Comments on: It's the listings stupid…. http://www.vendoralley.com/2009/07/07/its-the-listings-stupid/ Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:33:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Greg Robertson http://www.vendoralley.com/2009/07/07/its-the-listings-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-459 Greg Robertson Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:53:05 +0000 http://vendoralley.com/?p=2430#comment-459 @Jason The example you gave with "New City, NY" is fantastic! The consumer is handed off to a site that mirrors the corporate site very well and shows all the listings, not just Realogy listings. This is an excellent example of how the site should work everywhere. But when I search in "Jupiter, FL" I get a quite different experience. I have a good understanding of Realogy's SearchRouter technology and happy to hear that BH&G is working towards an alternative to this solution. @Jason The example you gave with “New City, NY” is fantastic! The consumer is handed off to a site that mirrors the corporate site very well and shows all the listings, not just Realogy listings. This is an excellent example of how the site should work everywhere.

But when I search in “Jupiter, FL” I get a quite different experience.

I have a good understanding of Realogy’s SearchRouter technology and happy to hear that BH&G is working towards an alternative to this solution.

]]> By: Jason Steele http://www.vendoralley.com/2009/07/07/its-the-listings-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-458 Jason Steele Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:29:20 +0000 http://vendoralley.com/?p=2430#comment-458 Greg, very flattering comments above on the redesigned home page, etc. I think you hit on one of our core philosophies as a brand and that is to always challenge the status quo keeping the consumer/affiliate our number one priority. As a real estate franchisor we don't have the right to display IDX listings on bhgrealestate.com. We chose to take a different approach than some of the other brands in areas where we have affiliate coverage (New City, NY) as we direct the consumer to our local affiliate's web site where they see all of the MLS listings in ONE click. Try searching for New City, NY on our site and you will see that you are seamlessly transferred to randrealty.com, our newest affiliate. Hope that helps, Jason Steele VP Interactive Marketing Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC Greg, very flattering comments above on the redesigned home page, etc. I think you hit on one of our core philosophies as a brand and that is to always challenge the status quo keeping the consumer/affiliate our number one priority. As a real estate franchisor we don’t have the right to display IDX listings on bhgrealestate.com.

We chose to take a different approach than some of the other brands in areas where we have affiliate coverage (New City, NY) as we direct the consumer to our local affiliate’s web site where they see all of the MLS listings in ONE click. Try searching for New City, NY on our site and you will see that you are seamlessly transferred to randrealty.com, our newest affiliate.

Hope that helps,

Jason Steele
VP Interactive Marketing
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC

]]> By: Camilla Sullivan http://www.vendoralley.com/2009/07/07/its-the-listings-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-457 Camilla Sullivan Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:16:08 +0000 http://vendoralley.com/?p=2430#comment-457 Greg, thanks for your comments and thanks for noticing our site redesign...we've tried very hard to keep our brand identity consistent with our brand image, and create something that looks fresh and new...this is version 1.1 and the list of ideas we have for improvement grows faster than we can roll them out. Thanks again for the feedback. Camilla Sullivan SVP Marketing Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC Greg, thanks for your comments and thanks for noticing our site redesign…we’ve tried very hard to keep our brand identity consistent with our brand image, and create something that looks fresh and new…this is version 1.1 and the list of ideas we have for improvement grows faster than we can roll them out. Thanks again for the feedback.

Camilla Sullivan
SVP Marketing
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC

]]> By: roostblog http://www.vendoralley.com/2009/07/07/its-the-listings-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-456 roostblog Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:38:09 +0000 http://vendoralley.com/?p=2430#comment-456 So I did a search upon for zip code 92648 on a few other sites. realtor.com => 373 listings found remax.com => 404 listings found roost.com => 339 listings found Just wanted to provide a little background on the discrepancies between roost.com, remax.com and realtor.com. We have the least listing out of these three because we filter out the rentals that are in the MLS and we take out anything that is in contract. Just wanted people to understand why. Derek Overbey Sr. Director of Marketing & Social Media Roost.com So I did a search upon for zip code 92648 on a few other sites.

realtor.com => 373 listings found
remax.com => 404 listings found
roost.com => 339 listings found

Just wanted to provide a little background on the discrepancies between roost.com, remax.com and realtor.com.

We have the least listing out of these three because we filter out the rentals that are in the MLS and we take out anything that is in contract.

Just wanted people to understand why.

Derek Overbey
Sr. Director of Marketing & Social Media
Roost.com

]]> By: Faith+1 http://www.vendoralley.com/2009/07/07/its-the-listings-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-455 Faith+1 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:58:44 +0000 http://vendoralley.com/?p=2430#comment-455 It's what happens when marketing experts are allowed to use marketing concepts to drive the business rather than business experts to drive the marketing of their product. Similar problem when sites are over-engineered by the techies. There needs to be a balance. While the user experience might be important it won't make up for lacking the appropriate content. For a real estate site there is only two real purposes--help consumers buy/sell homes and help an agent close the deal. If your site doesn't accomplish that it is useless. No matter how many web design awards you win. Like you said, if they have the listings and make it too difficult to find them then what good is the site? It’s what happens when marketing experts are allowed to use marketing concepts to drive the business rather than business experts to drive the marketing of their product. Similar problem when sites are over-engineered by the techies. There needs to be a balance.

While the user experience might be important it won’t make up for lacking the appropriate content. For a real estate site there is only two real purposes–help consumers buy/sell homes and help an agent close the deal.

If your site doesn’t accomplish that it is useless. No matter how many web design awards you win.

Like you said, if they have the listings and make it too difficult to find them then what good is the site?

]]> By: M Realty http://www.vendoralley.com/2009/07/07/its-the-listings-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-454 M Realty Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:55:32 +0000 http://vendoralley.com/?p=2430#comment-454 I completely agree, if I am going to use a home search tool I am assuming (and hoping) that I am seeing all of the listings for the area, not just listings in this particular system. I mean, this is why why created the MLS's in the first place! My IDX system grabs everything from the MLS, everything listed in their system. Zillow and Trulia still only list their own listings I believe, which is misleading for someone who is searching for a home on their website. I completely agree, if I am going to use a home search tool I am assuming (and hoping) that I am seeing all of the listings for the area, not just listings in this particular system. I mean, this is why why created the MLS’s in the first place! My IDX system grabs everything from the MLS, everything listed in their system. Zillow and Trulia still only list their own listings I believe, which is misleading for someone who is searching for a home on their website.

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