datasets). Unfortunately, virtually no country in the world has the required…