Consumers visiting HomeFinder.com and newspaper sites in the HomeFinder.com Network can now search the largest collection of new homes provided by NewHomeSource.com

Chicago, IL – May 19, 2010 – HomeFinder.com and Builders Digital Experience (BDX) today announced that they are expanding their existing partnership to bring together one of the fastest growing real estate sites and the largest database of new construction data, to become a new home listings powerhouse. Now consumers who visit HomeFinder.com or one of the newspaper Web sites in their robust Network, including LATimes.com, AZCentral.com, ChicagoTribune.com and MiamiHerald.com, will have access to comprehensive information about new homes and communities from NewHomeSource.com.

“With this newly expanded partnership, everyone wins,” said Tim Costello, CEO of BDX. “Not only will consumers who search for real estate on HomeFinder.com have more choices than ever, but this expanded relationship also gives our builders even more opportunities to reach home buyers locally and nationally through HomeFinder.com’s unparalleled Network and reach.”

NewHomeSource.com is the #1 new home listing Web site built by leaders in the building industry, helping builders market their new homes online for more than a decade. As an effective media partner and trusted consumer resource where homes and people find each other and connect with a real estate professional, HomeFinder.com offers over 3.5 million homes for sale and online listing enhancement solutions to more than 20,000 agent, broker and builder advertisers.

“BDX and NewHomeSource.com has always been a great partner for us and we’re thrilled to expand our relationship,” said Tim Fagan, CEO of HomeFinder.com. “We’re proud of our long history of commitment to delivering new home listings to home buyers and sellers and effective, trackable solutions to our builder customers. Builder and new home data has always been a part of the HomeFinder.com strategy, and we look forward to generating qualified phone calls and emails to BDX’s consortium of builders.”

Builders who list their communities on NewHomeSoure.com will automatically have their home and community details included on HomeFinder.com and across the 130+ newspaper real estate sites that are part of the HomeFinder.com Network. Builders can also enhance their listings on HomeFinder.com to include features such as priority placement, premier branding, trackable toll-free number and on demand ROI reporting.

“We have worked with Builder Homesite for years to market our new homes and we’re excited that through the newly formed BDX and this expanded partnership with HomeFinder.com, we will now be able to provide our home and community information once to reach more consumers and enhance our exposure across the HomeFinder.com Network,” said Kira McCarron, Chief Marketing Officer of Toll Brothers, Inc.

ABOUT HOMEFINDER.COM

HomeFinder.com is one of the most trusted Web sites for consumers to search for a home and connect with a real estate professional. Distinguished by its inventory of comprehensive property listings and rich content, HomeFinder.com provides more than 3.5 million listings with customized searches and multiple options to view and manage results. HomeFinder.com also provides simpler, more valuable online advertising solutions for agents, brokers and builders, combining the brand power of more than 130 local newspaper Web sites with exposure on a national scope, in a platform that tracks every phone call, email and click a consumer makes. Owned jointly by three leading media companies, Gannett Co. Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Co. (NYSE: MNI) and Tribune Co., the HomeFinder.com Network includes The Arizona Republic, Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times and The Indianapolis Star.

ABOUT ABOUT BUILDERS DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

Builders Digital Experience, LLC (BDX) a joint venture from Move, Inc. and Builder Homesite, Inc. combines the industry’s leading new home resources, and offers new home builders innovative online marketing solutions, streamlined customer service and support, and greater value. BDX is based in Austin, Texas and operates, NewHomeSource.com from Builder Homesite, Inc., and the new home channel from Move.com. Additional services include mobile marketing capabilities, interactive floor plans, photo realistic renderings, video and rich media production, email creative and fulfillment services, and digital marketing products for real estate professionals. For more information, visit www.theBDX.com.

Email marketing has emerged in recent years as one of the cheapest and most effective methods for businesses to reach their clients.

Nearly everyone has an email address, and for many it is their preferred method of communication. Getting a client (or potential client) to share their address with you is as simple as asking. So now you have an email list and a message to send, but then comes the dreaded question: How do I know if I am sending spam? Luckily the US Government has laws that clearly state what is and is not spam, and the good news is that they are not difficult to follow. In our latest whitepaper, we will outline what to consider when starting a commercial email campaign and make suggestions for not only following the law, but going above and beyond to assure your contacts that the email you have sent is an important communication and definitely not spam. Click here to read the entire whitepaper to learn more.

Through the extensive BDX network of websites, builders can list homes and communities once and be everywhere.

Austin, TX (April, 27 2010) – Builders Digital Experience (BDX), LLC, a joint venture of Move.com and Builder Homesite, Inc., today announced the addition of several real estate distribution partners for Move New Homes. Now, builders who list on Move New Homes will also automatically have their homes and communities included on Vast, Oodle, MySpace Classifieds, WalMart.com, Military.com, Facebook Marketplace, Local.com, Google Base/Maps, GreatSchools, and TheStreet. These sites join existing partners such as MSN and Comcast who are already part of Move New Homes distribution.

“We are constantly looking for ways to increase value for builders who list on the BDX network. When builders partner with BDX to market their homes and communities online they truly are able to list once and be everywhere,” said Tim Costello, CEO of BDX. “These new distribution partners are the latest in a long list of high quality web sites that are part of the BDX network – a network that reaches over 30 million potential new home buyers each month.”

At the heart of the BDX network are the #1 and #2 largest websites dedicated to new homes – NewHomeSource and Move New Homes. NewHomeSource from Builder Homesite was built for builders by leaders in the building industry and for nearly 10 years has been helping builders market their new homes online. Move New Homes is part of the Move network of real estate sites and recently upgraded the architecture and design of the site to improve the customer search experience. Now, both NewHomeSource and Move New Homes are powered by the BDX platform.

BDX is a builder’s one-stop-shop for digital resources. In addition to the top new home listing sites, BDX offers mobile marketing capabilities, interactive floor plans, photo realistic renderings, video and rich media production, email creative and fulfillment services, and digital marketing products for real estate professionals.

ABOUT BUILDERS DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

Builders Digital Experience, LLC (BDX) a joint venture from Move, Inc. and Builder Homesite, Inc. combines the industry’s leading new home resources, and offers new home builders innovative online marketing solutions, streamlined customer service and support, and greater value. BDX is based in Austin, Texas and operates, NewHomeSource.com from Builder Homesite, Inc., and the new home channel from Move.com. Additional services include mobile marketing capabilities, interactive floor plans, photo realistic renderings, video and rich media production, email creative and fulfillment services, and digital marketing products for real estate professionals. For more information, visit www.theBDX.com.

Many Homebuilders who advertise on NewHomeSource see a click-through rate (CTR) 5X to 10X the industry average for display advertising. Learn common characteristics of the best performing campaigns and get new ideas on how to use banners to further your marketing goals. For a review of your current banner campaigns contact Thane Tennison, Ad Ops Manager for NewHomeSource.

Online Advertising for Home Builders

Display Advertising is a great medium for enhancing listings, driving traffic or raising awareness of upcoming promotions and special incentives. We’ve seen builders utilize all of these tactics with Display Advertising on NewHomeSource.

One strategy which seems obvious but is often overlooked is to advertise actual builder’s communities, similar to the way billboards along the highway are used. NewHomeSource shoppers are active home buyers looking for information about new home communities and new home plans. Display Ads that focus on a community or range of communities often outperform other types of campaigns. Considering consumers search homes by price and location, it’s critical to include that information in your display creative. A relevant landing page and tracking code is also critical to measure consumer action and generate leads.

When developing a campaign consider the following:

  • What message do I want to convey?
  • Where will I send my consumers?
  • What action should they take once they are on my landing page?

With a clear strategy in place it’s easy to tweak and refine a display campaign. You may find the campaign is delivering excellent traffic but converting poorly. The issue may be with the the landing page, not the ad. Or, you may find few clicks but very relevant action from those consumers who do respond. This insight will provide you the information necessary to optimize your campaign and drive more value from your online marketing.