Houlihan/Lawrence revamps website

Real Estate Weekly, April 24, 2002

Houlihan/Lawrence, the largest independently-owned realtor in Westchester and Putnam counties, has completely revamped its website to offer customers a single web source for all local, and even national listings. Now, www.houlihanlawerence.com can provide one-stop home shopping with access to the Westchester and Putnam Multiple Listing Service (WPMLS), as well as listings throughout the country.

"For the home buyer, Houlihan/Lawrence is the only home search website they'll need. For sellers, it means additional exposure for their listings," said Stephen Meyers, president of Houlihan/Lawrence. "As a full service realtor, we can now offer both buyers and sellers the most up-to-date technology available, as an enhancement to our personalized services."

Prior to this, brokers were allowed to display only their own listings on their websites. Now, WPMLS members have the option of sharing their listings by posting them on other member broker Internet websites.

The new Houlihan/Lawrence site also connects to a national database of listings for local customers shopping for second homes or moving from the area. Home shoppers simply enter a state, county, city or zip code and within seconds they can begin previewing homes from destinations across the nation.

For home sellers listing with Houlihan/Lawrence, their properties are displayed on the local website and on top websites across the country. As a member of RELO[R], Houlihan/Lawrence is part of a global network of leading independent real estate companies, and was one of the first to offer national exposure for listings.

Other new features on the updated website include Facts for the home buyer and seller, Fast and Easy Search features, and the Personal Shopper, which provides emails: to buyers containing new listings that match their search criteria.

The Houlihan/Lawrence website will continue to offer its popular Virtual Home Tour, which offers three 360[degrees] panoramic views of the property and nine still photographs.

"The Virtual Home Tour is- a real benefit for both buyers and sellers," said Cathleen Stack, manager of technology development for Houlihan/Lawrence. "It allows buyers to narrow down searches, and gives sellers the opportunity to showcase their homes, both inside and out."

Every Houlihan/Lawrence agent has his or her own web page called an Agent Profile. Included on the pro file are all of the agent's current listings, an agent photo and contact information. Communication with an agent is only a click away with email links on both Home Listing Pages and Agent Profiles. Agents can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"While the computer will never replace the personal service we offer here at Houlihan/Lawrence, our goal is to make home buying and selling as easy and efficient as possible for our customers," said Meyers.