RISMEDIA, July 24, 2008-Proxio is connecting the world of real estate with its launch of what it is reporting as the first international MLS and purpose-built professional network, ProxioProTM. Since Proxio’s inception and European release three months ago, over 550 agencies with over 40,000 listings from 25 countries have joined the ProxioPro network, giving them worldwide exposure and new referral opportunities.ProxioPro is the first online professional service to enable real estate agents to easily reach beyond their local markets to share listings and create trusted networks with agencies abroad. By combining an international MLS with a rich set of professional networking functionality, ProxioPro enables real estate agents to leverage and extend their existing MLS, while giving them additional tools to easily find, connect and partner with agents from other countries to globalize their practices and better serve their clients-a distinct competitive advantage.
“Pursuing international business is a huge opportunity for U.S. realtors,” says Janet Case, founder and CEO of Proxio. “Buyers in Europe and other regions see the U.S. as a bargain right now, but their agents are lacking an effective, uniform way of exchanging and sharing information across borders. As a result, huge market inefficiencies exist, meaning buyers are underserved, commissions are lost and referral fees foregone.”
A recent Proxio sponsored poll* of 246 seasoned U.S. realtors found that 90% of respondents consider international markets as a way to grow their businesses. But 37% said they have no access to international markets, and surprisingly, the majority of agents (58%) surveyed continue to rely on more traditional methods such as attending in-person conferences rather than employing newer techniques such as online networking to gain greater exposure.
“Proxio is filling a gaping hole in the arsenal of real estate professionals by arming them with the tools to easily share inventory and develop online referral communities at local, national and international levels. Our mission is to open up the global real estate market by putting real-time information in the hands of professionals worldwide so they can better serve their customers and ultimately make more sales,” added Case.
ProxioPro serves international markets by offering listings in six languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian, with plans to include additional languages as the ProxioPro network grows. Detailed agency and agent information provides visibility of location, specialties, designations, and languages spoken. This unique feature enables agents to seek and find other agents with specific skills to invite into their referral networks, especially helpful with international transactions.
As a result, real estate professionals across the globe can now enjoy increased visibility, more exposure for listings and greater access to information and connections to better serve both buyers and sellers – and ultimately make more money – easily and for free.
Real estate professionals can register with ProxioPro for free at www.proxiopro.com. To find out more about how Proxio can help your organization visit www.proxio.com.
*Proxio survey conducted among 246 real estate agents in the U.S.