Every year I come back from REBlogWorld and BlogWorld with new ideas and toys tools to try out here at the Lab.   This year one of them is Zemanta.

Last year it was Apture.   I’ve had that installed here at the Lab since I got back last year.   I’ve used it a couple of times.   I’m wondering if I won’t find the same issue with Zemanta I did with Apture.   The issue: I’m not struggling for content.   I know what I want to write, what I want to say and where I want to link out to for you the readers.

Maybe it is different here at the Lab as a tech blog.   So I’ve installed it on the Tucson blog as well. (Had Apture there to till it started slowing up my load times).

Therefore, this is an introductory post which will require a follow-up.   (It might be a short one)

Zemanta Plugin

The plugin itself is pretty straight forward.   Use the New plugin search, “zemanta”   it pops up, install it.   The API is automatically inserted.   Register on Zemanta website and set up some preferences there.

If you want to include third party images on your post then you can do that as well with image suggestions.

There isn’t anything to see till you open the editor and start typing.   As you do, it refreshes suggestions along the bottom of the editor.   Highlight where you want a link and select the link you want from the dropdown lists provided.   As you select links to include the dropdowns turn Orange to indicate there is a link on the post.

Zemanta Adding Links

I’ve used it to add links to REBlogWorld and BlogWorld in this post.   I have to admit, I like this feature.   I didn’t have to open either of those sites on another tab and copy paste the links.   Zemanta Link Suggestions [x] I Like it.

It did insert some class code in the links which I   see no need for it.

Zemanta Image Insertion

This plugin selects images which might be associated with content in the post.   It makes no distinction between copyrighted images and public domain.   It does indicate if it is public domain or “need to check with owner”.   (Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen very often.)   It also uses the image caption field for it’s own link to the image which you can’t seem to override.   Every time I change the caption it changes it back.

I want to write my own captions, thank you very much.   This is a “feature” I DO NOT LIKE.

Zemanta Reblog

It also added a div tag and code to “reblog”   I’ve not read about this “feature” but I don’t like anything that adds code to my posts without my asking.   I’ll look into this more on another post.   I deleted the div and it has been added back in as soon as I saved.

For some reason they think you want to have others blog your content. (This is a feature I wish I could turn off).   I’m leaving it on this post for your review/perview.

First Impressions of Zemanta

Overall, I give it a D.

I like the links suggestion and ability to insert them directly by highlighting.   But most of the other “Functionality” has too much overhead and too many restrictions.   I’m not sure it is worth keeping it installed on a blog.   I’ll give it a little more time.   But I doubt it will change my mind much with use.

If you are using Zemanta drop by the Lab and let me know what you think of it.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Zemanta Plugin and Content Suggestion Tool

If you are using the Simple Sidebar Navigation Plugin by Max Chirkov It is not currently compatible with WordPress 2.8.

It will still function but you can’t add additional pages to anything currently setup

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Cancelled – ALERT Simple Sidebar Navigation Plugin Not Compatible with 2.8

By creating these two div classes below you can put your NextGen Gallery displays to the right or the left of the content in your post.   The width of the div can be modified to whatever size you want to make it.   It depends on the size you have set for thumbnails in your NextGen Gallery Options.

#gallright {
float: right;
width: 200px;
padding-left: 15px;
text-align: center;

}
#gallleft {
float: left;
width: 200px;
padding-right: 15px;
text-align: center;

}

Put the code above in the CSS Style.css file   Appearance-Editor-Style.css

The float tells it which side of the post to place the gallery.   Width= How wide for your thumbnails to fit. Padding=A little area between the div and the text. Text Align Center=Puts the text at the top centered over the thumbs.

Where to place the code in the post

After you insert the gallery code, Switch to the HTML Tab and enclose it in the div id for either right or left placement.

<div id=”gallright”>[noggallery id=23]</div>

or

<div id=”gallleft”>[n0ggallery id=23]</div>

That wasn’t very hard was it.   And it has a nice effect.

It takes longer to create the gallery, label the images and sort them than it does to set up and write the post.   But remember a picture is worth 1000 words so this is a 5000 word post.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Put a Vertical Gallery down the side

#rebcphx I can never remember this hashtag

I’ve heard the term REBARCAMP ever since the Inman conference the summer of 08 in San Fransisco.   The term has popped up all across the country and they are growing in number every month.       As a Dial-up Geek I was curios about what they were like and upon asking several people I know who have attended them I was still left wondering what they were like.   I got no real answers, some said “I don’t know if you would like it”   “An un-conference” “It is kind of sitting around talking about stuff you are interested in or want to learn more about”   Hum.

In a nutshell here is what a REBARCAMP really is:

• “It is show and tell for Big Kids”
• “It is a class reunion without the class”
• “It is one of the best reasons to party in the world of real estate” (I didn’t know this one at all, but probably should have)
• “It is the free exchange of ideas and information which you would pay hundreds of dollars for at any other conference”

When the Phoenix one was announced I signed up immediately and wondered how to get involved.   Tucson being a ways down the road (And considered a wasteland by those who live in Phoenix I was delegated the task of getting people from Tucson to come.   But I still had no idea what I was supposed to be getting them to come to.   “It’s a rebar camp, you know a barcamp for real estate”   Oh, Yeah, now I get it.   NOT.   Rebar is what my son uses to make metal sculptures from.   It is what I see the highway crews putting in the road to make them stronger so they can bear heavy loads without breaking up.

Little did I know that is exactly what a REBARCAMP does for those attending.   A REBarCamp helps provide the raw materials of creativity the brain needs to sculpt new ideas into ways of doing things including new way of thinking about the Real Estate business.   REBarCamp strengthens your social connections and provides the positive attitude we all need to bear the heavy load of doing business in real estate today.

Yes, I know I still haven’t told you anything about what a REBARCAMP really is like, or all about.   I hope I’m not breaking some unwritten code about REBARCAMPS by spilling the beans but here goes my best guess of what it is about and most important “HOW YOU PREPARE TO ATTEND A REBARCAMP”.

ReBarCamp Phoenix

Since this was my first I don’t have anything to compare it to.   But I would say if all rebarcamps are run like the one in Phoenix they are a huge benefit to those attending the event.   I think one thing that amazed me were the number of people that flew or drove thousands of miles to come to a one day adhoc event.   I met people from all over the country.   Some I have known online for years and finally had the opportunity to meet in person.   It was a very well organized event for a non-event.

Just the facts Dave, just the facts

When you get there it is like a typical conference, sign in, get your badge, lanyard, name tag, T-shirt.   (Bring your own Coffee)   There were a couple of white boards with a grid lay   out by rooms and times.   Then people started walking up to the whiteboards and filling in discussion groups they would lead in various rooms.   (Some of these were set from the website for the event where people could sign in and say they would lead a discussion and indicate if they needed a projector or not.)

Once the event had a short introduction we were all off to pick which discussion we wanted to attend.   There were also lots of places with seating where adhoc groups could form away from the adhoc groups in the meeting rooms.   One on one or two or three discussions broke out all over the place.   I’m sure it was one of those positive energy field events that Sedona, AZ is supposed to be famous for. I didn’t see anyone floating in mid air but I did hear of a couple of people almost there at one of the parties.

Lunch, don’t be slow, don’t stay late and ask questions just before lunch.   I had the last burger and scrapped a little bit of potato salad from among the green lettuce leaves lining the bowl.   When it is time for lunch, go, leave the discussion of you need to.   You can always start it back up over lunch.

Getting the Most out of a REBARCAMP

1. Get there early (See Below Advise for attending)
2. Come with an open mind
3. Leave the suit at home (Be comfortable to open the mind)
4. Bring something to share (a tip, idea, information on what you are doing, etc.)
5. Bring a camera and don’t forget to use it
6. If you aren’t on Twitter get an account and start using it (you will get an opportunity to follow and be followed)
7. Same goes for Facebook and LinkedIn
8. To be really cool bring a flip video and walk around like you are using it all day. (You don’t have to turn it on or bring batteries, just hold it up as you talk to people, but remember to point it at them not yourself)
9. Try not to sunburn your nose then rip off half the skin with a nose strip before attending. (same advise for black eyes and zits if possible)
10. Wear a Red shirt (You will be able to find yourself quickly in the photos of the event) Red is optional, any loud shirt color will do.

Advise for attending your first REBARCAMP

• Find out where rebar camps are being held.
• Pick the one you want to attend
• Go to their website, register and check back often (update email notification would be wonderful)
• To get the full benefit of the social networking plan to get there a day early and stay a day after
• Bring something to share (REBAR is Show and Tell for Big Kids)

Here are a couple of photo streams you can view to get a better feel for what REBARCAMPPHX was like   CWaterhouse RebarCamp PHX and The Phoenix REBARCAMP group photos

Finally (because this post is already over 1000 words), hats off to Jay Thompson and Crew for one of the most memorable days for me personally since becoming a blogger.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Rebarcamp Phoenix #rebcphx After The Event

The existing images with captions will be fine. However, with the advent of 2.7 captioned images are now wrapped in a “div” tag. There are two lines of code you will need to add to your styles.css for images to once again behave themselves.

It seems to depend on a couple of things I haven’t isolated yet.   I don’t know if it is the browser you use to create the post, the theme you are using, or a change in how the WP Editor writes the code.

What I discovered when trying to place a caption image to the left in a post it was missing code to handle this since it was now wrapped in a div tag.   I added these lines to the CSS captioning section and all began to work again.

.alignleft {
float: left;
}

.alignright {
float: right;
}

Place these right under:

/* Captions */
.aligncenter,
div.aligncenter {
display: block;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
}

With this little addition they should behave themselves again.

This probably doesn’t have an impact on many bloggers.   I don’t see very many using the Caption feature.   It also seems to be rare to see an image in a post which isn’t centered.

What does this say about images and captions

If you want your blog to stand out from others   put images left and right with text along side and use captions.

Your blog won’t be the same as every other blog you read.   Yes, I know there is no image in this post.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Captions Not Working Right in WordPress 2.7

While helping get a Bloodhound Senius Widget up and running using the Fun With Widgets Plugin we discovered there is a conflict between that plugin and the Thesis theme.

I recently ran across another plugin (My Custom Widget) which I decided to try and I like it much better. It is easier to get your Senius widget code up and running in your sidebar with the My Custom Widget.   It isn’t that hard to figure out. (Well maybe)   If you want you can check out the detailed post on My Custom Widget for Your Custom Blog.

I have to confess, I often don’t understand much of what Greg Swann is saying. I don’t know what a Scenius is and Praxis is either an exploding moon which was the Klingon Empire’s prime source of dilithium or something I go to the chiropractor to get put back in place.

I’ve read all the posts about Scenius several times and I don’t know what it is yet. I think it is a pretty cool piece of code and when I went to put it in my sidebar (which is widgetized) I found I could put it at the top or at the bottom, but I couldn’t place it in the list of widgets to get it in the sidebar where I wanted it to appear; till today.

If you have a widgetized theme and use those widgets you probably have never even thought about editing the sidebar.php file.   Many RE bloggers aren’t comfortable editing those files for fear of breaking their blog and theme.   However, most will add a widget to the sidebar using the widget functions under design in the newer versions of WordPress.

Fun With Theme Widgets

I found a new plugin for building Theme widgets called Fun With Theme Widgets

This is a pretty cool plugin all on it’s own.   Activate the plugin create a yourwidgetname.widget.php file and put it in your current theme directory. When you go into Design, Widgets you will see your newly created widget in the list.   Drag the widget where you want it to appear and save the changes.   That is all there is to it.

Since starting this post I’ve learned more about the process of using Scenius and what it is doing.   It is very creative and a good way to syndicate quality local content.   Please Note I’m not talking about splogging local content. I”m talking about providing links to local content of interest to the readers on your blog, even if some of that content might be from another local RE blog.

I’ve created two widgets ready to be placed in your theme directory once you unzip them. One for Scenius and one for Phoenix Headlines.

If you have been wanting to try the Scenius code but weren’t sure how to get it into your widgetized theme this process should make it much simpler.

(UPDATE:) You can use the Delicious Widget in ways you can’t use Scenius code.   Again, this is a learning process and the more I learn about the Scenius process it is nothing like the Delicious Widget.   Like comparing apples to oranges.   They are both fruit and there the similarities end.   Scenius is just getting rolling and like any tool, used properly it will be of great value, used improperly it has potential for misuse.   But then again so does a lot of tech tools we use everyday.   I still use email but hate the spam that comes in.   Scenius scene is still being painted.

The Delicious Widget

The Delicious Widget does something similar in this sense.   I install the widget and tell it what tag to be looking for to display in the sidebar.   Anytime I find an article or post on the web that fits that tag I tag it with my special tag and it shows up in my delicious widget on the sidebar.

Not the same process, but very similar results.   You can read all about the plugin in an earlier post “Using the delicious plugin“.

However,   I have a feeling there is more to the Scenius scene than we have yet scene.   Being able to put future revelations and manifestations in widgets should be beneficial to Scenius end users.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Bloodhound Scenius in a Widget

Documents Create a Win Win

I first wrote about my search for a scanner so we could easily email documents like contracts, BINSR, SPDS, etc. to clients. I found our solution on the Brother MFC-5460CN Much Less Than a Printer. I mentioned in the post on Single Property Site – Categories of creating a category on the blog for “Documents”.

Here we put them together and scan the

• Seller Property Disclosure Statement
• The HOA Info Sheet
• The Well water Agreement
• The Septic Certification
• Any other documentation providing full disclosure.

This really is a Win/Win. Just today I was showing a potential buyer through a listing. They asked a couple of questions about things which are in the Seller Property Disclosure Statement. I told her about the website for the property and what to Google so she could easily find it. “Really, that is all I have to do? was the response.”

We also receive calls from buyer’s agents who have a client very interested in a listing and would like to see the Seller Property Disclosure Statement and any other pertinent documents which might influence their decision. It is very impressive to be able to say to that agent and their client. “Go to this site, or Google the address and all the documents are there for you to read and download if you want.”

No faxing, no scanning and emailing, no late night runs to the office because this might be the one.

It is impressive to the buyer’s agent, it is impressive to the buyers themselves and it is impressive to your clients when they see how well their home is being marketed online. Win, Win, Win.

No Single Property Website?

If you don’t mind blogging about your listings, and I know there are thoughts on this both ways, Then in your listing post include a list of documents which are online for the property in the post. You can reference that post in an email or over the phone to an agent or potential buyer contacting you for this information.

It gets them the information very quickly and introduces them to your blog at the same time. Another opportunity to provide a service and introduce potential new readers and clients to your blog.

RE Web 2.0 is about transparency. Providing disclosure documentation and documents pertaining to the property online is a perfect way to integrate transparency into your blog and business.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Single Property Web site Documents Provide Transparency and More

Honestly done right, there should be on conundrum about single property sites.   Done wrong they will be just like any other website.   They won’t be found on the search engines.  

But if we use the examples of single property sites done wrong as the norm then conclude they aren’t worth the effort.   I would suggest applying the syllogism to real estate websites.   We all know of all the real estate agent websites out there the majority of them are no where to be found on the search engines.   Therefore, real estate agents have a conundrum if they decided to have a website.   Bad Logic!

If you have been following the series of posts on Single Property Sites you know that done right they can be found on the search engines in   a matter of a couple of days and set up and managed correctly they can produce sales results.

There are a few posts to go in that series and I’ll admit it has slowed due to something called Real Estate Sales and business.   The series will conclude soon.   In the mean time here is an update on the ones I’ve been using as examples and live on the web.

3149 E. Macenroe  SOLD

If you search Macenroe, Marcenroe Lane, The Tucson Racquest Club you will find this site.   Granted the last one is  now on page three, but for the first month it was on page 1 and  hits came from that search.  Macenroe is now sold, many people found it on the web, many had parents and relatives look at the site for their input since they couldn’t be in Tucson.   It sold from the single property site.

13237 Mortar Pestle  SOLD

Sold, every visitor and many inquiries were sent to the site.   It was one of the first before I learned how to direct a lot more traffic to the site with relevant posts.   This site is no longer needed.   It is still up.   It has a PR3 ranking on the homepage, it is a real estate related site.   Can you think of any use for this site now?   BTW if you search Mortar Pestle Dr.   It still comes up in Google.

5378 W Desert Flora   SOLD

This home is located where the Accenture Match Play with Tiger Woods was in February.   Back in January before the actual tournament you could search accenture Match play and up would pop this home.   It was sold to a couple searching the web on accenture match play and they found this home.   They love it.

You can’t find this site now.   Why, bad permalink structure.   it has page=6 instead of the keywords from the category and title that it should have.   This site did it’s job but it hasn’t survived well due to its poor structure.

4241 Pontatoc Canyon

Pontatoc Canyon is  a sought after community with a limited number of homes.   Many people will search google for Pontatoc Canyonand there it is.   I can bring this up on new searches by posting about La Encantada Mall that is just up the road as well as some other area attractions that will bring it traffic.

4875 Windsong Canyon

Nice gated community large lot.   Windsong Canyon  Google search.

There are more, but that should be enough for now.   I’ll be building, or I should say rebuilding one this week for a property that was on the market, withdrawn for 4 months and is now back on the market, but if it sells this weekend, (it is getting a lot of showings) I’ll forgo building the site.   They don’t all sell from the internet.

But are Single Property Sites a conundrum.   I would definately say no.   The process of building them can be, but if you follow the posts on the process I’ve put together you will avoid the pitfalls of SEO for a single property site.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Single Property Websites No Conundrum

I like having three column layouts for single property sites.   I’ll go into the why in the theme’s post.  

I also  like to have a couple of text boxes so the first thing you will want to do after activating this plugin is to add at least an additional text box and save.   You do this at the bottom of the setup screen

The layout of the sidebars is as follows.

• Text1
  This is where I put the brokerage and contact information
• Text2
  You can see above is the Summary Description of the property
• Links
  This is where the categories and links to them show up
  • Documents
  • Information
  • Websites
• Pages (I change this title to Detailed Information)
• Recent Posts (I change the  title to Additional Information)
  This requires editing the sidebar widget file finding the word  Recent Posts and changing it to read “Additional Information”

function widget_recent_entries($args) {
extract($args);
$title = __('Additional Information', 'widgets');
$r = new WP_Query('showposts=10');
if ($r->have_posts()) :
?>

This isn’t as hard as it may sound, you can copy all the text to notepad search for “Recent Posts” replace it with “Additional Information” copy all the text back to the plugin editor and save.

Or you can do it the way I do.   Look at the code line for line till you find Recent Posts and replace it.

However, I only did this once.   After that I saved this altered copy of the widget plugin for the single property listing blogs.

If you want to see how this works here is our example blog from the beginning.

Macenroe Single Property Site

There are a lot of, I’ll call them “sub-widgets” you can add to a blog if you have the sidebar widget installed on a blog.   I keep it to the ones mentioned above.  

The Sidebars are to:

1. make navigation of the site easy
2. provide quick summary details of the property
3. allow visitors to grasp a lot of information in a couple of quick glances

The Sidebar isn’t to steal the show.   Keep it simple.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Single Property Site – Sidebar Widget

“Remember that every agent’s livelihood and ultimate goal is to have as many signs in the ground and as much advertising as possible. The signs and advertising bring more listing leads and buyer leads, which puts more money in the agent’s pocket.”    

 A single property site is of no value if it can’t be found.

Post and Pages play an important part in creating and getting our site found in the search engines.   I’ll outline the difference of each and the importance of each in this post.

I’ll cover the sidebar widget, links to documents, tags, odds and ends, pick a theme.   But this is the post that tells you how to bring Single Property Sites to Life so the search engines bring buyers to your site.

Pages

Front Page  is where I put the static information.   It is an introduction to the site.   The property street address is the page title (DO NOT include the City, State, Zip).   This page is set as static in WordPress.   How

• Options
• Reading
• Select the Page or Post to be on Top

Property Video Page I put the video on a page because I haven’t found a single video format that will validate.   By putting this on a page you isolate it from the rest of the site.

When you hold a traditional open house you set out your open house signs at the major intersections which will provide you with the most traffic.  

When holding a 24/7 open house you want to do the same thing.  

Posts are Open House signs on the web.

What are the major intersections near the property.  

• Is there a national park
• a historical market
• a national attraction
• an event held near this home  
• are there activities for a family
• major shopping centers

Identify these locations then set out your signs at each one.

How do you do this?  

• Write the first post about the property Title address with City St Zip.  
• Write a separate post about each one on the listing blog site.
• Put a map post showing where the home is located along with the location  of  each.  
• Each post should contain the event or location in the title.  
• After each post is published send out pings.  

It won’t take long for your signs placed at each of these major intersections to begin to show up.

Someone searches for the local mall and up pops one of your signs.   They search for the location of the golf tournament they want to attend and find one of your signs.   They start thinking, it would be nice to have a home near there.  

The Secret Sauce  

Ok everyone, here is what you have been reading all these post for.  
Here is what sets apart a Single Property Site that get found by the search engines and the ones that are created to impress the sellers.

ITS THE POSTS

I have created more than a dozen single property sites.   But about three of those sites sold before I got the site posts created.   They had pages, the blogs were active and pinged.   But they were completely invisible on the search engines.

I never see any of the sites in the search engines, even if they are live for two or three weeks without posts.   But as soon as I add posts  the site suddenly is found everywhere.

Think of it this way, if you hold an open house but don’t put out any signs, do you think people will know it is open?

The house is open.

From: Real Estate Blog Lab Single Property Sites – Pages and Posts