REDMOND, Wash., September 21, 1998 — When you build a Web site, the work isn’t over when the site goes live.
Product managers for HomeAdvisor spent nearly two years researching and perfecting the site before it was officially introduced last month. Now, in just a month’s time, they’ve made HomeAdvisor one of the most distributed sites on the Internet.
Today, the online real-estate and mortgage site announced an exclusive distribution agreement with InfoSpace, making HomeAdvisor the exclusive mortgage-service provider for the new InfoSpace Loan Center. The new deal will also make HomeAdvisor’s loan offerings and other acclaimed services available to several of InfoSpace’s distribution partners, including ABC, CBS and The Wall Street Journal Interactive.
But this deal represents just the latest piece of the puzzle. Since announcing its official launch in mid-August, HomeAdvisor has partnered with some of the most highly-trafficked Web sites in the world, including Yahoo!, Infoseek, GeoCities, Pathfinder and many others. In all, HomeAdvisor is now integrated or linked from three of the top four sites on the Web and six of the top 10, according to Media Metrix.
“The breadth and depth of the marketing agreements that we have put in place over the past month are unprecedented and are quickly making HomeAdvisor one of the most visited real-estate and mortgage sites on the Internet,” said Ian Morris, lead product manager for HomeAdvisor. “Our real-estate and mortgage partners are very happy with the broad national exposure that their products are already receiving.”
Portals and other Internet sites that have made HomeAdvisor content available to their users also have been pleased.
“We are committed to giving our users the best tools and educational information available on the Internet today,” said Naveen Jain, president and CEO of InfoSpace. “Microsoft HomeAdvisor offers our customers a wide range of loan offerings, as well as expert advice and tips throughout the home buying process that are second to none. It’s by far the most powerful tool on the Web for home buyers today and we’re proud to add it to the many top content providers available on InfoSpace.”
Since its inception, HomeAdvisor has taken pains to create a site that benefits both consumers and Realtors. Created with the help of the Microsoft Real Estate Advisory Board, a group of well-respected industry leaders, the site has introduced several innovative programs that keep Realtors and brokers at the front of the real-estate transaction. BrokerFirst, announced earlier this month, gives brokers a free link from their listings on HomeAdvisor, a service for which other real-estate sites charge hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
HomeAdvisor also allows agents to list their complete contact information at the bottom of each listing absolutely free.
“HomeAdvisor was created with leaders from throughout the real-estate industry to be an information tool for consumers and real-estate agents alike,” Morris said. “By offering agents and brokers the opportunity to market themselves and their homes for free, we add incredible value for consumers while creating an unprecedented means for agents and brokers to gain new customers and sell more homes.”
Brokers and Realtors with listings on HomeAdvisor couldn’t be happier.
“Microsoft’s approach to the real-estate broker is right on target,” said R. Michael Knapp, president of Iowa Realty. “HomeAdvisor has cemented the traditional role of the broker at the center of the transaction while helping us take advantage of the vast opportunities that have been created by the emergence of the Internet.”
HomeAdvisor launched in August as the Internet’s most complete guide for finding homes and loans. It empowers consumers through every step of the home buying process and is the first Internet site to fully integrate content and services such as neighborhood, crime and school statistics with homes, loans, editorial content and expert advice.
HomeAdvisor is free on the World Wide Web at http://www.homeadvisor.com/ (connect-time charges may apply).
