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Nation's Largest Residential Brokerage, NRT LLC, Completes Roll-Out of New Coldwell Banker-Branded Consumer Webs

NRT LLC, the largest residential real estate brokerage company in the United Statesand a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), announced the completion of the roll-out of ColdwellBankerHomes.com, a new consumer website featuring all available MLS property listings in the regions the company serves with its company-owned Coldwell Banker brokerage operations.

This innovative brokerage site unifies 17 websites that served more than 50 of the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the United States. This newly combined site complements ColdwellBanker.com, the national site of the Coldwell Banker® franchise brand, which continues to be the No. 1 real estate brand online.*

"While NRT is the largest residential real estate brokerage in the nation, our Coldwell Banker online presence was spread across many regional websites," said Bruce Zipf, president and chief executive officer of NRT LLC. "By focusing our resources, traffic generation, search engine optimization, and unique content into one consumer site, we expect to fully capitalize on the volume of Web traffic we are generating and harness the power of NRT's Coldwell Banker presence into one single brokerage website used by all of our company-owned Coldwell Banker operations. We fully anticipate that ColdwellBankerHomes.com will become a leading real estate website that consumers turn to for their real estate needs in the markets in which we operate as Coldwell Banker."

"When designing ColdwellBankerHomes.com, we set out to ensure that consumers are able to easily access the information that is most important to them on whatever device they prefer," said Dan Barnett, senior vice president of marketing of NRT LLC. "We created a mobile-first experience that effortlessly converts to desktop, mobile, and tablet formats while retaining the features that made our local sites popular and introducing new functions that enhance the user's experience."

The responsive-design site offers virtual tours, photos, property videos, community profiles, city and school reports, interactive maps, tips for buying and selling a home, and Coldwell Banker/NRT property management and rental listings. Consumers can also request a report on their home's value in today's market.

Agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker/NRT receive a free personal profile page, and have the ability to upload a video profile, unlimited photos for each property, and send automatic email alerts on new properties, price reductions and open houses to customers who opt-in.

Leads on properties listed by a Coldwell Banker/NRT affiliated agent will be sent directly to the agent through HomeBase InTouch, NRT's customer relationship management system.     

Live Like Jesse from Breaking Bad

Coldwell Banker Real Estate and CNET Survey Finds Americans Ready for the Smart Home

The smart home is here to stay. A survey of U.S. adults by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, the original Silicon Valley real estate start-up founded in 1906, and CNET, the world's largest and most trusted online source of consumer technology news and reviews, found that Americans are already embracing the smart home with 28 percent owning at least one smart home product and almost half of Millennials (ages 18 to 34) adopting the technology.

"Smart home technology is catching on because it is literally changing the way we live in our homes," said Sean Blankenship, chief marketing officer for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. "Not only is it shifting the financial perception of the home, but it's also transforming our emotional connection to our homes. We have entered a transformative era. We believe that in three to five years, home buyers will expect smart home technology -- it will become the new norm."

Blankenship pointed to the fact that of those surveyed currently using smart home technology, 81 percent said they would be more likely to buy a home if smart technology, such as connected lighting, thermostats, remote-access security and smart locks, was already installed. For Americans who currently don't own smart home products, this provides an opportunity to make the move and adopt the technology. The trend will only grow as millennials start to represent a larger share of homeowners. 

The Coldwell Banker/CNET survey of approximately 4,000 Americans analyzed trends and insights related to smart home technology.

Smart Homes Save Money, Time and Provide Peace of MindAmericans are adopting and strongly valuing smart home technology. In fact, 91 percent of those who currently own smart home products would recommend the technology. Other findings include:

• 87 percent say the technology makes their lives easier.
• More than half (57 percent) of Americans who own smart home products say the technology saves them time and at an average of almost 30 minutes per day.
• The technology is saving owners of smart home products money. Forty-five (45) percent of Americans say that, on average, their smart home technology saves them over $1,100 a year.
• 72 percent say smart home products provide them with peace of mind when it comes to home security.

Parents Twice as Likely to Adopt Smart Technology Parents with children under age 18 are almost twice as likely to have smart home products (42 percent of those with children vs. 23 percent of those with no children).

• Parents were also more likely to have made their home "smart" when they moved in (68 percent of those with children vs. 50 percent of those with no children).
• Security is top of mind for those with kids. Seventy-eight (78) percent of parents say that smart home products provide peace of mind, while only 68 percent of those without children agreed with the statement.
• Among all respondents, 59 percent of parents said they'd be willing to pay more for a home with smart home technology installed. This is significantly higher than the 47 percent of those without children.

Other Key Survey Findings

• The smartphone is the remote control for your smart home. Seventy-six (76) percent of those with smart home products control them with a mobile device.
• The living room is the "smartest." When asked which rooms benefit from smart home technology, over half (51 percent) cited the living room, followed by the bedroom (45 percent), family / rec room (35 percent), kitchen (30 percent) and dining room (21 percent).
• Cost and savings are key to smart home purchasing decisions. Of those who do not have smart home products, 44 percent said they would consider purchasing the technology if it cost less, while 42 percent said they would consider purchasing if it would save them at least $500 yearly on utility bills and household expenses.

"From the living room to the yard, consumers are embracing smart home technology," said Lindsey Turrentine, editor-in-chief of CNET.com. "This market will continue to develop as the technology becomes even more mainstream. Our survey highlights the fact that this innovation has made its way into homes faster than many expected, and that once a homeowner tries a connected device, that person is ready to experiment with more smart products."

"Today's buyers are expecting smart home technology. It's no longer just an add-in," said Danny Hertzberg, sales associate affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Miami, Fla. "I'm seeing first-hand how homebuyers are requesting and favoring homes with smart features, such as automated lighting and temperature control. Smart home technology is also influencing the home selling process. In addition to de-cluttering a home, sellers are upgrading to smart home technology to attract modern buyers. Consumers are truly seeing the convenience and benefits of these products, understanding how smart home technology makes the home more comfortable, convenient and energy-efficient."

The full survey results can be found here.

Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States between June 18-19, 2015 by Harris Poll on behalf of the Coldwell Banker brand and CNET via its Quick Query omni­bus product. The survey was conducted among 4,043 adults (ages 18 and over) among whom 1,141 own at least one smart home product. For the purposes of the survey, "smart home technology/products" were defined as products or tools that aid in controlling a home's functions such as lighting, temperature, security, safety, and entertainment, either remotely by a phone, tablet, computer or with a separate automatic system within the home itself. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, the words "margin of error" are avoided as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The data has been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in our panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC
Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker® organization has been a premier provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate brokerage services. Coldwell Banker Real Estate is the oldest national real estate brand and franchisor in the United States, and today has a global network of approximately 3,000 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 43 countries and territories with more than 88,000 affiliated sales professionals. The Coldwell Banker brand is known for creating innovative consumer services as recently seen by being the first national real estate brand with an iPad app, the first to augment its websitewww.coldwellbanker.com for smart phones, the first to create a iPhone application with international listings and the first to fully harness the power of video in real estate listings, news and information through its Coldwell Banker On LocationSM YouTube channel. The Coldwell Banker System is a leader in niche markets such as resort, new homes and luxury properties through its Coldwell Banker Previews International® marketing program delivering exceptional experiences for all consumers served.

About CNET
For more than 20 years, CNET has been telling stories of the technology, people and companies reshaping our lives. CNET is the world's #1 tech media brand, with tens of millions of people visiting its news and reviews site each month to find the stories, photos and videos that matter. CNET offers the best advice for living with technology and covers every aspect of consumer technology, from personal and automotive tech to home and smart appliance tech. CNET recently launched CNET en Espanol for Spanish speakers in the U.S. and beyond. Follow CNET and CNET en Español on Twitter (@CNET and @CNET_es) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cnet) and www.facebook.com/CNETenEspanol). CNET and CNET en Espanol are properties of CBS Interactive.

The Windle Group Has Moved!

Home Partners of America Provides Consumers A New Path to Homeownership®, Reaches $700 Million Milestone

 In line with the core of the 2015 home-buying season, Home Partners of America is offering consumers a new way to pursue their dream of homeownership through its innovative Lease with a Right to Purchase program.  Launched in mid-2012 as a new solution to the tight mortgage market, Home Partners has already helped 7,900 Americans move into homes in strong communities across the country.  The company is expanding rapidly, with plans to help 10,000 households move into homes in the next 12 months and has already purchased $700 million worth of single-family homes in more than 30 markets across the country. 

"Our goal is to provide our clients a transparent and flexible path to homeownership in great communities," said Bill Young, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Home Partners of America. "Many people want the benefits of living in a single-family home in a good neighborhood with access to a strong school system, but are not yet ready to buy a home for a variety of reasons.  Through our resident-led program, people can access homes in neighborhoods where rental options are very limited."

A Model Built on Transparency and Flexibility

After being approved through Home Partners' application process, prospective residents work with licensed real estate agents of their choosing to select the right home for them from a wide portfolio of properties across the country.  Home Partners purchases the home, providing rent and purchase price certainty for an agreed-upon timeframe, usually between three to five years. The resident's only financial commitment is to lease the house for one year. Residents have the opportunity to pursue further lease renewals or purchase the home at any point in time during their residency. 

The program focuses on acquiring homes in communities with schools ranked in the top half of the market based on published rankings, where there are historically few homes available for rent, but a significantly larger number of homes for sale.  Home Partners believes this strategy maximizes the likelihood of long-term home appreciation, empowering Home Partners' business model while building a foundation for customers' long-term financial success. 

Home Partners approves residents for a monthly lease approval amount that it believes is conducive to long-term financial success in obtaining a mortgage.

"Today, the greatest hurdle to homeownership for millions of consumers is the inability to make the financial commitment in the near-term, particularly in neighborhoods where home prices increase higher than the median income levels grow," said Dr. Sebastien Gay, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. "The Home Partners of America model creates a very affordable and financially responsible path to homeownership and puts power back in the hands of consumers by giving them more options for their home search."  

Creating Positive Momentum in the Real Estate Market

Home Partners of America, formerly known as Hyperion Homes, launched in November 2012 in Chicago and has since entered 30 additional markets, with plans to expand as demand for the program grows. Capital provided by BlackRock, Inc., KKR and other institutional investors will help Home Partners reach over 10,000 households across the country. 

"We are excited to support Home Partners of America's innovative, transparent and safe path to homeownership.  The success of its resident-led model is that it truly aligns the interests of residents, the community and investors in our funds," said Brian Stern, a Managing Director at BlackRock, Inc.

To help establish its program in markets across the nation, Home Partners has relationships with several real estate companies, including Realogy Holdings Corp.'s franchise brands CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, ERA® and Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate as well as NRT LLC, the largest residential real estate brokerage firm in the United States, also a subsidiary of Realogy.  PHH Home Loans, a joint venture between PHH Mortgage and Realogy, is developing a program for Home Partners of America's customers to facilitate qualified resident access to home financing.  PHH Mortgage is an industry leader and one of the top 10 originators of retail residential mortgages1 in the United States. 

"The Home Partners of America model gives real estate agents access to a larger pool of prospective clients, including renters whose situations might have led them to believe that they didn't have a clear path to owning their dream home at the current time," said Alex Perriello, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Realogy Franchise Group. "It is empowering for our franchisees and their affiliated agents to help their rental clients find a home in the neighborhood they want and then conduct a quick closing with Home Partners."

As evidence of its desire to align with local markets and the interests of customers, Home Partners also announced it has made its program even more affordable by lowering customers' annual right to purchase escalation to conform more closely to local home price appreciation in certain markets.

"We are focused on helping our customers succeed: making the process easy, collaborative and flexible; and assisting successful residents when they decide to acquire the home," said Young. 

To learn more about the program or apply, visit http://www.homepartners.com/. 

About Home Partners of America

Home Partners of America is committed to making homeownership a reality for more people. The program provides a clear path to homeownership. Its process is easy, transparent and built on a foundation of choice and flexibility. Home Partners is helping more people get into great homes, in neighborhoods they love, with the opportunity to build a more secure financial future.

Home Field Advantage - John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves

After Splurging in 2014, Families Trim Back-to-School Spending for 2015

Average Spending on Back to School Has Grown 42 Percent in Past 10 Years

After spending more on school supplies and electronics in 2014, parents this year will head into the back-to-school season evaluating what their children really need before spending on new items. According to NRF’s Back-to-School Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average family with children in grades K-12 plans to spend $630.36 on electronics, apparel and other school needs, down from $669.28 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $24.9 billion. Additionally, indicating the continued growth in the back-to-school arena, families on average have spent 42 percent more on school items over the past 10 years.

Regardless of the slight decrease, survey results point to a more confident consumer when it comes to spending and the impact of the economy. The survey found 76.4 percent of families with school-age children say they will change their spending because of the economy, the lowest in the seven years NRF has been tracking it, and down from 81.1 percent last year.

“As seen over the last 13 years, spending on ‘back to school’ has consistently fluctuated based on children’s needs each year, and it’s unlikely most families would need to restock and replenish apparel, electronics and supplies every year,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Parents this summer will inventory their children’s school supplies and decide what is needed and what can be reused, which just makes good budgeting sense for families with growing children."

“Heading into the second half of the year, we are optimistic that economic growth and consumer spending will improve after a shaky first half of the year,” said Shay.

As Economy Improves, Impact on Spending Lessen

Solid growth in job creation and consumer confidence have greatly contributed to the economic recovery, which could be positively impacting how families shop for school items this year. The survey found 40.6 percent of those who say the economy is impacting their spending plans will look for sales more often, down from the 46.2 percent last year and the lowest since NRF began tracking this in 2009. Additionally, 29.8 percent will buy more generic or store brand products, down from 34 percent last year and another survey low.

For those who have to restock what their children need for school, 92.7 percent will purchase new apparel, spending an average of $217.82, though most (94.1 percent) will head out for new school supplies, spending an average of $97.74; families will also spend $117.56 on new shoes.

In 2014, 58.3 percent of parents said they would buy electronics for their school-age children, and planned to spend an average of $212.35 — one of the highest amounts seen in the survey’s history. Having less of a need for electronics this year, however, families said they would decrease their spending on gadgets for their children and will spend an average of $197.24.



Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics.
"Heading into the second half of the year, we are optimistic that economic growth and consumer spending will improve after a shaky first half of the year."
NRF President and CEO
Matthew Shay


Early Birds Change Course; Omnichannel Offerings Desired by Shoppers

More families with children in grades K-12 are opting to wait before rushing out to shop. According to the survey, 19.6 percent will shop at least two months before school, down from 22.5 percent last year. Starting a little later this year, two in five (42.8 percent) will shop at least three weeks to one month before school, down slightly from 44.5 percent last year. More families (30.3 percent) will shop one to two weeks before school, up from 25.4 percent last year.

When asked why they begin shopping for back to school at least two months out, 64.9 percent said they shop early to spread out their budgets, and half (51.1 percent) do so to avoid crowds associated with school shopping. Other popular reasons include not wanting to miss out on popular merchandise (21.5 percent) and prices and promotions being too good to pass up (45.3 percent).

Planning to shop around for their school merchandise, families will head to their local department (56.4 percent), discount (62.2 percent), clothing (53.5 percent), electronics (22.4 percent) and office supply stores (35.9 percent). And slightly more than one-third (35.6 percent) of those looking for school items will shop online.

For the first time, NRF asked about shoppers’ intentions to use retailers’ omnichannel offerings; of those planning to shop online, nearly half (48.4 percent) say they will take advantage of retailers’ buy online, pick up in store or ship to store options, and 17.3 percent will look for expedited shipping offers. Nine in 10 (92.1 percent) will take advantage of retailers’ free shipping offers.

“Savvy and budget-conscious parents today have plenty of experience when it comes to looking around for great deals and value-add promotions, and it seems mom and dad will use that to their advantage this summer to take advantage of retailers’ omnichannel services,” said Prosper’s Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow. “To ease hectic schedules and long shopping lists, it’s likely that we’ll continue to see consumers try out and regularly use services like free shipping, reserve online and even same-day delivery — options busy parents have been waiting for.”

Broken out by age, Millennials are much more likely to use these channels: Two-thirds of 18-24- and 25-34-year-olds will use a buy online, pick up in store or ship to store option (65.7 percent and 65 percent respectively), and 15.4 percent of 25-34-year-olds will use a reserve online option, much higher than the 9.1 percent of average adults who plan to do so. Additionally, 23 percent of 18-24-year-olds will use same-day delivery, significantly more than the 10.2 percent of average adults.


Three-quarters Say Half of What they Buy for School is Influenced by Children

Fashion-forward teens and tweens know just how to get mom and dad’s attention when it comes to new school gear to make their friends stop and stare. According to the survey, 86.4 percent of school shoppers say their children will influence one-quarter or more of their back-to-school purchases. And for the smaller purchases, children plan to chip in some of their own money; teens will dole out $33.27, and pre-teens will spend an average $17.57.

- See more at: https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/after-splurging-2014-families-trim-back-school-spending-2015#sthash.l4mBg9yf.dpuf

Home Field Advantage - Edgar Martinez, Seattle Mariners