Announcing the Launch of GeekEstate Blog!

As much as the real estate industry is based on people-to-people contact, there is no denying that technology is becoming ever more crucial for real estate professionals as a way to reach consumers and each other. With this in mind, we are proud today to announce the launch of a new technology blog that Zillow has founded — GeekEstate Blog!

As with most initiatives, this came from trying to fill a void we saw in the industry — a tech-focused resource for real estate professionals covering various technologies and how these can potentially help improve the bottom line. We wanted some way to keep track of all the technologies and trends that are rapidly occurring as more and more consumers are browsing listings on the Web, researching homes and neighborhoods, and finding real estate professionals online.

With GeekEstate Blog we hope to bring together real estate professionals and some of the key real estate technologists who serve this massive industry. Here are a few examples of subjects that may be covered:

• Should I maintain my own Web site or pay to get one built?
• What SEO tricks can I use to improve search engine rankings?
• Where do I find a freelance developer who will integrate an IDX feed into my Web site or blog?
• What are all the different Web sites that will syndicate my listings (and at what cost)?
• What are the different hosting options if I choose to manage and build my own Web site?

GeekEstate Blog is a multi-author format and is launching with seven contributors. Our kickoff team of regular contributors includes Michael Price from MLPodcast, Matt Dunlap from Realivent, Damon Pace from Incredible Agent, Brendan King from Point2, WordPress designer Cory Miller, and Steve Jagger from Ubertor. I’ll be the seventh contributor rounding out this group.

As with the Carnival of Real Estate, Zillow will play an administrative role on this blog and keep the wheels turning. We’ll also occasionally provide our own insight based on our understanding of real estate technology. Lastly, we’ll head up the process of recruiting other bloggers as contributors to continue to grow GeekEstate Blog’s reach and content.

Jump into GeekEstate Blog and let us know what you think!