Realtor.com Launches New Site as Consumer Engagement Surges

RISMEDIA, Oct. 28, 2008-A redesigned REALTOR.com, one of the nation’s leading real estate websites, has launched into public availability as visitor activity within the new site continues to increase.The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and Move, Inc., which operates Realtor.com, announced yesterday that the new site now delivers even more value and power to Realtors marketing their brand and client properties, the companies stated.

“Realtors pride themselves in being industry innovators, and the all-new Realtor.com site is a reflection of how we add value to the real estate transaction. I’m sure our members will be very happy with the upgrades because the new features give us more of what we want, especially more traffic to our listings, and all of it is more attractively displayed,” said NAR President Dick Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, Calif. “Consumers, too, will be pleased with the redesign. The site is more user friendly, contains more listing data including neighborhood and school reports, and also shows home value comparisons – and a new search function will make it easier to find what they want.”

According to the company, the leading request made by consumers involved in Move’s research efforts during the Beta phase has been, “more and better quality photos.” To help real estate professionals enhance their marketing efforts, visitors will now notice more, higher quality super-sized photos that are 140% larger than on the “classic” site, a dynamic photo carousel on the homepage and photo galleries, virtual tours and videos that are easier to find and provide an “insider’s view” of properties.

Data about visitor searches on the new site already indicates that potential home buyers are now five-times more likely to go from the home page to a listing detail page as compared to the classic site. They’re also viewing 40% more properties and clicking through 12% more often to view details on properties of interest. Also impressive is that visitors are 37% more likely to e-mail an agent and 10% more likely to click through to their website, the company stated.

“We’ve watched with excitement as consumers respond favorably to the new Realtor.com in a challenging market,” said Realtor.com President, Errol Samuelson. “Today, it’s more important than ever that Realtor.com offer helpful resources to buyers and sellers and a more effective marketing platform for Realtors looking for efficient and relevant ways to market their brands and client properties.”

Samuelson continues by pointing out that the number of potential home buyers registering for personal alerts rose during the Beta test phase, resulting in dramatic click-through rates and more requests for information about properties. User registrations grew by 9% in the second quarter of this year compared to the first quarter on the “classic” site, and the number of consumers electing to receive email alerts doubled. Over 3.3 million alerts have been delivered since the Beta site was launched in May 2008. This has resulted in an increase in the direct click-throughs to property listings. Compared to the “classic” version of the Web site, 45% more visitors downloaded informational brochures on properties of interest and they forwarded listings to friends 10% more often.

Throughout the site, newly integrated intuitive search features have reduced the number of clicks consumers take as they search, while improved navigational features swiftly power them through Realtor.com’s four-million-plus listings. Listings are now “time-stamped” for freshness, while greatly enhanced personalization options offer convenient and timely alerts so consumers remain current as new information or listings become available. Neighborhood data that delivers hyper-local information on 55,000 communities, a newly added home valuation feature that includes “sold data” directly from MLSs, and instant access to relevant tools and trends are now more easily accessed by visitors on the new site, making it easier to find the right home in the right neighborhood on the new Realtor.com.

“The new Realtor.com sets the online standard in real estate search for consumers and this is great news for Realtors,” said Samuelson “By creating a more inviting, easy-to-navigate and personalized search experience, potential home buyers are more involved in real estate and more interactive with new features and tools that lead to local real estate professionals, making the new Realtor.com an even more powerful advertising investment for Realtors.”

To help real estate professionals enhance their marketing efforts, all Realtors now receive greater visibility for their free listings, according to Realtor.com. Each Basic Listing now includes up to four free photos, community maps, and more information on local demographics, schools, and amenities.

Showcase Listing Enhancement (SLE) products have also been improved so Realtors can more easily differentiate themselves and their listing from competitors. All SLE listings are now separated by a wide yellow anchor headline that prominently features a listing’s address. Realtor branding has been holistically integrated into SLE listings so it feels as if a Realtor is “hosting” a property rather than advertising it. SLE listings also now feature photos of other properties offered by the listing agent, while contact details that include easy-to-find “call to action” links are seamlessly integrated into listings. SLE listings continue to include “romance” paragraphs, open house notices, up to 25 photos, videos, virtual tours, and photo galleries with “see all photos” buttons.

“The redesign of Realtor.com now offers a world-class search experience that clearly delivers what consumers want and need as they search for their next home,” said Lorna Borenstein, president of Move. “As our relationship with consumers continues to deepen and grow, Realtors and our consumer advertisers will benefit significantly from the highly targeted and effective opportunities offered on Realtor.com as consumers look to us as their trusted source for real estate information.”

For more information, visit REALTOR.com®. For more information about Move, Inc., vist www.move.com.
[1] comScore Media Metrix, September 2008

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