For entrepreneurs and forward-thinkers alike, running your own successful real estate company may already be a dream come true. Add a healthy dose of sun, sand and your own popular HGTV show, and you may believe you’re actually dreaming. That’s the case for Matt Beall of Hawaii Life Real Estate, who began his real estate career in 1998. Twenty years later, Beall is thriving, with one of the most popular real estate firms in the state of Hawaii. With 229 agents, 41 employees, 10 offices and a national television show, Beall says his team didn’t necessarily need more online leads, as those were flowing in steady. So why did he partner with Zillow Group in 2013? The answer is simple: brand recognition.
According to Beall, the Zillow name alone acts as a calling card—one he didn’t want to miss out on. “The world of portals and sharing data with consumers has changed dramatically in the last decade. As that shift continues, and the attention of the consumer sways toward specific brands, we have to be mindful of that, and consider it on behalf of the people who have hired us to sell their homes.”
Zillow Group offers a comprehensive suite of marketing software and technology solutions to help real estate professionals bolster their existing business and connect with millions of consumers. “When I saw Zillow’s popularity rising with the consumer, I didn’t want any competitors having a leg up that we didn’t have,” says Beall. “In a way, we were playing defense.”
For Beall and his team, Zillow Group’s most important facet is their geographically-based service promotion—something as simple as his agents’ profiles showing up alongside listings for a particular zip code. “It’s immediate demand fulfillment required by online shopping,” explains Beall. “If a consumer sees a listing they love, but aren’t prewired to a particular agent or broker, our information will come up so they can reach out to us. We’re then quick to respond in whatever capacity they want.”
After partnering with Zillow Group, Beall admits he was surprised by the bold moves made by the company, especially in regard to their 2015 acquisition of Trulia. “Zillow is an aggressive organization in the best way. Years ago, I wouldn’t have guessed that they would go from Zillow to Zillow Group and then acquire Trulia.”
For Beall and his team, that acquisition was nothing but a business boon—proof that Zillow was becoming even more capable of quality assistance. “It’s easy to be afraid of large company consolidation,” says Beall, “but Zillow is organized around trying to provide comprehensive product information to the consumer and assist in selling the services of practitioners around that product. For us, the Trulia acquisition was just another very healthy tool that we leverage on behalf of the people who hire us.”
Beall believes that brokerages not currently working with the company might be surprised to the degree in which Zillow Group can help leverage and build pre-existing assets. “Once you dip your toes in, you realize their suite of products are extremely useful.”
There’s a reason they’re a household name, notes Beall.
“They offer legitimate value.”
For more information, please visit www.zillow.com/brokers.
Zoe Eisenberg is RISMedia’s senior content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at zoe@rismedia.com.
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