New website, postlets.com (currently in beta), streamlines the process of placing classified ads across multiple websites. Here’s a list of the sites they currently work with to eliminate those reduntant practices of yesteryear:

craigslist
backpage.com
LiveDeal
Google Base (automatic submital)
Oodle (automatic submital)
Trulia (automatic submital)
Propsmart (automatic submital)

Real Estate agents have lost some of their value with a site like Postlets; but they may not be the only ones who may need to be concerned. Listings are created in one of three categories: cars & trucks, rentals, and real estate.

More Features:

Don’t worry about a steep learning curve; they claim the service is so straight-forward that even a monkey can use it, but I don’t suspect we’ll see many listings from Chiquita any time soon.

I’ve also scanned their privacy policy and it seems that they are playing fair, here are a couple of snippets that I thought might be cause for some minor concern:

If at some point Postlets sells all or a portion of its assets, or merges with another entity, user information is an asset that may be transferred or acquired by a third party. We will notify all affected users of any such transaction, and users will have the opportunity to retrieve their user information and cease usage of the service…

Postlets will never sell, rent or share your personal information with any third parties for marketing purposes without your express permission.

I’m looking forward to having an excuse to use this valuable new site. It’s a truly useful tool for real estate agents, for-sale-by-owners (FSBO’s) & anyone else looking to syndicate their products.

Immediate utility to the consumer is quite evident…I can imagine heading off somewhere and requesting a few call backs from retailers, rather than sitting around wasting & time at home when I could be getting other stuff done. As this new service matures I imagine that it’s usefulness will only grow. Seth Godin wrote yesterday about the service just launched by Google; I’ve included some of it below:

Seth’s Blog: Juicy new google feature

Type artisan hotel into Google and one of the AdWords ads comes up with a green call icon. Put in your phone number, and THEY call YOU!

Interesting stuff…not very complicated, just some common sense built around the PPC model which Google AdWords has used in the past. Today’s fraudulent clickers may have to regress back to their childhood ways and start making prank phone calls if they intend to continue. The more consumer centric Google makes this service, the more successful it will be…the key will be to add enough value so that they have no good excuse not to use it. You can read more about this new service (actually called “Click-to-Call”) here…it’s Google’s FAQ :

Google Click-to-Call

Click-to-Call FAQ

Privacy Notice

1. What’s the phone icon on Google search results? How does it work?

We’re testing a new product that gives you a free and fast way to speak directly to the advertiser you found on a Google search results page – over the phone.

Here’s how it works: When you click the phone icon, you can enter your phone number. Once you click ‘Connect For Free,’ Google calls the number you provided. When you pick up, you hear ringing on the other end as Google connects you to the other party.

We won’t share your telephone number with anyone, including the advertiser. When you’re connected with the advertiser, your number is blocked so the advertiser can’t see it. In addition, we’ll delete the number from our servers after a short period of time.
2. Am I charged to connect to an advertiser?

No. Google foots the bill for all calls – local and long-distance. However, if we call a mobile phone number, you may incur airtime fees depending on the mobile phone plan. Check your mobile phone provider for details.
3. Is this just a way for Google to track me?

No. We take your privacy very seriously. Google does not share your telephone number with anyone (without your consent), including the advertiser. When you’re connected with the advertiser, your number is blocked. The advertiser can’t see your phone number.

In addition, we retain your information (including your phone number, date, time, and call length) only temporarily. It will be deleted from our servers after a period reasonably necessary to operate, audit, and evaluate the service.

Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
4. Whose caller ID do I see when connected?

The advertiser’s number appears on your caller ID when Google connects you. This way, you can save the merchant’s number for future call-backs.

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