Technology
CREA keeps REALTORS® at the leading edge
of new technologies.
Like virtually every sector of the economy, organized real estate has seen its share of new technologies introduced over the past several years and CREA is at the forefront of this technological revolution. A huge part of the value the association delivers to its 106,000 members across Canada is a suite of technology products and services that help REALTORS® build their businesses, market their services, deliver value to their customers, and differentiate themselves effectively in a marketplace increasingly crowded with other options for buyers and sellers.
The biggest technology product CREA provides to its members is REALTOR.ca, a premier marketing tool for members. Because it bears the carefully protected MLS® and REALTOR® trademarks, both members and their clients can be assured that the information is the most accurate and up to date available anywhere.
That advantage, having the most comprehensive and reliable database of real estate information available anywhere in the market, has made CREA's two public-facing sites, REALTOR.ca and ICX.ca, by far the most popular and most frequently visited in Canada for information about residential and commercial real estate listings, with REALTOR.ca alone getting over 17 million visits and 300 million page views every month. CREA's technology team works to ensure that REALTOR.ca is a leading-edge tool for both REALTORS® and consumers.
REALTOR.ca gets 17 million visits and 300 million page views every month.
It's the leading consumer site for real estate information.
Revamped REALTOR.ca will be more current, feature more visual information
A major redesign of REALTOR.ca went into beta-testing in Nova Scotia in late 2012 and will come to the rest of Canada later this year. This redesign will help modernize the site and give it a fresh and current look. In keeping with CREA's goals, the new REALTOR.ca will improve the visibility of REALTORS® to potential clients through its thoughtful design and streamlined interface. The site will let boards and associations update listings four times daily, making its information even more current than ever, and it will be able to accommodate more pictures of higher quality. By simplifying and improving the experience for current and future clients, we should help visitors connect more easily to REALTORS®.
"WEBForms® allows REALTORS® to create their forms from accurate MLS® data, to create a professional presentation for consumers. Another exciting development is electronic signatures – coming online in 2013."
WEBForms® deliver convenience, accuracy and professionalism
More than 50,000 REALTORS® use WEBForms® that helps automate every major stage of the entire real estate transaction. WEBForms® automatically populates important categories of information, such as address and other listing details, using verified information drawn from a Boards' and/or Associations' MLS® System. Not only is this convenient, it also ensures that the information on the forms is the most accurate and up to date available, and it gives a polished and professional appearance to the paperwork REALTORS® present their clients.
WEBForms® is one of the most popular technology products CREA offers its members. WEBForms® was improved in 2012 to make MAC compatibility smoother, and was updated with an electronic signature capacity.
The future of real estate is mobile
Both residential and commercial REALTORS® gained a powerful new customer service tool last year – mobile versions of the REALTOR.ca and ICX.ca websites that literally put at REALTORS®' fingertips all the listing information their clients want, even as they are driving them around from one showing to the next. For example, a REALTOR® can be at one listing and be able to use a smart phone or tablet to search for other similar listings within a certain radius. The app will not only find those listings and let the REALTOR® and the customer select which ones they want to see, it will also map the best route to get to them all. Judging from the speed and enthusiasm with which REALTORS® have been using these new apps, the future of real estate technology is mobile.
"Since it's introduction, the Data Distribution Facility (DDF™) provides the mechanism to ensure that REALTORS®' listings are up to date and can be efficiently shared amongst their peers."
Data Distribution Facility helps market listings
A brand new CREA product, the Data Distribution Facility, is being embraced by REALTORS® who want to expand the audience for their listings reach. The advantage of the DDF™, now being rolled out on a board-by-board basis across Canada, is that REALTORS® can cross-post their listings on each other's websites as well as advertise them on third-party real estate sites, all while keeping intact the integrity and accuracy of the original listing. DDF™ also provides analytics back to REALTORS®, helping them understand which of their marketing channels are the most successful.