REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY 2.0

Yesterday, I posted an article to my ActiveRain blog entitled "Stop Annoying Your Facebook Connections - Use SeeMyListings.com to Place Your Listings on Your Profile Page."  It was a pretty simple post.  It described how you could use the www.SeeMyListings.com widget from the National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com to place your listings on your Facebook profile page and eliminate or at least reduce those "just listed" type status updates that can be annoying to friends, family and colleagues on social networking sites. 

The response from AR members and subscribers to my AR and outside AR blogs was positive with most comments being something along the lines of "Thanks... I didn't know that about the listing widget."  Given these comments, I posted the article as a link in a status update on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  Again, I received positive comments so I also posted to several LinkedIn groups.  Again, 99% of the responses were extremely positive.  In the NAR LinkedIn group, it seemed to provoke a storm of protests from the self-proclaimed "social media police" and "social media gurus."  It seemed odd for two separate reasons:  first, the listing widget was created by Realtor.com for use by Realtors, and, second, it was intended to allow Realtors to show their listings without bombarding or annoying their "friends" on Facebook with listing information.  Realtor.com has held tech seminars around the country this year and the listing widget has been offered in these seminars as a preferred method of presenting listings over repetitive status updates.  Nevertheless, the discussion posted to the NAR LinkedIn group seemed to be controversial.

Here are a few of the comments that I wanted to share from the LinkedIn discussion:

• It always bothers me when people continue to use social media to do sales. The reason social media has evolved is because people are tired of traditional sales and advertising practices. Consumers look to their inner circle for trusted influencers. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn are all places to network, be social and expand one's influence by providing value, not flashing your business card and homes for sale in everyone's face... Spamming these sites doesn't help the agent who has the listing. It harms them. I unfollow, block and basically turn a blind eye to their listing spam and them.  It's an indication of a lack of understanding the simple basics of social networking.
• OK go ahead and post your widget. Turn FB into a marketing site. My point is the origin of social networking is exactly NOT about what you are doing. It is repeating the same repulsive behavior that has been annoying us on TV, the radio and in print media. The consumer is sick of being SOLD. They want to connect with a trusted advisor they find personally or comes recommended to them. I can see your point about having the widget on the profile. Of course since FB is a walled garden, only your friends can see your widget. Tell me this, what is the point? If it doesn't get traffic why bother?  I prefer not to risk being put in the same class as spammers and that is what it is to me when you put ads on a social networking site. 
• I agree with Xxxxxx, FB is not for listings. You can go ahead and post them there, but I will remove anyone from my "favorite" friends list and move them to the "other" list that I rarely if ever review. If you would like to post an interesting article, with a link to your listing, then that would be much better. For example, I posted regarding investment property. I posted it to FB and got quite a few visits back to my site. An alternative is to set up a business FB page, then let people that want those ads to become a fan. When Realtors complain about your postings, that is a good sign to back off on sending those. Use an email broadcast, much better.
• I am glad that I will never see your advertising because I will never visit your profile.
  Facebook is for social-media and not for your listings, but I believe that has been mentioned to you on the above posts.

Now, I actually respect the commentator who made the first two comments.  However, I fundamentally disagree with her position.  Here are a few points to consider:

• Opt-In Procedures:  Unlike e-mail marketing suggested by one of the commentators above, most social networking sites (including Facebook and LinkedIn) are opt-in, permission based sites.  That is, your connections or friends on these sites have to accept you before they receive any communications(status updates or other items) from you.  If you overstep the bound or unwritten rules of the sites, people will simply opt-out.
• Passive Nature of Profiles:  Unlike status updates, posting listings using the listing widget on your Facebook profile or using Slideshare.net or Box.net on your LinkedIn profile doesn't post or send any announcement to your connections or friends.  It is passive in nature and is accessed only by someone who is looking at or reading your profile. 
• Distinctions between Permission Based Advertising and Spam:  Use of the listing widget isn't "spamming."  By definition, "spam" is an unsolicited, commercial communication.  In the case of the listing widget, it isn't unsolicited because the friend or connection has opt-ed into your network.  In addition, it isn't even a communication.  There is no e-mail, notification, etc. sent or posted.  That said, the person must actually go to your profile to take a look at your listings.
• Uses of Listing Widget:  The listing widget is an important tool.  The ability to show potential clients your current listings can bolster your expertise and credibility.  If you sell a particular neighborhood or have a narrow field of expertise, the listing widget allows friends and connections who are potential clients to see the number of listings, price ranges, types of housing, etc. which can be effectively used to enhance your status as a neighborhood expert or  specialist.

Some members of social networks want to preserve social networks as a pristine, commercial-free playground of thought and discussion.  In reality, LinkedIn and Facebook are or at least can be powerful marketing tools when used right.  The fact that businesses are actively promoting their presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter is a pretty good sign of the marketing potential held by these sites. 

Oddly, I don't disagree with the underlying premise of the comments above - that is, ad and marketing machines on social networking sites aren't effective.  However, I don't view a listing widget on your Facebook page as contaminating or fundamentally changing the social nature of sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook.  When I look at most profiles on Facebook, I often see a link to one's website.  The website is typically their company website or personal business website.  My question is:  Is using a listing widget on one's Facebook profile really any different than having a Facebook profile with a link to a person's business website?

The Marketing Machine - Annoying your Friends, Family and Other Members of Your Social Network

Social networking sites such as Facebook can be great tools for keeping in touch with members of your sphere of influence.  Keeping your friends and family informed of your professional interests is an appropriate use of social networking sites.  However, there is a fine line between sharing your professional insights and experiences on social networking sites and using social networking sites as an advertising and marketing machine.  For those new to social networking sites, it is easy to take the wrong approach to social networking by blasting your listing information repeatedly to your connections. 

Use SeeMyListings.com Widget to Place Your Listings on Your Facebook Profile

For Facebook users, there is now a simple solution.  Use the listing widget provided by the National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com to place your listings on your Facebook profile.  Here are the steps:

Step 1 - Go to www.SeeMyListings.com.

Step 2 - Click on "Add My Listings.

Step 3 - Log on to your Facebook account.

Step 4 - Enter your MLS provider and user name.

Step 5 - Click on "Add to Profile" or "Update Listings."

In a few simple steps, you are able to automate the addition of your listings to your Facebook profile.  Given the number of Realtors who I am connected to on Facebook who aren't using this feature, I thought I would post this this short how-to post to get them motivated.  Five easy steps to get your listings on Facebook without annoying your friends, family and even colleagues.

BLOGGING AS AN INTERNET MARKETING STRATEGY

When it comes to building an internet marketing presence, real estate agents should have a multi-prong strategy that includes a brokerage website, an agent website, a blog, listing feeds to search portal sites, participation in forums, and social networking sites.  Despite the growing popularity of blogging as a marketing tool by businesses generally, real estate agents still appear to be reluctant to embrace blogging as a marketing strategy to build their internet presence.  In the 2009 NAR Technology Survey, 8% of Realtors viewed "blogging" as "important" for generating leads whereas 20% of Realtors viewed "blogging" as "unimportant". 

WHY BLOGGING DOESN'T GENERATE LEADS (FOR SOME)?

So, why are Realtors so reluctant to embrace blogging as an internet marketing strategy?  In speaking at sales meetings at brokerages in the St. Louis area, I often receive two common responses to this question:

• Category 1:  I often get comments that seem to indicate that real estate agents are intimidated by blogging.  The comments range from "I don't write well..." to "I don't have any great insights to offer" to "I don't have time to write articles" to "I don't know where to start" to "My broker doesn't provide us with a blogging platform."  
• Category 2:  I often get comments that bluntly claim that "blogging" simply doesn't work.  Often, these comments start with "I tried it for a month..." and end with "it didn't generate any leads or income." 

There is often a common thread to these discussions.  In both cases, the failure to start blogging and the failure to continue blogging often is directly related to the failure to develop a blogging strategy, the failure to identify your target audience, and the failure to write dynamic posts.  Add into the mix the use of an inferior blog platform, the failure to understand keywords and the basics of search engine optimization, the failure to integrate your blog into your other marketing plans, lack of commitment, and poor execution - and you have a pretty good recipe for a disastrous, time wasting experience with blogging.

WHAT BLOG POSTS GENERATE LEADS?

Now, after my first 12 months of blogging, I decided to look back upon my 400 blog posts in an attempt to determine what topics seemed to generate views and comments, what topics seemed to elicit a comment or inquiry, and what topics seemed to generate traffic to my website, active leads and even commission income.  In conducting this unscientific review, there seemed to be certain categories that generated more interest.  However, interest in the form of comments and business generated from the post often were not mutually exclusive or even related.  Some of my posts that received few or even no comments often were the posts that generated substantial or meaningful traffic to my website, active leads and even commission.

So, after reviewing my posts, I found that almost all of my posts could be placed in one or more of the following categories:

• #1 - HyperLocal Neighborhood Posts:  These posts focus on a single city, neighborhood or even street and ranged from market reports and available properties to neighborhood news and events.  Often, these posts received the fewest number of comments.  However, these posts generated the most inquiries, leads and income.
• #2 - Market Reports - These posts focus on market statistics ranging from single year reports to ten year summaries on existing home sales, housing starts, and more.  These posts generated the least number of comments but delivered the most traffic to our website.
• #3 - Legislative/Regulatory Update Posts:  These posts focus on regulatory and legislative issues on national, state and local levels and ranged from annual legislative updates to commentary on pending legislative proposals to summaries of current regulatory changes - particularly related to FannieMae and FHA lending guidelines.  Often, these posts had the largest number of comments which developed into a healthy debate on the issues at hand.  Although these posts didn't seem to interest consumers in general, the posts did generate interest from other real estate professionals - particularly on LinkedIn Groups.
• #4 - Business Profile Posts:  These posts focus on restaurant reviews, profiles of neighborhood businesses and an occasional interview with a neighborhood leader.  These posts provided some of greatest exposure for our brokerage.  More importantly, these posts developed relationships resulting in some joint marketing and referral business and enhanced our reputation as neighborhood specialists.  Also, these posts served as good content for customers who were relocating to the neighborhoods that we serve.  
• #5 - "How to" Instructional Posts:  These posts focus on sales training, technology, and social networking sites.  Often, these were multi-part series.  These posts were the most highly read by my own agents, assisted in the recruitment of new agents, and resulted in a number of speaking engagements with professional associations, civic groups, and other real estate brokerages, title companies, and other real estate professionals.  These posts served as great introductions to other real estate professionals in the area.
• #6 - Research Posts:  These posts were based on real estate related research studies conducted on a range of issues.  Often, these posts were related to current events or trends and included commentary that often generated widely divergent opinions on the validity of the studies, missing data, etc.  These posts generated interviews and inquiries from journalists.
• #7 - Either/Or Posts:  These posts were generally designed to compare and contrast particular services, loan programs, etc.  These posts didn't seem generate too many inquires but were well received by existing customers and clients.
• #8 - Reblog or Link Posts:  These posts were often used because of time constraints, involved a specialized field, or were just so well-written that they needed to be disseminated to my readers in their original form.
• #9 - Lists/Best Of Posts:  These posts focus on top or best of lists prepared by national news magazines, foundations, etc.  It is difficult to determine the impact of these posts had - except that they promoted the areas that we serve.
• #10 - Best Practice Posts:  These posts generally started as "rants" and were often toned down after further reflection.  Occasionally, these were direct or indirect responses to other posts read on a specific issue.  Although these posts weren't intended to generate direct business, these posts were extremely effective in explaining our business philosophy and practices.
• #11 - Motivational Posts:  These posts were often focused on staying motivated in a down market.  Again, they didn't seem to generate much business.  However, often they were the most enjoyable to write and were often used in connection with sales meetings.
• #12 - Satire Posts:  These posts were intended to highlight specific positions and to tell a story using a combination of humor and sarcasm.
• #13 - Informational Posts:  These posts generated a good deal of non-real estate related business and often suffered from being too technical or too long.  However, these posts used hypothetical situations to describe how such situations and issues could or should be addressed.  The posts often explained our approach and problem solving skills.
• #14 - Video/Photo Posts:  These posts generated occasional requests for re-use of the photos.  If we were grading these posts, we would probably give it an incomplete.  Too few posts to truly get a good read on the impact that they could have.
• #15 - Listings Posts:  These posts were difficult to track when using Html from other sources.  When the posts were based on direct content as opposed to html code, the posts improved our placement for select keywords on Google search results. 
• #16 - Public Service Announcements:  These posts were intended solely to show support for a particular issue.  Often, they were only tangentially related to real estate.  However, they were intended and received as "we care about you" statements. 

So, before you say blogging doesn't work, first answer this question:  Did you post original content for a clearly defined audience with a good value proposition and a concise call to action that offered a personal insight, a tangible benefit for the reader, or an interesting, unusual or controversial slant on a current event or issue?  If you can't answer "yes", then the blogging experiment may have failed because of poor execution or planning and not because blogging is "unimportant" as a marketing tool.

If you are a real estate professional and are new to blogging, the time is now to sign-up for an ActiveRain blog.  There is no better real estate community or more supportive blog platform to learn the basics of blogging and discover some great tips on how to make blogging work for you and your business.

Need a speaker to discuss the blogging and lead generation for real estate professionals?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Looking to sell a condominium or townhome for sale in the Gaslight Square neighborhood of the Central West End? 

PREA Signature Realty just LISTED and SOLD this townhome at 4127 Westminster Place in the Gaslight Square neighborhood of the Central West End in 72 hours for 99% of the list price.  So, how did it sell so fast?  It was a combination of an aggressive pricing strategy, use of video and social networks to market the property, and use of our database to get the word out.

PRICING STRATEGY:  To start the process, we searched the MLS for active listings, pending sales, closed sales and expired listings.  We used the closed sales as a guide to the price range.  We then used the other active listings to position our sale in the range.  Contrary to poplular practice, we didn't simply let the seller set an optimistic price on the hope and belief that someone would fall in love with the property and make an offer.  We positioned the price of the listing $4,000 and $13,000 respectively under other properties listed for sale in the same development.  Here are some of the facts and figures:

Now, there are two important things to notice here.  Pricing the property results in a quick sale - this property sold after 3 days on market.  Similarly, it garnered immediate interest from multiple parties based on the value proposition created by pricing the property below the other 2 active listings in the neighborhood.  The interest garnered resulted in a substantially shorter number of days on market and a sales price that was above average both in terms of the neighborhood and the specific development.

HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKS:  Now, others may disagree.  However, we have found that the internet, social networks and e-Blasts get the word out quickly about properties we have listed for sale.  So, in this case, we moved quickly to get information about the listing out to the public, prior customers, prospects and members of our sphere of influence.  Here is the timeline:

• Listing Agreement was signed on September 21, 2009 at 6 p.m.
• Video presentation was prepared and uploaded to YouTube.com on September 21, 2009 at 10 p.m. and sent out via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and 40 other social networks.
• Blog post was uploaded to ActiveRain.com on September 22, 2009, at 12:30 a.m. and sent out via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
• E-mail was sent to database of 1700 prospects on September 22, 2009, at 1:00 a.m.
• Property was entered into MLS on September 22, 2009, at 2 a.m.
• Tweetlister posted property on Twitter.com on September 22, 2009 at 4 a.m.

In less than 12 hours, we already had 4 showings scheduled for the property.  However, it is interesting where the listing was actually viewed.

• MLS:  8 Public Views / 39 Agent Views
• Point2Agent:  87 Public Views
• Company Website:  25 Views
• Craigslist:  Unknown Views
• Backpage: Unknown Views
• YouTube: 49 Views 
• ActiveRain:  85 Views  
• Twitter:  42 Views
• Tweetlister:  25 Views
• Facebook: 11 Views
• LinkedIn:  42 Views
• E-Blast: 62 Views
• Hot Sheet E-Blast:  43 Views

 Putting it in another perspective, here is a source of views by type of medium:

• Websites - 159 Views
• Social Networks - 127 Views
• E-Mails - 105 Views

So, in this case, I can't say the blogging and social networks are the best tools for selling homes.  However, I can say that this listing had good and immediate exposure to the public based on the use of our blogs and social networks.  3 of the first 4 showings were generated through Twitter, ActiveRain, and our YouTube channel.  Only 1 of the 4 showings was from the MLS.  Interestingly, the purchasers first viewed the property on ActiveRain and YouTube before it even appeared in their private MLS portal search.

MESSAGE TO THOSE AGENTS SKEPTICAL OF BLOGGING AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

Now, I am not going to say that blogs and social networks sell homes.  Without a good marketing plan, an aggressive pricing strategy and a bit of hardwork, I doubt that a home will sell quickly or at a premium price with or without the use of blogs and social networks.  However, I can say that social networking, blogging, YouTube videos and e-blasts each contributed to this sale and are additional tools to be used in marketing a home for sale.  In the past year, this is the fourth sale that was driven by or at least received an assist from a post to ActiveRain that was then disseminated via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networking sites. 

Interested in selling your townhome or condominium in St. Louis with a brokerage commited to harnessing the power of the internet and social networks to maximize the sales price for your home and minimize the days on market?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381.

Old maps of St. Louis Missouri are available online from the U.S. Library of Congress.  I don't know when or how I became fascinated by the old historical maps of St. Louis, Missouri.  It may have been the World Book Encyclopedias or National Geographic.  Or, it may have been the look and feel of the art work associated with the maps. However, I am definitely hooked and have even purchased a few while traveling - another addiction of sorts.

Since school is back in session, I thought I would share with you a free site from the U.S. Government that acts as a clearinghouse for educational resources available from Federal agencies - Free Resources for Educational Excellence.  It includes a series of topics of interest to students at various educational level grouped by topic.  Or, you can view topic by medium such as source documents, video, photographs, and animations.

Interested in discovering a new home in old St. Louis?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.  Or, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com.

"Blogging for Business" is a presentation designed for use by small real estate brokerages and individual agents to introduce agents to the use of a real estate oriented ActiveRain blog to generate referrals, develop leads and promote listings.

The presentation may be used with attribution.  Additional materials are available for use in connection with presentation including a 2009 Blogging Plan.  For more information on this presentation, contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realy at 314-971-4381 or visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com.

VistaPrint offers a great product at a low price.  However, VistaPrint doesn't want you to take their word for it.  Each month, VistaPrint offers a number of free products on a rotating basis.  This month's lineup inlcudes:

• 250 Business Cards
• 1 Self-inking Stamper
• 1 Logo Pen
• 1 Car Magnet

The initial price for these items from VistaPrint can't be beat - FREE.  Now, if you want additional options, VistaPrint offers several upgrade options for each item such as additional items, different sizes, different ink colors, custom designs, express shipping and other options.  Although we ordered the free items with regular shipping, VistaPrint shipped the items to us in three business days.  If you are looking for free or low costs marketing items, VistaPrint provides a nice starter kit of materials. 

Interested in learning more about low cost technology tools to use in your real estate business?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381.  Or, visit the Technology Toolbox at www.PREASignatureRealty.com.

Incoming Washington University and St. Louis University Students Prepare for Dorm Life with DesignYourDorm.com.  For incoming students, the first day (including moving into your door room) can be stressful.  DesignYourDorm.com makes the transition from family life to dorm life in four easy steps:

Step 1 - Create a 3-D Model of Your Dorm Room.  DesignYourDorm.com has loaded templates for many universities broken down by dormitory name, hall, and even room.

Step 2 - Select Furniture, Appliances, and Other Personal Items for Your Dorm Room.  DesignYourDormRoom.com in partnership with Amazon.com has preloaded a series of common products for student dorm rooms.  Select the items. place in dorm room by dragging and dropping into place, and create a shopping list for dorm room items to be purchased. 

Step 3 - Collaborate or Share Room Design and Shared-Use Personal Items with Your Roommate.  Avoid duplicated effort by sharing your list of appliances, furniture, etc. with your roommate.

Step 4 - Compare Your Shopping List with the Move-In Checklist to Make Sure No Personal Items are Missed.

Step 5 - Purchase Personal Items from Amazon.com and Ship Directly to the University.  Eliminates the need for a U-Haul truck to make the move from family life to dorm life.

Student Housing Information:

If you are an incoming student at Washington Universty or St. Louis University, PREA Signature Realty can assist to locate student housing for sale or for rent.  For more information on student housing, click on Student Housing Rentals or Student Housing for Sale (1BR / 2 BR).  Or, contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

About St. Louis:

Need more information on St. Louis and its neighborhoods?  Visit our website www.PREASignatureRealty.com or click on City Neighborhoods or St. Louis Relocation Guide (includes links to area attractions, entertainment, restaurants, events ranging from art to sports and more). 

America has always been infatuated with the automobile from Sunday family drives to college road trips.  As Summer winds down and the kids get ready to go back to school, it is time for one last Summer road trip.  Don't have the time?  Then simply take a Sunday drive and visit some of the unique, offbeat and simply odd roadside attractions throughout America.

Need some ideas for your road trip?  Roadside America  bills itself as the "Online Guide to Off-Beat Tourist Attractions" and the website doesn't disappoint.  The site offers lists of roadside attractions, interactive maps of roadside attractions, reviews of recent road trips, and even photographs and video.

Here is a list of roadside attractions in the St. Louis area:

• City Museum, 701 N. 15th, St. Louis, MO, (<1 mi. away)
• Wax Museum of St. Louis, 720 North Second St, St. Louis, MO, (<1 mi. away)
• Dental Health Theatre, 727 N. First St., St. Louis, MO, (<1 mi. away) 
• Giant Soda Bottle, 1270 N. 6th St., St. Louis, MO, (<1 mi. away) 
• Giant Cherokee Indian, 3399 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO, (~3 mi. away)
• Giant Dinosaur, 5050 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO, (~4 mi. away) 
• Giant Concrete Turtle Park, 6401 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO, (~5 mi. away) 
• Christman Studio and Sculpture Park, 6014 Kingsbury Ave., St. Louis, MO, (~6 mi. away) 
• Animatronic Ben Franklin, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, (~6 mi. away) 
• Cheshire Lodge - Theme Rooms, 6300 Clayton Rd, St. Louis, MO, (~6 mi. away)
• Another Robert Wadlow Giant Shoe, 2721 Madison Ave., Granite City, IL, (~7 mi. away)
• National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, 442 S. De Mazenod Drive, Belleville, IL, (~8 mi. away)
• Big Shoe Made of Shoes, 8300 Maryland Avenue, Clayton, MO, (~8 mi. away) 
• Big Wrench, 8740 Natural Bridge Rd, St. Louis, MO, (~9 mi. away)
• Giant Farmer Fred and Clyde, ,8400 Watson Road, St. Louis, MO, (~9 mi. away)
• The Old Chain of Rocks Route 66 Bridge, Riverview Drive, St. Louis, MO, (~10 mi. away)
• World's Largest Catsup Bottle, 800 South Morrison Avenue, Collinsville, IL, (~12 mi. away)
• Big Eyeball, 12580 Rott Rd, St. Louis, MO, (~13 mi. away)
• Sinclair Dinosaur, 4317 Butler Hill Rd, St. Louis, MO, (~13 mi. away)
• Museum of the Dog, 1721 S. Mason Rd., St. Louis, MO, (~16 mi. away)
• First Due Fire Museum, 5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd, Hazelwood, MO, (~16 mi. away)
• Psychedelic Mall, 5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd, Hazelwood, MO, (~16 mi. away)
• Silo X - Halloween Horror, 1400 S. Old Highway 141, Fenton, MO, (~16 mi. away) 
• Giant Pink Elephant, 2599 S Old Highway 141, Fenton, MO, (~17 mi. away)
• Legend of the Piasa Bird, Rt. 100, Alton, IL, (~19 mi. away)
• Robert Wadlow, World's Tallest Man, 1513 Washington Ave., Alton, IL, (~19 mi. away)
• Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum, 7295 S Old Highway 94, Weldon Spring, MO, (~29 mi. away) 
• Black Madonna Shrine and Grottoes, 100 Saint Josephs Hill Rd, Pacific, MO, (~30 mi. away)
• Daniel Boone's Grave, Daniel Boone Home, 1868 Hwy F, Defiance, MO, (~33 mi. away) 
• Beach Guy and Pink Elephant, 908 Veterans Memorial Dr., Livingston, IL, (~33 mi. away)
• Henry's Ra66it Ranch, 1107 Historic Old Route 66, Staunton, IL, (~34 mi. away)
• Corn Cob Pipe Museum, 400 W. Front St., Washington, MO, (~44 mi. away)
• Sinclair Dinosaur, 2465 N. Service Rd W., St. Clair, MO, (~46 mi. away)
• Hot and Cold Water Towers, St. Clair Industrial Park Rd., St. Clair, MO, (~47 mi. away)
• Tiny Church - The Traveler's Chapel, Nashville, IL, (~48 mi. away)
• Stag Beer Grain Silo, CR 1090N, Eldred, IL, (~48 mi. away)
• Space Museum, 116 East School Rd, Bonne Terre, MO, (~52 mi. away)
• Popeye Statue, Chester, IL, (~54 mi. away)
• Jesse James Museum, Stanton, MO, (~55 mi. away)
• Meramec Caverns, Stanton, MO, (~55 mi. away) More...
• Cave Winery - Stone Age Sipping, 21124 Cave Rd, St. Genevieve, MO, (~56 mi. away) 
• Giant Animal cluster, 4567 Flat River Rd, Farmington, MO, (~58 mi. away)
• Huge Chair, 10060 State Highway M, Caledonia, MO, (~65 mi. away)
• Monument to Kay the Elephant, N 1250E Rd, Taylorville, IL, (~78 mi. away) 
• Abe Lincoln and Pig Statue, 101 S. Main St., Taylorville, IL, (~80 mi. away) 
• Grave of King Tut the Dog, 900 S Normal Ave, Carbondale, IL, (~82 mi. away) 

Many of these site are reminiscent in the history and lore of the Old Route 66 that runs through St. Louis.  I hope all my readers get out to see a few site betore the end of the Summer.

Interested in unique, walkable neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com.

Looking for garage sales in St Louis because you are downsizing and moving to a smaller home, purchasing your first home, or need to simply get rid of the stuff in the garage, basement or attic?  If so, www.gsalr.com may be the site for you. 

Gsalr.com offers:

• Search engine to find garage sales by address, zip code, city or state.  Then sort by date, day or time.
• Use the interactive map to locate garage sales in your area.
• Click on map to obtain information including time, date, and description of sale.
• Create a trip planner with map, driving directions, and more.
• Add free listings for garage sales that you are holding.
• Similar Sites: YardSaleTreasureMap and WeekendTreasure.

Step 1 - Search for Garage Sales in St Louis.

Step 2 - Review Details for Garage Sales in St Louis.

Step 3 - Add Garage Sales in St Louis to the Trip Planner.

Step 4 - Map your Route and Obtain Driving Directions for your Tour of Garage Sales in St Louis.

Moving can be stressful and time consuming.  Why move something you don't need or use?  Similarly, when purchasing your first home, you may need furnishings that you can't immediately afford.  Why not purchase something used to temporarily fill the spot?  Garage sales are a useful solution to both scenarios and offers a simple way either declutter your home or, in the alternative, decorate your new home.

As a real estate professional, I like to assist customers in using technology to simplify their moves.  Selling things before you list your home is important to remove clutter and to get the home in showing ready condition.  Purchasing things to decorate your new home and make it fell like home is equally important.  This website simply makes it easy to find garage sales in St Louis and/or to advertise your garage sale in St Louis.

Interested in listing your home for sale in St. Louis?  Interested in obtaining buyer representation in St Louis from a full-time real estate professional focused on making your sales transaction and move easy?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com.