Prudential California Realty Breaks New Ground With MSN HomeAdvisor

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 7, 1999 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it has signed an agreement with Prudential California Realty, the fourth-largest and fastest-growing real estate company in the country. This agreement, coupled with the extensive MLS relationships of HomeAdvisor throughout Southern California, ensures that Prudential California Realty’s extensive inventory of homes for sale will be featured prominently on the MSN TM HomeAdvisor TM online real estate site. Prudential California Realty joins Prudential California Realty, Walnut Creek, and Prudential California Realty, Sacramento, which already feature their home listings on HomeAdvisor.

All customers who list their homes for sale with Prudential California Realty or Prudential John Aaroe and Associates in Los Angeles and Orange Counties will receive the broadest local, regional and national exposure for their properties via HomeAdvisor at no cost. Consumers will also be able to e-mail Prudential agents directly from each of their listings.

“This agreement enables us to display our available homes to millions of potential buyers, not only throughout Southern California, but throughout the country, all at no additional charge to our customers,”
said Steve Games, president and CEO of Prudential California Realty.
“Customers today demand that we provide the widest exposure possible for their listings. This relationship helps us get a very important advantage over our competitors, and we look forward to the increased business that our agents will receive as a result.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Prudential California Realty, a company that has achieved phenomenal growth through innovative leadership and outstanding customer service,”
said Ian Morris, group product manager for MSN HomeAdvisor.

This agreement is the latest in a series of major announcements by HomeAdvisor. The home-buying guide recently passed the 750,000 home listing mark and has signed new agreements with dozens of other leading real estate companies, including Arvida Realty Services in Clearwater, Fla., the nation’s fifth-largest real estate broker; Prudential Connecticut Realty in Rocky Hill, Conn.; and Realty Executives of Illinois and Northern Indiana. The site also set a new traffic record during the month of July with a 150 percent increase since this spring, according to Media Metrix.

About Prudential California Realty

Prudential California Realty, the fourth-largest broker in the nation, was responsible for more than $7 billion in real estate transactions last year. The company, with more than 2,200 sales associates in 54 offices throughout California, is recognized throughout the country as a leader in technological innovation and customer satisfaction.

About MSN HomeAdvisor

HomeAdvisor is the Internet’s most complete guide for finding homes and loans, combining Microsoft® technology with services and expertise from some of the most trusted names in the real estate industry. 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. Winner of the Inman Innovator Award as the best residential real estate site, HomeAdvisor is a PC Magazine Top 100 Web site, a Yahoo! Internet Life Best of the Best winner and a Family PC Web Site of the Month. Part of the MSN network of Internet services, HomeAdvisor launched in July 1998 and is free on the World Wide Web at http://homeadvisor.MSN.com/ (connect-time charges may apply).

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, MSN and HomeAdvisor are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

Related Posts