"That means 'bye-bye' to real estate TV advertising," she said.

This is true, but from my virtual tour data I collect, real estate videos are still a huge hit. This means that YouTube, MySpace, Google Videos, Wellcomemat, and those like it are starting to become super important and understanding and using SEO (Search Engine Optimization)  is more important than ever.  The internet will only get more crowded with homes, videos, and sales pitches, so if you don’t have a niche and a well prepared online marketing strategy, you can easily get lost in the shuffle.

Chris emphasized her own company's extensive presence in the world of online social media, portraying Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate as a brokerage that's equipped to compete in the changing landscape.

Social Networking, very important for smart, high end buyers of the present and future.  I have a client that I signed into Plaxo, an attorney.  You wouldn’t believe how many links people want to attorneys lol!  But the point I’m trying to make is, most of the people who are linking are not all young, Most I’ve found are professionals in their 30s to 40s, some are older as well.

Decline of Broker Fees. We must develop our worth and hold steadfast to our minimum 6.0 % and push for 3.5 % for the buyer agent.

I have some interesting thoughts on that having dealt with many different sides of the coin.  One of my first websites was for an agent from Agent Owned.  He was claiming to be the 5% man.  He stopped that shortly due to the amount of negativity other realtors showed him, I also think it cheapened his brand and made him only work with “Negotiating” clientele.  I also know the owner of the real estate store, Rehava, his model is very interesting, although I don’t know how well they are doing, I read they are struggling.  This article says Redfin and other companies like Rehava are not doing as well.

Leslie Appleton-Young, vice president and chief economist for the California Association of Realtors, said that when times get tough, commissions tend to go up. Sellers may feel that anyone can sell a home in a boom market, but seek out the top agents for their neighborhood and pay them during a slowdown,

In my opinion, in this economy, I would pay more for someone who I knew could sell my home.  I do not view money as just dollars and cents, it is a system that quantifies value for a particular product or service, in other words it is a belief that a certain price is worth something.  If one cannot sell his or her value, then they will never see the big time in the real estate market or anywhere else in commissioned sales.

Enough of my marketing babble, I’m a strong believer that you get what you pay for.  I think most everyone knows this to be true, even if they don’t follow it the first time.