Innovations with Real estate portals

8/3/07

 

Ocean is the search

 

Trollers are real estate portals

 

Homes.com

 

Acquired a number of real estate companies lately

eNeighborhoods

 

Q:  What kind of traffic do you get?

 

 

Q:  What kind of new features are you launching?

 

Launching new features all the time.  Need to create a more interactive experience for agents and consumers.  Getting involved in video, and video clips for agents.  Also, creating video tours, not just the house, but neighborhoods around the property.  Incorporating as much interactivity as possible.

 

Realtor.com

 

Q:  What is your traffic?

 

5-6 million unique visitors per month on Realtor.com. 

 

Brad:  These are all Web 1.0 companies, but

 

Errol:  Obsessed with creating the best search experience in real estate.  Always had the largest number of site visitors, but now asking how can we improve that? 

 

1.  Requiring MLS partners to update listings every 15 minutes, so consumers know when price changes.  If a listing went off the market,

 

2.  Going beyond timeliness, we're also asking what are the local factors consumers are incorporating into their searches?  Adding information on local schools.

 

3.  Expanding number of photos an agent can enter.

 

4.  Incorporating videos

 

5.  Trying to extend the reach of the site, too:

 

Realtor.com/mobile

 

Download in two modes,

 

GPS enabled searches simply by clicking on your local.  Realtor.com then delivers listings nearest you based.

 

Labs.move.com:

 

Brad:  The days of everything has to be on my site, to pushing it out into the world... everything needs to "transportable."  If your email is on your listing, people will find you.

 

RealEstate.com

 

Traffic:  1 million unique visitors per month, over 2 million when you include Domania.com

 

We're in two businesses, delivering leads to agents is one of them.

 

Can syndicate listings out, either our own listings -- because we now operate our own real estate brokerage in nine markets -- or our partners' listings, so the listings get out in front of customers and then quickly to an agent who can help them.

 

Also have a mobile app coming out soon, which will be GPS enabled. 

 

HomeGain.com

 

Traffic: 2 - 3 million unique visitors per year, #2 in the industry behind Realtor.com

 

Trying to get advertisers much more engaged with the traffic they are buying. 

 

HomeScape.com

 

Other division of ClassifiedVentures.com, owned by five media / newspapers.  Now is the time in the newspaper industry to develop a more effective newspaper solution (check?).  Trying to do business more effectively with brokers and agents.

 

 

 

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Web 1.0 advice to Web 2.0 innovators:  Trulia & Zillow

 

To offer a true service to consumers, you have to be credible

 

Trulia and Zillow are phenomena businesses,

 

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Q: How do real estate portals add value and justify fees to agents and brokers?

 

Buyer lead product at HomeGain:  Value added

 

Static pricing, not dynamic pricing

 

RealEstate.com

 

Lost $20 million in last two years, so not charging extremely high fees.  It is a very costly business, and if you are in a broker environment, there may be a 35% referral fee -- a lead you wouldn't have.

 

Q:  What's a big take away from the past three days?

 

Classified Ventures:  1,700 people at the show in one of the slowest markets, demonstrates interest in the category -- lot of enthusiasm and hope.

 

RealEstate.com:  Able to build credibility with consumers through blogging, etc.

 

Realtor.com:  Great time to be in the business, the technology has finally caught up with visions from ten years ago.

 

Homes.com: 

 

Clymer@homes.com, 757-351-7511

 

Errol@realtor.com

 

BretViolet (check)

 

tfagan@classifiedventures.com