The new home page for Coldwell Banker’s re-designed consumer website.
Coldwell Banker Real Estate recently unveiled a new digital platform that allows sellers to actively participate in marketing their home by sharing personal stories, photos and videos. The company has completely redesigned its consumer website at www.coldwellbanker.ca.
“Seller participation fills a void in the real estate process,” says Sean Blankenship, senior VP of marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate. “Up until now, digital real estate platforms have lacked the tools to truly capture a home’s character and personality. Our new platform will now solve the age-old question ‘what if the walls could tell a story?’”
A recent study conducted by the Coldwell Banker brand in the U.S. found that 87 per cent of consumers feel the process of buying and selling a home could be improved, the company says.
“For years, the real estate industry has focused on targeting buyers. In many ways, sellers are being ignored in the existing process,” says Blankenship. “That’s why Coldwell Banker has taken a more personal approach by empowering sellers to be as involved as they would like in the selling of their home. This will in turn benefit buyers all over the world.”
Hollywood actors William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are among the first sellers to take advantage of the new platform. Their home’s listing on the Coldwell Banker digital platform provides a personal account of what the home meant to them.
“We love this house and so do our two girls. We’ve had the best dinner parties and holiday feasts,” wrote Macy on the home’s listing page. “Felicity and I’ve spent hours on the back deck watching the fantastic colour as the sun sets over the ranch. We put a secret door between the kids’ bedrooms which has been a huge hit….”
Sellers are now invited to upload stories, photos and videos to their listing page. Once approved by their sales rep, these personal contributions from the seller will be displayed alongside the agent’s images and listing description. The brand plans to launch a seller dashboard that provides real-time feedback from buyers on how the seller’s listing is performing. The ability to access this information will allow sellers and their agents to determine how to best market the home, the company says.
Nearly three-quarters of consumers surveyed by the company agree that too often real estate listing descriptions incorrectly portray the home for sale. Coldwell Banker says its new digital platform gives buyers more transparent and authentic information directly from sellers. Buyers will have the ability to rate different home features, the home description, photos, videos and more. Additionally, buyers can take their own photos of a property, write notes and create comments to be shared through the platform with their selected circle of friends and family.
Andy Puthon, president of Coldwell Banker Canada, says, “Our new site offers a greater degree of Canadian content than ever before, while leveraging the overall digital strategy that encompasses our global brand.”
