Realtor.com was, I believe, purchased a couple of years back by Cendant, which happens to own ERA, Century21, and Coldwell Banker.
This was a major issue, and driving force, as to the development of robust realtor websites over the past year or so. They were all using Realtor.com, and realized that they were literally feedng the competition their advertising dollars.
However, it takes a lot of money to maintain these sites, and many realtors may find themselves looking for an alternative. With competition to Realtor.com now on a national level, they may indeed look to RealMatcher.
Marketing and timing will be key. The fact that Nick began this project around the same time that Realtor.com was purchased by Cendant is strategic planning at its best. Now, the marketing starts. And we all know how Nick does when it comes to marketing a product…
Joe M is once agan incorrect in equating strategic planning many other types of planning; like the impact of marketing and (sometimes) dumb luck. He may argue that marketng is part of strategic planning. Strategy does goes into a marketing plan, though strategic planning and a marketing plan may be mutually exclusive. The overall plan needs to be thought, developed, and executed. This has been in the works for a very long time. Product roll-out is next, along with the marketng plan. Of course, the next argument may be that everything requires strategic planning. Whatever…
First, some folks bitched about a lack of a strategic organizational plan. Now they try and tie a product annoncement into strategic planning… Wow. Do the words “broken record” come to mind? I gues old Nick cant plan his way out of a paper bag. The association is in shambles. It will never grow. No one will ever listen to it, ot its members. Its members will be shunned. No member will ever qualify for licensure. They will be laughed at once they reach the State level. Legislators will ignore them. Yeah… I’ve heard it all over the past 3 years. But, just because someone says its so, doesnt mean its true.
In reality, sometimes all the strategic planning in the world, done by the most brilliant people, cant save a project or product. Sony and the BetaMax is a prime example of this…
So goes the best made plans of mice and men.
As to RealMatcher, let’s not discount Nick’s long reaching ties into some large real estate corporations, and his years as a real estate inductry veteran. All I can say, Nick, is GO GIT 'EM !!!