The mapping function, Walk Score works by locating a property listing on a map, then provides detailed information on surrounding points of interest such as nearby schools, shops, restaurants, transport hubs and medical facilities.

Now integrated into all public, office and sales consultant websites in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, Harcourts is one of the first real estate groups in Australasia to utilise this feature as part of each property listing.

Gregg Toyama, Head of E-Business for Harcourts International, suggests that today’s consumers are always craving more localized information surrounding a property listing.

“How many times have you heard someone say, ‘How far away is the local school’ when discussing a property? Now buyers can see that information along with a range of other points of interest, such as transport hubs, doctors, restaurants and much more all within a property listing.

The mapping program also has a feature called “Where do you commute?” which allows you to type in any address and it will automatically show you the recommended route, distance, approximate driving and walking time from that property.

“Aside from price, location and surrounding services are at the top of the list for many.

“When I was testing this function prior to release, I was nicely surprised to find some local shops and services I didn’t realize were just around the corner from where I have been living for some time” Mr Toyama said.

Users will be able to access Harcourts’ mobile property websites automatically on any smartphone that has a web browser.

Jason Wills, Chief Information Officer for Harcourts International, suggests that this technology is leading edge and the ability for the websites to run on practically any smart mobile phone is exceptional.

“Many systems only cater for the iPhone or the Android but Harcourts’ approach is to not limit their customers to specific devices,” Mr Wills said.

“Let’s open up the website to all smart phones.  This is the future of web-based technology and not only do I want to have access to any site on my mobile phone, I want the site to look great and work well!

“I don’t want to have to download any apps; I just want websites to work simply. This is Harcourts’ approach to technology and you will see this as we develop more tablet/iPad websites,” Mr Wills continued.

The new mobile websites have all the basic features of the complete website, including easy to view property photos, maps, auto phone agent, open home details, contact office/agent feature, and access to Harcourts’ 15,000+ properties.

To access the websites, simply go to your phone’s web browser and type in www.harcourts.com.au or www.harcourts.co.nz.

The smartphone websites are the latest edition to Harcourts’ already impressive technology suite which includes next generation websites, the eCampaign application for the iPad, the Mobile Agent application for the iPad and iPhone, and the addition of QR Codes to the group’s marketing materials, amongst others.

In September 2010, HarcourtsOne had 2.6 million contacts in total. In September 2011, the database now has over 3.6 million contacts across Australia and New Zealand, representing a massive 28 per cent increase in contacts over the past 12 months.

According to Jason Wills, Chief Information Officer for Harcourts International, this means that Harcourts has significantly increased its customer base over a 12 month period in one of the toughest markets we have seen in recent years.

“These results tell us that Harcourts has come into contact with more home buyers and sellers in the past 12 months than ever before.

“The significant growth in database numbers will increase our ability to find buyers for sellers’ properties which will, in turn, enhance Harcourts’ position in the marketplace,” Mr Wills said.

Mr Wills suggests that the surge in database numbers is a direct result of Harcourts’ new technology and marketing tools.

“The release of the new Harcourts websites, the office and sales consultant websites, our marketing and promotional material, and the mobile products developed for the iPhone and iPad have all contributed to this surge in growth.

“All in all, it’s a very positive results for the Harcourts team and we hope to increase these numbers again over the next 12 months,” Mr Wills said.

Mr Wills also states that an increasing number of Harcourts consultants are using technology in order to keep in touch with their clients.

“Our sales consultants and property managers are really embracing technology and using it to keep in touch with their clients via our SMS and email marketing software. These technologies are fantastic as they allow us to keep our customers informed throughout the selling or purchasing process,” Mr Wills continued.

Harcourts International Managing Director, Mike Green, Head of E-Business, Gregg Toyama, and Chief Information Officer, Jason Wills attended the conference alongside thousands of delegates from around the globe.

“What we heard at the conference confirmed that mobile technologies and applications are becoming the standard. We discovered that applications built for all smartphones and tablets are preferable to apps built for proprietary devices such as the iPhone.

“Strategically, we learnt that Harcourts is leading the way in terms of mobile technologies and applications as we have already built several apps – many of the top real estate companies haven’t started building apps yet!”, Mr Wills said.

According to Mr Toyama, augmented reality is another new technology which is starting to gain momentum.

“Augmented reality – a term for a direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are enhanced with computer-generated input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data – is growing in popularity and we will be seeing this technology applied to real estate mobile devices within the next year,” Mr Toyama said.

“Overall, the clear direction moving forward is all around ‘community’. Lead by the social media evolution, the internet is no longer about web pages, it’s about web people. Connection online is the clear trend, as well as mobile technologies. More online time will be spent on mobile devices such as iPhones and Androids rather than on PCs,” Mr Toyama continued.

While in the US attending the Inman Conference, Mr Green, Mr Wills and Mr Toyama visited the newly opened Harcourts US corporate office and several sales offices to work directly with the team.

“It was great being at the coalface and working directly with our USA team.  Seeing how our US team uses existing technology and understanding their issues is invaluable.

“We can learn, adapt and make their systems even better for their market place. Overall, it was a very valuable experience!” Mr Wills said.

Harcourts’ next generation websites allow sales offices and sales consultants to build and personalise their own websites with their own look and feel, and tailor them to suite their specific needs.

The next generation websites also offer leading-edge social media integration and exceptional search engine optimisation.

Gregg Toyama, Head of E-Business for Harcourts International, believes that the next generation websites will be of great benefit to Harcourts’ sales staff and their clients.

“These websites will form an integral part of our offices and sales consultants online marketing strategy as they will be able to better promote their clients property and themselves. Today buyers want and can get 24/7 online access to as much information as possible on any property and potential sellers should be able to access the same kind of information on a real estate agent or office,” Mr Toyama said.

Mr Toyama says that there are numerous features built into the next generation websites which will allow Harcourts offices and sales consultants to promote their clients’ properties as well as communicate what is happening in the local market through video and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

“One of the greatest features of these new websites is their exceptional search engine optimisation. A potential home buyer could type a sales consultant’s name into Google and their personalised website will generally appear right at the top of the search list.

“We’ve also paid close attention to video and social media and these new websites allow sales consultants to integrate their Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, You Tube and blog accounts,” Mr Toyama said.

The next generation websites are the latest edition to Harcourts’ already impressive technology suite which includes the eCampaign application for the iPad, the Mobile Agent application for the iPad and iPhone, and the addition of QR Codes to the group’s marketing materials, amongst others.

Harcourts Head of Technology, Jason Wills says the new feature added by Google allows home buyers to search for a property simply by entering their desired city or suburb.

The property listings then appear on Google Maps, making searching for property in relation to location a simpler process for buyers.

“According to comScore, over 56 per cent of all Internet searches on real estate and related terms are conducted on Google and their partner sites therefore it’s vital that Harcourts is at the forefront with Google’s new initiatives.

“Harcourts have been using Google Maps for a period of time but this relaunch takes us to a whole new level,” Mr Wills said.

“The key differences are that Harcourts have upgraded the functionality to use the latest Google Maps including street view and the way we represent our properties on the map by grouping properties. 

“The ability to refine your search using the maps is also very powerful and avoids having to start your search from scratch,” Mr Wills said.

In addition, buyers can refine their search by adding in price limitations, number of bedrooms, type of property, among other search options, and the map updates automatically if the viewer pans to another suburb.

“For decades Harcourts has prided itself as an industry ground-breaker in real estate technology. We see our investment in real estate technology as imperative to provide the public and our team with the best tools possible to ensure their real estate experience is productive and successful,” Mr Wills said.

A QR Code is a matrix barcode, readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones.

Users with a camera phone equipped with a QR reader application can scan the image of the QR Code to display photos, videos, floor plans or link to a webpage and other related property information.

Harcourts will incorporate QR Codes on property sign boards and other marketing material which will to allow clients and potential buyers to access property information instantly using their mobile phones.

Gregg Toyama, Head of E-Business for Harcourts International, suggested that there were numerous advantages to incorporating QR Codes into the company’s marketing strategy.

“Having QR Codes on our signboards basically allows our clients to access property information at any time of the day or night. It’s a window to a 24/7 marketing tool which will be advantageous to both our clients and home buyers.

“If someone sees a signboard outside of business hours, they can scan the QR Codes and access detailed information on the property on the spot.

“This adds a new level of convenience and instant access to detailed property information on a mobile device in a way that has never been seen before,” Mr Toyama said.

For more information, please visit www.harcourts.mobi

Bruce Lennon originally joined Harcourts as a Mortgage Broker for Harcourts Financial Services, before moving into a role as Business Operations Manager, then transitioned to a Business Development Manager, and now finds himself as General Manager for Brock Harcourts South Australia.

Vanessa Kupsch began her career as an Office Administrator at one of Harcourt Victoria’s sales offices, before moving into a Business Operations Manager role within the Harcourts Victoria State Office, then onto a Business Development Manager position and has recently been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Harcourts Victoria.

Tina Sander began her career as Harcourts Queensland’s receptionist before quickly moving into a Business Operations Manager role. Soon after, Miss Sander moved from the Harcourts Queensland team into the Harcourts International team and after only six months, has now become Head of International Operations.

“These are just a few recent success stories within Harcourts but over the years, many others have progressed through the company in a similar way,” said Chief Information Officer of Harcourts International, Jason Wills.

“I’m extremely proud to see so many members of our team progressing through our company.  It all comes back to Harcourts’ culture and one of our company values, putting people first.

“As Harcourts continues to grow we will see more of our team moving up the ranks and taking their careers to the next level.

“Harcourts’ focus on staff retention and development is just one of our key points of difference as an organisation. We also focus heavily on developing market-leading technologies and innovations, such as our internet-based bespoke technology platform, Harcourts One, and our iPad applications, Mobile Agent and eCampaign.

“Ultimately, Harcourts’ corporate culture, the focus on growing and developing staff, and our unique technologies and systems set us apart from our competition, and this continues to attract people to our business,” Mr Wills continued.

Harcourts introduced LiveLead in 2008 to provide live and immediate response to online customers through the company’s corporate websites in Australia and New Zealand.  

Offering registrants market information and personalised service, customers who register are instantly assessed by Alison and are personally provided with any necessary assistance or information they are seeking. Once the lead matures and an appraisal is agreed to, Alison again personally refers them onto a Harcourts Business Owner in their region.  

Eric Hartanto, Business Owner of Harcourts Applecross in Perth, Western Australia, recently sold a waterview apartment in the luxury Azure apartment block in Mount Pleasant for $1.25m.  This was Eric’s first referral from LiveLead.

“I was more than overjoyed to assist the owner of this appealing riverside apartment,” Eric said.   

“The support and professionalism from Alison on this LiveLead referral was second to none and their appreciation of the marketing saw the property selling at a record price… a great result!  Not only this, but three other sales have resulted from the sale of this property,” Eric continued

Alison is more than happy that one of her LiveLead clients has achieved this result. 

“I love this outcome for my referred client.  I’ve focused on building strong relationships with our internet customers, and it’s great to know that the service they receive from myself continues when I refer them onto a Business Owner and results in a sale,” Alison said.  

“To my knowledge, Harcourts is the only major real estate company in Australia and New Zealand that offers this kind of immediate customer service to their internet customers,” Alison continued “and feedback from our customers is that this service is greatly appreciated”.

If you’d like to know more about Harcourts LiveLead – please contact Alison through alison.mackowski@harcourts.net

Almost 1,100 Harcourts staff from Australia and New Zealand completed the survey and the results showed that most were incredibly happy with the work done by the Harcourts Technology team and the initiatives which they had developed.

When asked what single most important ‘thing’ Harcourts provided to their staff, the company’s internal technology suite, Harcourts One was named in the top three products.

Further, when asked which Harcourts products provided respondents with a significant business advantage, Harcourts One, the company’s iPad applications (including Mobile Agent and eCampaign) and CampaignTrack were among the main responses.

The survey also revealed that most were incredibly happy with the service provided by the Harcourts Helpdesk.

Within Australia, 87.3 per cent of respondents rated the service provided by the Harcourts Helpdesk as either good or excellent, while in New Zealand, 88 per cent ranked the service provided as either good or excellent.

Jason Wills, Chief Information Officer for Harcourts International, is thrilled with the results and believes that they are a testament to the hard work, dedication and passion that his team display on a daily basis.

“We pride ourselves on our technology innovations as well as the support service we offer to Harcourts staff.

“These survey results are fantastic and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. The results really reflect the hard work and dedication of the Harcourts technology team and I’m incredible proud of them,” Mr Will said.

Technology training was also a major priority amongst survey respondents, with 45.5 per cent and 60.2 per cent hoping to receive further technology training in 2011 across Australia and New Zealand respectively.

In 2010, 31.2 per cent of respondents in Australia received technology training, while 39 per cent of respondents in New Zealand received technology training.