Imagine going through your neighborhood, searching for a house to buy. Instead of traveling with an agent, however, you have your mobile TV device as your guide. You can get targeted homes available in your area, watch videos of the interior and exterior, and with a click connect with a realtor. That’s the promise of Realtor.com TV, which intends to shake up and re-imagine the whole process of searching for a home in 2012.
Move Inc. and RealBizMedia this week announced an agreement to launch the Realtor.com Channel and to have it powered by the Home Tour Network, a subsidiary of RealBizMedia’s stable of media groups. The new network is slated to launch in the second half of 2012, and is targeted to reach 55 million U.S. homes. First being available on the Cox cable network, it will be on three different screens, cable television, desktop computer and, perhaps its most handy use, via mobile TV.
No new launch of a branded property could be more geo-targeted than the Realtor.com Channel. Because the info is so directly related to the area the viewer is in, this will make the mobile version especially pivotal as far as a rich resource of current and up-to-date information. Based on location and property listings, the channel will be a compelling resource to connect real-estate agents with home buyers. The mobile version will have relevant videos of houses, and buyers can make a few clicks to instantly connect with a local real-estate agent.
The content will be real-time and refreshed for the latest updates. All listings on the mobile site are sent direct from more than 850 MLSs across the U.S., and more than 85 percent of all the listings on Realtor.com are updated at least every 15 minutes, with the remaining listing updated at least every 24 hours. An advertising engine is being developed to work along with it. As well as traditional advertisers, realtors will have the opportunity to advertise in a geo-based targeted fashion to directly connect with consumers.
A big part of the convergences of mobile TV with traditional forms of content is that information should be more up-to-date, more visual and immediate as far as getting results that consumers want. This new enterprise hits many of these bullet points head on. The fact that videos can be viewed of specific houses based on location is incredibly handy to users who typically need to sift through this info manually.
Mobile TV affords them the ability to take their smartphone, tablet or device on the road with them as they search their own area for houses. Realtors will be connected to various markets, and advertising will be afforded to those agents who want to pay a bit more to surf up higher on the listings. The great part is that house hunters can use the new channel as a resource, without any intervention from an agent or local business. They can drive around and get location data on what is for sale and in what price range, all for free, 24 hours a day.
The company has plans to expand the network and add new options and features, but it’s a safe bet that searching for a house using mobile TV will make things easier and more convenient than ever before.
