As reported in RISMEDIA
http://www.rismedia.com/index.php/article/articleview/11408/1/1/
 
By Maria Patterson

RISMEDIA, August 16 – RE/MAX International is announcing this week a new

strategy for delivering real estate listings to consumers via a new,

national collection of IDX broker Web sites available at www.remax.com.

We decided to start our own intelligent network of IDX sites, explained

RE/MAX Co-founder and Chairman of the Board Dave Liniger, during an

interview with RISMedia. NAR and the DOJ (Department of Justice) are

discussing the policies and the procedures on the accessibility of

listing information…they are on the verge of having a written agreement

that will make listings available to anyone who wants them.

Realtors have always shared listings, Liniger continued. We are the

first to now integrate them on a national basis and provide the ultimate

way for Realtors to retain control of leads. We have made strong

financial and resource commitments to this program because its the right

thing to do for the public, for the real estate industry and our RE/MAX

membership.

According to Liniger, as the program is rolled out over the next year,

consumers will be able to view any property listing, whether its a

RE/MAX listing or not, at www.remax.com. The program will be in complete

compliance with IDX policies across the country. Liniger expects to have

listing information in place for half the country within six months, and

the balance completed within the year. The Internet strategy is currently

available in the New Jersey and Northern Illinois markets.

The strategy is a natural progression for www.remax.com, says Liniger,

which already receives millions of hits a day. If you already have a

great brand name, people will go to your Web site. Were not going to be

a national MLS…were aggregating IDX sites out there and giving the leads

to the people who deserve them, for free.

Liniger describes the new strategy as part of a broader

industry-changing paradigm shift.

The entire industry will follow our lead, he adds. No competitive

advantage lasts forever. Realtors are the most cooperative group out

thereits all about anything that helps get the listing sold faster. We

are excited to take a leadership role in this.

This program has some very exciting new features and leverages

state-of-the-art technology and marketing systems, said Kristi Graning,

RE/MAX vice president, information technology. The system will put the

control of the marketing listings and lead generation back into the hands

of our agents and give RE/MAX members a competitive advantage in the

industry.

RE/MAX will license existing and proven technology from Florida-based

Siegent, Inc., which will assist in this large effort and bring

significant value through their experience in data aggregation,

manipulation and distribution, Graning explains.

Siegent is the parent company of Boca Raton-based eNeighorhoods.

RE/MAX will advertise the new program to consumers via its far-reaching

advertising campaign through vehicles, such as Google, radio ads, and

print ads in publications including People, National Geographic, Time and

This Old House.

Ultimately, despite such advancements online, consumers will always come

back to using Realtors that they know, says Liniger. People wont call a

stranger. The Internet gives them access to the information, but they

want a friendly face. This is a referral and repeat businessthat is

still the mainstay of this business.