STROUDSBURG, PA – Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates has announced the launch of its new consumer website, www.BHGwilkins.com. The new site revolutionizes the online real estate search for consumers in the Pocono Mountains area. This launch is part of the BHG national brands announcement that it has delivered the most comprehensive lifestyle and community data based search and sort experience that is fully integrated within the national website.
The Wilkins IDX based website features new search capabilities driven by consumer lifestyle considerations, which is revolutionary to the home searching experience.
In addition, another rollout of individual agent websites featuring those same benefits will occur in the first quarter of 2015. This feature is only available to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Realtors.
“This exciting milestone reflects BHG’s dedication to the consumer and keeping our affiliate Brokers a step ahead”, said Sherry Chris, Pres and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, LLC. “Consumers are buying homes based on lifestyle requirements, but the way a real estate search was done online has not yet evolved to meet that reality, but BHG now has created a site that will forever change the search criteria.” said Chris.
“As real estate professionals, our mission is to empower our customers and clients in finding their dream homes”, said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates.
“Today, that definition extends beyond the traditional criteria of home many bedrooms, how many baths, price and square footage. There are other very important criteria when a family buys a home. These important criteria include personalized needs that can enhance an individual’s work and life balance or the experiences of their families. We are proud to offer the most comprehensive lifestyle search available today to make that a reality for all who interact with www.BHGwilkins.com .” said Christine A. Wilkins, Exec V.P./Gen Mgr.
The new presentation features:
- Search designed for the way you live: Consumers are able to begin their home search using lifestyle triggers such as drive time, schools/school zones, neighborhoods/address.
- Innovative drive time based property search: The customer’s home search is powered by INRIX, a leading provider of drive-time insight in the connected car and the smart cities worldwide. The customer starts their home search by selecting a drive time maximum along with a time of day requirement suited to their lifestyle. The website then delivers targeted property results that meet those commute requirements.
- On the map: Customers and clients can refine the results of their search based on pinpoints on a map, free hand drawing and viewing homes against typical traffic distances. Collectively, this design represents the most comprehensive approach to a home search on maps in the industry.
- A refined sort: Once the initial property search returns, the site presents the consumer with property cards featuring photos of each homes, property information and indicators grading how the home performs against the consumer’s top 3 selected lifestyle criteria. This empowers the consumer to compare each house. The consumer can dynamically re-sort the search based on the number of property and lifestyle parameters to further refine their research.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, LLC has named their website “The friendliest site in real estate, featuring the friendliest search for real estate.” and now you can see why such a definition is applicable. The Wilkins organization, while always priding themselves on being leaders in the market place, have simply out done themselves this time in the eyes of the Realtors and the Managers.
Said James “Jimmy” Martin, Realtor BHG, “This website is going to give my buyers the ability to search not just by zip code, but by what they really want in a house. I feel that’s going to give me more homes to show them that they’ll like, delete the houses that they don’t like (without having to drive by or go in to show them) and will increase my sales in 2015.” Martin has been with the company for 5 years and has consistently been in the Top Ten for sales.
Said Carol Demarest, Realtor in the Wilkins Bushkill office and PMAR 2014 Realtor of the Year, “That’s why I like being a part of the Wilkins team. Tom and his crew constantly think out of the box and the lifestyle search for real estate, we cannot ask for anything more. I’m impressed!” Demarest has been with the company since 2003.
“I simply love Better Homes and Gardens; they are always coming up with ideas that keep me ahead of the curve and that’s where I like to be.” said Judi Moniz, Assoc Broker who has been with the company for 20 years and works from the Mt. Pocono office.
Said Jen Amantea, Assoc Broker, “Selling by lifestyle, that’s boss.” Amantea works from the Wilkins Mt. Pocono office.
Innovation Beyond Search
- Unmatched content: com has been designed to put content at the center of the real estate experience. In addition to lifestyle and community data, Yelp, National Weather Service, dining and entertainment data, photography, DIY, state and local contacts are all part of the new website.
- Transforming visits into leads: All brand generated leads will flow directly into the company’s specific lead routing process to seamlessly integrate the consumer with the agent that best fits their criteria.
- Multi-lingual capabilities: The site supports the addition of Spanish language property, informational and affiliated agent content.
- Built for a mobile first world: The custom platform goes beyond mobile responses; it is built for mobile first. It supports multiple photographs in a swipe and clickable format.
- Agent benefits: Affiliated agents are able to customize their profile pages with awards, testimonials, biography and social media feed information.
The Wilkins organization has been in business for 26 years. In that time, the company has built the real estate side of their business into becoming one of the largest and top brokers in the Northeast Pennsylvania region. In 1988, the office opened their doors and proceeded to build the company from 3 agents to what they are today. In addition to real estate, the Wilkins organization includes Management, title and settlement services, and auctions—online and in person, data collection and data distribution. All offices are open 7 days a week. To experience the Friendliest Search in Real Estate for the Pocono market, visit www.BHGwilkins.com .
