Coldwell Banker Assists Consumers with Facebook.com "Housetrology" Quiz

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate Editor    Parsippany, N.J.–In an innovative marketing initiative that utilizes the rise of social networking, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has launched a “Housetrology” quiz on Facebook.com.”Finding a home is a gradual process, so one of the nice things about ‘Housetrology’ is to get people to start thinking about what home would fit their individual characteristics,” says Michael Fischer, senior vice president for marketing. The quiz asks consumers a number of questions to determine their ideal home styles. Rather than the traditional home-buying variables, the questions are more personality-based, asking such things as what a prospective buyer wants to see out his window or what piece of art might hang in his home. Respondents are then classified as Victorian, Colonialista, Urbanist, Contemporarian, Ranchero or Ecletic.”We want to make sure anyone thinking about or dreaming about real estate can figure out which home to buy,” says Fischer, noting that the quiz can help people to determine whether they are best suited for single- or multifamily homes as well.The Facebook application is just one of Coldwell Banker’s Web 2.0 initiatives to reach consumers in the so-called “dreaming phase.” Other initiatives include collaborating with Dash Navigation System, which is currently the only Internet-based navigation system. The system accepts updates from Coldwell Banker’s listings and can direct users to new developments, as well as provide available amenities and pricing.”To be able to empower consumers and give them the content when they decide they need it is a very powerful idea,” says Fisher.The “Housetrology” quiz will be available on Coldwell Banker’s Website this summer.