Former NFL Player Launches Realty Service

Former National Football League player Hardy Nickerson, and his wife, Amy, today announced the establishment of a specialized company that provides real estate services to professional athletes, entertainers and corporate executives.

Nickerson Realty Group, located in the Charlotte region, offers relocation services, real estate investment consulting and traditional real estate agency services that address the unique needs of high-profile individuals, with an initial focus on
athletes.

"Because of trades, free agent status, injuries, and other issues, the life of a professional athlete can change from minute to minute," said Hardy, co-founder, president and CEO of NRG. "That sort of instability has definite consequences for real estate decisions and the types of services that athletes need in order to address their unique personal and professional situations."

Hardy recently retired from the NFL after a 16-year career during which he played linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1987-92), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993-99), Jacksonville Jaguars (2000-01) and Green Bay Packers (2002). He played in five Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1990s.

Nickerson attended the Mingle School of Real Estate where he obtained his real estate and broker licenses. In addition, in the spring of 2005, he participated in an executive education program at the Wharton School sponsored by the NFL and NFLPA. The Wharton Program provides business education to current and former NFL players to help them prepare for their post-NFL careers.

During his NFL career, Hardy and Amy moved 29 times totaling more than 66,000 miles in moves between cities. They also purchased and sold almost a dozen homes in that time span.

CityCrybs is a New Online Homefinding Tool

The Internet seems to be making it easier for consumers to buy and sell properties, and CityCrybs is just the latest entry into the marketplace.

Like many other similar sites, CityCrybs allows sellers, including agents, to list their properties on their site, effectively making it an alternative MLS. And likewise, folks looking for a home can search their database.

But unlike all the others, CityCrybs seems to be succeeding. Perhaps its the fact that they started out focusing in just one area, apartments in New York City, allowing it to market heavily into that area. CityCrybs has since branched out into Los Angeles, Miami, and New Jersey.

It could also be that they continue to keep their website fresh with new features and tools. It could also be that they launched a human-edited real estate agent directory last April, which also features several links to their property listings.

Does CityCrybs pose a threat to real estate agents? I don't think so. It's really just a tool, nothing more, except that regular folks have access to it. It can't provide the expertise and counsel that a Realtor can provide to the buyer and seller. And perhaps, that's also the beauty of websites like CityCrybs, that it emphasizes the purpose of agents.

Putting Text Messaging To Work For Realtors

Nowdays, everyone who has a cell phone is somewhat familiar with text messaging. It has become increasingly popular as it is a fast way to communicate without talking. So why aren't Realtor's putting this technology to work??? CellSigns is doing just that. CellSigns is a sales system that allows potential customers to send a text message with the property identification number and receive instant information ~ 24 hours a day. From this they can request additional information, schedule a tour, or contact the Realtor directly. CellSigns cuts out the initial call or the flyers in the box outside the property. Plus since it is sent via text message, the customer will have the information stored in their phone with them if they need to refer back to it. The great news for the agent is that the customer's initial needs are met immediately and they won't call another agent because you didn't answer the phone the first time they called.

For more information on putting CellSigns to work for you, visit http://www.cellsigns.com/.

Privacy For Real Estate Agents

Ever wonder how real estate agents maintain any privacy when they have to give out their home and cell phone numbers to all clients (and strangers) just to stay connected? A company called PrivateTel is offering agents a solution to keep their actual cell or home number private. The product - "MyPrivateLine" routes calls through an 800 number so that the number being mass distributed isn't the agent's actual number. The result, agents are still connected yet their privacy is protected. MyPrivateLine also offers private voice mail so that business calls aren't filling up your home or cellular voice mail. Not only does this service protect the agent's privacy, it is also a matter of protection for themselves and their families.

To learn more about this product and to take advantage of a free trail, visit www.myprivateline.com.

Hurricane Katrina Helping Housing Markets

Hurricane Katrina was the most devastating natural disaster that any of us have ever seen. Hundreds of thousands were displaced from their ruined homes in New Orleans and surrounding areas. Has anything positive come from this tragedy?
Many housing markets from Texas to Florida and even beyond are suddenly booming with families looking to relocate and start fresh in a new town. Not only are homes being purchased above asking price, apartments and commercial units are also being fought over. This is great news for communities that may have been experiencing a slow spell in home sales, but this could really hurt those locals struggling to keep up with the quickly rising costs. Increased costs due to a surge in demand is acceptable, I just hope that we do not see prices being inflated by greedy home owners trying to take advantage of this situation!