HomeAdvisor.com is a home buying and selling portal for consumers who are shopping for homes and mortgages. The site was originally developed as the real estate section for Microsoft's MSN network, an integrated company composed of one of the largest ISPs, search engines, and portals on the Internet. Visitors to the MSN network who click on real estate are automatically routed to HomeAdvisor.com.

HomeAdvisor.com was recently spun off from MSN to be the consumer arm of HomeAdvisor Technologies, Inc. (HTI). HTI is a three-tiered company largely owned by Microsoft along with large banking partners including Bank of America, Chase Manhatten, Norwest and GMAC-Residential Funding Corp, among others to be announced. Freddic Mac is a technology partner. The new company's focus will be providing lower-cost, quick-funding mortgage loans to consumers deliverable through the web site, HomeAdvisor.com, and through participating real estate broker partners, via Microsoft's Realty Desktop, a virtual office/client management software suite.

Governing philosophy: "Our mission is to provide free leads to our real estate partners. We want to provide a good consumer experience online and work with real estate professionals." Sara Narbaitz, product manager, Homeadvisor.com

Restrictions: None. There is no charge for agents to post listings directly to HomeAdvisor. Every listing automatically displays all agent and broker information, including name, phone, fax, email, and a hot link to the agent's/broker's web site. Logos are also included free of charge. Listings come from MLS organizations or are inputted directly to HomeAdvisor by the broker or agent.

Active listings nationwide: 750,000

Number of visitors monthly: 2.5 million unique users

Number of viewings per listing monthly: N/A,

Daily updates of listings: Yes

New listing email alerts: Yes, via the HomeTracker feature.

Does HomeAdvisor sell Web sites/pages to agents?: No. However, the company has a strategic alliance with HomeSeekers.com which offers free Web pages and premium Web pages for sale.

The free agent pages offered by HomeAdvisor/HomeSeekers give a unique URL to any agent, for life. Each site includes the agent’s picture, full contact information and a personalized URL (such as http://johnsmith.homeseekers.com), logos and links to thousands of pages of content on HomeAdvisor.

Agents have total control over the look and feel of their free Web site, including color, branding, logo, photos, contact information, and a wide variety of consumer tools and resources from HomeAdvisor.com which will integrate into the agent’s Web page.

Agent Web pages from HomeAdvisor can be linked from an agent’s listings within HomeAdvisor and used externally in their own marketing, both on and offline. It is up to the individual broker or agent to submit these pages to search engines.

If your broker or MLS has a listings agreement with HomeAdvisor, your listings are updated on a daily basis on HomeAdvisor.com. Otherwise, agents and brokers can submit their listings directly through HomeAdvisor's Broker Direct program. Microsoft believes that it is critical to give consumers fresh, current information about the available home market.

Other marketing programs available? Yes, there is a partners center on the front page. Virtual tours are available, but the site goes all out for luxury/celebrity homes with extra publicity. In addition, Homeadvisor is planning to put together a new agent database.

Is Broker/office marketing available? Yes

Most expensive: N/A, see Homeseekers.com.

Least expensive: Free, broker's listings link to their Web sites free of charge

Upgrades to Web site/page available?: Yes, see HomeSeekers.com

Affiliates where my listings will also be seen: None

Company revenue model: advertising, loan referrals

Last word by Sara Narbaitz - "HomeAdvisor has no restrictions and does not believe in exclusive relationships. In fact, HomeAdvisor encourages agents and brokers to list their homes in as many places as they choose. Additionally, HomeAdvisor, does not take FSBOs. Instead, we focus on what’s best for consumers and agents – which is maximum exposure of listings and providing free contact information to Realtors.

Because HomeAdvisor lists all agent information for free, we drive more leads than any other site to agents – on average, 13 times more than Realtor.com.

We are dedicated to proivide leads to our partners. Our tools help real estate professionals and make their job easier."

Overview

Pros: An agent directory is available but it is hard to find, but the company promises that when the new Homeadvisor.com site launches next month, a greatly expanded agent database will be more visible and easier to use. Agents with listings can benefit with HomeAdvisor's philosophy and traffic, plus they can put any information they like on their listings for free, and your MLS doesn't have to have an agreement with HomeAdvisor for your listings to be featured on the site. This could be a special advantage for brokers and agents who are seeking exposure outside of their MLS and its exclusive partners. Also visit HomeAdvisor's agent marketing tools.

Cons: There is little positioning possible for agents currently who have no listings. Ditto for buyer's agents. It is also confusing how agents get into the directory. This will also be cleared up with the new site, says the company, where directions on how to get into the directory will be made clear. The company has some cool stuff for agents, but agents shouldn't have to hunt and peck to find features.

Published: March 30, 2000

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.