November 6th, 2009

Weekly Roundup

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

• BusinessWeek discusses the lack of transparency and reputable data determining the economic outlook:

“The first place to start is with the accounting for consumer spending data. There is no reason whatsoever that America should be hamstrung by the outdated and often incomplete consumer spending data collected by the Census Bureau and released 30 days after the fact—not when we can get more accurate data almost instantly.”

• Developers were pleased to learn Google offered up Javascript tools that will allow app development with Google’s code  (via ReadWriteWeb):

“Why is Google doing this? Because the more powerful web applications become, the more important Google’s search, browser and nascent OS become. More relevant to developers than some grand anti-Microsoft conspiracy, though, is that some serious UI sweetness may be forthcoming.”

• Our client Listingbook introduced their web overhaul (via RISMedia):

“The overhaul affected the public portal pages and there are no changes to the private portal. One of the biggest challenges the company says it faces is also one of their greatest attributes. ‘Our system is so deep and rich, full of valuable tools and powerful data,’ says Michael Ondrejko, the company’s senior vice president of Operations.”

• The Better Homes and Gardens iPhone app made a splash in the RE technology community (via Inman):

“Jeff Turner, president of Zeek Interactive and founder of virtual tour provider RealEstateShows.com, said in a blog post that the app is ‘solely focused on consumer benefit’ with no obvious attempts to direct users to a real estate agent or away from the home they are interested in.”

Tags: Better Homes and Gardens, data transparency, Google open source, iPhone apps, Listingbook, real estate applications.

October 28th, 2009

Listingbook Hits 100,000 Agent Milestone

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

Listingbook aims to make the home sales process enjoyable.

It’s not often you hear a success story about a company’s dramatic growth during the downturn – and it’s unheard of to witness a company’s expansion by almost 200% in a year.

Our client Listingbook has done just that.

Since last year, the online client-servicing tool provider has grown to over 100,000 registered agents, up 187% from last year. Listingbook’s splash in the real estate industry is accompanied by 241% more consumers logging in from last year to use the customer portal in the process of buying a home.

More than just a property search site, Listingbook empowers agents in today’s “need to know, want-it-now environment” says Michael Ondrejko, Listingbook SVP of Operations.

According to Ondrejko, Listingbook’s rapid growth can be attributed to the company’s ability to supply its users with Onboard Informatics‘ local neighborhood information. Paired with this comprehensive local information, Listingbook’s superior productivity and marketing tools have powered their outstanding market share in the agent community.

Listingbook offers brokers, agents, and consumers local market knowledge through Onboard’s community, school, and amenities data sets. The demographic and neighborhood content accompanies each listing to agents who have upgraded Listingbook accounts and their clients, giving them a full understanding of the communities they are considering.

“Consumers want to make an informed decision about where they will live. It is the agent’s job to give that to them,” Ondrejko said.

In its eight years, Ondrejko says Listingbook has evolved and channeled its many lessons learned into a quickly-growing force in the real estate industry that keeps the agent in the center of the real estate transaction process. With continual advancements in user interface design, relevancy, and scalability, Listingbook is not complacent even with 100,000 agents on its roster – and expects even more future growth.

Tags: Clients, company growth, data services, Listingbook, real estate market.