Brokers’ Website a one-stop shop

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Posted on Fri, Feb. 29, 2008

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Brokers’ Web site a one-stop shop

By SANDRA BAKER

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Two Plano-based real estate brokers have teamed up to develop a Web site that they say will make finding a new house easier.

Brad Holden and Brad Oellermann, who a year ago formed Builders Information Marketing Services, on Saturday will launch www.homeferret.com, which features the new-home communities in the Metroplex offered by 32 home builders, including 25 national companies.

The men said their site is a one-stop shop because it puts an end to having to log on to each builder Web site to see what’s available. Searches can be made by city and price range, or by builder.

Holden and Oellermann said they spent several months researching and gathering the information from the builders.

“All of their communities are available,” Oellermann said.

SANDRA BAKER, 817-390-7727
sabaker@star-telegram.com

A New Real Estate Website Is Changing the Way Homes Are Sold in Dallas

 

Homeferret.com, a new type of real estate website, will be launching March 1st and is quickly gaining in popularity with realtors because it’s a completely free service.

March 1, 2008 — In the tough market of Real Estate, there appears to be many new trends for internet marketing. One of those new trends is listing homes on a non-MLS driven website. The newest website leading this trend is Homeferret.com, launching today March 1^st, 2008. Unlike most other Real Estate websites, this website allows anyone to search for a new home in the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex with up to date information directly from the builder’s representatives.

 Although it is relatively new, within the last two weeks Homeferret.com has partnered with over 10 builders already, which 8 are in the top 25 builders in DFW metroplex (Dallas Business Journal Book of Lists, 2007). Beazer Homes, Bloomfield Homes, D.R. Horton Homes, Meritage Homes, Legacy Homes, Monterrey Homes, K Hovnanian Homes, New Lineage Homes, and Bowen Homes are the newest additions.

“Until now, there hasn’t been any successful sites dedicated primarily to new homes with local information in the DFW market,” states Bradley Oellermann, Co-founder of Homeferret.com.Unlike larger sites such as Realtor.com, Newhomesource.com, or INest.com, the ferret has a distinct advantage. They will show the conveniences and lifestyles to anyone searching on the site with locations of schools, hospitals, grocery stores, and banks. Typically your larger MLS dominated websites will list communities without actual pictures of available homes. This website is designed for not only the home buyer, but a valuable tool for real estate agents or realtors.Plans call for an on-going effort to add local resources and services to the site. “This is the main reason Homeferret was created,” Oellermann concluded, “to provide as much local information to our visitors, as we can, and striving to show the actual home online for the pleasure of our users.” About Homeferret.comHomeferret.com provides the most current information about the new home market and incorporating the latest technology all in one. They have created the next advance of searching for new homes online locally. The principals have over 15 years of new home experience in the Dallas Fort Worth real estate home market. Homeferret.com is owned by Builder’s Inventory Marketing Services L.P.

A 25 FOOT BLUE FERRET IN TEXAS?

A 25 foot blue ferret with an unknown name will be unveiled in Texas. Dallas-based Homeferret.com will launch its new home search website on March 1^st, 2008, a free service to homebuyers and realtors in the DFW Metroplex. The voice of Brooke Layne, the original host of the show “Hot on Homes” will guide visitors through an interactive home search process, based on realtors and buyers’ specific preferences. Extensive detail, including floor plans, photos of homes, neighborhood demographics and amenities will also be provided to help users narrow their searches.  

“Until now, there hasn’t been any successful sites dedicated primarily to new homes with local up to date information in the DFW market,” states Bradley Oellermann, Co-founder of Homeferret.com. Unlike larger sites such as Realtor.com, Newhomesource.com, or INest.com, the ferret has a distinct advantage. They will show the conveniences and lifestyles to anyone searching on the site with locations of schools, hospitals, grocery stores, and banks provided by Google Maps.

            According to the National Association of Realtors, nearly 87% of Americans start their home search on the internet.  “We believe that with increasing popularity of the internet, the home buying process will begin online.  Homeferret.com will facilitate that process for buyers and realtors needs.”

Who benefits?

The website was developed as a sales and marketing tool for buyers, realtors, and builders. While the website has a nice flow with easy navigation that provides a potential new home buyer a general overview of our video technology and important information, the site is geared more towards real estate agents.  The reason for this is not to generate profits, from our perspective, but to generate awareness and make it be the site realtors go to for their client’s new home needs.

About our product

Homeferret.com’s product is ultimately the service.  The website will provide the most up to date information on new homes available and their communities with participating builders.  This will include but not be limited to the most updated technology being used on the web consisting of; professional videos on all topic pages, virtual tours of selected homes, pictures of the community, video of each community detailing each community, salespeople explaining each available home in the community,  available online answers to questions about the website, salespeople’s ability to instantly change their community page at any time, and showing the conveniences and lifestyles in each new home community.