Current News

The Latest News from WFG National Title Company
ryantate
85
SelectTechnology
January 13, 2015

Homes.com promotes new head of industry development from within

Real estate search portal Homes.com has promoted of Andy Woolley to vice president of industry development, responsible for developing MLS, broker, franchise, and other industry partnerships. As vice president overseeing sales and customer service, Woolley helped Homes.com — the fourth-most visited real estate search portal, behind Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com…
Read More
ryantate
118
BrokeragerealsatisfiedreviewsSelect
January 12, 2015

Agent ratings have arrived

The rise of Yelp, Uber and Lyft and their widespread use of five-star ratings of businesses and service providers has helped usher in a new era of transparency. After dragging its feet for years, the real estate industry now appears ready to jump on board the agent ratings bandwagon. Zillow has been…
Read More
ryantate
117
Brokeragemanagementreal estateSelect
January 12, 2015

Reinventing your brokerage, step by step

Last month we identified several steps that you should take if you’re serious about reinventing your real estate brokerage. In today’s highly competitive consumer-driven environment, there are always areas for improvement and challenges to overcome. But where do you start? Here are some areas to consider for each step to…
Read More
ryantate
238
dronesMoverealtor.comreblsRedfinrupert murdochSelectTechnologytruliaventure capitalZillow
January 12, 2015

Venture capitalists placing big bets on real estate tech

Big talk A raft of Wall Street types and venture capitalists are snooping around the “dynamic real estate opportunity,” as one banker described it. The last time I recall such a swirl of enthusiasm was during the dot-com days in the late 1990s. Yurchello108/Shutterstock Supersized valuations at Zillow and Trulia…
Read More
ryantate
135
flexmlsMLS & Associationsmobile appsmobile MLSSelect
January 12, 2015

Competition in mobile MLS apps heats up

Mobile access to one of a real estate agent’s most valuable tools — the multiple listing service — is often a top priority when MLSs choose their vendor. Today, FBS — an MLS system vendor that serves nearly 160,000 real estate professionals — has filled out its mobile offerings with…
Read More
ryantate
86
BrokerageSelect
January 12, 2015

Real estate agent outwitted her kidnapper

A real estate agent thwarted her kidnapper by locking him out of the model home she was showing him after the man brandished a handgun and threatened her, police said. Police in Elk Grove, California have arrested David Burnhart, a 47-year-old registered sex offender, in connection with the crime,  booking…
Read More
ryantate
119
BrokerageSelectTechnologyvideo
January 12, 2015

Let us know what works when it comes to broker tech

Tech companies hawk their wares to real estate professionals every day. There are lead generation tools, marketing centers, video software, websites, and electronic forms, just to name a few. How do brokers and agents choose? And when brokers do select some shiny new product, how do they get their agents…
Read More
ryantate
187
Agent advicefhalending standardsmortgageproperty conditionreal estate disclosuresSelectseller repairs
January 12, 2015

Since when do lenders get to dictate property repairs?

Historically, one of the most onerous aspects of dealing with Federal Housing Administration loans was the inspection process. Fortunately, conventional lenders have never required much more than termite repairs. Sadly, this is all changing — to the detriment of both consumers and agents. A disturbing new trend is emerging where…
Read More
ryantate
153
internet marketingleadsMarketingreal estateRobert McTagueSelect
January 12, 2015

4 techniques for effective online lead generation

Internet buyer lead generation accounts for nearly 70 percent of my buyer business each year. Since 2006, I have been investing in buyer lead systems, and I now maintain a consistent 400 percent return on investment from Internet lead generation. However, the Internet landscape has changed somewhat during the past five years. The…
Read More