Listings Website

[Gaulkin]

Ive been thinking of opening a listings website for rentals, houses, foreclosures and such. Id like this because it will work in conjunction with my already established real estate company. The website will be the works and do everything for me. If you all could give me some advise on the path to take on this that would be great.

[David Rocci]

How do you propose to collect the data? Would it be a community driven forum? Who would be the target audience? realtors, middle men or the actual renters? investors?

Foreclosure and pre-foreclosure work requires a lot of research... realtytrac.com has a kick-butt setup for foreclosures already but maybe you could carve out a niche for specific types of foreclosures?

How would you make money on this site? Would you charge for membership? or let people post their rentals, houses for free but charge the people looking to buy? charge to list? or maybe a small transaction fee? like a web-based help-u-sell?

I think you may be on to something but these questions may help you sharpen your focus. The big portion of the bell curve is already satisfied with these broad terms but the ends of the bell curve (focused niche) can still be served.

I'm happy to act as a devil's advocate... let me know if I can be of any additional assistance. Good luck!

-dr

[Gaulkin]

No this will be a pay x amount for x amount of time and you can list your listing. It is just like all the other out there except im going to incorporate the norm plus something new with the ability to list your foreclosure.

[usakos]

Ive been thinking of opening a listings website for rentals, houses, foreclosures and such. Id like this because it will work in conjunction with my already established real estate company. The website will be the works and do everything for me. If you all could give me some advise on the path to take on this that would be great.

so, then you will compete against us, RentersQ; and also against Craigslist.org, Rent.com, ForRent.com, Yahoo Real Estate, Apartments.com, ApartmentGuide.com, Houses.com, ForSaleBuyOwner.com, homes.com, and zillions of other sites out there?

If so, welcome to the most crowded market, anywhere. But you must really do a thoroughly market research before you jump in this crowded ship, or else, poor traffic may force you to shut down before you even open it for business, unless you bring something different and better to the market.

[Gaulkin]

Read my above post, i am bring something new to the table. What industry is not filled with businesses doing the same thing? Competition is everywhere.... I am not scared to compete with other sites because i know i have the capital to compete. Ive tried finding information on this business but i cant come up with anything. Do you know where its located or what to search for?


No offense but your website is not very user friendly and i dont see anyone actually using your site. Have you made any money off of it yet? How much have you marketed?

[usakos]

Read my above post, i am bring something new to the table. I am not scared to compete with other sites because i know i have the capital to compete. Ive tried finding information on this business but i cant come up with anything. Do you know where its located or what to search for?

No offense but your website is not very user friendly and i dont see anyone actually using your site. Have you made any money off of it yet? How much have you marketed?

Then good luck my friend.

Don't worry about our site. We're doing very well and exceedingly more than we've expected it. We're doing news interview once a week, news articles about our site are popping up each week, read our news page. Another news article is coming out on Thursday in the west coast area by a major newspaper. And we just had a TV interview by a major TV News Network. And we will be at DEMO in the fall 2007, read about DEMO, and you will learn that only the best gets to participate in the DEMO conferences.

PS. We don't see anyone using your site either and we haven't read anything about your site in the news media. Or did we miss reading one of your news articles?

[Gaulkin]

lol.... there still stands the fact that there is not any listings on your website.

[usakos]

lol.... there still stands the fact that there is not any listings on your website.

what are you talking about?

[Gaulkin]

No one uses your site..... i cant find anything anywhere on there.

Ps. I dont need any stupid media "news" to make money but you apparently need alot of it to make nothing

[usakos]

No one uses your site..... i cant find anything anywhere on there.

well, based on your first posting when you first came on here, you were describing how you don't even know what it takes or cost to run a web site like this, so based on your first thread and all other subsequent questions and answers, it tells me that you don't know how to search, and if you have no clue whatsoever how even this web site works, then how can you find out or see who uses our site?

So, do you think when people use our site or any other sites that you will be able to see them while they are using it? Or did you expect that when someone creates a Record or property listing that it will be displayed by all to see? I guess you need to learn more how to search, and if you search a property listing in a certain area on our site, does not mean that there are no property listed on the site.

Our site went live on May 1, 2007, and we have over xx,xxx properties of all kinds listed in different parts of the world.

And, you're here trying to bash our site, with no cause, but did you actually read my initial reply to this thread that I simply was trying to answer your question and not trying to bash you? Or where is your animosity toward me or our site coming from?

Your first thread titled "Hello" asks questions about how to get started in property listings and my answer hence to was simply to offer help to your questions. So what's the problem with you with me or our site?

[Gaulkin]

I have no problem, i simply said "no offense and a comment" and you got pissed for no reason. Sorry if i offended you. I do know what it takes to run this kind of website money wise. My friend owns wannanetwork.com but im looking for other advice besides that.

[Gaulkin]

BTW...

your totally right, theres too much competition and no money to be made that is why im going to be making another website where there is no competition and millions to be made. Good luck with that though sorry for the flame.

[usakos]

I am always trying to be straight with everyone in all my thread replies and postings. I try not to demean anyone's business, vision, and dream, but sometimes i may be too direct and straight forward, that you may not be receptive of my criticism. But that's part of being in business, being able to accept and take the punches, good or bad, from all directions.

And that's why I said in my first reply to this thread, that if you are going to get in that line of business, online real estate property listing, then you will need to come in from a different level in order to get noticed by the masses, bringing in something unique or better than what's already out there.

Like other sites such as Zillow.com, which brought home valuations to the industry, and Redfin.com, which is redefining the online real estate agency, and that's why we are trying to do, bringing prior rental reports to the industry.

Money can be made in any industry, fierce competition is everywhere, even in what you're currently doing, flipping houses, which is also one of my specialties, but it just depends on what you're offering and how you doing things, anywhere.

But good luck to you as well.