Ubertor is a small Real Estate software provider based out of Vancouver, Canada that is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking a simple, all-in-one solution to get your real estate business on the Internet.
I’m in the process of researching a number of web solutions for Realtors right now for my series ‘Get on the Net’ and what struck me right away with Ubertor, despite its corny name, is that its agent sites were all extremely well designed and very functional.
In talking further with Stephen Jagger, Ubertor’s founding partner, he enlightened me that all of Ubertor’s sites are built from the ground up specifically with Google’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) requirements in mind; the emphasis here being on securing high placements in search terms over flashy gimmickry.
Now, that’s not to say that Ubertor sites aren’t nice to look at. Because they’re built in open source formats like PHP, Ruby and CSS, they’re extremely flexible and customizable. And if you want to move beyond the stock templates Ubertor provides, hand it off to a professional developer and you can get a very cool site that runs on their engine. Check out www.andrewhasman.com as an example.
Like most real estate web site providers – at its core, Ubertor allows a Realtor to add and display listings. Playing around with their system, I found it extremely easy to get my listing on the Internet. You can see the results of my efforts on the trial account that Ubertor set up for me here: www.realestate.myubertor.com
Ubertor will map your properties on a gMaps mashup, show a slideshow of your listing photos, run a virtual tour and advertise an open house. However, where it differentiates itself from their competitors is in the little details. That there is no limit as to how many photos can be uploaded per property, for example. Or that it suggests SEO heavy terms to include in your listing (e.g., Stainless Steel Appliances, Marble Countertop, etc.) and updates your page’s title tags accordingly. Or that it automatically uploads your listing to craigslist once you’ve posted it to your site.
They’ve also just rolled out a Beta feature where you can add comparables to your individual listings (depending on specific agreements with the local MLS) which gives you a very valuable tool to your clients (and a great marketing asset for you).
Ubertor offers a number of tiered packages and their middle of the road ‘Plus’ package probably offers the best deal for most agents. It runs $57 a month and includes a blog, RSS feeds and phone support.
Where Ubertor is really lacking is in its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools. There is an ability to manage leads and client contact information through the site, but it’s very limited right now. But for a Realtor who is looking for a quick, effective way to get a meaningful presence on the Internet, Ubertor is a good way to go.
Ubertor is gradually expanding its presence into the US – starting with their recent move into the Real Estate 2.0 hotbed of Seattle. It’s currently privately held.
UPDATE: As posted in the comment section, the folks at Ubertor are offering a 1 month free trial of their software to all readers of this blog.
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