a la mode announces HomeBeacon, harnesses new BLE wireless communication for location-aware tours
Written by a la mode on November 8, 2013
Naples, Florida – a la mode, one of the dominant players in the real estate industry's technology sector, is announcing the launch of HomeBeacon, a groundbreaking new mobile app targeted at enhancing the consumer experience when looking for homes. HomeBeacon uses Bluetooth Low Energy "iBeacon" technology to allow listing agents to create interactive location-aware property presentations which pop up automatically on consumer mobile devices simply by being near a listed property.
HomeBeacon goes even further by knowing where the visitor is standing in the home. Room-by-room presentations pop up as buyers walk through a property, so they're sold in real time on the features of the room they're standing in, or they're guided toward other areas. That room-aware capability also allows HomeBeacon to give agents and brokers never-before-seen analytics on exactly how consumers view and tour properties for sale.
"Over the summer, Apple announced that iOS 7 would include its new 'iBeacon' technology," said Real Estate Solutions Division President, Dustin Moore. "As a result, agents now have a new arsenal of location-aware marketing tools. So when a buyer is out on a Saturday looking for homes, and they get within a few hundred feet of a home, their phone "wakes up" and they're presented with videos, web pages, agent contact info, etc. They don't have to scan or do anything. It just happens. And the technology is so precise that agents can deliver micro-targeted marketing messages using audio, photos, and video, which changes as shoppers move from one room to another. We encourage agents to stop by our booth at the NAR show in San Francisco this week to see the room-by-room process in action. It's an eye-opener."
Brad Eaton, a la mode's Chief Product Officer, explained why HomeBeacon's Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) platform is more practical than previous location-aware services. "Many real estate professionals have tried location-aware technologies like QR codes or Near Field Communication devices. But BLE is far more attractive because of its incredible range and the fact that it requires no action by the consumer. It's effective up to 150 feet away from an inexpensive beacon base station, which means it projects out to cars driving by or to ground level in an urban area, and those people don't have to initiate any action at all. It's automatic."
This technology isn't simply a one-way marketing channel, however. HomeBeacon provides data back to agents as well. Agents with HomeBeacon-enabled listings will get reports of how many buyers visit a home, how long they stay, and even how long they were in each room.
"The analysis from HomeBeacon translates into actionable information to reduce market time," said Moore. "Agents can give advice to improve curb appeal when they see that too many shoppers drive by without stopping. Or they can prove that efforts should highlight the kitchen because visitors are spending five minutes there on average, compared to the 20 seconds they spend in the great room. HomeBeacon helps agents explain to sellers the pros and cons of their home with real consumer behavior, not anecdotal evidence or guesswork. BLE is available on most modern iOS and Android phones and tablets, and we're uniquely prepared to help agents take full advantage of it."
A HomeBeacon demonstration application designed for visitors to a la mode's booth at the National Association of REALTORS® Conference and Expo in San Francisco is available in the iOS App store now for free. The show is from November 8th through 11th, and a la mode will be in booth number 6068.
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About a la mode – Celebrating 28 years as a mission-critical workflow technology leader in the real estate and mortgage industries, a la mode's products are used by hundreds of thousands of appraisers, salespeople, inspectors, and lending professionals to power more than 50% of all residential real estate transactions in the US each year. In the agent and broker market, a la mode's Broker Reciprocity and Analytics products enjoy top-tier direct access to MLS listings and sales data via integration contracts with local boards serving more than 500,000 licensed salespeople nationwide. a la mode's flagship product for the lending industry is its Mercury Network, the nation's premiere valuation Vendor Management Platform with over 20,000 transactions a day. In the appraisal sector, its TOTAL desktop software line is dominant, used by more appraisers than all other brands combined.
a la mode is headquartered in Naples, FL, with additional offices and approximately 200 employees located in Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and Washington, DC. For more information about the company, visit www.alamode.com.
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.
Press inquiries, contact:
President, Real Estate Solutions Division
a la mode, inc.