Comments on: If you think realtor.com dominates real estate search today, then… http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/ Authentic Real Estate and Internet Marketing Conversations Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:12:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Acomplia http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-2520 Acomplia Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:17:53 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-2520 Lovely post. Please add my email address to your list and email me the updates if possible. I always like to read your blog and comment on it. Lovely post. Please add my email address to your list and email me the updates if possible. I always like to read your blog and comment on it.

]]> By: Dustin http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-584 Dustin Mon, 14 Jan 2008 03:33:41 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-584 Scott: I agree that would be fascinating information, but I'm not aware of any good source for this information. Scott: I agree that would be fascinating information, but I’m not aware of any good source for this information.

]]> By: Scott Rogers http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-583 Scott Rogers Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:37:03 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-583 I’d love to know how the traffic at some of the largest sites (Realtor.com, for example), compares with the sum traffic to all broker and agent web sites. If anyone knows where I can find this information, please let me know! I’d love to know how the traffic at some of the largest sites (Realtor.com, for example), compares with the sum traffic to all broker and agent web sites. If anyone knows where I can find this information, please let me know!

]]> By: 45 Things I Learned at RE Connect « 4realz.net http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-582 45 Things I Learned at RE Connect « 4realz.net Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:02:07 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-582 [...] follow Greg’s logic that it weakens overall traffic to Trulia… Mainly because nobody in the online real estate space has enough market penetration to think there are a finite number of users for their services. Trulia needs more listings. If this [...] [...] follow Greg’s logic that it weakens overall traffic to Trulia… Mainly because nobody in the online real estate space has enough market penetration to think there are a finite number of users for their services. Trulia needs more listings. If this [...]

]]> By: Michael http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-581 Michael Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:44:52 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-581 We are the #1 realtor in our area and have been for several years. We have had featured homes, featured communities, showcase properties, and banner ads with realtor.com for years now. The banner ads and featured communities did not work for us, but featured homes & showcase properties have worked extremely well. I don't know if region has any effect on the model. We are in the South and at least 50% of buyers we work with have searched realtor.com, much more than any other listings site. Our presence there is a major contributor to obtaining buyers as well as in obtaining listings. I agree they have been difficult to work with in the past - raising prices, no quantity discounts, changing sales contacts regularly, etc. But even though it's expensive, realtor.com is a much better revenue generator for us than local newspaper, real estate listing magazines, pay per click etc. In our area, it is the one site folks know they can go to and get all the listings in the local MLS which is 95% of all homes for sale in our area. We are the #1 realtor in our area and have been for several years. We have had featured homes, featured communities, showcase properties, and banner ads with realtor.com for years now. The banner ads and featured communities did not work for us, but featured homes & showcase properties have worked extremely well. I don’t know if region has any effect on the model. We are in the South and at least 50% of buyers we work with have searched realtor.com, much more than any other listings site. Our presence there is a major contributor to obtaining buyers as well as in obtaining listings. I agree they have been difficult to work with in the past – raising prices, no quantity discounts, changing sales contacts regularly, etc. But even though it’s expensive, realtor.com is a much better revenue generator for us than local newspaper, real estate listing magazines, pay per click etc. In our area, it is the one site folks know they can go to and get all the listings in the local MLS which is 95% of all homes for sale in our area.

]]> By: Dustin http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-580 Dustin Thu, 03 Jan 2008 21:01:57 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-580 Dale: I'm definitely don't think realtor.com should be a model for successful real estate listing sites, but remax.com offers an even worse user experience! Ignoring the fact that I can't even search on the site right now (type in the zip code "98117" in the zip code area, hit the "search properties" button and nothing happens! by the way if you use a different zip code like 91302 then it works as expected), the interface is so kludge and looks like it was last updated in the 1990s. Anyway, you're point about upgrades on Realtor.com being too expensive is a valid concern, but the reality is that for the price of FREE, the typical agent gets the same exposure on realtor.com as you do on Remax.com (i.e. none!). Dale:

I’m definitely don’t think realtor.com should be a model for successful real estate listing sites, but remax.com offers an even worse user experience! Ignoring the fact that I can’t even search on the site right now (type in the zip code “98117″ in the zip code area, hit the “search properties” button and nothing happens! by the way if you use a different zip code like 91302 then it works as expected), the interface is so kludge and looks like it was last updated in the 1990s.

Anyway, you’re point about upgrades on Realtor.com being too expensive is a valid concern, but the reality is that for the price of FREE, the typical agent gets the same exposure on realtor.com as you do on Remax.com (i.e. none!).

]]> By: Dale http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-579 Dale Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:29:39 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-579 How come you didn't have Remax.com lsited? Realtor.com is on the way out. Too expensive. Too many sites like Remax.com that duplicate the process and don't charge, actually is free for it's agents. How come you didn’t have Remax.com lsited? Realtor.com is on the way out. Too expensive. Too many sites like Remax.com that duplicate the process and don’t charge, actually is free for it’s agents.

]]> By: Jessie B http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-576 Jessie B Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:14:15 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-576 @Nick - This maybe a dumb question but why do you feel it's important for the agents to work with REALTOR.com? If the site is consumer facing... isn't the traffic from the users (home buyers / sellers) more important. In other words why do you think R is not getting more consumer traction since they are interacting with it or do you think because agents are not satisfied with REALTOR.com they bad mouth it to consumers and recommend other sites? @Nick – This maybe a dumb question but why do you feel it’s important for the agents to work with REALTOR.com? If the site is consumer facing… isn’t the traffic from the users (home buyers / sellers) more important. In other words why do you think R is not getting more consumer traction since they are interacting with it or do you think because agents are not satisfied with REALTOR.com they bad mouth it to consumers and recommend other sites?

]]> By: Dustin http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-578 Dustin Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:44:27 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-578 Spencer, if you follow the link where I mention the "under 10%" of online real estate traffic, you'll see that I'm simply referencing a hitwise report from Feb '07. It's quite possible that the numbers are even lower now, but I'd be surprised if R.com's share of the category dropped by over half. And I definitely concur with you that Hitwise, Compete, Comscore, etc. are all over the board and NEVER agree with internal numbers. Hell, even internal numbers (i.e. server log parsing vs java-script tracking) never agree, but that is another story. :) Spencer, if you follow the link where I mention the “under 10%” of online real estate traffic, you’ll see that I’m simply referencing a hitwise report from Feb ‘07. It’s quite possible that the numbers are even lower now, but I’d be surprised if R.com’s share of the category dropped by over half.

And I definitely concur with you that Hitwise, Compete, Comscore, etc. are all over the board and NEVER agree with internal numbers. Hell, even internal numbers (i.e. server log parsing vs java-script tracking) never agree, but that is another story. :)

]]> By: Spencer http://4realz.net/2007/12/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-577 Spencer Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:36:54 +0000 http://4realz.net/2007/12/31/if-you-think-realtorcom-dominates-real-estate-search-today-then/#comment-577 Dustin, Just curious -- where did you get the 10% of online real estate traffic number from? The numbers that I've seen recently from Hitwise show 4.71% of the category's traffic going to R.com in Nov07 (vs 9.83% in Nov06). But that's just r.com, not the whole Move Network. As I've written before, we find all of these third party traffic statistic providers to be pretty unreliable. Hitwise, Compete, Comscore, Alexa -- they all botch our traffic pretty badly. When we talk about traffic publicly, we're citing our own internal numbers which come from Omniture. Anyway, where is the 10% from? Dustin,
Just curious — where did you get the 10% of online real estate traffic number from? The numbers that I’ve seen recently from Hitwise show 4.71% of the category’s traffic going to R.com in Nov07 (vs 9.83% in Nov06). But that’s just r.com, not the whole Move Network.
As I’ve written before, we find all of these third party traffic statistic providers to be pretty unreliable. Hitwise, Compete, Comscore, Alexa — they all botch our traffic pretty badly. When we talk about traffic publicly, we’re citing our own internal numbers which come from Omniture.
Anyway, where is the 10% from?

]]>