Realestate.com Goes Social, Launches Town Square
Realestate.com, the online real estate destination owned by the online mortgage giant LendingTree, rolled out a new sitewide redesign last week.
The new design is clean, fast and eminently usable. And while not as tricked out as some of its competitors, the site is a very capable competitor. Results are returned in a very easy to understand fashion.
Realestate.com is not a pure search play though. Like its online counterparts Redfin and ZipRealty, it also maintains a number of local offices and a “boots on the ground” (call it a “signs in the yards”) brand in a dozen or so states.
In addition to the redesign of its search tool, Realestate.com has also launched a community section on their site, which they’re calling Town Square.
Town Square will bring the worlds of online and in-person real estate together in an interactive social community. By visiting Town Square, consumers can access valuable insight from agents, share their experiences, learn about emerging real estate trends and search an A-to-Z encyclopedia about all-things-real estate. For real estate professionals, Town Square offers an opportunity to connect with interested homebuyers and sellers, network with other agents, share tips and best practices and blog about the latest real estate news and happenings in their area.
Frankly, they’re probably a little late to the party to get Realtors to engage in yet another platform; ActiveRain, Zillow, Trulia, Homegain and Realtor.com all offer blogging platforms.
That said, many of those platforms are already saturated with participants and so for folks looking for a new place to stake a claim, Town Square might very well be virgin territory. Especially if Realestate.com can drive some real traffic to those conversations.
Jason Cook | Jun 17, 2009 | Reply
Joel – thanks for the coverage and for your honest review. Guilty as charged on the late-to-the-party charge. We are currently working on a few hooks that we’re hoping will provide a more unique experience over the coming weeks and months. If we can engage consumers with relevant, current information through Town Square, then I think we have a chance of luring agents and REALTORS as well.
Chris Dowell | Jun 18, 2009 | Reply
I don’t think it is to late to enter the market with a social platform. With less then 10% of the real estate market participating, there is growth. If realestate.com offered something that attracted the consumers, the real estate agents will follow.
Apartments Barcelona | Jul 2, 2009 | Reply
It is never late to experiment new things. Realestate.com will gradually be a great benefactor.
Apartments Docklands | Jul 24, 2009 | Reply
You might be right, it is a little late to try new things but I’ve checked out their new site and they could make a go of it.
Dan Y | Apr 16, 2010 | Reply
I wonder if someone will be able to view this from their smartphone? That’s where the future is at is bringing this kind of stuff to smartphones.