Upgrade Enables
Consumers to Search for Properties by Neighborhood Name- Launches
Highly Targeted Marketing Program for Real Estate Professionals.
SASKATOON,
SK and Vancouver, BC – November 01, 2005 – Point2 Technologies Inc.
today announced the release of the second phase of its real estate
Internet marketplace, www.Point2Homes.com.
The new web portal eliminates unnecessary steps associated with
researching properties for sale on the Internet, by simplifying and
accelerating the accuracy of the search.
Consumers
in nearly 40 countries can now research real estate properties listed
on www.Point2Homes.com based on everyday, colloquial neighborhood
names, allowing them to get to listings of most significance to them
right away, without having to go through long lists of properties
featured under larger city categories, nor having to figure out
unfamiliar, Multiple Listing Service (MLS)-defined area numbers and zip
codes.
“Point2 Homes is
where home buyers and sellers get a most intuitive, most informative
property research experience on the Internet,” said Jeff Tomlin,
manager of market research at Point2 Technologies. “Consumers come to
Point2 Homes because the site offers more photos, neighborhood
information and details about listed properties. Now they can research
listings even more intuitively and accurately, which helps to turn more
browsing sessions into serious opportunities for both the consumer and
the real estate agent.”
Properties
listed on Point2 Homes are also indexed on popular search engines such
as Google, Yahoo! and MSN. This enables a more consumer friendly real
estate search experience and maximizes traffic flow back to sales agent
listings on www.Point2Homes.com.
The
release of the second phase of Point2 Homes also marks the introduction
of Neighborhood Expert, a sponsorship marketing program designed to
maximize visibility and revenue for sales agents, by establishing them
as ‘go to’ experts in their respective neighborhoods.
Real
estate agents can now become Neighborhood Experts for one or more
communities where they operate, by bidding for their areas on
www.Point2Homes.com.
Neighborhood
Experts (sponsors) are prominently featured on every page of Point2
Homes that displays a listing in their area. Links are provided back to
the sponsor’s own website, where consumers can view more properties in
the area and find more information about the neighborhood, contributed
by the local Expert.
“Mapping
and maintaining accurate listings based on neighborhood names is a
dilemma avoided by many leading mapping companies,” added Tomlin.
“Point2 Neighborhoods is a major undertaking that reflects our
relentless commitment to being first to market with innovative, unique
opportunities that give our customers a true edge in their markets, and
to advancing www.Point2Homes.com’s position as the most popular,
consumer friendly real estate listing website on the Internet.”
The
neighborhood sponsorship program is exclusive to real estate
professionals who use Point2 Agent, the industry’s most widely used
website and online marketing platform. The next auction is set for
December 1st, 2005.
Point2
Homes is the first global real estate marketplace fully controlled by
real estate professionals. Listings featured on Point2 Homes are drawn
from Point2 Agent customers in nearly 40 countries, and link back to
the respective agent websites. Listings on Point2 Homes feature up to
24 easy-to-load photos and offer to consumers more information and
details about the property than any other real estate web portal. User
friendly tools and information are also available on every Point2 Agent
website, including 3D mapping, home valuation tools, mortgage
calculators and neighborhood data such as safety statistics, schools
and banks.
About Point2 Agent
With a subscriber base of over 65,000 real estate brokers, agents and
developers in 55 countries, Point2 Agent is the industry’s leading real
estate website, online marketing and advertising software solution.
More information can be obtained at http://www.point2agent.com.
About Point2 Technologies Inc.
Point2 Technologies is a global leader in online marketing and
eBusiness software solutions for the real estate and heavy equipment
industries. Leveraging Point2 proprietary and patented technology,
Point2 develops and markets software solutions that enable
organizations to conduct business over the Internet more easily and
more profitably.
Founded
in 1996, Point2 Technologies is a privately held, profitable
organization. The company employs a staff of 86 at its headquarters in
Saskatoon, SK and its Vancouver, BC offices. In recognition for its
ground-breaking technology and industry leadership, in the year 2000
Point2 Technologies received the No. 1 eBusiness designation in Canada
by global management consultants, Bain & Company and Canada’s
national business daily, The Globe and Mail. Point2 was also named one
of the Top 200 most promising B2B companies in the world, by Forbes
Magazine. More information can be obtained at http://www.point2.com.
Point2®
is a trademark of Point2 Technologies Inc. All other company and
product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which
they are associated.
Media Relations contact:
Roger Noujeim
Public Relations Director
Toll Free: 1-888-955-7900 ext. 224 (U.S. and Canada)
Tel: 1-604-675-9393
rnoujeim@point2.com
Investor Relations contact:
Robert Gutek
Vice President, Finance
Toll Free: 1-866-955-7900 ext. 213 (U.S. and Canada)
Tel: 1-306-955-9736 ext. 213
rgutek@point2.com