Realtor.com® has launched a new feature that narrows buyers’ home search down to neighborhoods that include certain elementary, middle, or high schools. House hunters can now enter the name of a school into a search box on the website and view a map with a pin that shows the school name and location along with homes for sale nearby.“Searching for homes by school has been the top requested feature by our users, and it showcases the im
According to a survey conducted in 2016, Google Maps is by far the most popular mapping app among smartphone users (Android owners prefer it by 78 percent and iPhone users by 69 percent). And there's a special program that offers real estate professionals and others the opportunity to boost their presence on this platform, known as Google Local Guides.Victor Lund, cofounder of real estate consulting company WAV Group, offers step-by-step instr
Excess heat emanating from computers is usually seen as a bad sign. It’s a good sign, however, for Dutch startup Nerdalize, which plans to use this heat for home energy.In August, Nerdalize plans to heat 42 Dutch homes using excess energy from in-home computer servers. Customers can pay Nerdalize to install a server in their home and use the server’s excess heat to warm the home for free—all while Nerdalize makes money selling server space
YouTube released a new virtual reality video format called VR180 that could pave the way for the future of viewing property listings. The VR format uses 180-degree video but in stereoscopic 3-D—the picture appears wider than normal while providing more depth and height. If a client using this VR format turns around, however, they’ll just see black instead of the continuous imagery found in 360-degree virtual reality.“There’s no ne
Energy-efficient homes built too tightly have building experts warning about the potential health impact on owners. A home sealed efficiently can be great for reducing heating and cooling costs and managing its environmental impact. But the home itself still needs to breathe, some experts warn.“Many homeowners are now having trouble with their more tightly built houses because the homes lack the ventilation necessary to get the stale insi
The paint on the wall may soon be a source of energy for a home. Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, say “solar paint” will be available to homeowners in the next few years.It’s a sunlight-absorbing paint developed by RMIT researchers that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air. Even a brick wall could potentially be turned into an energy-harvesting form of real estate, says lead researcher Torben Daene
Forbes columnist Jayson DeMers offers the following tips to get more visibility from your social media posts, maximize your outreach, and increase your followers.Leverage influencers: Get people who already have high visibility on social media to share your posts. Target influencers within the industry and offer to collaborate with them on content, or find a way to get them to mention you to their network. Avoid asking for handouts or favors. You
Apple wants to help curtail distracted driving, which is what’s behind its latest feature that will block texts and other news alerts while you’re driving. The “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature will be added to iPhones this fall as part of Apple’s iOS 11, the latest version of operating software for the company's mobile devices. Users can choose to disable the feature.Here’s how it works: When your phone is connected to a car u
Social media remains a central focus for businesses looking to reach new and old customers online, according to a survey of 376 business professionals about their strategies with online marketing.Facebook still dominates among industries, with 88 percent of survey respondents saying they turn to that network to promote their brands. Marketers also are growing more satisfied with Facebook ads for outreach. The number of participants using Facebook
If you're not careful about how you respond to clients over email, you could risk losing contracts, damaging your reputation, and even being sued for breach of confidentiality. Forbes.com offers some of the following tips to avoid PR nightmares and liability offenses with your email behavior.Beware of hitting the “reply all” button. If you’re responding to multiple contacts, delete the email thread history in your message to avoid potential
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