In June 2007, executives with REALTOR.com and its parent company, Move Inc., launched discussions with NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® leaders about the future of the listing Web site.

REALTOR.com — with nearly 4.6 million real estate listings in late May — had consistently led in consumer traffic among real estate Web sites. But the parties agreed: The site needed both a new look and a new philosophy, one that put the needs of its customers and site users front and center.

Launching officially at the end of July, the new REALTOR.com represents the most dramatic change to the site since it landed on the Web more than a decade ago. Move executives relied extensively on consumer testing to develop a site that they say will better serve both consumers and REALTORS®.

At the new site, both free, basic listings and Showcase listings have been upgraded. And the site’s look and functionality were rebuilt from the ground up to enhance the consumer experience.

REALTOR.com President Errol Samuelson and Move President Lorna Borenstein say the new site will solidify REALTOR.com as the No. 1 home search site among consumers, giving practitioners an edge for winning customers. We spoke with Samuelson and Borenstein recently about what the revamp means for you.

Why did you reach out to NAR leaders about upgrading the site? Are other real estate sites putting pressure on you?

Samuelson: We’re conscious of what’s going on in the marketplace, but we’re not looking in the rear-view mirror worrying about competition. We’ve been in the No. 1 position for more than 10 years, and as recently as March we had 6.2 million unique visitors. It’s not unusual to see a 300 percent difference in the amount of time people spend here compared with other sites.

What we’re trying to do is reinvent ourselves on a regular basis, so we started from scratch with the question, “What is the best way to help NAR members?”

What research went into your changes?

Samuelson: One tool we used was an eye-tracking study, in which users are fitted with a device that tracks where their eyes are going. We can see what part of the site catches their eye, what confuses them, what part doesn’t interest them, and so on.

The research helped us eliminate the pieces that consumers were stumbling over and reduce the number of steps from search to results. Now you can get to the listing detail screen in just two clicks, for example.

What we’re finding is that consumers spend 70 percent more time viewing listings on the search results pages and look at 67 percent more properties. Improvement of 10 percent to 15 percent is more typical when you make changes like these, so we’re really pleased with the results.

What other design changes did you make?

Samuelson: We eliminated information by tabs. Our research found that consumers don’t particularly like sites organized by tabs, so now users can just scroll up and down within a listing to find neighborhood information.

Also, in our showcase listings, photos are 120 percent bigger, and the salesperson’s contact information and other listings are better integrated into the page. Our testing found consumers now make a better connection to the listing agent, and 61 percent are more likely to recall the agent’s name.

One of the new features is property valuations. How do your valuations differ from those used on other sites such as Zillow?

Samuelson: We start with the idea that we can give you data points to help you educate yourself about home values in the neighborhood, but at the end of the day we suggest you work with a REALTOR®.

To help with that education process, we provide data from county public records on 80 million properties, whether they’re for sale or not, with information on when the home was last sold, the date and price of sale, its assessed value and taxes for the last three years, and a summary from public records on characteristics. Then we include an algorithm that gives an approximate value range that one might expect for a property like this in this neighborhood.

But on top of that — and here’s where it gets really interesting — we’ve overlaid the 4.4 million active listings from REALTOR.com. So, now you can also see what’s for sale in the area and click on a list of comparables. What you have, then, is consumers starting to do this research on their own so that when they contact the associate, they’ve laid the groundwork to have a much more informed conversation.

On a trial basis, we’re taking sold information from three participating MLSs — in northern Ohio, Jacksonville, Fla., and Las Vegas — to give users rich MLS information like photos, not just on active properties but on sold properties as well. We also show who listed the property and who worked as the buyer’s representative, so when the consumers are looking at a property, they can actually see which associates and companies have experience and history working with this property and this neighborhood. I’m not aware of any other site that’s doing that.

Borenstein: We’re not just providing a computer-generated estimate of what your home is worth. We’re committed to providing a valuation tool that’s reliable, accurate, and contextual and very different from what other sites are providing.

Will REALTOR.com ever feature properties not represented by REALTORS®? Some have said that’ll be necessary for the site to remain competitive.

Samuelson: It’s interesting that NAR is enlightened enough to ask the question. But on that matter, we follow NAR’s lead.

There remain REALTORS® who have a negative view of REALTOR.com. How will these enhancements help change that?

Samuelson: When you have 1.2 million members, there will probably always be someone who’s un­happy. But two data points suggest we’re moving in the right direction. Our number of paid customers—those who pay to have Showcase listings—is at an all-time high, and eight of 10 in our customer satisfaction surveys give us high ratings.

It’s been a tough year for many NAR members. Will your fees increase?

Samuelson: Our fees are exactly the same, even though our testing shows the performance of Showcase listings is much higher. Our pricing is based on two variables: the average number of listings you carry a year and the market you’re in. It ranges from a couple hundred dollars a year to a few thousand. The average price is about $500 to $600 a year. That’s a lot cheaper than newspaper advertising.

Bornstein: Not only is the value there, but we think these enhancements will help REALTORS® do better in the current market. We’ve been in this business a long time and our relationships with our REALTOR® customers last for years and years. Now, when they’re facing — we’re all facing — this incredibly difficult market, we have to help them be more successful while making consumers enjoy the experience. And that’s what we’re doing.

Right now I don’t see a lot of folks at other sites trying to deliver value to REALTORS®. I’m seeing a lot of disintermediation going on. We recognize that we have an opportunity and a responsibility to be a great partner here. 

What’s New for You at REALTOR.com?

Among the free features at the site are:

- Basic listings with up to four photos

- Interactive maps with neighborhood information

- A home valuation tool that points consumers to REALTORS®

- A blogging platform

- Listing data refreshed multiple times daily

Showcase customers get

- More space around their listings

- Better placement of contact information

- Larger photos (up to 25)

Consumers can now

- Quickly revise search criteria

- Find listings and neighborhood information using interactive maps

- Scan photo galleries

- Search for properties using mobile devices

The new site is expected to be live by the end of July. Until then, view a beta version by clicking on the link in the yellow bar at the top of the REALTOR.com home page.