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What is a "mashup"? According to this wikipedia entry, "In web development, a mashup is a web page or application that combines data or functionality from two or more external sources to create a new service."

Real estate brokers and agents may wish to take advantage of "free" internet api's (application programming interface). Websites such as flickr, facebook, youtube, yelp and many others offer programatic interfaces to their data and media.

What are the benefits of such API's?

• Aggregate local information around properties for sale or rent.
• Enhance your website "experience".
• Avoid the cost of collecting and managing local information.

What are the costs and risks of using such API's?

• Bad data. Automated information aggregators often lack local expertise. Information may be outdated; a long closed restaurant may still have a review on your website.
• Inappropriate content. I created a Facebook demonstration for a client some time ago. The resulting page included an advertisement for Filipino Girls.
• What motivates the data aggregator? Is their strategy aligned with yours?
• Does the data make your site more generic?
• Competitive stealth advertising on your site. Savvy competitors will figure this out and place their content on your site via the API's.

What are the alternatives to "mashups"?

Your agents have a wealth of local market knowledge. Hire or appoint a "blog-o-spondent" or "blogger-in-chief". This person creates and aggregates your own content (text, audio, video, maps) on your blog, around your website(s) and via appropriate social networks. Over time, agents and staff post directly and incorporate your listings, services and our unlimited use maps (for a fixed price). Create your own platform that emphasizes your brand. This approach improves recruiting, retention and internet marketing in ways that you control and at a much lower cost than traditional advertising.

Main Street reliably supports the tools you need, from blogs, dynamic short links, lead management, surveys and multimedia to market reports and live charting tools.

As always, there is no "free lunch".

Eric Asimov:

WHEN the refined British wine writer Jancis Robinson joined the frenetic Gary Vaynerchuk last fall on his video blog Wine Library TV it was as if Helen Mirren had shown up on an episode of "Dog the Bounty Hunter."

As Mr. Vaynerchuk began shouting his greeting into the camera as if he were hawking cap snafflers at 3 in the morning, the ever game Ms. Robinson could not help but look appalled. But she hung in there, and together they began tasting wine in the informal studio above Wine Library, his family's wine shop in Springfield, N.J.

As they sniffed a 2006 Ridge Geyserville zinfandel, or "took a sniffy-sniff" in Mr. Vaynerchuk's parlance, Ms. Robinson said she detected the aroma of violets. Mr. Vaynerchuk said it smelled "very candylike."

Ms. Robinson grimaced.

"To me, candy is a negative thing," she said. "Candy is something I get on cheap zinfandel."

"In my mind," he responded, "candy, you know, depending on the candy, for example, Big League Chew or Nerds, could be tremendous, whereas candy I don't like, like Bazooka Joe bubble gum, could be a problem."

Brokers and agents can create and publish audio and video podcasts. Useful topics might include: local market activity, new developments, interesting homes, recent transactions, home ownership tips, core services (mortgage, relocation, insurance and home warranty) and recruiting opportunities. Main Street's CRM, podcast and blog tools can quickly get the word out to your world, and beyond. Our CRM tools can quickly generate informative seller letters, postcards, eNewsletters and eCards to your entire agent & company database. One system, Main Street, makes this easy.