Real Estate Market

Video-on-demand due as next frontier for Realtor.com's listings

by Broderick Perkins

(5/14/2012) - Remote controlled access to Realtor.com's listings is the next big thing on the menu for digital access to homes for sale.

Later this year, the Realtor.com Channel will add television displays to computer and smart mobile device displays as portals to millions of homes for sale, according to Move.com, Realtor.com's operator.

Appearing first on the Cox cable network, the new homes-for-sale channel will launch in the second half of 2012, offering listings to 55 million Cox subscribers via the same kind of video on demand (VOD) used to watch movies, TV shows and other televised programming. Move plans to add other networks to the venture.

"Realtor.com is continually improving the real estate search experience with emerging technologies to make it easier for millions of people connect with real estate professionals ready to help them find the home that's right for their family," said Steve Berkowitz, Move's chief executive officer.

Just as you can search for televised programming to watch whatever, whenever you want, Realtor.com Channel will allow you to search for properties by location and obtain listings by price range, along with photo-based videos and listing descriptions provided by the listing agents. Listings will include real estate agents' contact information.

Looky-loos will go ga-ga.

If you've got one of those large-as-life big screen HD displays with 2D-3D conversion, homes for sale will come into your home like never before. For those in the market to buy or to sell, today's dramatically low prices and the cast of millions of homes will make for some riveting drama in "Open House" screenings.

"This is another avenue for home buyers to use in the process of elimination. Before the internet, buyers invested lots of time viewing scores of properties in person," said Pat Kapowich, broker owner of Kapowich Real Estate in Cupertino, CA.

Kapowich, also host of Kapowich on Real Estate (1590 AM, KLIV Radio, San Jose, CA), added, "After the World Wide Web, buyers only sought to see homes personally that they feel might fit their needs. Digital viewing of homes is a win-win for everyone."

Only Realtor.com listings will appear on the new channel. Realtor.com listings are sent to the site directly from more than 850 MLSes across the nation. Approximately 85 percent of the listings on Realtor.com are updated every 15 minutes by the MLSes with the remainder updated every one to 24 hours.

Realtor.com Channel will be powered by the Home Tour Network subsidiary of RealBizMedia. Formerly known as RealBiz360, RealBizMedia provides media and image content delivery for the real estate industry.

"With for-sale inventories down across the nation, having convenient, fast and fun search options, along with the partnership of a professional agent, is important. When the Realtor.com Channel has launched,² Berkowitz said.

And, yes, it's TV. There will be commercials.

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