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RealtyHive Director of International Real Estate Named as President of FIABCI – USA

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Hugh Gilliam Named President of FIABCI – USA

RealtyHive Director of International Real Estate, Hugh Gilliam, has been named President of FIABCI-USA, the International Real Estate Federation. A recent addition the RealtyHive team, Mr. Gilliam has been a leading member of the worldwide business networking organization for ten years. Most recently he served as the Vice President of Local Councils, a member of the Executive Committee and Chapter Board member. 

In his new role as FIABCI-USA President, Gilliam says he plans  to  assimilate case studies featuring members who are conducting business in the global arena, strengthen the USA Local Council Network, increase exposure and interaction among our global chapters and create more educational programming for members. 

Founded in France in 1951, FIABCI (a French acronym for Federation Internationale des Administrateurs de Bien-Conselis Immobiliers) is a global business organization for all professionals associated with the real estate industry. Members of the organization are students and professionals from a wide variety of housing, design, real estate, and city planning industries. Members include architects, investors, brokers, service providers, developers, public authorities, in addition to other professionals. 

FIABCI helps members to establish cross-border relationships and referral networks while continually improving their real estate skills and education.

“Over the last ten years as a FIABCI member, I have had the opportunity to network with exceptional world professionals and glean unrivaled knowledge for my own global business,” said Gilliam.

Along with his new role with FIABCI and position at RealtyHive, Gilliam is an award-winning Realtor based in Atlanta, Georgia, and the co-founder of Doorways International e-magazine. Each month, Doorways International showcases luxury properties from around the world to its extensive list of highly engaged buyers and real estate professionals. 

“I’m looking forward to my new duties as FIABCI-USA President and want to continue spreading the news of our professional organization.  I know that with my affiliation with RealtyHive and it’s vast global network now spanning over 217 countries; I can create more exposure for both FIABCI-USA and our other International Chapters.” 

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About RealtyHive RealtyHive is a global marketing platform designed for real estate agents, brokers, and private property sellers to increase the exposure of their for-sale properties through time-limited events and digital marketing. 

About FIABCI Founded in 1951 in Paris, FIABCI is a worldwide business networking organization for all professionals associated with the real estate industry. FIABCI has provided access and opportunities for real estate professionals interested in gaining knowledge, sharing information and conducting international business with each other. 

About Doorways International Doorways International is an electronic magazine featuring premier luxury properties from around the world. Properties and broker clients have been hand-selected by co-founder Hugh Gilliam to create an international property marketing network specially crafted for the high-end luxury real estate market.

For Additional information, please direct all inquiries to:
Hugh Gilliam – Direct of International Real Estate at RealtyHive
Hugh@RealtyHive.com

More than 50,000 New Listings Now on RealtyHive

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New listings added as real estate market heats up

More than 50,000 properties are now available on the RealtyHive website. The new properties range from a 55-dwelling portfolio of residential properties in Madison, Wisconsin to large vacant land tracts in Georgia to single lots 

The new listings come as RealtyHive begins to roll out Cashifyd, the company’s soon-to-market app and web service. Cashifyd connects real estate buyers with agents who offer cash back at closing.  The program is being rolled out in beta for Wisconsin and Georgia and will launch in more states later this year.

“This exciting addition of inventory is not only bringing more properties to the fingertips of our active buyers, but is also bringing the great opportunity for us to connect these buyers with local agents through Cashifyd, “ said Amanda Syrjamaki, head of web design and development at RealtyHive who led this onboarding process. “I am looking forward to seeing these connections grow as we expand into new markets in the months to come.” 

With properties in more than 30 countries, RealtyHive has been rapidly growing in 2020. In addition to announcing more than $2 billion in actively engaged on-site inventory, RealtyHive has expanded its corporate footprint with the opening of a new Georgia office in spring 2020. 


Visitors to the  RealtyHive website can now search can now search the more than 50,000 listings for residential, commercial, land, and international properties and see the potential cash back offers right from the listing page.

What Is Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae & Ginnie Mae?

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Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae — are these people, candy stores, or sandwich orders? They’re actually all government mortgage corporations. In fact, they’re kind of like mortgage corporations for mortgage companies and banks. They make up the fabric of our day-to-day life, yet remain vague or completely unknown to most homeowners.

The 3 Mortgage Companies

Freddie MacFannie MaeGinnie Mae
Established in 1970Established in 1938Established in 1968
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA)Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA)
Government program that buys mortgages from small banksGovernment program that buys mortgages from commercial banksGovernment program that buys nonconventional loans

Freddie Mac

When you’re ready to buy a home, you take a mortgage out from the bank. Freddie Mac gives banks the opportunity to create 30-year mortgages. But those same banks would struggle if they had to directly manage every single 30-year loan, for 30 years.

For example, let’s pretend we live in a fictional town called Littlesville:

  • The number one job supplier in Littlesville is a factory.
  • One day, the factory closes.
  • Nearly everyone in the town is suddenly out of a job.
  • People are missing mortgage payments.
  • The local bank is about to tank.

With Freddie Mac, the bank wouldn’t sink in this scenario. The bank will sell their mortgages to Freddie Mac, and then those mortgages get mixed in with other mortgages from all over the country. It’s almost like a group project — when one person falls behind, the other group members pick up the slack.

As The Balance explains, “Freddie resells the [mortgage-backed securities\ to investors on the secondary market. That allows more investors to profit from the real estate sector. Freddie uses the proceeds to buy more bank mortgages. That starts the whole process all over again.”

Fannie Mae

Now that you know how things these types of government mortgage corporations work, it’s time to back it up to the original. Fannie Mae was established by the US government in 1938 as part of FDR’s New Deal, providing the same services that Freddie Mac does.

The only real difference is that Fannie Mae buys and resells mortgages from commercial banks. Most of the time, Freddie Mac buys back mortgages from smaller bank.

Ginnie Mae

Ginnie Mae does all the same things as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The biggest difference is that this is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Mae works almost exclusively with FHA loans, VA loans, USDA loans, and any other nonconventional, government-issued loans.

How Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae Affect You

These secondary lenders set rules that banks and primary lenders have to follow. They protect the banks and, as an extension, protect communities and people. It’s a good thing to know about the next time you’re looking to buy a house! Or at the very least, could provide you with a trivia answer should you ever make it to “Jeopardy!”.

hugh giliam joe hartley welcome

RealtyHive Welcomes Two New Additions to Team

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Hugh Gilliam and Joe Hartely Join RealtyHive

We’re excited to announce Hugh Gilliam and Joe Hartley, both formerly of Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage, have joined RealtyHive as Director of International Real Estate and Vice President of Georgia, respectively. Both men are industry veterans and will be heading the new Atlanta office for RealtyHive.

“Hugh brings an impressive portfolio of listings and clientele to RealtyHive. As technology brings the world closer together than ever before, we’re seeing an influx of interest in international properties and Hugh has the experience to take our offerings to the next level,” says Wade Micoley, Founder and CEO of RealtyHive.

Mr. Gilliam, an award-winning Realtor® based in Atlanta, Georgia is a Certified International Property Specialist, Certified International & Immigration Specialist, International Real Estate Specialist, and holder of a Transnational Referral Certification. Mr. Gilliam will be responsible for developing new business relationships with international real estate brokerages and furthering the inventory of luxury properties available on RealtyHive.

Hartley, a Georgia native, has more than 21 years of experience in real estate and is the co-founder, along with Gilliam, of the international luxury real estate e-magazine Doorways International. The magazine was created to satisfy the lifestyle requirements of discerning clientele and will be merging with RealtyHive to bring the utmost exposure to the high-end luxury properties featured in the publication and expand the international luxury properties available for sale on RealtyHive.

This partnership will allow for greater exposure of the properties currently showcased on Doorways International as well as promoting luxury RealtyHive properties to the engaged audience of Doorways International’s monthly e-magazine.

Young woman walking in a field of tulips

Celebrate National Garden Month

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Greenhouses, xeriscapes, courtyards, who knew there were so many different kinds of gardens? This April, celebrate National Garden Month by planting your garden! Whether you’re a homeowner looking for a way to spruce up your front lawn, or you just wanna enjoy the beauty that springtime has to offer, take a look at these 8 different types of gardens for National Garden Month:

Vegetable Garden

There’s nothing better than the taste of homegrown fresh vegetables, and you can grow your own vegetables by planting your own vegetable garden! If you don’t like cucumbers, no problem! There’s so many kinds of vegetables you can grow, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, it’s up to you!

Backyard Garden

This one is self explanatory. Your backyard is the perfect place for a garden! Whether you want to plant flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs, or create your own concoction, your backyard is the place to go.

Window Sill Garden

If you live in an area where the weather isn’t ideal for an outdoor garden, or if you don’t have a big yard, try growing a window sill garden! First, you need to find the window in your home that gets the most sunlight. Then, decide how you’re going to set up your garden. You can place a bunch of different planters on the window sill, or you can use a raised garden bed. The best part about window sill gardens, is that not only can you keep them year round, but you can grow whatever kind of garden you want – no matter the climate!

Pollinator Garden

A pollinator garden is a garden that is planted in order to attract pollinator animals like butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds. Pollinator gardens aren’t just good for the environment, they are fundamental to the ecosystem. Plus, all the different colors and scents make some of the most beautiful gardens out there!

Herb Garden

Another type of garden you could plant is an herb garden. Herbs are good for cooking, flavoring, fragrances, dyes, they’re even beneficial to your health. Check out some of the different types of herbs you can plant here. 

Vertical Garden

A vertical garden is a technique that you use to grow plants on a vertical surface, like a wall or a fence. There are a number of reasons that gardeners use vertical gardens – one reason is to take advantage of all potential space in a garden. Another is to be able to have a garden in a place where there’s usually no room for one, like in a big city. No matter where you live, you can brighten up your home by making your own vertical garden. 

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Vertical garden | Madrid flashback

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Fairy Garden

It’s exactly what it sounds like. A fairy garden is a miniature garden that you keep in a container or a flower bed. It includes a bunch of tiny sculptures and structures along with actual living plants! Fairy gardens are super fun for both kids and adults to create, and you can keep them anywhere you want!

Xeriscape Garden

If you live in an area that doesn’t get a lot of rain, try xeriscaping! Xeriscaping is a landscaping process where you use plants that don’t require a lot of water, and they’re pretty popular in the western part of the US. Although people often think that xeriscapes just consist of desert plants (even though desert plants are pretty cool), most xeriscapes consist of a wide variety of colorful and vibrant plantlife. You just have to figure out how you want your garden to look!

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Soft morning light today ??

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Why we won’t back down

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Seeing the opportunity in hard times

In times of uncertainty it can be easy to hunker down and hide. Seeing the trouble and panic of yesterday leads many to think that tomorrow will be filled with more of the same. It’s okay to be anxious with what we’re seeing, or not seeing,  in the market now. It’s uncertain and it’s human nature to react with hesitancy; if nothing feels the same as it was yesterday, it follows that we should not act as we did yesterday. But this pattern of panic and inaction is not conducive to growth or recovery. What is important now is to have a plan of action. 

RealtyHive began in another time of deep societal unease. Our Time-Limited Events were developed in response to the industry downturn during the Great Recession. We saw the plight of sellers and professionals who had properties they needed to sell, but no way to stand out and reach those who were still interested in buying. For these folks, giving up wasn’t an option and neither was holding on to the properties for longer. The industry was reeling, the market was in shambles, and it would have been easy to give up. We easily could’ve just said that no one was buying real estate and could’ve sat back and watched the industry fall into ever deeper trenches. Instead, we made a plan, executed that plan, and were able to help thousands of sellers and professionals create the property exposure needed to sell then, just as we intend to do now. 

At RealtyHive, we’re continuing to showcase properties to interested buyers in the safest and smartest ways possible. We understand that while many are worried about what the future may hold, now is the time to be prepared for whatever may come next.  We’re proud to be able to offer contactless digital marketing options to agents and sellers as well all work through this tough time together.   

The situation we’re faced with is different for everyone. Many people are facing economic hardships and that is not something to be taken lightly, however for those fortunate enough to have income security, this could be a great time to buy real estate. 

The historically low mortgage rates we’re seeing right now offer an incredible opportunity for buyers and the technology available means that buyers can see properties without ever having to leave their couch. From virtual tours and video walkthroughs to e-signing documents and online meetings, the tools we have mean that we can carry on with business in a safe and productive way. 

Uncertainty is not limited to those buying properties. While RealtyHive always showcases the properties of motivated sellers, now more than ever we encourage you to take a look at the properties available through RealtyHive Time-Limited Events. 

We recently added a new tool to help buyers and sellers get the most value out of their real estate buying or selling experience. Cashifyd is a new program we’ve developed to connect consumers with agents who offer cashback at closing. This helps minimize the money needed to close on a property, freeing that cash up for other uses. This program is free for buyers and sellers and allows you to connect with an agent and start your real estate process without leaving your home. 

 As we weave through these unprecedented times together, it comes down to the way we respond to the challenges we face. We chose to confront these challenges and continue to build for the future and welcome you to reach out and let us know how we can assist in continuing your real estate goals.

RealtyHive Named as Tech100 Real Estate Winner

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We’re excited to announce we’ve been named as a 2020 HousingWire Tech100 Real Estate winner. The award, organized by real estate industry magazine, HousingWire, honors innovative companies in the real estate industry.

“We are very pleased to be included in this prestigious group of Real Estate innovators,” said RealtyHive founder and CEO, Wade Micoley. “Our team has worked hard and we’ve seen incredible growth with more than $2 billion worth of properties and more than 100,000 monthly visitors on our site. To be recognized by such a highly respected industry publication is a real honor.” 

“This year’s Tech100 winners blew past innovation, moving beyond innovation to transformation,”

Kelsey Ramíerz , Associate Magazine Editor, HousingWire

From artificial intelligence and machine learning to marketing solutions, the HousingWire Tech100 recognizes companies driving innovation in the real estate industry. “This year’s Tech100 winners blew past innovation, moving beyond innovation to transformation,” HousingWire Associate Magazine Editor Kelsey Ramíerz said. “In both the real estate and mortgage sectors, fintech companies continue to create new ways to approach the housing process, improving efficiencies, cutting costs and creating a new experience for all parties involved.” 

“This year’s Tech100 winners blew past innovation, moving beyond innovation to transformation,” HousingWire Associate Magazine Editor Kelsey Ramíerz said. “In both the real estate and mortgage sectors, fintech companies continue to create new ways to approach the housing process, improving efficiencies, cutting costs and creating a new experience for all parties involved.” 

A complete list of HousingWire Tech100  Real Estate award winners can be found on the HousingWire website or in the March issue of HousingWire Magazine. 

ABOUT REALTYHIVE

RealtyHive is a global real estate company offering digital marketing and time-limited event services to a wide variety of real estate sellers from around the world. Each month more than 100,000 unique visitors from 190+ countries view RealtyHive properties located across 5 continents. To learn more about RealtyHive services, including risk-free and no-upfront cost real estate marketing solutions, visit www.realtyhive.com

ABOUT HOUSINGWIREHousingwire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 7.5 million unique visitors each year. Our audience of mortgage, real estate, financial services and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit www.housingwire.com or www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more.

RealtyHive Exceeds $2 Billion in On-Site Inventory

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Two billion of anything is a lot. Two billion seconds is more than 63 years, two billion miles is more than 4,185 trips to the moon and back, and $2 billion is more than the combined GDP of Dominica, Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu. This month, we’re proud to announce that RealtyHive now has more than $2 billion in on-site inventory. 

“We’ve  worked hard to become a leader in real estate marketing and this is a big milestone for us,” said RealtyHive founder and CEO, Wade Micoley. “We’ve grown from our first property, a $40,000 old schoolhouse in Northern Wisconsin, to having properties of all types across the globe.” 

RealtyHive features properties from 27 countries ranging from a multi-million dollar office complex in Panama to a $5,000 vacant lot in Florida to a palace in Egypt. Interested buyers can attempt to score a deal by placing a pre-event offer on a Time-Limited Event property from one of RealtyHive’s motivated sellers. 

“When a property isn’t selling, most agents will reduce the price, but there’s only so low a seller can go. If you’ve exhausted your options or are just looking to create more activity on a property, that’s where RealtyHive can help.  We’re here to bring more buyers’ eyes to every property on our site,” said Micoley. 

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RealtyHive is a global real estate company offering digital marketing and time-limited event services to a wide variety of sellers worldwide. Each month more than 100,000 unique visitors from 190+ countries view RealtyHive properties located across 5 continents. To learn more about RealtyHive services, including risk-free and no-upfront cost real estate marketing solutions, visit https://market.realtyhive.com.

real estate agent laptop listing

How to Set Up Your Listing for Success

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According to the National Association of Realtors most recent report on the profile of home buyers and sellers, for 44% of recent buyers, the first step they took in their home buying process was to look at properties online. Compare that to the 17% of buyers whose first step was to contact a real estate agent and the importance of optimizing your listing for buyers becomes evident. When it comes to the marketing and presentation of your listings, how can you make sure your listings are set up with the best chance of success? 

One simple way to make sure to put your best foot forward is to keep WWBT in mind — What Will Buyers Think? RealtyHive is here to help you break down exactly what this means. 

Photos

With pages like Please Hate These Things or Terrible Real Estate Agent Photos  always ready to put up the latest in questionable real estate photos, it’s a good idea to err on the side of caution. That same NAR report also states that 87% of buyers who used the internet at any time during their search found photos to be very useful. 

RealtyHive Rules: 

1. Don’t include people (or parts of people) in your listing photos. At best, it detracts from what’ you’re actually selling. At worst, someone’s feelings are going to get hurt. Either way, it’s a lose-lose situation 

 2. Be wary of having photos with animals. Animals can be a great way to achieve the right kind of virality, but only if animal looks safe, healthy, happy, and are not caught on camera doing their “business”.

3. Make sure to get photos of (almost) everything. There are some things to skip — root cellars probably won’t make the best photos, neither will a room filled with a creepy doll collection. That said, if your description boasts of a wine cellar or private theater, it’s important to show off those selling features. Don’t leave the audience hanging. If you choose to skip over a room, it’s likely a potential buyer will think there’s a good reason you don’t have photos of it. 

4. If the inside or outside truly are a disaster, show only the best parts, but make sure to have an accurate description of the property. It’s okay to have a fixer upper or a property that “needs some TLC”, but it’s not ok to set unrealistic expectations. 

Descriptions

If it looks like a barn and quacks like a barn, it’s gotta be a barn, right? Wrong! With the popularity of converted buildings being used for residences and the growing popularity of residences to be short-term rentals, it’s more important than ever to spell out a property’s use, even if it is abundantly clear when you are there in person. In fact, the Realtor report stated that 85% of buyers found detailed information about properties to be very useful. 

RealtyHive Rules: 

1. If your property is used as anything other than what it appears to be, it’s vital to spell it out in the description. Have a property that is more suited to be a rental than a primary residence? Focus on that in the description. Conversion properties are one thing, but if you can’t tell the property’s use by looking at it, it’s up to you to clarify in the description.

2. If it’s a residence, there should be information on the number of beds and baths. If it’s land, you should have a plus-or-minus idea of how much land is available. For commercial properties, knowing the square footage is essential. These might seem really obvious, but skipping this information prevents you from landing in search results and appearing in front of buyers. 

Additional Resources

Some properties have additional caveats or information that is required. While it makes perfect sense to not reveal everything about a property in your listing, some things should be shared upfront to avoid any wasted time or hassle on anyone’s part.

RealtyHive Rules:

1.  Things like zoning, restrictive covenants, easements, and homeowner’s associations should be discussed upfront as these can be deal breakers for the buyer. You don’t have to put these in your listing description, but if you have the ability to upload documents or attach additional information links, you can weed out those who aren’t interested. 

2  Certain properties require more information than others. If your property has a searchable address, you may not need to include a map. If your property is simple “Lot X” having a map will help those looking for specific characteristics in a property.

Have a property that you’re looking to get extra exposure on? Whether it’s a home, land, commercial building or more, RealtyHive can help you find the right buyer for any type of real estate with Marketing Matters and Time-Limited Events!

Basic Rules for Killer Listing Descriptions

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As a real estate agent, you’re always looking to position your listings for the greatest chance of success. While there’s no silver bullet, one-size-fits-all solution to selling a property, it’s a fact that most property sales start with online searches. It follows, then, that creating your best chance to sell starts with having a solid plan for the listing basics. Here are a few of the basic rules for writing killer listing descriptions.

Basic Rule #1

STOP writing in ALL CAPS. You might think it draws attention and it does – the WRONG KIND. It makes your audience feel like they’re being yelled at and doesn’t help the searchability of your listings. 

Why this matters: Apart from being universally against web-norms, all caps are generally harder to read because we are less accustomed to reading them and there is no differentiation of line height. While it may be true that people slow down their reading speed to accomodate for all caps text, it is also largely true that they tend to skim over the text, thus lowering comprehension. Unless your MLS requires it, avoid having more than one or two phrases in Caps lock.

Basic Rule #2

Make sure your listing descriptions convey the most useful information. There’s no need to put “must see” or “call today for a showing” or worse, “won’t last long!” in your listing descriptions. At best these are unnecessary, at worst, they’re taking the place of useful information. On the flip side, if you have showing requirements  (must have 72 hours advance notice, must have proof of funds, etc) that should be added to the description. This isn’t the number one most important thing, but it does help to weed out the lookers and helps to set reasonable expectations for prospective buyers. 

Why this matters: Many MLS sites have character limits and by including these filler pieces of text, you’re cutting down on the amount of new and useful information you’re able to share. Also, nothing looks good about “won’t last long” on a listing that has been lingering on the market.

Basic Rule #3

Make sure your listing is reflective of the property and it’s uses — especially if there are many other competing listings in the area. Describing sunsets is great, but people are going to be interested in your listing versus it’s neighbor based on the features not the view because it’s essentially the same. Likewise, if a property looks and feels one way (like a residential property), but acts like another (zoned for short term rentals in a high traffic area) it’s important to bridge that gap with the listing description. 

Why this matters: Using the same listing description for someone’s dream home and someone’s investment property will lead to you hitting the wrong audience and sitting on the market. People may see a conversion project like a former church or a former train depot and might think it would only be suitable for commercial rental uses, but in fact both of these properties were sold as primary residences! The reverse is also true. A property may look like a residential home, but actually be an ideal property for someone looking to invest in short term rentals.

From optimizing your photos to learning how to write listing descriptions, marketing listing can be a challenge which is why finding the right tools for real estate marketing is crucial. RealtyHive makes it simple with a variety of programs meant to give you the exposure you need to sell. From Time-Limited events that create buyer competition with massive property marketing to marketing-only options, RealtyHive has the tools you need to globally create your best chance to sell.