HouseValues - Agent Marketing Opportunities

Web site: http://www.housevalues.com

Overview

Founded in 1999, HouseValues.com (NASDAQ: SOLD) provides consumers and real estate professionals with information and tools for home buying and selling process. The company's products include HomePages.com, a home buying and selling Web site; TheLoanPage.com, a service that provides current and prospective home owners with competitive mortgage and refinance quotes from lenders; HouseValues.com, a service that provides home sellers with market valuations of their current home; and JustListed.com, a service that alerts home buyers as soon as new homes hit the market that meet their criteria.

For agents, HouseValues operates as a lead generation service.  Customers who visit one of the four HouseValue sites noted above are asked to leave their personal contact information.  HouseValues then takes this contact information and distributes it to agents who have signed a contract with them (typically an annual contract).  In most cases, an agent has exclusive access to any leads generated by the serviced they subscribe to within a specific zip code.  As of November 2006, HouseValues had approximately 15,000 paid subscribers to their four products (this would include any mortgage brokers).  It also appears from their financial statements that a majority of these agents exit as a subscriber after one year.

HouseValues subscribers also have access to Market Leader, a Web-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, personal coaching, training, seminars, and access to a network of other HouseValues subscribers.

Advertising Options and Rates

As indicated above, HouseValues has four specific products that it offers to agents.  In most cases, the output of these products is a potential lead for an agent.  The quality of that lead can vary, as there are no mechanisms to prevent customers from entering erroneous or false information.  Recently, HouseValues announced a plan that would allow agents to turn in any leads within 24 hours for any reason. 

While pricing per lead may vary, agents pay approximately $50-$100 per lead, depending on the zip code.  The cost per lead will also vary on the number of leads that an agent receives each month.  Agents must agree to an annual contract in order to participate in the HouseValues program.

Related Links

• Online Marketing Opportunities for Agents