Fast, Easy & Accurate. Find any listing on HAR Maps

After Microsoft launched its eighth version of Internet Explorer (IE8), we found that it was incompatible with some of the Map Search features on HAR.com.
More

Latest Tools in the Members Only Portal
As we develop and launch new member tools, we will list them in order of launch date in the Members Only Portal to promote them and help you become familiar with them.More

Just Launched

We have been promoting these tools for a month or so, and we are happy to announce that they are now available to all members.
More

We know you send out and receive tons of e-mails a day. Because sending e-mails has become more popular than mailing or faxing a letter or even making a phone call, we wanted to share a few tips on how to send a professional e-mail.More

Most creative Web sites offer some type of live chat button or link to provide a way to for visitors to ask questions or express concerns about a product or service. More

Promote your real estate activities on social networking sites
There are many social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn that have become very popular with today's online consumers.
More

You and your blogs are promoted on HAR.comMore

Get connected with Online Consumers

We have added a button under the REALTOR® Agent section of a listing’s detail page on HAR.com --- ‘Have Agent Call Back’. This new button uses Click-to-Call technology to connect you with the online consumer on HAR.com. The ‘Have Agent Call Back’ button will appear on your listings if you have opted to participate in the free LeadConnect service.
More

Create Your Blog, HAR Will Promote It

In the February issue of Houston REALTOR®, we discussed how agents can use blogs and highlighted the benefits of blogging. We have now developed a technology tool, "HAR Blog Builder”, to help members become part of the blogosphere. More

We are proud to announce the release of the newly designed and enhanced HAR Member Web Sites.More

Share the Housing Trends eNewsletter every month with your clients and prospects via e-mail to guarantee you become the source for real estate market information consumers are seeking.More

Since introducing 713-REALTOR, we have received a lot of positive feedback from our members. Members are excited about this free service and the opportunity it creates to generate leads.More

With slowing sales nationwide and more time on their hands, REALTORS® are veering towards other avenues to reach potential clients, as well as market the properties they have for sale.More

Since introducing 713-REALTOR at this year's REALTOR® Expo, we have received a lot of positive feedback from our members.
More

We have been monitoring the traffic to HAR.com during the years. The trend shows that we experience high traffic in February, and it starts to decline towards the beginning of fall.More

Your Web site Will Now Benefit from the Following Map-Based Property Search Features:
More

HAR will be introducing 713-REALTOR Property Hotline, a new and exciting service, to its members. REALTORS® will be able to add a sign rider clip to their yard signs which reads "To Hear Listing Info, Call: 713-REALTOR…" with a blank to write in the MLS number for that listing.More

More

HAR.com offers online tools that can help improve your profitability, business efficiency and customer service. And we are constantly working to offer more tools, in addition to improving existing tools, to help drive consumers to you and your listingsMore

HAR recently consolidated two of its broker Web site products, Enhanced Company Web Sites and Free Company Web sites, to offer a single FREE solution which will be called Enhanced Company Web site. As of July 1, 2008, HAR now offers free Enhanced Company Web site subscriptions to all HAR broker members.More

Online video is now a major part of our Web experience. Research firm, eMarketer Inc., estimates that 123 million Americans viewed online videos at least once a month in 2007More

To help you get started with creating your own video, we’ve made a list of simple steps you should follow.More

The demands and needs of the real estate consumer are becoming more and more diverse and sophisticated. HAR's objective is to keep pace with these consumer trends so that we may provide our members with the right tools to meet their clients' needs.More

The results of Realtor® Association Executive magazine's annual Outstanding Realtor® Association Web site competition were recently announced. HAR.com received, for the second consecutive year, the Outstanding Property Search Feature award.More

I just wanted you to know, that not a day goes by without one of my buyers or sellers telling me how great the HAR Web site is.More

Those lovely initials after our names represent proficiency in a specific area of real estate. We are all aware of the many benefits having a designation or certification brings and how important it is to increase our knowledge, regardless of how many years of experience we have. [more]More

Public MLS Web sites that promote broker listings to consumers are being hotly debated across the country. What I cannot understand is why.   [more]More

Does the new year have you asking yourself, "What will I do different in my Real Estate career for 2008"?  What about improving your member Web site to become more profitable and knowledgeable in your Real Estate Career? [more]More

Did you know that there are more than 15 billion Web pages? All of the searching and browsing results in finding lots of very useful information. Traditionally we use a bookmark or add a page to our favorites feature in Web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Firefox) when we find something of interest we would like to save or revisit at a later time. However these bookmarks are stored in your computer in your office or home, but you do not have access to those bookmarks when you are away from your computer. So the question is how can you access those bookmarks anywhere you are? There is a way. [more...]More

The most important function of HAR.com is to generate and deliver, without encumbrance, leads for its members. HAR.com strives to ensure this important function by incorporating and enhancing search engine optimization of HAR.

 

The first step in the implementation of this objective called for the identification of the most relevant keywords specific to the real estate industry but limiting those keywords to geographical areas within the greater Houston area. Staff researched what words appear to be successful as Meta tags using tools such as Google Suggest and reviewing top real estate portals. Below is the list of keywords:   [more...]More

Text messaging supersedes the traditional e-mail

In a day and age where we cannot obtain information fast enough, plain old e-mails have become the new snail mail, and text messaging has become the fastest way to contact someone.More

Many companies are expanding their Web presence to include those users accessing the Internet via mobile devices. More and more, we're seeing companies advertising to the consumer that their site is compatible for mobile devices.More

Surfing online has become much easier with high-speed connections, simple Internet setups, and wireless access, but online safety has become anything but simple. Protecting your personal and/or business information is now a big concern for all online users.More

After a brief absence (to some it seemed eternal), HAR School Finder is now available on HAR.com. Unfortunately, after the attack on HAR.com, School Finder had to be developed in a new programming language to meet our new security standards.More

According to The 2005 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 93 percent of buyers considered responsiveness a very important quality that they looked for in a real estate agent.  To help our members meet this need, we created the LeadCall system, a lead notification system that sends alerts to listing agents of leads generated on HAR.com via the telephone.  By instantly notifying the listing agent of the lead by telephone, we prevent our members from having to wait to view their leads until they check their e-mail, hence allowing them to respond to the consumer as quickly as possible. More

Whether enhancing your business potential through technology training, designation courses for GRI, CRS, CBR, MCE, or HARPRO for new agents and unlicensed assistants, HAR brings you excellent professional development opportunities so that you can expand and grow your business. HAR has a vast array of educational courses designed for everyone from the computer whiz to the technophobe.More

Long gone are the days when people picked up a book for information or skimmed the classifieds for bargains. We now have the world at our fingertips thanks to search engines like Google and portals like eBay. With consumers searching the Internet for everything from vintage furniture to property values, HAR strives to provide innovative tools to help its members provide consumers with what they're looking for. One of those innovative tools is HAR's Neighborhood Information Finder which caters to the consumer's needs by providing real estate information pertinent and relevant to home buying and home selling.More

What consumers want

Wish you could get inside the heads of your customers to find out what they really want from their loan providers? As many broker-owners know, if you want to grow your business, you need to forget about what the loan officer, lender or agent wants for himself. The focus needs to be on the consumer. Read on for the details of a new consumer survey that gives valuable insights into how you can become an invaluable mortgage provider.

ADVERTISEMENT

More

With the Internet, today’s online consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in regards to obtaining the information they want.  Search engines offer all type of options to make your search results more relevant and accurate.  In terms of real estate, "home value” seems to be the most sought after information.  According to a survey conducted, obtaining home value and property tax information is a top priority for online real estate consumers. To offer this information to consumers, HAR.com has revamped an already popular tool - Home Value Finder.More

The demands and needs of the real estate consumer are becoming more and more diverse and sophisticated.  HAR’s objective is to keep pace with these consumer trends so that we may provide our members with the right tools to meet their clients’ needs.  One of our goals for 2006 is to meet this challenge through the development and incorporation of two new consumer tools.  These tools are Senior Living Finder and Master Planned Communities.More

Today's Web mapping phenomenon is impacting how consumers view information online.  Map searching has become one of the top online activities in the United States and according to Nielsen NetRatings, "Online map usage has increased 60 percent world wide."   The significant elevation in public awareness of this technology has also shown the public that maps can be useful and fun.  This is mainly due to mapping applications offered to online consumers by market leaders such as Yahoo, MSN, Google and many more.More

Imagine, if you will, going to your favorite store, buying items, putting them in a shopping cart, and then going through each of the aisles adding and removing items as you please. HAR.com has taken this simple concept a step further by creating a new tool called "MyCart," which will provide a new shopping experience.More

As summer vacation nears its end and kids anxiously await the new school year, a question many home buyers are asking their Realtor® is "what school will my child be zoned to if I purchase this property?"More

HAR is proud to introduce its latest technology tool "LeadConnect". The new lead management tool is an enhancement of HAR's LeadCall tool. LeadConnect allows consumers to be connected over the phone with the listing agent as soon as a lead is generated on HAR.com whereas LeadCall simply delivers an audio message of a lead via the telephone.More

Every year, NAR hosts a Realtor® Association Outstanding Web Site Contest. Each Web site that enters the contest is evaluated on many factors, including organization, content, aesthetics and ease of use. Judges also take into consideration association size and staff. This fifth annual competition, sponsored by Realtor® Association Executive magazine, recognizes associations that use their Web sites to deliver outstanding service and valuable information to members and consumers.More

HAR has added a link to the menu in the Members Only Portal that includes documentation for members to learn more about the recent changes to the Members Only Portal.More

There are lots of places you can spend your money buying leads for your business. Some companies are selling zip codes and then limiting the number of leads you can get for your dollar. Some are charging monthly fees plus a 35 percent referral fee.More

Find out what one member has to say about HAR.com…More

Find out what one of our readers has to say about the 5 Minute Realtor…More

HAR always keeps a close ear to the street to ensure that it is providing its members with the latest and most innovative technology to help them achieve ongoing profitability.More

With more than 85 percent of all new visitors to a Web site originating from major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and others, it is essential that every business implement a search engine marketing campaign that allows their customers to find them.More

To minimize the number of junk leads generated on HAR.com, HAR added a feature to HAR's Lead Manager called "Spam Report Card." Spam Report Card gives members the control to immediately report potential spam by the click of a button, while checking e-mail leads via HAR Lead Manager.More

HAR proudly presents a set of new tools for agents to use on their Web sites. These tools include Home Value, Highrise Finder, Custom Featured Listings and Links for My Web Site.

More

Soon after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, the Houston Association of REALTOR® partnered with organizations like the Houston Area Urban League, KPRC-TV Channel 2, Houston Bar Association and others in helping with housing needs of the victims.More

With millions of home buyers and sellers already online, now is the perfect time to reach out to them with search advertising. And when we think of the word "search" there is a subliminal correlation between "search" and "Google" in our minds.More

Today's online consumer demands and expects service providers or professional Web sites to offer more extensive, current, relevant and meaningful information.  Real estate professionals must take this online consumer behavior into account when developing an online marketing strategy and also focus on delivering a consumer-centric...

More

"I strongly recommend using HAR.com over personal Web sites, because the HAR site is a free service to members and has every consumer tool imaginable.
More

HAR.com has a wealth of resources for your use that can help improve your profitability and customer service. And we are constantly working to create more tools, in addition to improving existing tools, to help drive consumers to your listings.More

HAR is proud to introduce its latest innovative technology – LeadCall. "LeadCall" is offered by the Houston Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®. LeadCall notifies you of your HAR.com leads by sending them to your phone.

More

Don't believe everything you read, including false security alerts from "Microsoft." F-secure, a security firm, reports that a fake Microsoft security update announcement is being spammed widely.More

Sorting through all of the junk e-mail in your inbox is a task in itself. Making sure you don't delete or miss any legitimate leads or e-mails blocked by anti-spam software is an even greater undertaking.More

Keller Williams Realty - Memorial "set the stage" for the latest edition of Project: Sold on Safety. The local firm hosted the seminar to continue encouraging local REALTORS® to keep their safety in mind while conducting business. 

More

Thank you for providing a quick and easy process for applying to the Houston Association of REALTORS®. Our company, Tranzon VenueBid, is a national real estate auction firm and new to HAR. The online application process took less than 10 minutes to complete and provided good instructions to complete the MLS application. More

Leads generated on HAR.com range from MLS listings to simple inquiries from Member Web sites. Many members think that the only leads that are delivered to them are leads generated from their listings on HAR.com.More

What is missing here? You are! Do you have a recent success story regarding HAR.com? If so, we want to hear about it.More

Are You Receiving Them?

It has become increasingly clear that more and more consumers are beginning the real estate transaction on the Internet, with 74 percent of all home buyers using the Internet for their home search, according to the 2004 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

More

Here is a quick quiz for you.

What do most children do when they get home from school?
A) Watch TV
B) Do their homework
C) Go outside to play
D) Find a new house for their family on HAR.com

More

I was absolutely addicted to your Web site during our home hunting.  The bookmark feature was particularly helpful, and I was able to add and delete accordingly.

More

Have you been searching for a way to improve your company's Web site? Have you been trying to figure out how to drive consumers to your company's Web site? Need more content for your Web site? Well, look no more.More

A potential out-of-state buyer e-mailed me from my MLS Listing on HAR.com and I followed up immediately.More

Part of choosing the right home is choosing the right neighborhood. Many homeowners seek out a neighborhood that offers the most essential features families need – a proximity to schools, jobs, friends and family.More

An increasing number of potential homeowners are turning to the Internet to shop for their dream home. To attract consumers to member REALTORS, HAR.com displays Multiple Listing Service data enabling consumers to shop from more than 40,000 properties and choose from more than 19,000 member REALTORS. HAR.com received more than three billion hits for all of 204 resulting in countless leads for local REALTORS.
More

All of HAR's members know that one of the best and most useful benefits provided by HAR is the free member Web sites.

More

I've decided to focus on simpler and more achievable New Year's resolutions this year. I want to make resolutions that could actually make me money and make the business of brokerage a little more pleasant. .

More

"My wife and I are trying to give our broker direction as to where we want to buy. So we heard about HAR.com.

More

Just to let you know, the HAR.com Web site is fantastic. I am relocating to Houston from overseas and have been using HAR for the past three months as I research...

More

Since we have updated the format of our Web site and made it more buyer friendly, I have closed seven leads/transactions from HAR.com this year alone.More

Billions of spam e-mails are sent each day - two for every person on the planet, according to one study. It wouldn't be so bad if it were only two a day. But the reality is that mailboxes are cluttered with dozens of unsolicited e-mails each day.More

Downtown Houston is prepared for the second stage of its redevelopment boom.  This boom actually started in the late ‘90s, but the economic downturn in 2001 put the renaissance of downtown on hold for a few years.More

By now you’ve probably become accustomed to seeing the new and improved Members Only Portal when you log on to HAR.com. If not, then you don’t know what you’re missing.More

We have been posting all of our open houses at HAR.com and are happy to report that at least 30 percent of our visitors have found the open house on the web prior to venturing out to tour open houses.More

"The Success and the City section sounds like just the right thing to help a new REALTOR like myself...More

HAR regularly receives positive comments about how HAR.com has helped REALTORS®' businesses across the region, but now it's your turn.More

As businesses and economies move toward total globalization, we find that information, particularly personally identifiable information, is a very valuable commodity and becoming more important every day.More

The agent searches in Tempo and consumer searches on the Internet have caused me to  rethink the pricing of listings. It is not a new concept, but rather one to reconsider in light of "change." More

Innovative. Groundbreaking. Cutting edge. The best in the country. WOW! Is there any doubt as to what I am referring? HAR.com, of course.
More