Realtor.com operator, Move, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOVE), a leader in online real estate, and RealBizMedia, a leading provider of rich media content delivery for the real estate industry, have announced an agreement to launch the Realtor.com Channel powered by the Home Tour Network, part of the RealBizMedia’s group.
The new Realtor.com Channel will launch in the second half of 2012 and bring millions of property listings into 55 million U.S. homes starting with the Cox cable network. In doing so, Realtor.com will be the first company to deliver a real estate search experience on the three screens consumers use most: computer, mobile and TV. Executives are discussing plans to expand the channel into other networks.
“Realtor.com is continually improving the real estate search experience with emerging technologies to make it easier for millions of people to connect with real estate professionals ready to help them find the home that’s right for their family,” said Steve Berkowitz, Move’s chief executive officer. “With ‘for-sale’ inventories down across the nation, having convenient, fast and fun search options, along with the partnership of a professional agent, is important. When the Realtor.com Channel has launched, regardless of where you are or what you’re doing, Realtor.com will be with you.”
The Realtor.com Channel will be a powerful way for real estate agents to reach home buyers on a highly geo-targeted level. Based on location, property listings on the Realtor.com Channel will be displayed by price range delivered by the Home Tour Network and include high quality photo-based videos and descriptions provided by agents. With just a few clicks of the remote, viewers can instantly connect with agents for information.
“We’re excited to be teaming up with Realtor.com on this new venture that will help millions of people find what we hope becomes their piece of the American Dream – a home,” says Steve Marques, CEO of RealBizMedia. “Our experience in launching our propriety video platform positions RealBizMedia to leverage both organizations’ assets and provide home buyers and folks simply interested in checking out the local market with a new way to discover real estate and connect with real estate experts across the country.”
Only Realtor.com listings will appear on the new Realtor.com Channel. All listings on Realtor.com are sent to the site directly from more than 850 MLSs across the nation. Approximately 85 percent of the listings on Realtor.com are updated every 15 minutes by the MLSs with the remainder updated every one to 24 hours.
Today’s VOD platform makes it possible for millions of potential buyers who subscribe to cable television to discover for-sale listings as part of their entertainment viewing experience. With the rapid adoption of technologies that enable seamless navigation between TV to internet content, Realtor.com is now positioned to create even richer experiences and more opportunities for consumers, agents and advertisers to connect conveniently and on demand.
An exclusive media program will soon be developed for general advertisers interested in reaching millions of cable subscribers across the nation through the Realtor.com Channel. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
For more information visit www.REALTOR.com ® or www.move.com.
