Get on the Net: Ubertor
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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11 Comment(s)
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Jim | Jul 18, 2006 | Reply
Which sites out there would you compare to Uberator? They seem to have a good product.
I am always constantly evaluating new websites providers to ensure that my business needs are being met. Finding and comparing solid website developers/hosts is a challenging task.
–Jim
realestatemarketing | Jul 18, 2006 | Reply
I have a couple more sites in mind for fuller posts, Jim. Keep your eyes peeled.. I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise!
That said. I agree with you - it’s been a lot more work that I anticipated figuring out which have a solid product and which are just hucksters. Just separating the wheat from the chaff has been a tough slog.
Finally, if anyone has a site they’d suggest I’d take a look at - please feel free to post it in the comments or email me.
Ubertor | Jul 18, 2006 | Reply
If any readers of this blog are interested in trying our system I would be pleased to setup an account for you for 30 days free to give you an opportunity to play with the system. Drop me an email and we can take it from there.
Mike Price | Jul 18, 2006 | Reply
Joel,
You’ve got quite a job on your hands. In a previous job I oversaw the development of a Realtor web site / CRM system that was branded and sold to agents and brokers by a large title company, it was WAY ahead of it’s time. Since then I’ve watched dozens of companies enter the market. I think the features that you will want to look for when making comparisons are:
-Listings Integration - IDX display etc. - Automatic import versus manual input - Can the listings be RSS’d - E-Mail Alert Notifications etc. Mapping. Enhancement tools, easily add VT’s and of Course PODCASTS (shameless plug: mlpodcast.com video podcasts) Mobile Tools etc.
-Content Quality VS Quantity - Some of the systems I see are horrible and just slap up so much useless content they become hard to look at, let alone navigate. Can the agent easily change site content to keep the site fresh.
-CRM Tools - If the agent generates a quality lead, can they use a robust back office system to manage it?
-Lead Generation Fact Vs Fiction - If you track some of the posts to Realtor message boards from time to time you will see someone ask which web site system they should switch to because the one they have isn’t generating any leads. A good system should explain how to make the proper investment (capital and human) beyond the getting the site on line to promote it correctly. A quality provider will support adwords / support for placing media buys for banners etc. across a good network of sites with a ROI tracking system
-Search Engine Mythology - This one is going to be a tough one to explain, there is so much disinformation and emphasis placed on search engines and so called “Search Engine Optimization” It’s a moving target that is only one small component of a good strategy.
-Good Traffic Analysis - Helping agents understand the traffic by providing a log reading tool that can be deciphered easily.
-Buyer’s Agents - Not all agents have listing inventories and some of these systems do not present themselves well in those situations.
-Design - In my opinion this is where 90% of the providers fail. From look and feel to navigation and beyond.
That just really scratches the surface and there isn’t a single provider that can really be all things to all agents. I’ll see if I can find our old competitive analysis matrix - It will be interesting to see how many are still alive and kicking. That was a long post reply, but the topic hit my “WayBack” button. It will be interesting to see what you come up with.
Jim | Jul 19, 2006 | Reply
Joel and Mike -
I for one am anxiously looking forward to your future posts on this subject. I would hugely appreciate a list of some vetted providers, matrix by which to evaluate … and personally, I would love to move quickly. Thank you for the information already provided.
–Jim
realestatemarketing | Jul 19, 2006 | Reply
Mike,
You hit the nail on the head in your summary. I’d only add cost to your list - their seems to a widely varying differing cost structure with many of the providers.
I’d love to see you old list. You can email it to me directly (futureofrealestate@gmail.com) or post here in the comments if you want.
Joel
Mike Price | Jul 19, 2006 | Reply
I’ll see if I can dig it out of the old dot bomb files.
MP
Joe Zekas | Jul 19, 2006 | Reply
I view the Web site you link to - Andrew Hasman - as an illustration of virtually everything that’s wrong with agent real estate marketing.
Start with the focus on the agent - and a big honking picture of him - as a near instant and near total turnoff to buyers and sellers.
Make sure that the type is small and low contrast so that no one will invest the effort in reading it.
Etc. Etc.
Where’s the value to the consumer?
Ubertor | Jul 19, 2006 | Reply
Hi Joe,
Andrew Hasman is an example of a custom site built by a 3rd party designer that runs on our Ubertor software. Every agent has their own needs and desires. There is no right or wrong. His marketing definitely works for him.
The key is our system is flexible to work with them all.
Here are some other examples of sites that run on our system:
http://www.yourlongislandhome.com - Long Island, NY
http://www.greenerhomes.ca - Vancouver, BC
http://www.johnjennings.com - West Vancouver, BC (another custom design)
http://www.jameswarren.ca - Toronto, ON
http://www.joefayner.com - Vancouver, BC
http://www.minooandmichael.com - North Vancouver, BC
http://www.yaletown-downtown-vancouver.com - Vancouver, BC
http://vincentfyip.com - San Francisco, CA
Our key is that our system is flexible. Agents can use our software to manage their website. It is integrated with many tools:
- feedburner
- google maps
- google sitemaps
- craigslist
- etc.
We can run custom designs or agents can use our templates. Our focus is getting agents online, helping them to use the internet to promote their listings (and gain listings) and educating them on what is happening in the online world of real estate. (we run training sessions as well for them, in office or in 3rd party locations - http://www.ubertor.com/events )
Michael Price | Jul 20, 2006 | Reply
Edcuating the agents and brokers is the key to any good web system. I’ve found that if you establish the expectation levels up front, you will spend considerably less time supporting things that were not part of your value proposition to start with. I have found you MUST get a comittment from the client that they will make the investments in time and capital to PROPERLY promote their site. That means tell them to run the other direction from “SEO” companies that guarantee results. Just because someone can get you to show up in the search results doesn’t mean you’re going to generate quality leads. There are so many people blasting agents with “too good to be true” propositions. No one solution is right for any agent and the providers that properly qualify the agent up front will be able to create the right calls to action to get the desired results of Quality over Quantity.
I wish Uberator and well intentioned companies like them all the luck in the world. It’s difficult market, but if you carve out the right niches you can do pretty well with it. (Just remember to tell them about MLPodcast).
P.S. I’m stlll looking for the old business plan and the CA analysis - I buried it along with the emotional scars a long time ago 
toronto real estate agents | Dec 13, 2007 | Reply
I tend to agree with Michael, regarding results, but we all know that buyers who are not form the industry or do not know much about real estate marketing will aim for the first five results, therefore companies who want better results can be understood, other question is how many clicks or what page rank will deliver leads or actual sales.