NEW YORK – Feb. 4, 2013 – More real estate brokerages are revamping websites to create one-stop shops, complete with full-screen photos, video tours of neighborhoods, comprehensive search tools and articles that provide advice on many aspects of the buying and selling process.

Positioning themselves as neighborhood specialists rather than listing gatekeepers, firms want to provide a space where consumers will return often.

Corcoran.com, for instance, streamlined its search tool so that consumers can look for agents based on factors such as languages spoken, hobbies and other interests. They can also log in using Facebook or LinkedIn to look for agents who have ties to their friends or contacts.

Additionally, when users click on a listing, they can view full-screen photos and maps showing neighborhood amenities.

Some firms focus more on the property than on the neighborhood, making it easier to search through listings on mobile devices. Town Residential, for instance, allows registered users who have chosen an agent to look through listings and leave notes about the features they like. The notes are then emailed to brokers to quicken response times.

By providing broad info and positioning themselves as experts in real estate, the companies hope consumers will visit their sites as a matter of habit. And then, when they’re ready to buy or sell a home, they’ll come back for help making the move.

Source: New York Times (01/31/13) Higgins, Michelle

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