FSBO BLOG

Here is a sneak peek of the new FSBO.com homepage…

�

We are excited to let you know about some new and exciting changes coming to www.FSBO.com in the coming weeks.  We will launch a newly designed and upgraded website to better serve our customers!

Here are a few benefits of the new FSBO.com site…

FSBO.com just wanted to clear up any confusion that there may be about a recent press release from yesterday claiming YOU can list a property on Realtor.com without an agent.  One of the most popular questions www.FSBO.com receives is “Can I list my property on Realtor.com without using an agent and listing in the MLS?”.  The answer has always been, and still is “NO”!

There is absolutely no way to list your property on Realtor.com without first having it listed in the MLS.  There is absolutely no way to list your property in the MLS without using a licensed Realtor.  The only thing you can control is the actual amount that you pay to have your property listed on the MLS and Realtor.com. 

FSBO.com and similar companies have services that allow you to do this for a flat fee as opposed to a commission.  Any company claiming to be the only, or first to offer this type of service has been mistaken.

FSBO.com is pleased to announce that we have a new Video Player available to all of our Home Sellers. The new player allows the seller to Email, Link, and Post their personal property video anywhere on the web. The player provides Embedded Code so you can post it on your personal Websites or Blogs, as well as a unique URL (web Link) that you can send and post.  The seller’s contact info and link back to the FSBO.com listing will automatically be entered into the player so potential buyers seeing your video on other sites can contact you, see information on the home, as well as get direct access to your listing on FSBO.com.

Sample Video:

FSBO.com can accept the following video formats: AVI, MPEG, and MOV (Quicktime) *note – at this time we cannot accept .FLV file formats. There is no max time, however in our experience the most impactful videos are between 1 and 3 minutes long.

In regards to resolution, all videos are compressed and converted into a flash video format using an ideal resolution and frame rate for web delivery. There is no minimum or maximum resolution requirement for the source video.

Please feel free to leave a comment with a link to your video, blog, or personal real estate site to show others your Real Estate video.

I was caught off guard the other day when one of my new friends from Costa Rica asked me what Memorial Day was, and why we celebrate it.  My answer was close, but not entirely accurate.  So I decided to survey the few FSBO employees that made it to the office today, and was pleased that their answers were also about 85% correct.  Either way, I have posted the technical definition from Wikipedia below.  Have a great and safe weekend.  FSBO.com offices will be closed on Monday, May 26th in observance of Memorial Day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day
Memorial Day is a United States Federal Holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (observed in 2008 on May 26). It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. One of the longest standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. It is also traditionally viewed as the beginning of summer by many, since many schools are dismissed around Memorial Day.

I am happy to say that my listing is finally live and posted on the website. I added 21 photos of my property, and will be working on getting a video posted this weekend. I purchased the FSBO.com Gold Package for $99.95 which means I have a professional Yard Sign with my phone number and Listing ID#, a Brochure Holder, and 50 color brochures. Don’t forget that I also got the FREE directional arrow for the front of the subdivision that is included in that package to drive traffic into the sub from the main road. I am about to leave a comment on the Open House Blog to receive my 2 FREE Open House arrows since I am participating in the National Open House Day both Sat and Sun this weekend.

I have also posted my Open House on Craigslist as well. I hope to have another video posted for you this week, to show you the work I have done outside of the house, and then will quickly follow that with my “Marketing” video, to show you how I plan to maximize my exposure online and off.

I will not be giving out my listing ID#, as that would give me an unfair advantage over other FSBO.com customers.

This is a reminder to anyone participating in our National Open House Day next weekend that time is running out to receive a FREE Open House Sign. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog, or my previous blog about National Open House day with your FSBO.com ID# and the time and date of your Open House, and we will send you a free open house sign/arrow to help you drive traffic to your home.

As a bonus, we will now be sending TWO FREE Open House signs to anyone who comments from now until Monday night at Midnight!!!

I am happy to announce that we have added the Most Recent listings (with photos) back on the homepage.  We received plenty of feedback after it was removed, and due to popular demand have given it back to you.  Please note that these listings will now be from all around the world, and not just from the United States.

Just so you know, each “state” has its own set of Most Recently Added listings.  Simply search only the state to see these listings.  As always, please let me know if you have any comments or questions regarding the new site.

�

May Day, May Day, it’s time for National Open House Day!

Spring has sprung, spring cleaning is done-it’s the perfect time to sell your home! In recognition of May as “National Prepare to Buy a Home Month,” FSBO.com has set two dates (May 17 and 18, 2008) for “National Open House Day” to give our customers increased flexibility to participate in this event.  I encourage all of our current customers to add either date to their online “Open House Calendar”.  We now give buyers the opportunity to search strictly by Open houses in their area, so it is important to post this info ASAP. 

FSBO.com National Open House Day Info!

As part of the promotion for this event, I want to give each and every one of you a FREE “Open House” sign for your yard or subdivision.  Due to the large number of listings we have online, it won’t be possible for me to do that.  So, in order to receive your FREE Open House Sign/Arrow, you must first post the May 17^th or 18^th Date on your Open House Calendar, and then leave a comment on this blog with a link to your listing or with your listing ID#.  Once I see that you have the open house dates set, I will ship you a Free Open House sign/arrow. 

P.S. I will be holding an Open House on both days for my home that I have been making the videos for.  Good Luck!

I am happy to announce the latest version of FSBO.com has now been launched.  Among the many new features we have added, the most notable is the addition of our ability to take Rental and international Listings.  We now also allow our users to upload an unlimited number of photos to each listing at no extra charge.  Please visit www.FSBO.com to check out the new site, and to give me your feedback.

It is currently FREE to add your Vacation Rental, Long Term Rental, and International Listing to FSBO.com.  Please add yours today.

NEW FEATURES FOR SELLERS:

• UNLIMITED PHOTOS�
  • You may now upload an unlimited amount of photos at no additional cost
• FREE VIDEO UPLOAD
  • You may now upload one video to your listing at no additional cost
  • Professional Editing and Photo Tours Available in the Video Section
• NEW MESSAGE CENTER
  • Double Duty:  You no longer have to log in to check your messages. Messages will be sent directly to your email address, along with a copy of that message saved in your message center for later review.
  • Report Spam - You can now report scam emails directly to FSBO.com with a click of a link
• New Open House Features
  • Enter Unlimited Open House dates  - Add as many Open House dates that you have scheduled (or add them as you go along in the process of selling your home
  • FSBO.com now gives Buyers the ability to Search by Open Houses in their area so be sure to get yours posted right away
• New Hit Counter 
  • Your hit counter will now display both “Total” Visitors, and “Unique” Visitors.
• Rental Property
  • If your property is also available as a rental, you may automatically add it to our New Rental Section at no cost!  From your registered user’s area, you can select “Add as Rental” and we’ll automatically copy your property listing information over for you.  From there, you can then edit your Rental record to include more specific rental information to your potential new renters! 

I will be posting all week long about new Features and Promotions like our “FSBO.com National Open House Day - May 17^th & 18^th“