Peter Ricci, co-founder of global real estate software and website development company Agentpoint, has also been a creative force in tech companies Zooproperty.com, Business2, Ginga and Yakadanda.
His company, based in Boston, has had clients in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He has contributed real estate articles at Business2.com.au since 2002.
Ricci is scheduled to speak during "Waaaaay Beyond the Blog: Kick-Ass Theme Development," a part of a WordPress workshop at the Real Estate Connect SF 2010 conference, which runs from July 13-15 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel.
He responded to a set of questions posed by Inman News:
1. What is the most important business lesson you learned in the past year?
Speak slowly. Not everyone can understand the Australian accent.
2. What inspired you to pursue your current career path?
I’ve always had an interest in technology and real estate.
3. Share a personal experience or anecdote about buying, selling, owning or renting a home.
I was once being shown a home by an eager agent, only to find when the bathroom door swung open it was duly occupied.
4. What the coolest technology you’ve discovered this year, and how are you using it?
I find Evernote to be indispensable on my phone, laptop and desktop.
5. What is your advice for real estate industry professionals to thrive in this market?
Make your website the difference between you and your competition. Make it function beautifully and make it look like you care not only about the information but also your brand.
6. What is your favorite non-work-related hobby?
Contemplating the misfortune of adversaries.
7. Who is your hero, and why?
A tie: Hit Girl. If you have seen the movie "Kick-Ass" you will know why. And … Karl Pilkington. If you don’t know who he is, you are missing out on one of the true treats in life.
8. What do you view as the biggest problem facing the real estate industry today, and how would you fix it?
Multiple listing service boards that don’t get it. Get all of the industry together to create an open-source standard for property data-sharing.
9. What do you hope to learn at the Real Estate Connect conference?
I hope to connect with like-minded people who have technology that can take the industry forward.
10.Tell us something we don’t already know about you.
I despise celery and will not tolerate the consumption of this noxious weed around me.
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