RE/MAX Highlights Listings/Community with StrandVision Digital Sign

RE/MAX of Thomasville, Inc. is an innovative real estate brokerage that's on the move. The Georgia agency recently relocated to a new 9,600 sf office for its 32 agents and support staff. It wants to present the most professional and community-oriented profile possible to its customers and the public.

Early digital signage adopter

Wendell Carr, Marketing and Training Director, is the key designer of the agency's profile in the community. That's why in early 2007 he decided to replace a standard real estate tool - the corkboard showing listings and photos - with a digital sign. He sought an attractive way to eliminate the painstaking and time consuming task of updating listings.

He thought about using a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation but it would be difficult to maintain. He then found a digital signage company with expertise in supporting banks that was piloting a system for real estate.

He signed up. He soon became disillusioned with the cost ($6,000/qtr) and the lack of flexibility. He explained, "We had no control. We had fields, such as school districts, that we left empty but they still continued to be displayed." He finally concluded, "I just couldn't justify the cost for something in the lobby."

StrandVision provides flexibility

That's when he found StrandVision, a flexible system that allows him to display the information exactly as he wants. He was able to add business partner ads, community notices, local weather and news. "The thing that has blown me away with StrandVision has been the flexibility," he said.

Under an annual subscription that came to less than half what he would have paid for only three months of service, Wendell was able to use his existing 42" LCD screen and PC to drive the new Internet-based StrandVision digital sign. He gave StrandVision a wish list of what he would like to have and they quickly delivered. He commented, "I have never worked with anyone who was so willing and enthusiastic. They understood what we were trying to do and they did it."

Ideal for real estate offices

StrandVision created a special graphical database so RE/MAX could upload listing descriptions with corresponding photos and then randomly display them by price range ($100,000 - $150,000, etc.). They also made it easy for RE/MAX to move listings from one price category to another.

The installation went smoothly. The previous digital sign was replaced by the StrandVision system over the course of a couple of days. It took Wendell and the receptionist only a few hours to add 200 property listings and photos to the digital sign. Now, the receptionist maintains the listings on a regular basis.

In addition to the listings and other RE/MAX information, the agency also sells advertising pages to business partners and features several community organizations and events. Commented Wendell, "Not only are we selling houses, we're selling our city, our lifestyles, our community and what our community has to offer."

Displays listings on RE/MAX Website

A final benefit is that RE/MAX now automatically promotes its listings and community notices on its Website (www.31792.com) as it maintains the sign. "With StrandVision's Internet function I was able to take a 'snippet' to put the digital sign in a window on our Website. Now I'm automatically exposing more of our properties over the Web. I'm absolutely thrilled with that."