A new “Real Estate 2.0″ website has been launched for the Austin Real Estate Market. Powered by Realzi, the new site featuring well known Austin Realtor Gary Dolch makes searching for real estate fast, easy and intuitive for the realtor. Features that visitors can take advantage of include saved searches, send to friend, send to realtor, ask a question, schedule a viewing, RSS feeds and email updates when a new property matches a saved search criteria.

Realzi benefits for the realtor include the ability to capture and convert more leads. Real estate agents running Realzi can take action on visitor events so they can cater to their customers better than ever before. Also, the internet marketing features built into Realzi are unmatched. Realzi has unique built in search marketing and search engine optimization features found nowhere else. Realzi also offers unsurpassed social media features such as RSS syndication, integration into Facebook, integration into Twitter, listings integrated into WordPress blogs, auto-generated Craigslist property “posters” and many, many others.

Real Estate Brokers and agents interested in the Realzi search engine optimized IDX should visit the main site at http://www.realzi.com. House hunters looking for some great Austin Real Estate should visit Gary’s website at http://austin.realzi.com.

The stimulus package has been in the headlines quite a bit for the last week or so, and the Senate is expected to vote on it by the end of this week. An article at CNNMoney.com recently pointed out a provision in the proposed stimulus package: First time home buyers would get a $7,500 tax credit. This could possibly have a huge effect on the real estate industry.

Some believe this could do a lot to “jump start the moribund housing market,” says the article, with a 10% increase in home sales possible, as predicted by economists at the National Association of Realtors. This is great news for real estate, as the $7,500 tax credit may help home buyers who are on the fence decide to buy something. That 10% increase in home sales means a half million more sales.

However, not everyone would qualify for the $7,500 tax credit. There are some stipulations, such as the new home must be the primary residence of the buyer, the buyer can’t have owned  home for the past three years. There are some income limits to it as well, and the home can’t be sold for at least 36 months. To claim the credit is actually pretty simple: Buyers just have to claim in on their income tax return.

Of course, the effect this would have on the real estate industry won’t be known until it actually happens, and economists and those in the industry have opinions about whether it’ll help or do nothing.

Either way, this is a good reminder that real estate agents and brokers need to get competitive in their markets. If first time home buyers who are on the fence about buying have something like this tax credit that will convince them to act, real estate agents and brokers need more than just word-of-mouth to get those leads. And the best way to do that is by having a search engine optimized MLS website that will dominate their market.

Get competitive and get leads with an outstanding real estate website. Realzi provides IDX websites that seamlessly integrate with your existing real estate website, giving you a consistent stream of leads even when times are tough. Affordable, smart, and powerful lead-generating: That’s Realzi.

There’s a fascinating blog post up at The Notorious R.O.B. that you’ve just gotta read. It talks about a movement he’s dubbed the “Kristians,” named after Kris Berg, that basically goes a little something like this: “The Swarm,” made up of boutique firms, small independents and high-quality agents, is empowered by technology and social media that’s supplied by third-party providers.

“The Swarm” is thought to be where the future of real estate lies. Not with huge corporate brokerage firms and franchises, since they don’t provide any kind of meaningful support to the high-quality agents. This group of people does not think social media and technology is a big deal when it comes to real estate — they’re holding onto the idea that the real estate industry and how it works will always stay the same.

So the “Kristians” believe that these big brokerage firms will eventually see the light and wake up to the idea that the industry is changing and they must change with it will be the future of real estate. Once these big firms invest in the future, they’ll have a huge advantage over competitors, including “The Swarm,” both in profit and brand — and that will lead to them changing the real estate industry.

Now comes a question posed by Kris Berg herself: Up until recently, real estate professionals needed credibility and resources, and they got that by having a company brand. Working at a large firm came with desks, assistants, fax machines, phone lines, etc. But now, thanks to technology, real estate professionals can work from pretty much anywhere and can brand themselves. As people realize all of these overhead costs that come along with working in a big office aren’t needs, there will be a resistance to paying for things that aren’t necessary to stay in business. If lead generation, as Berg sees it, turns into a situation where competitors are trying to get the most leads for the largest number of agents, and more agents equals more money, where did the customer go in this equation?

It’s a great question — one that doesn’t seem to a have a simple answer and brings about some interesting debate. But one point Berg mentioned particularly caught our eye: the idea of a low-overhead brokerage model.

Realzi fits in flawlessly with the idea of a low-overhead brokerage model. With Realzi, you get lead generation at your own website, where you’re able to create a brand for yourself. You’re cutting out the unneccesary costs typically found at a big firm — secretaries, assistants, phone lines, fax machines, the list goes on — and getting right down to what will ultimately make you a successful real estate professional: a place where you create a brand, get leads and connect with customers.

The real estate industry is evolving, and you need to evolve with it. A good website with Realzi means you can attract clients who haven’t heard of you — you won’t need to rely on word-of-mouth. You’ll beat the pants off of your competition by getting your listings at the top of Google search results when someone searches for an MLS number or address, or even the phrase “buy an Austin home.” Perhaps most importantly: 87% of home buyers search for a home using the internet. Realzi helps you get found by these people. Feel free to talk to our real estate website experts for more information.