Inman

Researcher knows it’s always cheaper on eBay

Peter Conti, vice president of research firm Borrell Associates, is no stranger to the world of start-ups and online marketing, with more than 20 years of traditional and Internet start-up experience under his belt.

After selling a retail business in late 1996, Conti began work in Richmond, Va., on one of the first e-commerce marketplaces for a 1,000-plus-member local merchants association.

He joined Landmark Communications in 1998 to develop and manage the Richmond.com Web site. He has also served as director of interactive media for Media General’s Publishing division with shared responsibility for the online convergence effort of publishing and broadcast sites.

Conti is an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business where he teaches Global Internet Marketing. He attended the International Studies program at the University of Lund, Sweden, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Radio, TV & Film from the University of Maryland.

Conti will speak during Real Estate Connect in San Francisco, July 27-29, 2005.

Here are his answers to a set of questions posed by Inman News:

Panel or session at Connect: Listings Innovations: Strategies for MLS, IDX, FSBO, Drip Marketing and Web Listings.

What type of home did you grow up in and where?

A brick townhouse in the Bronx.

What style of home do you live in and when did you buy it?

Transitional, 1997.

What worries keep you awake at night?

My teenage daughter.

Describe your dream home?

A house with lots of glass overlooking the beach.

What lesson did you learn in the last year?

It’s always cheaper on eBay.

What was your first job?

Washing dishes at Steak-A-Rama.

What’s the strangest thing you ever packed in a suitcase?

A “CPAP” (Google it).

What would your second career choice be?

Not Steak-A-Rama.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Everything except new country.

Who are your heroes?

My Dad, John Lennon and Abraham Lincoln.

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